Our favorite place (Book 1 and 2)

Side Story Epilogue

Back at the funeral, Jho approached Jia who was sitting on the side.

"Hey."

"Oh hey, hi. How are you holding up?" Jia asked.

Jho sat beside her. "Well, not the best."

"Hmm."

"Jia?" The other looked at her. "On the day of Bea's accident, she left you a message."

"Oh."

"She left it on my number because she didn't have yours."

Jia's phone pinged and she saw a voice file sent to her.

"I haven't heard if you're asking." Jia chuckled and thanked Jho. "I'll leave you to it."

Jia played the voice message and listened intently.

"Hey, uhm.. I left this to Jho, cause I don't have your number so I was hoping she would pass this along without listening to it. So Jho, if you are listening at this point. Stop okay?"

She heard her laugh. That's her cue to cry.

"So here goes. Hi Jia. Congratulations again on the wedding. This would be the first time I'm going to talk to you since then, noh?"

"Okay. Well, first of all, yeah I know you have this grudge on me cause you said no expensive gifts on your wedding. But I decided on giving you a small Corvette. You know why? Cause I always remind you to have your old Toyota get checked but you didn't. It's for your own good anyways."

She chuckled on the memory.

"Speaking of for your own good, I'm sorry I had to break up with you. I tore you to pieces. I saw his text and I didn't took anything into consideration. I saw red. I was so angry and disappointed at you. Time zone fucked our relationship. And I'm sorry for that."

"Tsk."

"Oh God, this message have so many dead airs. I wasn't prepared. I was on the way back to my office from an important meeting and I am still on the parking lot, on the driveway. Makes me crazy not to leave this massage now."

"Maybe I am really crazy. Crazy fool to break up with you."

"I love you Jia. I really do. I was fool for letting you go. But.. you know, I always say, it's for your own good, but in the end it really wasn't. It broke me, I didn't knew it broke you, too."

"Well I guess this isn't the most emotional message that you get from me. But there nothing really, anything more to say but... I love you. I still do. And I'm happy for you."

"God Jia. I love you. This isn't a good bye cause I was still hoping that I would be the fun aunt Bea to your kids."

"Kids."

She looked at Kyle who was on the park with her dad. Miguel looked back at Jia and smiled which she smiled back with difficulty cause she was crying.

"Okay. I'm driving back. I love you, always."

She misses her. She fucking misses her.

--

The following day, they were summoned by an Attorney Tots Carlos, who says that Bea left her with something.

"This is her last will and testament. She left me this 1 year after the accident. And I am going to read this to you. There isn't really a wish on this, and mostly it was monetary, cause why not she has a lot of it." 

"Last will and testament, Isabel Beatriz Paras De Leon."

"May I remind you that all of the figures in this would be on dollars, not on peso."

"500,000 to Jema and Deanna's future family."

"500,000 to her inaanak, Ponggay's son."

"500,000 to Ate Ly's future family. And there is a note beside it. (pretty sure it's with Ate Den)"

"Cars to Jia."

"Island to Ced."

"2,000,000 for Miguel's organization."

"And 1,000,000 for Jia and Miguel's children. For education."

Jia sighed and Miguel comforted her.

"That's all. We'll arrange everything. My associates will contact you."

"Wala si Jho." Jema realized and Ate Ly nodded to Tots.

"The company were passed to Jho's hands now. They let her run it."

"Wow." Jema said.

--

Few days later they went on an outing at Zambales. Overnight on a beach side.

They were circled on the bon fire and there were indistinct conversations about Deanna and Bea.

Jema stood up and raised her beer.

"I miss them. I love them. To Bea and Deanna."

Alyssa, Denise, Mika, Ced, Tots, Maddie, Ella, Jia, Jho, and Ponggay.

They all stood up and raised their beer bottles to Jema.

"To Bea and Deanna."

They said in unison before downing the entire bottle.

The End.