Fading Echoes

Cinco

Irene

It has been three days since Greggy left for a business trip. And for heaven's sake! He's constantly asking for updates—hour by hour, sending messages, expecting me to do the same. When I can't respond right away, I even get texts from his secretary, sometimes even from Kuya David!

Right now, we're at Circuit, preparing for the kids' performance on Friday. I've turned on Do Not Disturb mode on my phone because it's been non-stop with messages and calls, either from Greggy or his secretary.

"Teacher I! You mean Tito Gee won't be able to watch us again?" Feliz asked, pouting after overhearing my phone call with Greggy earlier when he checked in.

I crouched down to her level, gently tapped her nose, and smiled warmly. "Sadly, he won't make it, darling. But he did send his good luck!" I replied. Feliz lowered her head in disappointment, playing with her fingers. She looked like a little doll with her long lashes, curly hair, and rosy lips.

"But he promised, Teacher I," she mumbled softly. I tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear and lifted her chin.

Seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, I quickly took her hand and led her to a bench. I placed her on my lap, wiping away her tears as she sobbed, "Why does he keep breaking his promises?"

I couldn't blame her for feeling emotionally attached to Greggy. From the moment Feliz joined the group, it was my husband who she bonded with the most.

Greggy is the reason Feliz gets so excited for every recital. He's been her biggest fan ever since she became part of our small musical family. They adore each other so much that people sometimes mistake them for father and daughter.

"Shhh, Tito Gee just has a lot of work, sweetheart. He's taking care of many people, his employees. And by doing that, he's helping a lot of families too. That's why he has to work hard, to make others happy," I explained, hoping she'd understand.

She looked up at me, sniffling. "I miss my Tito Gee," she whispered.

I hugged her tightly. "I'm here, though," I whispered back, stroking her hair. I felt her small arms wrap around me in return.

"Don't you miss him too, Teacher I?" she asked innocently, catching me off guard.

Do I miss him? Or is it the old version of us that I miss?

"Of course, I miss him... so much," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

The rest of the day flew by. After rehearsals, I headed to the mall to pick up some baking supplies since we'd run out at home. I also needed to buy a dress for Feliz, as Greggy had requested before leaving.

"Please buy her a dress for the performance. I want her to feel like I'm still there with her," he had said.

It was sweet, but I couldn't shake off the uneasiness inside me—the sudden change in his behavior. While I appreciated the thoughtfulness, I couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it.

As I wandered around the mall, my phone rang. Expecting it to be Greggy, I was surprised to see it was Manang calling.

"Ate? What's up?" I greeted, pushing the shopping cart as I paused to admire a cute pink dress with ruffled sleeves and butterfly accents. It was perfect for Feliz.

"I've been texting you, but you haven't answered!" Manang's voice burst through the phone, causing me to pull it away from my ear.

"What's the matter? My phone's been on Do Not Disturb. You know I'm busy, Manang," I replied, tossing the dress into my cart.