EVER AFTER

Chapter 1

 

Six Months After

 

She is at her condo’s kitchen preparing to bake her new recipe. Yes she quitted her job at the Hotel after working in the industry for more than five years; she decided to put a small pastry shop. Her business is strategically located at High street in Fort Bonifacio where she is now independently living; her condo’s building is right beside her shop.

Life is good to her, business is doing well and is up and running for a year now. She’s into kneading the dough she will be using for a new pie recipe that she will introduce in her shop’s menu when her phone rang.

“Are you in the shop this afternoon?” The familiar female voice of her best friend vibrated from the telephone line.

“Yah I’ll be there around one pm. Why?” She asked her friend with curiosity laced in her tone.

“Nothing…” Her best friend countered and ended the call without waiting for her reply.  She shrugged off the feeling of weirdness in her best friend’s sudden call and continued with her baking.

A few minutes passed and phone again rang. She wiped off her hands in her apron and answered the, again phone call.

“Hello?” She said.

“Are you in the shop this afternoon?” A male voice seriously asked her from the other line. She furrowed her brows and shook her head.

“This is getting weird, you are the second person who called me and asked me that exact question. What’s with me being on my own shop this afternoon?” She asked the caller.

Her friend laughed at her and maintained his cool. “Wala lang I am just double checking. Sige na I have a meeting in fifteen minutes. Bye.” Her closest male friend told her and cut off the connection.

“What’s wrong with these guys?” She exclaimed to herself and inhaled a deep breath.  She picked into the oven and after doing so, she walked towards one of her bar stools and sat herself. She opened the recipe book that was on the bar top and scanned it.

Suddenly an image flashed in her head. He, looking at her while she was baking chocolate chips cookies for him, he was seated in this the same stool as she whisked the ingredients in front of him.

The condo she is living in was “Theirs”. A gift from him after his wedding…

“His last gift, his promise… Her future…” She whispered to herself as she played with the silver eternity bond in her left ring finger.

More than two years and that ring never left her hand partnered with the one diamond platinum ring that was seated before it in the same finger.

“Him…” She whispered to herself and smiled.

****

Seated at the arrival lobby of the Manila’s sole, International airport, he is busily scanning the Time Magazine and killing some time while waiting for his best bud to pick him.

Finally, “He is Home”, six grueling months, months of nasty compromises and demands… Finally everything was settled and finally his ex wife come to her senses and let him go and live his life.

Without her…

He waited for this time to come. He prayed for this time, he hoped for the right time… Now he will be beginning the life he dreamed of…

Being with her… His life…

HER…

 

****