'Til I Found You (COMPLETED)

24

~ 12 years later ~

Tears seared as many years went by, but invisible wounds were forgotten rather than healed. Two people severed into different paths with so much words left unsaid, and hearts left mangled. But life has many deviations. It's unpredictable, and they just go with its course. Aga gave her freedom. He halted himself from tracking her down. It was for the best of everybody. Guilt flourished upon him since the truth unraveled. He harrowed the woman who gave love a new meaning. It tore him apart. Emma and Jason kept mum of her whereabouts, and he understood it. She was hurt, and assaulted by him. He regrets it all. His mind was fed with suspicions of her from people around him. And realization hit him too late. Letting her go is the least he could do.

Though his heart remains to beat for her.

A year after Lea resigned, he sold the academy. It's never been the same since she left. Each corner reminds him of her. Her smile that used to greet his morning. Her giggles that ebbed his burdens. He never felt such gladness and felicitation since she walked out of his life. And he couldn't point finger to others. It was his fault. A mistake that might mark his life forever. Married life brings no joy to him. Luisa and him never missed a fight. They always argue over lots of things. If it wasn't of his daughter, Louise Allison, his life could've been blue. Fatherhood solely shed light to his world. He often ponders how life could've been if Lea is on his side. If he wasn't an asshole for believing Lea only sought for his wealth.

But it was all in the past. He could never brought back what was gone.

○ ○ ○

"Eli! Get down now! You'll be late at school!", Lea calls her sluggish daughter. A typical morning scene she got used to for quite a while. They live in a simple house she bought upon setting foot in a city far away from him. Maria Elise, her daughter, is a grown up now. Time flew briskly, she rears her child on her own. It was a tough job. She juggled motherhood with work. Being a single parent isn't easy as it seems. A lot of roles are played by her each day from being Elise's alarm clock in the morning, a chef mom in the kitchen, personal driver to and from school, doctor when she gets sick, guidance counselor when she gets into trouble, teacher when she looks quizzical of her assignments, and a lot in between. But motherhood is the best chapter of her life. It uplifts her. The past taught her so much. She outbraved all trials on her own, and Elise is her reward. When she knew a little one was growing in her belly, she felt edgy. Doubts grew upon her, but a little hope that Aga would be there enlivened her. An expectation that he was different from the rest ebbed the loads in her heart. But it was all a lie. Fate must have been playing with her. He was no different to them. It was a torture for her, but Elise came. And though she's incognizant of her new chapter, her offspring became a new hope.

She runs over her eyes to their photos.

Smile plasters on her face as she reminisced her bittersweet past. But she made it. On her own, she conquered the battles.

"I'm all set for school, Mommy!", Eli hugs her mom from behind.

"How many times should I call you before you get down? Finish your meal faster", she ordered.

Elise is a brilliant kid, competitive at school. She joined in different school clubs and is elected as the student president. In spite of juggling studies with extracurricular activities, she always puts a smile on her mom's face with her good grades. But Lea's patience gets to be tested by Elise once in a while. She got into trouble few times at school, and unapologetic towards anyone she bumped into. She has an errant side that pushes Lea to her limit sometimes.

"Bye, Mommy", she gave a peck on Lea's cheek. She drops off Elise at school before heading to her office. When Aga sold the school, Emma and Jason left the city and set foot to her vicinity. They put up a small tutorial school for primary to secondary levels. Emma married her long time boyfriend and blessed with a girl whom Elise's best friend as well.

○ ○ ○

Eli walked to her classroom with crestfallen countenance. It's almost their father and child school event, but, as usual, she doesn't have a father to drag. She grew up not knowing even his initials. Lea eludes questions regarding Aga. And so poor Eli can't convince her mom to blurt out anything about her dad.

Candyce, Emma's daughter, poke her. "What's with that face? Have you told your mom about the event?"

She rolls her eyes, "no. Of course. As if she'd say anything about him."

"I asked Mommy as well but to no avail. Mama J, too. He always tells me that he doesn't know anything about your dad"

Eli heaved a long sigh, "what am I gonna do?! It's my first year in junior high, I helped out brainstorming for the event, and it would end up me not being part on the actual?"

"So, pano nga? Tita Lea won't say anything eh. They won't blurt out even your dad's first name", Candyce asked.

"I don't know! I can't just sit down at the corner watching all of you having fun. Atsaka, Miss Alba announced she'd give points for the participants. I need it!", Eli looks up, slumped her back at the chair.

The two went silent. Thinking of ways when in a sudden Eli sits up straight upon popping up an idea in her head.

"Oh I know!", Eli grins at Candyce.

"What?"

"What if .... I look into Mommy's things? Malay mo I can find any info about my Dad"

"I don't know. You know naman tita Lea. Overprotective of her stuff"

"But she won't know. Hindi naman natin sasabihin eh", Eli said.

"Ah basta. I don't feel good about it", Candyce replied with pout.

"Sige na. Just help me. Candyce, you never knew how it feels like growing up without a dad, eh. Please", Eli pressed her palms against each other, begging for Candyce's help.

"Basta ha, you won't drag my name if tita Lei finds out"

Eli nods in agreement with beaming face, hoping to find even the slightest detail of her dad.