CHAPTER 7

Wednesday morning. I was sitting at my desk in the clinic, holding my tablet and talking to my sister, Mia, on my Android phone.

"My nephew is so cute. I miss you all, Ate," I said, trembling with joy and longing. I was looking at the newly uploaded pictures on Facebook. They showed a birthday celebration for my nephew Caleb and a picture of my parents embracing him. All the faces I saw were full of joy. I was the only one missing, which stirred up a wave of emotions. This is the price I've paid for chasing my dreams.

"Where are you going for Holy Week, sister dear?" Mia asked.

"I just want to rest at my unit, but my friends from the radio station are encouraging me. We might go to Palawan, to Coron," I replied.

"Wow! I miss our country when I hear things like that," she exclaimed on the other end of the line.

"Take a vacation here. I'll take you around," I suggested. I couldn't take my eyes off my adorable nephew. When we were kids, he looked just like my sister. "I want to see and pinch my cute nephew on his cheeks."

"Oh my! He's just like you. Papa and Mama lavished him with attention," she remarked, eliciting a chuckle from me. "It's as if they're his parents! Anyway, Bert and I are discussing how we can take leave. We want everyone to be there for a vacation."

Then she said something that I didn't like." I hope you'll have someone to introduce to us when we come home," I took a deep breath out of disappointment.

She keeps reiterating this as time passes, and it annoys me when our conversation drifts to this topic. I love my sister and my whole family, but sometimes, they feel overly concerned about me. It's as if they're dictating how I should live here.

"Whatever, ate! Can you please stop?" I responded. As usual, she laughed on the other end of the line. "I'm happy being alone and single!"

Is there something wrong with being alone? I eat several times a day. I have a decent job. Why are they so concerned, as if my current lifestyle is going to be the death of me?

I don't need anyone with me. Four men courted me after Hector died, but I turned them all down. I'm looking for someone who can match the love Hector gave me back then, and that love is enormous. No one could ever compare to him. To me, someone like Hector Villanueva comes along once in a lifetime. Just once. No one else can replace him.

"Doctor! Your appointment has arrived," interrupted Rachel, my sole clinic staff member.

I couldn't believe our female radio caller from days ago was here. She was serious about his nephew's situation.

"Let them in, but tell them to wait a moment," I instructed Rachel.

I said goodbye to my sister and ended the call. I placed my Android phone and tablet on the desk. I glanced at the small mirror on the right side of my desk, tied my hair, which I noticed was gradually reaching the middle of my back, and applied lip gloss.

As I listened to the door creak, I could hear them talking. A high cubicle concealed my office desk, making it impossible to see them.

"Come on, you're a big boy now. Stop acting silly," said an older woman's voice. "Hurry up! I need to pee. I'll be right back, I promise."

"Tita, you're crazy! I don't need this, you know that," replied another voice. His unusual accent piqued my curiosity.

They suddenly fell silent, and that's when I stood up. I found the young man sitting on the long sofa, deeply absorbed in his cell phone.

To get his attention, I approached him slowly and greeted him. "Good morning!"

The man stood up, and I was surprised when I saw his face.

"YOU!" we both exclaimed in shock. It was Eric, and I couldn't believe our paths had crossed again.

"Wow! Surprise, surprise, you're Dr. Clara Montemayor," Eric said.

I chuckled. "So, you're the nephew with the love problem?"

"The truth is, I didn't want to do this. I thought I'd be meeting a boring old lady. You know? Do they care about what I'm going through? Look at this. I can't believe you're standing before me again."

I raised my eyebrow slightly, moving my eyes left and right. In my mind, is Eric's problem more significant than what humanity is facing now? So, what if he met an old lady? He's no prince or Hollywood actor for women to swoon over.

An older woman, whom I assumed was his Tita, walked in. I was amazed by her appearance. She wore a black t-shirt with a large image of John Lennon's face, skinny jeans with rips at the thighs and knees, black six-inch biker boots, and permed blonde hair. Even though she was wearing makeup, she was evidently in her fifties. I smiled broadly because, despite being younger than her, I had never dressed in that manner and had no intention of doing so. It didn't suit my personality.

"By the way, I want you to meet the coolest Tita in the world, Tita Cecile," Eric said.

His Tita's eyes widened, and she seemed to have blue eyeliner on. "You know each other?"

"You're beautiful in person, Doctor," she added. I didn't expect her sudden compliments.

Her tone was amusing, bubbly, and lively. I immediately felt comfortable with her and thought she would be easy to get along with.

"We met when we went to Binurong Point; remember, Tita?" Eric said this while beaming from ear to ear. "She was there too."

"Really! It's a pity we didn't see each other then."

I shook hands with her, and she was very entertaining. "I guess it's a small world. Nice to meet you," I said.

Suddenly, her Android phone rang. She raised her left hand, signaling for me to pause. She quickly answered the call and left the room, leaving us alone.

That's when I felt a bit awkward. "So, Eric?"

"Eric Ross," he replied, and we finally shook hands.

I grinned wide again because I remembered how rude I had been when we first met. I pointed to the sofa where Eric sat a while ago. "Sit down again. Let's see what we can do."

He returned to the sofa and leaned back. I noticed his intense gaze on me, which made me uncomfortable.

He murmured, "You are one heck of a hot girl," which increased my unease. Why does he talk like that? I don't feel like it. Or do I need to become more accustomed to someone like him? I suddenly remembered Hector. He never spoke to me like that, not even when courting me.

"Do you still want to continue this? My time is valuable," I told him sternly.

He just smirked at my comment, seemingly teasing me. "So grumpy," he muttered, but I heard it.

I just shook my head. This was the first time I got a closer look at his face. He looked like a Brazilian-Japanese model I had seen in TV commercials. He had chiseled features, but his Caucasian heritage was more prominent. His nose was straight and sharp, and his lips were thin and red as if they could tear from the brightness. However, his skin was lightly tanned, likely from frequent beach trips here in the country. His cheeks were rosy. I couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration.

I almost compared him to Hector but stopped myself. I didn't want my mind to wander, and I didn't want to lose concentration.

I cleared my throat. "I want you to be honest with your feelings when you answer my questions. Please cooperate with me."

He nodded, and I noticed the beautiful smile from earlier had vanished.

"Think back to when you first met her." His expression suddenly changed, and his eyebrows tensed. "I want you to be honest. I know you don't want to, but tell me everything as much as possible."

He couldn't open his mouth and wouldn't have started talking if I hadn't held his right hand.