It's funny, isn't it? Grieving and celebrating my birthday on the same day. I'd been at Mom's grave for two hours now, sitting on the soft Bermuda grass. A gentle breeze brushed against my skin as I closed my eyes, trying to imagine the hug of a mother I'd longed for my whole life.
The sunlight felt like a warm, divine touch on my soul. The branches of the trees scraped against each other, their sound echoing as the sun slowly sank below the horizon, ready to rest for the night.
I stood up, suddenly feeling guilty about my companion. I looked over to where he was sitting under the lush green canopy of an acacia tree – one leg folded, his right elbow propped on his knee, jaw set tight.
He was staring right at me. His face was a hard mask, no hint of anything but that sharp gaze made me wonder if he'd been counting every minute I'd kept him waiting.
"I'm done," I said. He stood up in one fluid move, following me back to the car without a single word.
"Can we pull over here?" I asked, holding up my phone screen. His eyes flicked to it, then back to the road – quick, sharp, like he was assessing a threat.
"I know it's already six PM," I added, "but just this once, please." I looked up at him and for the first split second, I saw hesitation flash in his eyes before he snapped his gaze away, jaw tightening more.
He let out a short, sharp sigh. "Just this once. Don't make me regret it."
I smiled, even as his tone made me shrink a little. I was exhausted, but for the first time in so long, I wanted to go somewhere. We stopped to buy pizza and ice cream, him leaning against the car with his arms crossed the whole time, watching every person who walked by.
"What's so special today that you've suddenly got a full charge?" he asked as we pulled back onto the road. His voice was flat, direct, no room for nonsense.
"What? I'm the same as always." I glanced at him, then quickly looked away from that sharp stare.
"Same as always? You're usually out cold within ten minutes of leaving the house." He didn't take his eyes off the road, but his words cut through the air.
"So sure about that?" I tried to sound challenging, but it came out weak.
"Dead sure, ma'am. Sofa, car, garden, even that little shed by the pool – I've found you passed out in all of them in the last two weeks." I blinked in shock, my face burning.
"Okay, stop!"
"I'm just t-tired," I mumbled, staring at my hands. He raised one brow, a sharp, skeptical arch that made me want to hide.
"Tired, or just running from something?"
A long silence followed our conversation. I had no idea how to respond to what he had just said. So far, this was the longest exchange we'd had since his arrival, and it revealed more than I expected.
One thing was certain: he was far too direct. There was no sugarcoating in his words, no flowery language to soften their impact. He spoke with unsettling clarity, like an AI designed to read people. With just a single input, he seemed able to see straight through me.
"Okay, now, my lady – we're here."
He opened the door for me, his hand on the frame so fast it almost felt like he was trapping me in. Since we were in an SUV, we folded down the side panel – but even with the open space, his presence made the area feel tight, enclosed.
"Wow… it's actually so beautiful here."
"First time?" he asked, his voice like gravel. His eyes swept over the cliff edge, the tree line, the empty road below, quick, sharp, like he was searching for threats in every shadow.
I nodded.
"I… I heard about it from a spe– from a friend," I stammered, my tongue tripping over the lie. I could feel his gaze cut through me like a blade.
"If it's this nice, there should be more people here." He dropped the food on a thin cloth, the movement so sharp the pizza box slid. "No one comes to a place like this for no reason."
"S-sure. Maybe it's just luck that no one's here today." I kept my eyes on the city lights, afraid to meet him. That fierce stare made my skin prickle.
"Okay, no more questions, please. Just enjoy the view."
We were on a high cliff, the drop so steep I could feel my stomach lurch if I looked too closely. The city's lights twinkled far below, but above, the stars and full moon cast long, sharp shadows across his face. I closed my eyes against the cold wind, trying to block out the feeling that he was watching my every breath. A minute later, he took a step back like he was putting distance between us and getting into position.
"Sir Gabriel, I don't know if it's in your contract or not, but it's not going to kill you to eat with your client." I arched my brow, trying to sound bolder than I felt.
"I already said no." His tone was final, the kind that brooked no argument.
"You're such a pain in the ass." I sulked, hunching into myself.
