C19 Girlfriend

Years later...

I looked around as I pushed the cart containing my luggage. I smiled when I found what I was looking for.

"Here!" they shouted while still jumping. The happiness they have made you think we hadn't seen each other in years.

"Welcome back!" they all scream when I approach them.

I shrugged and laughed at them one by one.

"So, you have decided?" Macy asked while looking at my luggage.

"No final plans yet. Let's go," I said because it was a bit hot out here.

They brought a Hi-Ace van. And they also have a driver with them. We decided to eat first before we go to my parent's house. It's their wedding anniversary so I decided to go home. They didn’t know I was going home because I planned to surprise them.

The celebration started when we arrived at my parent's house. The weather was good so they set up the party outside the house. There are tables and some chairs. There is also a table for meals placed on the side.

Macy got out of the van first. My relatives looked in our direction when they noticed. Mom and Dad immediately stood up to greet them. I smiled. Out of curiosity, I immediately got out of the van to greet them with a hug.

"Oh, dear!" Mom screamed delighted. She was obviously surprised. I laughed softly as I hugged her tightly.

I did the same to Dad who was quiet but I could see the happiness in his eyes and his lips formed with a sweet smile.

"Happy anniversary!" I kissed them on their cheeks.

Mom even caressed my face.

"Thank you, dear. We missed you."

I smiled.

"I missed you too. Where's Brent?" I asked while looking around. I am hoping that he will be the first to meet me. I can't see him around.

"He's asleep. Tired of playing. I'll wake him up later," Mom replied. I smiled and nodded.

"Come here and eat, " Dad told us.

I greeted our relatives for a moment before I sat down. I tasted the food served especially it was homemade.

I'm so tired from work that I can't even cook for myself. I'm just eating out or just ordering food. Some guests and relatives who had finished eating started singing on the videoke machine. Mom and Dad are with us here at the table.

Sweet smiles on their lips as they watched me eating. Sometimes they even smile. I was about to finish eating when I heard Brent's voice.

He was carried by his nanny. I let go of the spoon I was holding and immediately take him from his nanny.

"I miss you, baby!" I refrain from kissing him. He looked at me in amazement.

"Mama..." he said so I laughed. I sniffed him and kissed him again. He was getting annoyed so I laughed even more.

"Your brother's cheek is soft," Mom scolded me so I sniffed.

"Big sister just missed him," I said smiling. Brent smiled at me.

Brent is my brother. They said he was a menopausal baby, because Mom was already in her forties when she got pregnant with Brent.

I'm happy because finally, I had a sibling now. I really dreamed of having a brother. Though it came true late. He looks like my son. I smiled as I watched him.

"I'll have Brent first, finish your food," Mom said.

I handed Brent to her and I sat down again. I looked at Macy with a strange look on me. I rolled my eyes at her. She did the same to me.

It was dark when the celebration ended. Macy did not travel back to Manila with the driver. Tomorrow afternoon, I will also return to Manila because I have something to take care of. We will just go together. I don't want my parents to get upset if I leave right away.

Late at night, Macy and Barbara slept soundly, but sleep did not visit me. My eyes remained wide open until the rooster in the other house crowed.

A lot of things are on my mind. The pain continues in my head. I decided to just go out of the room and brew some coffee. Maybe Mom is also awake at this time. The truth is that I also wanted to ask her something.

"Good morning, Mom," I greeted when I found Mom in the kitchen.

She smiled and greeted me back.

"You want a coffee?" she asked. I nodded slowly and sat down in the chair as well.

She made three mugs of coffee. One is probably for Dad. After she brewed the coffee she sat across from me. We looked at each other for a few minutes.

"Good morning," Dad greeted when he entered the house. He went outside for a jog.

"Morning, Dad," I greeted as well. He also sat down next to Mom. I nodded and thought for a moment before I asked them.

"Ahm... Mom, what's the news about..." I cleared my throat. "The annulment?"

They looked at each other before looking at me again.

"Did he sign it before?" I asked because when I left I hadn't heard anything about it or about him.

I don't even ask when I called them. I also changed my number. I also deactivated my social media accounts, only close friends and select relatives have contact with me. Mom's eyes narrowed.

"Why?" Mom asked. There was a ghost of a smile on her lips. I shrugged even though the truth is I have a lot to say and ask about what happened a few years ago.

"Yes, he signed," Mom replied a few minutes later and I never spoke again. I nodded slowly.

