"Daddy!" Jamie woke up to no one beside her.

"Morning, Princess...Aren't you going to give Daddy a hug?" Nat extended his arms.

"You're awake!" Jamie gave Nat a gentle hug, not wanting to hurt him.

"Of course I am. How could I leave my precious little Princess alone?" Nat held Jamie close. If anything, knowing that Jamie was waiting for him was a good enough reason to wake up.

"You're naughty, Daddy. You made Grandpa, Karine and me cry! You even made ninang cry in the corner because she was so worried!" Jamie pouted. She'd seen Aika shedding tears silently so as not to worry the others.

"Daddy's so sorry...I promise not to do that again." Nat assured Jamie. A stab to the lower abdomen was more than enough for one lifetime.

"NATHANIEL LUCA TORES LEE KAI WEN!" Karine's voice boomed throughout the ward.

"Your brother got injured in the abdomen, his hearing is fine." Alice chided her daughter.

"Wow someone grew taller since the last time I saw her...I missed you so much." Nat chuckled as he gave Karine a hug. Karine may be a 1.7m tall 16 year old but in front of her older brother, she was still a child.

"You know how worried Dad, Mum and I were? Especially Dad?" Karine looked at her parents.

"Sorry for making you worried...But at least I made Dad come?" Nat joked.

"Nonsense. Just get better quickly." Kevin was embarrassed at Karine telling on him.

"Your Dad almost tripped over his own feet when he heard you were injured." Alice added.

"I didn't come here just for you. I...I have...business to do here..." Kevin stuttered.

"Oh really? What business?" Karine played along.

"Uh...remember that CSR project you were telling me about? About the homes for the lower income families...I thought I could talk to Leni about it!" Kevin turned to Atty Leni. It may have been an 'excuse' but Kevin did have plans in mind.

"You want to work with Angat Buhay?" Atty Leni was surprised at the sudden offer.

"I believe the morals and values of our company align with Angat Buhay so why look any further?" Kevin smiled.

"Yes, tita...We've been looking for a partner for a while and trust me, we picked Angat Buhay for its stellar track record and the values it stands for." Nat assured Atty Leni.

"Great! I'll link you up with our Director of Partnerships!" Atty Leni was excited.

"Does that mean we'll be staying in the Philippines for a while? Are we?" Karine looked at her Dad.

"I'm...I'm not sure..." Kevin hesitated.

"I'm not chasing you home but don't you have school, Ms Lee?" Nat questioned.

"Your brother is right, you have school and your national exams are in 3 months, my dear." Alice reminded Karine about the major national exam she had in November.

"But...one week of online lessons won't hurt!" Karine protested.

"You be a good girl and I promise I'll fly you over here for a holiday after your exams." Nat offered.

"Really?" Karine's eyes sparkled.

"Have I ever lied to you?" Nat laughed.

"Deal!" Karine took Nat's hand and shook it.

"How about I fly back with Karine first and you can stay a while longer here? You haven't been to the Philippines HQ, have you? Take this chance to go around..." Alice suggested to Kevin. It had been 10 years since he last came.

"I'll be up and running in a day or two. I'll bring you around..." Nat hoped that Kevin would agree.

"I guess visiting Naga after 10 years wouldn't be a bad idea...I should go meet Jesse too." Kevin gave in.

"I'm sure Jesse would be delighted to see you, Kevin." Atty Leni smiled at Kevin.

~

"Be careful not to let the wound come into contact with water. Your review appointment is in 2 weeks." The doctor was informing Nat and Aika about the necessities before Nat got discharged.

"Thanks for everything, Doctor." Nat bowed to the doctor as he and Aika left the ward.

"It feels so good to be breathing fresh air..." Nat took a deep breath the second they stepped out of the hospital.

"Come on, let's head home. Everyone's waiting for you." Aika slid her hand into Nat's.

"Welcome home!" Nat was greeted by the screams of the children the moment he opened the door.

"it's a celebration for coming home, tito Nat!" Natalia handed Nat a balloon.

"We missed you, tito Nat!" Alo gave Nat a fist bump.

"Thanks...I'm not used to such attention..." Nat joked as he looked around the apartment.

"It's a once in a lifetime thing so don't get used to it, kuya." Jill deadpanned.

"You know, I was kinda disappointed that I didn't get Dr Tricia as my in charge but oh wells..." Nat shrugged.

