At Last, Him

Chapter 17: It Was Christmas, After All

This chapter is dedicated to @trimavelasco . Thank you for your comments! I enjoyed reading them in the past chapters. :) Happy reading!

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December 24th. The date felt heavy, a stark reminder that while the rest of the world was gearing up for festivities and time with family, we at Pablo Roman Studio were drowning in the final rush before the holidays. My eyes strained as I zoomed in on the 3D render of the main terminal, meticulously adjusting the way the simulated sunlight cast soft shadows across the intricate wooden panels that paid homage to Balinese tradition. Bawat detalye ay kailangang maging perpekto, o hindi ito makakalusot sa mata ng project manager namin.

From across the room, I heard Ar. Maria's familiar, sharp voice. "Shan, as soon as you finish that simulation, send it to Claire for client approval. We need it before the end of the day."

"Got it, Ar. Maria," sagot ko, matatag ang boses ko sa kabila ng pagod na lumalamon sa akin. I glanced over at Claire, who was balancing her phone between her ear and shoulder while jotting down notes furiously. She caught my eye, gave me a quick thumbs-up, and mouthed, You've got this. It was a small gesture, but it lifted my spirits enough to push through the next few hours.

Ar. Asmara Widjaya and Ar. Liang Wei Tan were deep in conversation near the drafting table, their heads bent over blueprints. Ang tahimik na bulong ng kanilang mga boses ay pumuno sa silid, sumasama sa mahinang ugong ng mga bentilador ng kompyuter at ang kaluskos ng mga panulat sa papel. Hinangaan ko ang pokus ni Ar. Asmara—kung paano niya napanatili ang kanyang kalmadong ekspresyon habang kami ay lahat ay ubos na ang lakas ay hindi ko maintindihan.

"Shan, everything okay?" Daniel's voice pulled me back to reality. The sustainability consultant was standing next to Kenji Nakamura, their conversation about green materials briefly paused as Daniel checked in on me.

"Yeah, just making sure the light balance doesn't overpower the natural elements," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. Daniel nodded approvingly before resuming his animated discussion with Kenji, who was gesturing so enthusiastically that I half-expected him to knock over a stack of papers.

"Nia, are we still on track for the vertical garden drainage alignment?" tawag ni Daniel, ang kanyang mga kilay ay nakakunot sa tindi ng paparating na deadline.

Ar. Nia Putri didn't even look up from her blueprints as she replied, "Already done, Daniel. I'm coordinating with Agus on the final plant selections this afternoon."

I allowed myself a small smile at the exchange. Ar. Nia's cool efficiency was something I admired, even envied at times. My phone buzzed on the desk, pulling my attention from the room. It was a message from Evelyn Cho, our cultural liaison: Final designs for the woven paneling are ready. Sending photos. Relief washed over me—Ms. Evelyn's updates were a reminder that we were moving forward, even if the pace was relentless.

"Shan," Ika Mulyani's voice cut through the haze. She walked over with a bundle of papers in her arms, her eyes glistening with excitement despite the hour. "I've got the new seating layouts for review. These should balance comfort and the Balinese aesthetic."

"Perfect timing, Ika," I said, taking the sketches from her hands and scanning them quickly. The intricate patterns spoke to her talent for fusing tradition with modern functionality, and for a moment, I forgot how tired I was.

Before I could say anything else, a shift in the room caught my attention. Easton James Parrino Galanza—East—strode in, his presence immediately altering the energy around us. His confident walk was tinged with urgency, a subtle reminder that even on Christmas Eve, the project ruled our lives.