After Her 18th (Ongoing)

Tenth💎

Days passed, and the anticipation for my next date with Archibald grew stronger. I found myself thinking about him more, about the pieces of his life I was slowly starting to understand.

One afternoon, habang abala ako sa trabaho, biglang pumasok sa opisina ko si Seth—isa pa sa mga kaibigan ni Arch. He greeted me with a warm smile, much like Claud did during the last surprise.

"Ready for another date?" Seth asked, his tone light but his eyes holding a hint of something deeper.

I chuckled, feeling a slight nervousness bubble up again, "So, si Archibald ang nagpadala sa'yo?"

Seth nodded, "Of course. Naghihintay na siya."

Niligpit ko ang mga gamit ko at nagbilin kay John na baka hindi na rin ako makabalik for the rest of the day, "You can also head home early if you want to."

"Naku! Maraming salamat po, ma'am. Ingat po kayo." I smiled at him with a nod.

As we headed to meet Arch, my thoughts drifted to what might come up this time. Alam kong naikwento na niya ang ilan sa mga nangyari sa buhay niya, pero alam kong marami pa siyang hindi nasasabi. Alam kong sinabi ko sa kaniya na makikinig ako kung kalian siya handa, pero hindi ko parin maiwasang magtaka sa kabuuan ng mga pangyayari.

"So, saan kami ngayon?"

"Well, he has something more intimate in mind for your date tonight." Nagtaas-baba pa ang kilay niya habang sinabi ito, kaya pabiro ko siyang tinulak.

Pareho kaming natawa dalawa, "Baliw."

The whole drive there was just us talking about his family and how he's been holding up. Having a daughter is clearly not an easy feat, but I won't throw away the idea of having a daughter someday.

"Her cries are so sharp, but her laughs are the most beautiful sounds that have existed in my lifetime." He said.

Malumanay akong napangiti habang nakikinig sa mga kuwento niya tungkol sa anak niya.

Would Kyro want a sister, though?

I tried to remove the question out of my mind. Tumigil ka, Isla. Kung saan-saan naman napupunta ang imahinasyon mo.

Unlike our previous dates, tonight's plan felt more private and quieter. He mentioned that Arch had a different idea in mind, and instead of going to a restaurant, he was taking me to his condo.

When we arrived at the building, Arch, in his casual clothes, came down himself to greet me. Lumapit siya, hinalikan ako sa pisngi, at nagpasalamat kay Seth, na tumango at iniwan na kaming dalawa.

"Hungry?" He asked as we rode the elevator up.

"Famished." I answed which made him chuckle lightly.

I could feel his gaze on me as we waited, but I didn't look back at him. There was a certain tension between us—not the bad kind, but the kind that made you feel like something special was about to happen.

Pagbukas ng pinto ng condo, tumambad sa akin ang amoy ng masarap na pagkain. Nagulat ako nang makita kong naka-set up na ang dining table—simple pero eleganteng setting, na may mga kandila sa gitna.

"You cooked?" I asked, half in shock and admiration.

He nodded as he closed the door, "I wanted to cook for you. Just like I did before."

I could feel my cheeks heat up as he led me to the dining area.

My anxiety deepened, wondering what might unfold tonight. Because him cooking for me led to something entirely different from the way I remembered it.