"Ha. Ha. Not funny, kuya. I prefer keeping my work and life separate." Tricia stuck her tongue out.

"Can we eat already? I really want to try the Filipino dishes that lola Leni made!" Karine interjected.

"Since when did you start calling tita, lola Leni?" Nat was amused.

"Uh...since two days ago? I'm now besties with Ate Jill, right?" Karine answered with a straight face before turning to smile at Jill.

"Of course! I finally have someone my generation that's younger." Jill locked arms with Karine.

"Bunso 1 and bunso 2...does this spell trouble?" Aika looked at Nat and Tricia with a resigned sigh.

"More like paborito 1 and paborito 2..." Nat gave the younger girls a side eye.

"You two talk like you can't stand us but end up spoiling us anyways..." Jill retorted.

"And all it takes is a please and puppy eyes..." Karine chimed in.

"See mama, I'm such a great middle kid!" Tricia cosied up to Atty Leni.

~

"I wanna sit with Ate Nat!" Jamie took her seat next to Natalia. The Robredos, Gaile's family, Kevin and Nat were getting ready for a bus trip to Naga.

"I thought I was your bus partner, sweetheart?" Aika was surprised since Jamie always sat next to her.

"I'm being considerate because Daddy is injured...You can seat next to ninang, Daddy!" Jamie offered.

"Thank you Princess." Nat grinned. It was an overnight trip and Nat was unnecessarily excited.

"Shouldn't you be sitting next to Uncle?" Aika looked at Kevin.

"Dad would rather sit with Jamie than with me, sunshine. Trust me. Besides, I'm the perfect height for you to rest on and sleep." Nat tapped his own shoulder.

"To be honest, you're a little too tall." Aika teased.

"Not if I do this..." Nat raised the arm rest and placed his arm around Aika's shoulder. Voila.

"Sorry for interrupting this lovey dovey moment but remember to alert me anytime you feel uncomfortable or pain..." Tricia was in her Doctor mode.

"Yes, Dr Tricia." Nat saluted.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Aika noticed at Nat was just staring at her with a huge grin on his face.

"Nothing. You can continue prepping for your lessons." Nat shook his head, the smile on his face not fading.

"How am I supposed to focus with you smiling at me like that? Plus, don't you have work to catch up on? Isn't this the reason you brought your iPad?" Aika fished Nat's iPad out of his backpack.

"I'll work on it when you're asleep. I want to maximise the time I have with you when you're awake." Nat shoved the iPad next to him.

"Ehem, I can hear you guys from the front." Jill complained without turning back.

"Okay, focus for 1 hour and then we can relax. Deal?" Aika really needed to focus.

"Yes, ma'am..." Nat unwillingly flipped opened his iPad and looked through the backlogged documents Gabe had sent him.

"1 hour is...up..." Nat turned to his right, only to realise that Aika had already fallen asleep on her iPad. Laughing to himself, Nat gently leaned Aika's head onto his side and covered her body with his jacket.

"Sweet dreams, my sunshine." Nat kissed Aika goodnight before drifting off himself.

~

"Hey Jesse, it's been a while. Sorry it took me so long." Kevin was standing before Sec Jesse's tomb.

"Hi papa, Uncle Kevin came to say hi. And so did all of us." Jill looked at the statue of her papa. No matter how many times the girls have stood in front of their papa's tomb, it was never easy.

"Nat...do you want to visit your mama too?" Kevin asked after they were done paying respects to Sec Jesse.

"Mama?" It'd been so long since Nat heard his Dad say these words.

"Her columbarium is nearby. I think it's long overdue that we paid her a visit." Kevin let out a long breath.

"Is this lola Sophia?" Jamie pointed up a marble tile on the highest row.

"That's right, precious. Say hi to your lola Sophia." Kevin lifted Jamie up so she could take a look.

"Hey, you okay?" Aika held Nat's hand, noticing that he was a little dazed.

"I'm fine...I'm just...it's just that the memories I had with mama are slowly coming back..." Nat closed his eyes, trying hard to remember what his mama looked like, what she sounded like and what her hugs felt like.

"Sophia, sorry it took so long to come visit you. Hindi kita nakalimutan...namiss kita." Kevin touched the tiny picture of his wife gently.

"Hi mama...ako ito Nat. I missed you so much." Nat felt his nose sting as his eyes welled up.

