MY FIRST AND MY LAST S2 (HAMBEBE AU)

When the name hurts

At Sari's house, the doorbell rang, and Sari, with Miyuki by her side, went to answer it. As the door opened, Mira and Scarlet stood there, their faces lighting up at the sight of Sari and the little girl.

"Finally!" Mira exclaimed, stepping in and immediately bending down to Miyuki’s level. "You must be Miyuki," she said softly, her eyes filled with warmth as she extended her hand.

Miyuki, a bit shy, glanced at her mom before slowly reaching out to Mira. "Hi," she said quietly, gripping Mira’s hand gently.

Scarlet, standing just behind, smiled brightly. "Look at you! You’re even cuter than I imagined," she said, her playful tone easing some of Miyuki's shyness. She leaned in and handed Miyuki a small, brightly wrapped gift. "This is for you," she said, winking.

Miyuki’s eyes lit up as she accepted the gift, but instead of opening it right away, she shyly hid behind Sari’s leg.

Sari chuckled, resting her hand on her daughter's head. "Miyuki anak, these are your tita ninangs, Mira and Scarlet. They’ve been dying to meet you."

Mira stood up, her eyes meeting Sari's, and the two exchanged a meaningful look one of relief, joy, and understanding. Scarlet, too, smiled as she joined Mira, the three women finally together with Miyuki after all these years.

"She’s perfect, sobrang gandang bata" Mira whispered to Sari, her voice full of emotion. Scarlet nodded in agreement, her playful expression softening.

Miyuki peeked out from behind Sari again, curiosity and comfort beginning to replace her initial shyness. She gave a small smile to Mira and Scarlet, and Sari knew that her daughter had found even more people to love and be loved by.

Just as Mira and Scarlet were settling in and Miyuki was starting to warm up to them, Sari's phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw her parents' number. Excusing herself from the room, she answered the call.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, dad," Sari said, stepping into the hallway to speak more privately.

"Sari, how’s our apo doing today?" her mother asked, her voice laced with concern. "Kumain na ba?."

Sari took a deep breath, her eyes softening as she glanced back at the living room, where Miyuki was laughing softly with Mira and Scarlet. "She’s doing okay, Mom. A bit shy, but she's getting along with her tita ninangs just fine. Tapos na ding kumain pahirapan nga lang."

Her father chimed in, his deep voice full of worry but also warmth. "Ganyan talaga pag mga bata, parang ikaw noon, kung hindi pa pinapalo hindi talaga kakain, mana mana lang yan anak."

Sari’s burst into laughter. "ang daming pwdeng mamanahin, yun pa talaga."

Her mother’s voice softened. "Wala ka nang magagawa, pero anak honestly  we're so proud of you for doing a great job, Sari. And remember, we’re here if you need anything."

Sari smiled despite the weight on her shoulders. "Thanks, Mom. I’ll call you later, okay?"

"Give Miyuki a big hug from us," her father added before they said their goodbyes.

As Sari hung up and rejoined her friends and daughter in the living room, she felt a sense of reassurance. Her parents’ love and support, even from afar, gave her strength.

As Sari rejoined the group in the living room, Mira and Scarlet exchanged a glance. They hesitated for a moment, clearly wanting to ask something but unsure how to approach it.

After a few minutes of light conversation, Mira finally spoke up, her tone gentle but direct. "Sari, we’ve been meaning to ask... have you heard anything from Gio lately? Any news?"

Scarlet nodded, her voice soft as well. "We know it’s a difficult subject, but we’ve been worried about how you’re doing with everything."

Sari’s expression shifted instantly. The mention of Gio’s name struck a nerve, and the hurt she had been trying to bury resurfaced. Her jaw tightened as she avoided Mira and Scarlet’s eyes. For a moment, the room felt heavy with the unspoken pain.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but the emotions were too close to the surface. "I... I don’t really want to talk about Gio," Sari finally said, her voice strained. "It still hurts. A lot."

Mira and Scarlet immediately regretted asking, their faces softening with concern. "We’re sorry, Sari. I didn’t mean to push," Mira said, reaching out to touch Sari’s hand.

Scarlet chimed in quickly, her voice filled with empathy. "We just want to make sure you’re okay. We won’t bring it up again if you don’t want us to."

Sari nodded, her eyes glistening slightly but determined to hold back her tears. "I’m trying to move forward... for Miyuki’s sake. But right now, I just can’t deal with anything about Gio."

There was a quiet understanding in the room after that, and Mira and Scarlet knew they had to tread carefully. They shifted the conversation back to lighter topics, and while Sari was grateful for their support, the wound left by Gio was still too fresh to be healed with mere words.