"Tito Steph...do you miss tita Tricia a lot?" Jamie looked at Stephen curiously. He was at their apartment having a drink with Nat. 

"I do. Although not as much as your daddy missing Aika." Stephen tossed the ball over to Nat. 

"How much do you miss tita Tricia? This much?" Jamie spread her arms wide. 

"A little more than this..." Stephen playfully held both of Jamie's arms and extended it without hurting her. 

"How much do you miss ninang, Daddy? More than this?" Jamie turned to Nat, her arms in the same position. 

"About this much..." Nat spread Jamie's arms slightly further. 

"Look here, Jamie. I'm sending this to your titas..." Stephen snapped a picture of the adorable girl and sent it to Tricia immediately. 

ang cute na <3 tell my little sweetie that we miss her! 

paano naman ako? i miss you too :")

you have kuya to keep you company :)

"Doc's right, you have me..." Nat held up his can of beer, chuckling at Tricia's reply.

"And me too!" Jamie held up her glass of milk. 

"When's Ms Carlos moving out?" Stephen lowered his voice. 

"I told her to take her time...but now that Mum has left and Aika is coming back soon..." Nat sighed. When Alice left yesterday, there was no more "third party" left in the house. 

"Oof...sounds complex..." Stephen sighed. 

"Tell me about it...I honestly don't think it's a good idea to have Aly stay here but I can't just kick her out like that..." Nat puffed his cheeks, confused at what to do. 

"Can you not offer her a room in one of your hotels? Or stay with her parents? And if her ex is unpredictable, she could apply for a restraining order just in case." Stephen suggested. 

"I offered her the hotel room, she turned it down. She didn't want to implicate her parents. As for the restraining order, I don't think he's a threat at the moment..." Nat pursed his lips. 

"Well, all I know is that I wouldn't drag it out if I were you..." Stephen took a sip of his beer. 

"Mummy!" Jamie ran to Aly as she entered the house. 

"Hi baby...Sorry, I had to settle something at work today." Aly explained why she was gone for the whole day. 

"Alls good. Oh, this is Stephen, Tricia's boyfriend." Nat noticed Aly staring at Stephen. 

"Nice to meet you, Ms Carlos." Stephen offered a handshake, which Aly took. 

"Nice to meet you too, Stephen. I shan't disturb you guys, I'll put Jamie to bed tonight." Aly smiled. 

"Thanks." Nat gave Aly a tiny nod. 

"Good night, Jamie..." Stephen waved to Jamie. 

"Good night, tito Steph...Don't miss tita too much, she'll be back soon!" Jamie whispered, making Stephen chuckle. 

"Not to be mean but it seems like she's fine going out alone...there are some things that need to be nipped in the bud before it develops." Stephen commented. 

"I guess...looks like Marco isn't harassing her anymore..." Nat got what Stephen was hinting at. 

~

"Hey, can we talk?" Nat had contemplated for a while before making a decision.

"Sure, about what?" Aly had just put Jamie to bed. 

"About this." Nat bit his lip.

"This? What do you..." Aly took a while to understand. 

"It's been almost 3 weeks. I know I said that you could take your time but..." Nat let out a long breath. 

"I get what you mean, Niel...3 days, just give me 3 days. I'll move out after that. I promise." Aly dreaded this conversation but she knew she was taking advantage of Nat's kindness. 

"Is there anything I can help with?" Nat felt guilty for 'chasing' Aly out. 

"It's okay, I'll probably move back with my parents. Marco hasn't visited them at all. Maybe I was the one overthinking..." Aly shrugged. 

"I'm always here if you need any help. That's what friends are for." Nat smiled. 

"Friends..." Aly nodded slowly, unsure if she liked the term. 

"Also...you can come visit Jamie anytime you like even after you move out. I'll get my lawyers to annul our previous agreements once your divorce with Marco is settled." Nat added. 

"Thanks, Niel." Aly's heart was on a roller-coaster ride. Nat was only trying to be considerate and make co-parenting work but Aly's heart couldn't help but take it the wrong way. 