"All these years, I've been running away from the pain of losing you. I avoided anything to do with the Philippines because everything reminded me of you. I know I said that you were the only one I'd love in this life...but right now, I have Alice and Karine. Perhaps it was the guilt that made me feel unworthy to return and see you." Kevin confessed.

"Dad...I'm sure mama understands. She always did." Nat hugged his Dad.

"I'm so sorry, Nat..." Kevin apologised. He'd allowed his own pain and guilt to spillover to Nat, hurting him in the process.

"It's alright Dad. I've never blamed you. Like mama used to say. Families love each other no matter what." Nat was relieved that his Dad had come to terms with this painful, suppressed past.

~

"Patty! Did you see Nat?" Aika had woken up the next morning to an empty bed.

"I didn't...did he go somewhere?" Tricia hadn't seen Nat the entire morning either.

"He's not fully recovered yet...where could he have gone..." Aika tapped her fingers anxiously.

"I think I heard him say he was going to tito Jesse's tomb this morning..." Stephen emerged from the kitchen with two cups of coffee.

"Thanks Steph!" Aika grabbed her phone and dashed out.

"I can't believe you let kuya leave alone like that..." Tricia glared at Stephen as she sipped her coffee.

"Hi Sir Jesse...I know I've introduced myself before but I would like to do it officially this time. Ako po si Nathaniel Lee at ako ang Aika's boyfriend. Ako si 33 years old at ang son of Kevin and Sophia. I wanted to get your permission to marry your daughter, Sir. Mahal ko talaga Aika, sir. I promise to do my best to support her, be by her side whenever she needs me and love her with everything I have. I hope you can give us your blessings." Nat was nervous but he managed to speak every word with utmost sincerity.

"How do you want my papa to give you an answer?" Aika had heard everything Nat said to her papa.

"Sunshine..." Nat was embarrassed.

"I think papa likes you." Aika smiled.

"Really? He does?" Nat's eyes brightened.

"Look." Aika pointed to a butterfly resting on the tomb.

"Does it mean he said yes?" Nat knew exactly what the butterfly signified.

"Maybe?" Aika gave Nat a shrug.

"Maraming salamat Sir!" Nat did a little cheer.

~

"Bye Dad, see you in December." Nat and Jamie were at the airport to send Kevin off.

"Goodbye Grandpa!" Jamie gave Kevin a flying kiss.

"Goodbye my precious." Kevin returned the kiss.

"And you, work hard. I hope to see a ring on Aika's finger when we all visit in December." Kevin patted Nat on the back.

"I hope so too, Dad." Nat smiled.

"Don't hope. Make it come true." Kevin encouraged.

"Have a safe flight." Nat waved. They watched until Kevin disappeared into the crowd of the departure gate.

"Hi...I was wondering if we could meet?" Aly was on the line.

"Sure. I'm with Jamie now. I'll come over to where you are." Nat and Jamie hadn't seen Aly in a while.

"Mummy!" Jamie ran into Aly's arms.

"Mummy missed you so much, baby!" Aly cuddled Jamie.

"How have you been? I heard Marco is waiting to be charged...are you okay?" Nat was worried about Aly.

"I'm holding up fine. It's only fair that Marco pays for his wrongdoings." Aly gave Nat a weak smile.

"About what Marco said...I..." Nat hesitated.

"He was right. I still have feelings for you." Aly admitted.

"Aly...I..." Nat was lost for words.

"But I'm trying hard to let it go. I know your heart is fully with Ate and I'm truly happy for you two. I just wanted to let it out, nothing more. I know I've been irresponsible and lacking as a mother, both in the past and now. But right now, all I want to focus on is Jamie. I'm going to take time to heal from Marco, spend more time with Jamie and hopefully one day, be able to proudly say that I've overcome everything." Aly wanted to make things right.

"I'm glad for you, Aly. No matter what happened between in the past, let's leave it and start from here. We'll be here to support you. Both me and Jamie." Nat was happy for Aly.

"Thank you for always being here for me. As a friend." Aly smiled.

"Friend? I thought we were good friends?" Nat joked.

"It feels great to let go. Often, the fear of the unknown is scarier and heavier than the burdens we hold in our heart. It's only when we let go of our own fears, can we find peace with ourselves and the people around us." Aly chuckled.

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