1 The Letter

Ryan Arcilla almost hit the white Honda Vios in front of his car. Good thing he was able to step on the break on time. He didn't notice that the traffic lights had turned red. Fortunately, he was able to stop his car before he banged on the one ahead him.

Nope, he wasn't sleepy. Or maybe, he is. And maybe, it's doubled by the fact that from last night, he had been preoccupied by memories from their high school. This is Darlene's fault. Or maybe, it was Kristine's fault. She was the one who gave the letter to him, instructing him to give it to Darlene.

Kristine was his high school friend. Her husband, Kenneth, is his best friend. Darlene is Kristine and Kenneth's daughter. The little kid is very close to him, and he treats her like his own daughter. Maybe that's because of her father. Kenneth was his only friend. He's a jerk and jerks don't get a lot of friends.

Kristine died of the killer cancer two years ago. Before she died, she gave him a letter, asking him to give it to Darlene after two years. Which he did. And that letter is the reason why he's not himself today. Because on that letter, Kristine told them to look for Samantha de Vera because she is the one she wants to be Kenneth's second wife.

"She's crazy," Ryan said to himself when he remembered the letter. "Did she think it will be that easy? I don't even have any idea where on earth Samantha de Vera might be." Or maybe, he knows. "Okay, fine. She's in the US. But there are fifty states! Did she go mad because of all the treatments she received?"

He caught sight of his sketchpad on the passenger seat, where he inserted the letter that he read the entire night almost.

"Sam left because of her. Now she wants her to go back? Didn't she realize how hard it is to fix everything that had happened before?"

Sam was Kenneth's best friend. The three of them were the first to really become friends. Then Kristine came to the picture. She fell in love with Kenneth, and in the process took him away from Sam.

"She's aware that Sam has feelings for Kenneth. But she still put herself first."

A loud honk of someone's car horn brought Ryan back to the present. He saw that the stoplight has turned to green. He quickly drove his car to his destination for that day.

If he didn't read the letter last night, then he could have finished the furniture designs for their next collection. But because of the letter, he had to come to work today to finish the designs. He can work at home, yes, but for sure he won't finish anything. He's that type of person who can't focus on work when at home. That's how he has been since high school. That's why he never did his homework at home.

Also, why would he waste his time doing it if he can just copy from his classmates?

It didn't take long before he arrived at the furniture shop he co-owns with Kenneth. He arrived almost the same time as one blue BMW X1 SUV. He knows exactly who owns that car and it made him grimace.

He has no choice but to get out of his silver Audi Q5. At the same time, Kenneth and Darlene went out of the blue SUV.

"Uncle!" Darlene excitedly went to him, but unlike before, he just ignored her.

"Why are you here?" Kenneth asked him.

"And why are you here?" Ryan shot back.

"I need to finish the presentation for Sapphire. Your presentation," Kenneth answered.

Ryan just nodded as he can't counter what he said. Then he looked at Darlene. "And you?"

"We're going to watch a movie after!" Darlene said with all the energy she has.

"If I could finish early," Kenneth said.

"Do you want to come with us, Uncle?" Darlene asked Ryan.

"I had a lot of things to do."

He went ahead to the shop. The three-story building serves as the showroom and main store of the company, as well as the main office on the third floor. The entire building is glass walled, except for the back and the third floor, but still with huge glass windows.

"Are you finishing the designs?" Kenneth asked as he and Darlene followed Ryan.

"Yes. There's still a lot I need to add on the set," Ryan answered.

"I thought you'll finish them all last night?"

Ryan looked at Darlene. "I needed to do something else."

The little girl smiled at him. She was obviously glad at what he said. Which made Ryan irked as he remembered the letter. Especially since Darlene looks so much like Kristine.

They all went inside the elevator. When they arrived at the third floor, Ryan immediately went out then said, "I'll go ahead. I have to do a lot, and I'll appreciate it if no one would bother me."

"Why are you so grumpy today?" Kenneth asked. "You know, you really need to look for a wife because you're turning into an unhappy old man."

"Leave me alone!" Ryan said to his friend. He then proceeded to his office.