"So are you." The words were sharp, clipped, like he was annoyed just talking to me.
I looked up at the sky and spotted a shooting star streaking across it, fast and bright. I'd always thought wishing on rocks in space was childish, but right now, I'd take any small hope I could get.
"I wish someone would eat with me today, no questions, no care about who I am." I opened my eyes and turned to him.
I froze. He was already staring at me, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscle twitch. A low growl rumbled in his chest, deep, dangerous, like a wild animal warning me off.
"Okay," he said, so quietly it was almost lost in the wind, but the word hit me like a jolt.
I turned back to the sky, my heart hammering against my ribs. "I wish the man beside me would sing 'Happy Birthday' to me." I faced him again.
He looked stunned for one second and then his eyes narrowed into a glare so intense it made me shrink back. The scar on his right eye, cutting up to his eyebrow, stood out in the moonlight, making him look even more menacing. His jaw was sharp as broken glass, his perfect nose marked by a small horizontal scar that made me wonder what kind of fights he'd been in. This was a man who didn't do softness, who could end a life with one quick move.
I was certain I was going to die today.
A heavy, suffocating silence stretched on for a minute, so long I thought I'd stop breathing, until:
"H-happy birth– No phone, my lady." He lunged for my hand holding the phone, his movement so fast I barely had time to pull it back. His fingers brushed mine calloused, rough, and strong enough to snap my wrist if he wanted to. I hit the record just as he pulled back, his face dark with irritation.
"Nope. They say if you see a shooting star, you get three wishes. This is my third."
For the first time ever, I watched this big, rough man sing "Happy Birthday" , his eyebrows knitted together in a scowl, his eyes cold and hard. Angry? Furious? I couldn't tell but every note felt like he was doing it against his will, like he'd rather be anywhere else. But somehow, I felt happier and more content than I had in years.
I was about to stop recording when he suddenly reached into his jacket pocket, his hand moving so fast it made me flinch. A flash of metal caught the moonlight – silver, sharp – and my breath caught in my throat. I tensed, ready to run, ready to throw myself off the cliff if I had to.
"Here. Too windy." He held it out – and I saw it wasn't a knife. It was a cigarette lighter with a small, flickering flame. But his hand was steady as a rock, and his eyes were still hard as stone as he said, "Blow it out before it fades. Make a wish."
I stared at him, my heart still racing, my hands shaking. "O-okay."
I closed my eyes and made a quick wish.
"I'm pretty sure your wish'll get granted faster than that one," he said, nodding at the sky.
"You're so cocky."
"Tsk." He smirked – a quick, sharp curve of his lips that made my stomach flip despite myself.
"Well, I am the king of luck." He said it with a proud tilt of his chin, like he'd fought for every bit of that luck and won.
"You sure about that?"
"No more questions, my lady. Eat."
We ate in relative peace, our eyes fixed on the skyline but even then, the silence was deafening, heavy with unsaid things that pressed down on me like a weight.
After I finished, tiredness washed over me in a crushing wave, making my eyes droop and my head spin.
I woke to a warm touch on my cheek. I stretched, my body sinking into the soft fabric of my bed. I remembered the cemetery… the cliff… the beautiful spot… and then… nothing. What the hell had happened after we ate?
I snapped my eyes open, frantically patting myself down.
Clothes still on. Thank God.
A knock at the door made me squint against the sunlight.
"Shane, good morning, sweetheart."
"Manang – how did I get here?"
"Gabriel carried you home last night. We were so worried something had happened to you, pacing the halls, calling everyone but he explained everything. Said you passed out cold after eating."
"Are you okay, honey? You're always falling asleep everywhere lately – next thing I know, I'll be thinking you're pregnant with weird cravings, but you don't even have a boyfriend!" I just smiled weakly and sat up straight, my muscles aching.
"I think my insomnia's getting worse, Manang. These past few days… I can't stay awake when I'm not scared." I trailed off. She sat beside me and took my hands in hers her palms rough from years of work, but her touch gentle.
"Sweetheart," she said, her voice thick with worry. "Your father's in jail now. He can't hurt you anymore. Not physically."
