Mon Miroir d'amour, My Mirror, My Love

Now or Never (Part One)

At the Makati Shangrila Hotel

Marydale stepped out of Edward's room but she was still holding the door and could not stop crying, contemplating whether to return to him, she wanted badly to stay with him, to make sure he was ok, she could not deny that she still loves him and misses him so much, but at the same time she does not know if he still feels the same way towards her, she does not know where she stands in his life now, she also admits that he has hurt her to her core.

Marydale thought "Edward bakit hindi ko mapigil ang puso ko ang ibigin ka, pero natatakot na ako ngayon, laging ng may tanong sa puso ko kung magiging tapat ka pa ba? Masasabi mo ba o ipapangako na hindi mo na ako sasaktan?

Mardayle stood outside his door for a moment and mustered all her strength and walked away.

Marydale stepped into her room. She quietly kissed her daughter who was deep  asleep beside her Lola, Mama Lorna.

Marydale sat on the side of her bed, looking at MJ's face, her eyes, her cheeks, her nose and her lips are his. Marydale tears are flowing and faintly whispered "Your father is here." MJ smiled and tilted her head as if she had heard her mother. Marydale thought her daughter was having one of her sweet dreams again.

Marydale laid on her bed, still in her evening gown and closed her eyes with Edward's face in her mind. She slept crying silently.

Marydale woke up in the morning and noticed that her mother and MJ were not in the room anymore. She saw a slipped of paper informing that everyone are in the outdoor swimming pool, that they did not wake her up anymore.

Marydale quickly change, fix herself and pack up all her and MJ's things. She dashed straight to the Pool. Everyone were enjoying the pool except for MJ who went with Patricia at the Circles Event Café for breakfast.

"Mama, Mamang, halika na po, mag almusal na tayo, pagkatapos uuwi na po tayo sa Tagaytay, may kailangan pa po akong gawin sa shop."

"Hah, Linggo ngayon, akala ko mamaya pang hapon ang balik natin sa bahay?"

"Oo nga Ate, mamaya na po tayo umalis, ang sarap kaya mag swimming."

"Sorry bunso, importante lang talaga. Kuya, paki alalayan na lang si Mamang, sunod na po kayo sa breakfast."

Marydale wanted to leave the place before she encounters Edward.

Edward woke up with a hangover, his head was throbbing. He realized he over did drinking last night. He suddenly remembered his package and frantically looked for it. He relaxed a bit when he saw it on top of his desk. Edward realized he had a clean shirt on and his wound was clean. He sat on his desk and opened the package; two magazines, the engagement ring and photo album.

Edward said to himself "Edward, you are such a fool, this is now or never, you have to tell her today."

Edward called Marco "Bro I am going to Tagaytay now.. and thanks to you and thanks to Jenny too, for everything and by the way, salamat din pala sa sobrang kalasingan ko kagabi naistorbo ko pa kayong dalawa.

"Huh, what do you mean bro? We insisted to walk you into your room but you said you could manage yourself, are you sure you're ok?"

Edward was puzzled and thought "So who took me in, changed my shirt, and put my stuff in its proper place?"

"Hey Bro, I just dropped off  Jenny at the airport for London but I am on my way back.  I will come with you in Tagaytay."

While waiting for Marco, Edward thought of checking with the hotel's security cctv to at least extend his appreciation to the good Samaritan.

Edward was at the hotel's security office with the hotel manager. They reviewed the evening's recording. The scene on the monitor was clocked at 12:30 midnight, he was seen leaving the elevator on the 8th floor, he walked on the hallway towards his room, then he stumbled forward,  then a lady in a black evening gown stepped out and helped him until they both stepped inside his room.

Edward's heart was now beating fast, he could recognised her body frame even if it was just her back.

Edward asked the security personnel to forward the recording and then that was when he saw her leaving the room. The hotel manager said "that's Ma'am Marydale, the debutante's designer. She looked really upset, bakit umiiyak si Ma'am? Sir Edward? Edward thanked them and hurriedly took off and ran towards his room.The security staff and the hotel manager were puzzled by his behaviour.

Edward rang the front desk, asked for her room number and to connect her to Ms Entrata's room but no one was picking up his call. He dashed off through the emergency exit stairways for he could not wait for the elevator door to open.

Marydale is at the Circles Event Café and saw Patricia in a distraught mood. "Pat, nasaan si MJ?"

"Naku Maymay nawawala nanaman yung anak mo, nandito lang sa tabi ko, tinitingan ko lang itong buffet, segundo lang nawala na. Na timbrehan na din yung security ng hotel."

Marydale grew panicked and was crying and asked for the staff to helped them looked for her child. The rest of her family came into the café and helped in searching for MJ.

Edward rung the doorbell at Marydale's room #715. No one seems to be inside. Edward hurriedly went down at the front desk wanting to know whether she is still in the hotel.

Edward was at the Grand Lobby and was about to approach the front desk but noticed a little girl who is familiar to him, but this time she was sobbing, there was a woman and a man who were trying to talk to her, a hotel staff was about to approach the little girl but saw Edward whom she also approached yesterday and who made a comment to him that the little girl looked exactly like him and said "Naku mabuti na lang nandito na kayo Sir, akala ko nawawala na yung babygirl ninyo, natimbrehan kami ng security na may nawawalang bata nga, "O babygirl tahan na nandyan na si Papa mo."

Edward knelt in front of her "Hello MJ, remember me?"

"Opo"

Edward carried her in his arms, "Please don't cry, please don't be scared na, I promise, I will bring you back to your Papa and Mama."

Edward approached the front desk and learn that her mother was frantically looking for her. The front desk requested Edward to wait for the girl's mother and have already alerted the security that the girl had been found.

Edward was still carrying MJ "See your mom is coming soon, as promised, so smile ka na."

Edward talked to MJ while waiting for her mother. " MJ, my name is Edward, but you can call me Tito Edward."

MJ is now smiling at him and suddenly said "My name is Mary Johanna Lorine Entrata po."

Edward was stunned when he heard her name he looked at MJ steadily, eyes fixed, he could now clearly see her likeness to his. They looked exactly the same. It was like looking on a mirror. He was lost for words but he would want to know more of her. Edward asked "MJ, how old are you?"

"I am three years old po, turning four in December."

"What is your mother's name MJ?"

"My mama's name is Marydale Entrata po."

Edward heart is beating fast. He gently hugged MJ and tears are now freely flowing from his eyes and faintly said "and you are mine, God, I have a child, we have a child."

MJ then shrieked with gladness and at the top of her voice, "Mama!!!!, there is my Mama, Tito Edward!"

Marydale was crying with relief, running towards her daughter.

Marydale noticed MJ is being carried by a man fronting the desk. But when MJ called Marydale, Edward turned around and Marydale is now standing right in front of him.