"Nat. I stopped using Niel 5 years ago." Nat wasn't comfortable being called Niel anymore. It was time for both of them to move on. 

"Sorry...It was a habit..." Aly knew Nat wanted a clean break from their past. 

~

"70 hours, 14 minutes and 3 seconds left..." Nat recited as he looked at his iPad.

"70 hours, 14 minutes and 3 seconds to what?" Aika chuckled at the random string of numbers. 

"Till my sunshine comes home...It's been really cold because the sun hadn't been shining for 3 weeks..." Nat pouted. 

"The last time I checked, it was blazing hot in Manila..." Aika rolled her eyes.

"Aly's moving out in 3 days..." Nat updated Aika. 

"Oh...everything's settled already?" Aika wondered. 

"Well, I was the one that broached the topic. She's only told me bits and pieces but thank goodness Marco hasn't approached her anymore. She's moving back with her parents." Nat recalled the time that Aly had told him about Marco. 

"Hopefully things go well and Aly gets her piece of mind soon. By the way, Karine was texting me saying that she wanted a souvenir from NYU but Auntie left before we made it home..." Aika showed Nat the Telegram bubbles that Karine had sent her. Nat face-palmed at his sister's antics. 

"I love you sunshine." Nat brought the phone closer and whispered just loud enough for Aika to hear. 

"I love you too muscles." Aika did the same. 

~

"Pancakes...NINANG!" Jamie could smell her favourite pancakes the second she woke up and she knew immediately who was in the kitchen. 

"Good morning sweetheart, I missed you..." Aika plated the last pancake before turning to Jamie. 

"I missed you so so much!" Jamie jumped right into Aika's embrace, snuggling tight. 

"It seems like someone grew bigger while I was gone?" Aika joked as she held Jamie. 

"We measured our height in school and I was 2 cm taller than 3 months ago!" Jamie boasted. Thanks to Nat's genes, Jamie was already 115cm, half a head taller than her peers. 

"Really? You're going to be taller than me soon!" Aika gasped. 

"Does Daddy know that you're here?" Jamie whispered. 

"It's supposed to be a surprise..." Aika lowered her voice as well. 

"I don't think so..." The girls turned to see Nat standing at the entrance of the kitchen. 

"Daddy look! Ninang is finally home!" Jamie did her adorable dance. 

"Good morning, did the sun rise today?" Aika remembered the cheesy line that Nat mentioned. 

"It did. It rose the brightest and warmest today..." Nat smiled as he hugged Aika and planted a kiss on her forehead. 

"Looks like your Daddy ate cheese before he slept last night..." Aika giggled with Jamie. 

"Daddy is a cheesy dinosaur!" Jamie stuck her tongue out. 

"Then you are the sugar dinosaur!" Nat chased Jamie.

"Ninang help me!" Jamie screamed as Nat caught her and started tickling her. 

"Is...everything...okay?" Aly's voice broke the tickle battle on the couch. Nat and Aika exchanged looks. 

"Good morning Mummy! We were just having a tickle fight!" Jamie was panting, breathless from all the laughing. 

"Hi ate, glad to have you back..." Aly smiled at Aika. 

"Thanks, glad to see you too, Aly." Aika smiled back. 

"Breakfast?" Nat nodded to the plates of pancakes on the table. 

"Sorry, I only made 3..." Aika thought Aly was supposed to have left yesterday, at least according to the 3 days that Nat had told her. 

"It's okay, I'm heading home soon...You guys can enjoy..." Aly assured a sorry Aika. 

"Why don't you offer Aly a ride home?" Aika nudged Nat under the dining table. 

"Hey, why don't I send you home?" Nat looked at Aly. 

"Really? Thanks..." Aly let out a small smile. 

"Goodbye baby. You sure you don't wanna come with me and Daddy?" Aly gave Jamie a hug. 

"I'll stay here with ninang...I'll see you soon, Mummy!" Jamie gave Aly a kiss on the cheek. Jamie wanted to wait at home with Aika. It had been a while since they had alone time. 