Manang Nena was the only one who knew the full truth the times Papa'd lash out when he was drunk, the bruises he'd leave, the words that cut deeper than any fist. She was the one who'd cleaned my wounds, who'd held me while I cried, who'd been the mother I'd never had.
She squeezed my shoulder and pulled me into a tight hug, the kind that made me feel like I could finally breathe without looking over my shoulder.
"Manang, I know Papa's in jail… but we both know he can still pull strings from far away. His friends… they're everywhere." I glanced out the window, then saw Gabriel approaching the door, his steps sure, his eyes scanning every corner of the hallway. Manang followed my gaze.
"You're right about that. But I can feel he doesn't mean you harm, he's a good kid, deep down. Just… keep your guard up. He's sharp, and so are you." She kissed my forehead before heading off to her chores.
"Ahm… thanks for bringing me home last night." I couldn't look at him, my face burning so hot I was sure he could feel it. The thought of him carrying me through the quiet house, his arms around me… it made my chest tight.
He just nodded, his jaw set sharp. "You weighed less than I expected. Need to eat more."
The comment was so blunt it made me look up. "I eat enough."
"Not enough to stay awake for an hour after dinner." He leaned against the doorframe, his eyes cutting into mine. "Insomnia doesn't make you pass out. Stress does."
I looked away, my throat tight. He didn't know half of it.
"Also… thank you for last night. It's a good memory." I managed a small smile, then hurried to the dining table before he could say anything else.
-----------------------------------
"Girl! I know you're not in the mood to go out, but tomorrow's our graduation day!" Lella's voice was bursting with excitement through the phone, so bright it felt like a stranger to my dark house.
"Think about it, all those years in nursing school, all the all-nighters, all the tears we cried just to get through anatomy. I know your family's situation is hard, but don't let the vultures get to you, ignore all the ugly things they're saying online, in the streets… everywhere." That was Jas, my other best friend – her voice softer, but just as determined.
I let out a heavy sigh, setting the phone down for a second. The words were already echoing in my head, loud and cruel:
"She graduated with stolen money every peso her dad stole from the people."
"Her father paid off the professors, so she'd pass. She didn't earn that degree."
"The father is a thief; the daughter is too."
I could almost see their faces, the neighbors who'd stare, the classmates who'd whisper, the relatives who'd pretend not to know me. It made my hands shake, my chest tighten with a panic that had nothing to do with Papa anymore.
"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice sharp enough to make me freeze. "Do you know you just stepped on Manang's new flowers?"
I looked down in horror, the stems of her freshly planted blooms were crushed under my feet, dark marks of my carelessness on the soft soil.
"Breathe, my lady." His tone was still firm, but there was a hint of something soft underneath. I took a deep, shaky breath.
"If you're stuck making decisions… flip this." He pulled a small coin out of his pocket and held it up. "Heads or tails. You choose."
"How does this work?"
"Heads – I will delete that video from last night. Tails – you keep it, like you wished." He tossed the coin high in the air, catching it in his palm in one smooth, quick move.
I leaned in close to see, my heart racing. I was silently praying for tails. He slowly opened his hand, and the silver coin glinted in the light.
"Whoa! It's tails!" I jumped up and down in excitement, while he stood there like a statue, his face so blank I could almost see him regretting the whole thing.
"Yes! So I get to keep it. Don't go back on your word now." I grinned up at him, triumphant.
"As you wish, my lady." I thought I was dreaming, but for a split second, the corner of his lips twitched upward – a tiny, almost unnoticeable smile, before it was gone. I shook my head, telling myself I'd imagined it.
He handed me the coin. I turned it over in my fingers, then made up my mind.
"Heads – I go to the ball. Tails – I stay home." I flipped it high, caught it, and held my breath as I slowly opened my palm. A heavy sigh escaped me. It was heads.
"You've got a long evening tomorrow," I said, watching me.
"Why?"
"Our graduation ball is tomorrow, starts at 6 PM."
"That's a little dan–" He paused, his jaw tightening with hesitation, then let out a short sigh. "Okay."
I saw the worry in his eyes, but he gave in anyway.
I already have a wardrobe full of dresses – I just need to find the right one.