He signed. Okay.

So, that means we are both free. I smiled sparingly at my parents to show that I was happy with what had happened. But the truth was that I felt the opposite. My feelings are now divided.

One of the reasons I came home suddenly and decided to stay in the Philippines was to talk to him.

Besides I plan to build a business. Jewel and I met abroad two weeks ago. She explained to me everything. She begs for my forgiveness for her peace of mind.

She has a child now. She and the father of her child plan to marry. And she thought of looking for me to ask for forgiveness.

I don’t know how she knew where I was. Only my friends and parents know my address abroad. Jewel just showed up at the restaurant I used to eat at every dinner. Annoyance and anger rose again in my chest when I found out the truth.

I want to hurt her but I don't want to. I'm glad that she's happy now, even though she has ruined us. She looks very sincere. She seems to have really changed as well. So I gave her the forgiveness she wanted.

Well, I'm glad that she's matured now. In fact, I felt remorse after hearing her explanation. I felt guilty as well. It haunts me even in my dreams. That's why I decided to go home to the Philippines. But did I make the right decision?

"Are you alright?" Macy tapped me on my shoulder. I smiled and nodded.

My thoughts deepened again. Here we are now at the bar. This afternoon we returned to Manila.

When Yona found out that I was already here in the Philippines, she decide that we should see in a bar. With the matter that's bothering me, it also seems alright to have a little fun tonight.

We got here first at the bar because Sunny allegedly picked up Yona. It looks like the latter will just run away. I can't blame her mother for restricting her even though she is twenty-four years old. She is a bit wild.

I was just listening to Macy and Barbara talk. Our batch in elementary, high school, and college has an alumni homecoming. We are in the same school since we were in elementary school. But we became really close in college then.

I’m not sure if I’ll attend. Maybe if the situation was different I might attend.

I roam my gaze across the bar until my sight was fixed on the man at the bar counter. A few years have passed but I still know very well what he looks like. He matured a bit which further added to his good looks and sex appeal.

Macy made a sound that caused me to get back my sight on them. They both smiled. They must have also seen the reason for my sudden reactions.

I looked at the bar counter again. This time, he was accompanied by two men. A woman approached them as well. The woman immediately clung to Kian's arm causing me to stop. I felt a familiar pain in my chest, so I immediately averted my gaze.

Yona and Sunny came so I just focused my attention on my friends even though my mind was on my ex-husband. Is that his girlfriend? So, he already moved on?

Some men came to our table. Friends of Sunny, but Macy said it was Yona's ex. And based on the kind of man's stare at Yona, it looks like he still has feelings for her.

Yona smirked at him. He's Elliot and the other guy is Mardy. I tried to get along with them. Over the past year, I have somehow improved, especially in socializing. I'm not like what I used to be before.

We were having fun when Kian approached us. He was with two men who looked like his friends.

They seem to know Yona's ex. What surprised me is when Yona invited them to sit with us. I wanted to protest because of her insensitivity but I restrained myself. Elliot introduced them to us.

Confirmed! That girl is Kian's girlfriend. Macy asked if he was with his girlfriend. Kian said that she was at her friends' table.

Awkward...

I and my friends became quiet while the men talked about business. Kian looks very successful now even if it's just a few years ago. I'm glad that he did well in these past years.

"Let's go to the comfort room," Macy whispered so I nodded quickly.

I needed to breathe also. She seemed to notice how uncomfortable I was to face Kian. While we were in the comfort room, Kian and his girlfriend became their topic. How compatible they are with each other.

Really? Are they really my friends? I did not speak.

"Looks like our friend hasn't moved on yet," Yona teased but I just remained silent.

They looked at each other while holding back smiles on their lips.

"Come on! Let's just dance," said Yona. She pulled me up to the dance floor.

Macy, Barbara, and Sunny just followed us. I closed my eyes and slowly followed the tranche of music. I raised both my hands in conjunction with the swing of my hip.

I stroked my head, down my neck to my chest and to my thighs. Then I stroked my body up again. When I opened my eyes, I saw Kian standing and watching me from where he was. I was stunned but I immediately got up and resumed my dancing.

My mind was distracted so I pulled my companions to the middle of the dancefloor, away from Kian's sight. Although I'm not sure if he's looking at me. Maybe his girlfriend is also on the dancefloor and she's really the one he's watching.