"I'll be quick." Nat gave Aika a side hug before leaving. 

~

"Was it fun staying with your Mummy?" Aika and Jamie were on the couch, with Jamie sitting on Aika. 

"It was...but..." Jamie let out a tiny sigh.

"But what, sweetie?" Aika was worried. 

"But I want you to stay with us instead. I like Mummy but I like you more...and so does Daddy." Jamie confessed. 

"Sweetie..." Aika caressed Jamie's cheeks. 

"Daddy's home, Princess..." Nat trailed off when he realised what was happening. 

"Daddy, you and ninang are going to get married right? And ninang is going to be staying with us right?" Jamie asked meekly. 

"Yes..." Nat looked at Aika for affirmation before answering. 

"Can ninang also be my Mummy? Can I have two Mummies?" Jamie's eyes teared up.

"Of course you can, sweetie. Aly will always be your Mummy and as long as it's okay with you, I can be your Mummy too. There's no need to choose..." Aika comforted Jamie.

"I'm sorry, Princess...it's all Daddy's fault..." Nat felt guilty for putting Jamie through all these.

"It's okay Daddy...it's not your fault. If you were with Mummy, then there wouldn't be a chance for us to meet ninang!" Jamie reasoned.

"You're right, Princess. But Daddy's still sorry..." Nat kissed Jamie on the head. 

"If you're sorry, you can make up by doing something!" Jamie's eyes sparkled. 

"Anything for you, my Princess..." Nat chuckled. 

"Quickly marry ninang so she can be my other Mummy!" Jamie revealed her grand plan.

"Oh gosh, sweetheart..." Aika never expected Jamie to make such a request. 

"You rest assured that I'll marry your ninang, Princess...but you've gotta give me and your ninang some time!" Nat was speechless but proud of Jamie's wit. 

"I'm watching you, Daddy..." Jamie narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. 

"I'm counting on you, sweetheart." Aika gently squished Jamie's cheeks. 

"I want a little sister to play with...everyone in my class has a sibling! Can I have a baby sister for my birthday next year? Please?" Jamie begged. 

"Uh maybe not for your birthday...how about Christmas next year?" Nat winked. 

"Sweetie, don't listen to your Daddy, he's dreaming..." Aika slapped Nat on the arm before covering Jamie's ears. 

"I think a mini Jessica Marie would be cute though..." Nat whispered into Aika's ears. 

"You're sleeping on the couch tonight..." Aika smacked Nat another time. 

~

"Shall we have dinner together?" Aly and Jamie had just finished watching a movie for their usual Sunday date at the mall where Jamie's kindergarten was located.

"Actually, Aika is coming over to meet us for dinner..." Nat bit his lip. 

"We could all have dinner together?" Aly suggested. 

"Ninang!" Jamie spotted Aika walking towards them. 

"Hey sweetheart..." Aika smiled. 

"Ate, can I crash your dinner?" Aly turned to Aika. 

"There's no such thing as crashing, Aly. You're always welcome." Aika assured Aly. 

"I haven't seen you guys for a while!" The waitress exclaimed in Chinese as the four walked into the restaurant. It was the Chinese restaurant that Nat, Aika and Jamie would occasionally visit when they missed Chinese food. 

"We've been a little busy but we really missed the food here! Princess, say hi..." Nat replied in Chinese. 

"Hello granny, I missed your cooking too!" Jamie's Chinese classes had paid off. 

"Kumusta kayo po." Aika greeted the older lady. 

"You're lucky I have your favourite dishes on the menu tonight for my favourite little family!" The lady grinned as she led them to a table. 

"You guys eat here often?" Aly wondered. She'd never noticed this restaurant. 

"The food here is really good, Mummy! The granny gives us lots of extra treats because she thinks I'm cute and speaks Chinese well!" Jamie boasted. 

"And because you're a smart cookie!" The lady was laying the table. 

"Thank you for always being so nice to us, Auntie." Nat thanked the lady. 