On the far end of the minimalistic black and white themed office is his table. As he put his sketchpad on top, the letter slipped out.

"I need to concentrate today so don't bother me," he said to the letter like it can talk back. He picked it up and put it in his drawer.

He started working. He tried his best to focus and immediately found his rhythm. Until he felt his office door opened. He knows exactly who his guest is.

"I said don't bother me."

"Hi Uncle!" Darlene said, completely unfazed. She just went inside like Ryan said nothing.

Ryan looked at the eight-year-old who went on and sat down on one of the chairs in front of his table.

"What are you doing, Uncle?" Darlene asked as she put down the plastic bag she's holding on his desk.

"Darlene, I don't have time for that now." He knows what she wants from him. He just continued doing the designs on his sketchpad.

"What do you mean by 'that,' Uncle? I'm just asking what you're doing."

"I know where this is heading to. It's the letter, right?"

"Have you read it?" Again, Darlene became excited.

He stopped with what he's doing. "Yes… But, I'm sorry. I can't help you."

Darlene was dumbfounded.

"Look… Samantha de Vera has been missing in action since… since fifteen years. The last time I saw her was when she left for the US. I haven't heard about her since then so I can't do what your mom wants."

"But there might be a way you can reach out to her. Maybe you can go to their house in Moonville. Or, you can add her as a friend in Facebook or Twitter or Instagram."

This is the first time that Ryan got annoyed with his goddaughter's wittiness. "Somebody else lives now in their house in Moonville. Their father died four years ago. I think her brother inherited the house, and we're not close. He might not remember me. I can't just go there and tell her brother that I'm Sam's high school friend. And that FB and social media thing, I already did that before. But I can't find her anywhere. It seems like she doesn't want to be found."

"But... how are we going to find her?" Darlene fell in deep thought.

"It's very hard to do. It was so long ago, Lene. We don't even know if she still considers us her friends. We don't even know if she still remembers us. And besides, if we had the chance to find her and talk to her, what will we say? We'll ask her to marry your dad without even knowing if she still cares for him as much as she did before? She might just freak out."

"But Daddy was her first love..."

That's what Kristine said in the letter. Ryan felt more annoyed with his friend, making his voice rise when he talked again.

"That first love never dies thing is not true! Don't ever believe that. Look at your dad. Okay, maybe he felt something special for Sam before. But when he met your mom, didn't all those feelings disappear? Your mom became his new love. It's impossible that your father married your mother even though he doesn't love her. If you'll push that idea that your father still loves Sam, then it just meant your dad just married your mom because he can't marry his true love. It's like you're saying that Kenneth never really loved Kristine, and that he never really liked to marry her and have a child with her. Do you like that? That your father never really loved your mother?"

"That's not what–"

"That's how it is, Lene! You're still young that's why you can't fully understand it yet. I don't even know why your mother asked you to do that thing since there are a lot that you still don't understand. How did she expect you to do this since you're only 8 years old? And she even wants me to get involved? Your mom is a bully because she does everything to get what she wants. And that's exactly what she's doing now!"

Ryan just flared up. He went on and blurted out what he had been hiding for 15 years. And the little child just stared at him, watching him nag.

He stopped upon seeing the fear on Darlene's face. That is the first time that the kid has seen him get mad like that, so she must be shocked she looks like crying.

"Where's the letter?"

Ryan suddenly felt guilty. He wants to appease the kid who looks so scared right now. But he doesn't know what to say, so he just gave the letter to her.

Darlene took the letter and immediately ran out of the office. Ryan wants to stop her, but he just flopped down his chair. It seems he had gone too far this time. If only he can hit himself as a punishment.

"Jerk!" he said to himself. He remembered that look on Darlene's face and it made him despise himself.

He tried going back to work but he can't. He then saw the plastic bag that Darlene left on his desk.

"Ryan, what have you done!"

He decided to stop working and fix what happened. He took the plastic bag and went to Kenneth's office. He prepared himself for any harsh words his best friend might say to him, or worse, a punch to his face if he's being lucky.