Inamorata's Ascent: The heir and the Pauper

CHAPTER 12

The Park

Saoirse’s POV

The café was bustling as usual, with the morning rush keeping us on our toes. Despite the constant flow of customers, working alongside Leon made everything feel more manageable.

As the afternoon lull settled in, Leon turned to me with a casual smile. “Saoirse, what do you say we go to the park after our shift ends?”

I looked up, pleasantly surprised by his suggestion. “I thought you’d never ask, gusto ko ’yan.”

After closing up the café, we made our way to the nearby park. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm golden glow over everything. The park was alive with the sound of children playing, the birds chirping, and people enjoying the evening.

We spent the first hour feeding the birds, their excited flutters bringing a sense of joy and simplicity. We wandered around, sampling delicious street food from various vendors. Leon bought us some ice cream and we found a bench where we could sit and enjoy the view.

“This is nice,” i said, taking a bite of my ice cream. “Medyo matagal na rin na nakapag unwind ako ng ganito.”

“Yeah, it really is,” Leon agreed, smiling as he watched the people passing by.

I took a deep breath, feeling content. “Mas masaya siguro kung kasama natin yung mga kapatid. They love the park.”

“Do you have many siblings?” Leon asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Two younger brothers,” i replied. “They’re a handful, but i love them. Do you have any siblings?”

Leon hesitated, a shadow passing over his face. “I had a brother.”

My eyebrows knitted in confusion. “Had?”

He sighed, looking down at his ive cream. “My brother and i went on a camping trip with our parents when we were kids. One day, i wandered off and got lost. My brother came looking for me, but he got lost instead. I made it back to our parents, but he never did. They searched for him for years, but he was never found.”

The weight of his words hung in the air, and i felt a pang of sadness for him. “That’s terrible, Leon. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said quietly. “It’s something that’s always haunted me.”

A thought crossed my mind, and i decided to share it. “Alam mo, si Reeve, he also got lost in the woods when he was a kid. He was found by a kind couple who worked at a bakery in our old neighborhood. They adopted him because his real parents couldn’t reach him.”

Leon looked at me, a spark of curiosity in his eyes. “Really? That’s quite a coincidence.”

“Yeah, it is,” i said, reflecting on the odd similarity.

Leon seemed lost in thought for a moment, but i decided to lighten the mood. “Hey, why don’t we take a picture at the photobooth? It’ll be fun memory.”

He smiled, the heaviness lifting from his expression. “Sige, tara.”

We found a photobooth nearby and squeezed inside, laughing as we tried to fit into the frame. We made silly faces and funny poses, the machine capturing moments of pure, unfiltered joy. When the photos printed out, we both laughed at the results, each strip of pictures a testament to the fun we had.

As the evening grew darker, we decided it was time to head home. We walked back to our respective places, the day’s events still fresh in our minds. When I got home, I received a text from Leon.

“Goodnight, Saoirse. Thanks for a great day.”

I felt a flutter of excitement in my chest as I replied. “Goodnight, Leon. I had a wonderful time too.”