"It's nothing! Oh, who's this beautiful lady? Your sister?" The table went silent at the lady's question.

"She's my Mummy!" Jamie took it upon herself to answer the tricky question. 

"I'm sorry for making thing awkward, young man..." The lady whispered to Nat in Chinese. 

"It's okay, auntie. It's not your fault." Nat smiled warmly as he assured the lady. 

"Do you need a ride back? We can drop you off before going home." Nat offered after dinner. 

"Daddy, I need to buy crayons for school tomorrow! Mine are almost gone." Jamie reminded Nat. 

"Gosh, I'm sorry it slipped my mind..." Nat chided himself. 

"The stationery shop should still be open, we can go now." Aika checked her watch. 

"I'm sorry Aly but we have to get her crayons..." Nat turned to Aly apologetically. 

"Well, I need to get my papa a present for his birthday in 2 days so I could grab something while you guys get her crayons..." Aly explained. 

"We could meet here in 30 minutes?" Nat suggested. 

"Actually, I was planning on getting him a tie but I'm not sure how to...Could you give me a hand?" Aly looked at Nat expectantly. Nat exchanged glances with Aika, asking for silent 'permission'. 

"I could go with Jamie to get her crayons. You help Aly?" Aika placed a hand on Nat's back. 

"Thanks for coming with me, it's my first time getting a tie..." Aly grinned as they walked towards the shop. 

"I'm no expert but I'll help with whatever I can." Nat gave Aly a small smile. 

"Hi, I'm looking for a tie for my father? He's about 60 years old..." Aly explained to the shop assistant. 

"How about this? It's simple but formal." Nat held up a dark blue tie. Since he was here, he decided to be helpful. 

"That's one of our new collections, sir. You have a good eye." The assistant smiled. 

"Can you teach me how to tie it? I want to put it on for my papa personally during his birthday." Aly asked Nat as she looked at the tie that he had picked. Nat wasn't sure but he didn't want to embarrass Aly by saying no in front of the assistant. 

"You make a knot and then..." Nat explained the steps to Aly patiently. 

"Let me try..." Aly put her hands on Nat's, wanting to give it a shot. Nat immediately withdrew his hands. 

"Uh...like this..." Nat tried to guide Aly with only his voice but given how much she was fumbling, Nat had no choice to use his hands. 

"Like this?" Aly tugged at the tie to tighten it, her face naturally leaning closer to Nat.

"Yeah..." Nat leaned his head back slightly, uncomfortable with the proximity. 

"Great, let's settle on this then!" Aly handed the tie to the assistant. 

As Aly was paying, Nat was looking at the man dressed in black with a cap standing at the entrance of the store. He'd noticed the man since they entered the store and assumed he was just waiting for someone but they were the only ones left in the store. The man looked up and realised that Nat was staring at him. 

"Wait!" Nat called out as he chased the man but he had hurried away. He was blended into the crowd by the time Nat had came out of the spacious store. 

"What's wrong?" Aly appeared from behind. 

"Nothing. I thought I saw someone I knew..." Nat was still scanning the crowd. 

"Who?" Aly wondered. 

"I must have been mistaken..." Nat had a hunch but didn't want to scare Aly. 

"Let's go then, ate and Jamie should be done already..." Aly smiled as she held Nat's wrist to get him moving. It looked just like him...

~

"Let's open our fortune cookies!" Jamie took out the cookie she'd gotten from dinner. The adults each had one too. 

"The past belongs to the past. Leave it behind and start anew." Aly read her note. 

"You are blessed with love and overflowing joy." Jamie followed suit. 

"Pure love is a willingness to give without expecting anything in return." Aika read hers out.

"Hold on to what you treasure and never let it go." Aika had opened Nat's since he was driving. 

"Can fortune cookies really predict your future?" Jamie asked. 

"I guess only time will tell..." Nat didn't have a definite answer for Jamie. 

I'm with Jamie about having a baby sister :) 

Name suggestions are welcome🤭