What If?

Secret Date

Snapback on, hood up and sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose, Daniel Padilla sat nervously at the back of a small dainty restaurant waiting for the other person to arrive. As a big storm formed outside causing rain and thunder, an even bigger storm was brewing inside of DJ. Half of him was praying that he wouldn't get noticed and the other half was, just so he had an excuse to run and leave. 

Nervous didn't even explain what he was feeling. Anxious, desperate, tired and hopeless were to name a few. Feeling the phone buzz infront of him for what seemed like the hundreth time since he got here, DJ held the side button and swiped as he turned himself off, away from reality, from the noise, from everything.

He knew he screwed up. He was ready to admit it to anyone, but not until he got the chance to talk to the people who deserved an explanation the most. Rubbing his tired eyes, he looked around at the few people in the restaurant and watched from behind the dark lens of his sunglasses. If only his private life was that easy for him again, he wished.

"DJ," a soft voice pierced out through the sounds of the background, quickly grabbing his attention. Standing up from his seat, DJ wiped his palms that he didn't even know were sweaty and nodded at the person standing before him, too nervous to speak.

Min Bernardo stood as she looked at the Daniel Padilla standing before her. The way he looked reminded her of his 16 year old self, the moment he stood before her and her husband before he asked if he could court their youngest daughter. His tender and playful demeanor seemed like he was gone with the winds of the storm as she felt an uncertainty and awkwardness radiating from him. Silently reminding herself why she was here, Tita Min nodded back and sat down with DJ following behind.

"Tita Min...." DJ stammered after a short moment of silence, his voice waivering as he looked up at the woman who he thought of as a second mother, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me DJ. Just tell me what happened and explain to me everything," Tita Min replied.

As Tita Min quietly listened, she watched as DJ explained his side of the story and what had happened. A part of her was furious at DJ. She heard the clip and had seen all of the nasty comments on Twitter and Instagram. It was the protective mother in her when she saw her daughter cry over the video, the comments, the numerous texts and cellphone calls asking if she was okay. She wanted to protect her baby, but she also wanted to protect the person sitting infront of her too. She wanted to hear for herself what had happened. Throughout the year she had grown to feel like a mother to DJ, which was why she was sitting here behind her daughter's back, listening to a boy who was just misunderstood. Unlike the other half of the world, she didn't want to judge him and scrutinize DJ over a little short video.

"Tita Min?"

"Yes DJ?"

"Is she going to forgive me? You know her best. I'm giving her her space but I don't know what to do anymore. I'm trying to do my best. I'm trying my hardest to make sure anyone doesn't get hurt by this. They can put all the blame on me, just as long the both of you aren't involved."

"You know DJ, I have watched you two both grow into adults that can now make decisions for themselves. I'm proud of you for handling this in the public but right now, I can honestly say I have no idea what she's going to do. You have to understand that whatever she decides, you have to learn that it's her decision and on her terms."

DJ nodded again as he hung his head low and he looked down at his hands resting on the table which were clenching in frustration. He was hoping to know if he had something to hold onto before the rehearsals for the fashion show tomorrow. He wanted to know if there was a chance for him. But now, he was back to square one. A living ball of remorse, regret and vulnerability all rolled up into one.

Snapback and hoodie covering the view of his face from Tita Min, she watched as he quickly wiped his eyes and grabbed his sunglasses to put them back on. DJ swiftly put on his stone and emotionless mask on his face and stood up as he fished out his car keys from his pocket. Just before he moved to leave, Tita Min grabbed his arm to stop him.

"...But if there's one thing that I do know DJ, it's that she loves you and cares about you. So much more than she knows. It may not seem like it right now, but I know my daughter and she's worried about you too. She knows that she's not the only one who's trust was broken in this and she just needs time to think. I'm not saying this because you two are a loveteam and need to work, I'm saying this for the sake of your relationship together. If you love her like you say you do, you can gain her trust back again. I believe in that."

And for the first time since chaos broke out and shit hit the fan(dom), DJ gave Tita Min his famous charming grin as he leaned down to give Tita Min a tight bear hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you Mama Min... Don't worry, I won't tell her abour our secret date."

And with a wink and smile, DJ steathily left the restaurant with his newfound confidence and dissapeared before anyone could recognize who he was. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Gotta love some mother-in-law and son-in-law quality time. :)