Chapter 4

Alessa had a nutritious breakfast with her parents that morning. It was her day off, so she thought it would be a productive day. The first thing she decided to do was clean her room. Realizing that she didn’t need many things anymore, she began sorting and organizing everything.

“Alessa, Mrs. Villaruiz wants to talk to you. Can you go to her office later?” her mom asked, glancing at her dad before turning her attention back to Alessa.

Alessa was taken aback for a moment, and her parents looked at her with surprise. “O-okay, but what could she want to talk about?”

“Ah, we have no idea, Alessa,” her father said, sipping his ginger tea. “This tea is delicious, isn’t it?” He looked at her mom.

“Yes, it’s from the States.”

“Ah… that’s why.”

Her parents continued their conversation while Alessa finished her breakfast. She was already thinking about what else she could do that day.

After they finished eating, it was Alessa who washed the dishes while her mother watched her. Unable to bear the silence, Alessa smiled and asked, “Mom, I’m curious. Is there something you want to say?”

It was evident from her mother’s expression that she did want to say something but hesitated to continue. Alessa looked at her, trying to gauge if her suspicions were correct. She washed her hands, dried them with a towel, then took her mother’s hand and led her to empty chairs. “I can sense that you want to say something, Mom. What is it?”

Her mom took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Alessa. I don’t want to meddle, but I feel embarrassed on Sheila’s behalf. They shouldn’t assume that your dad and I are involved in what they’re saying.”

Alessa furrowed her brow at her mom’s words. “Involved in what? What do you mean?” She had no idea what her mom was referring to.

Her mom fell silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. She then held both of Alessa’s hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. “I know that becoming a nurse is your dream, and I’m happy that you’ve achieved it. Now that you’re a nurse and enjoying your job…”

“Mom…”

“Alessa… Sheila will ask you for a favor.”

“A favor? What kind of favor?”

“I’m not sure, Alessa,” her mom admitted. “But they’re asking if you could help them with something. It would be awkward if you declined, Alessa. You know how much they’ve helped your dad and us—”

“Wait, Mom. I understand that we owe a lot to Mrs. Villaruiz, but what’s the idea here? Do you have any details?”

Her mom nodded. “Sheila mentioned yesterday that they want to hire you as Elijah’s personal nurse.”

“Me? Why me?” Surprise registered on Alessa’s face.

It was not that she didn’t want to be Elijah’s nurse. She had her job, and she didn’t want to leave it so easily.

“Because they know you and Elijah were friends before.”

“Mom, that was in the past. Things are different now. You saw how he was when they arrived. He was still angry at me!” Alessa said, laughing and shaking her head. “I can’t do it.”

“Alessa…”

“Mom, I know we’re indebted to Mrs. Villaruiz, but I also feel a great responsibility towards Elijah. Especially now that he’s in such a bad mood.”

“Don’t raise your voice, or they might overhear us!” her mom whispered.

Alessa approached her mom and whispered back, “He seems so angry at the world. I don’t think he would agree to have me as his nurse. He can’t even remember that I’m his childhood friend.”

“You know him well, Alessa!”

“I still don’t think it’s a good idea, Mom. Maybe I’ll talk to Mrs. Villaruiz properly later. I’ll explain that I can’t just leave my job.” Alessa stood up and returned to the sink.

“It’s up to you, Alessa, but I hope you consider it, alright? It’s embarrassing for the Villaruiz couple.”

“Don’t worry, Mom. Mrs. Villaruiz is kind. I’m sure she’ll understand,” Alessa replied, facing her task at hand and paying no further attention to her mom.

Her hair became sweaty and messy in a ponytail as she continued sorting through some plastic trash. She had picked them up while cleaning her room. She wasn’t done yet, but changing the curtains and bedsheets would make her room more presentable.

Alessa took the trash out to the street and then returned inside. As she locked the gate, she inadvertently looked up at the veranda across from her, where Elijah’s room was located on the second floor. She saw him standing there. There was no bandage on his face, but the prominent scar was still visible.

Even though the sun shone on her, Alessa didn’t mind because her full attention was on Elijah. His physique was impressive. It seemed like going to the gym had become one of his hobbies during his time in the United States. He wore a plain white shirt that accentuated his well-defined chest and abs.

After a few moments, her gaze shifted to Elijah’s face. The accident had left significant damage, evident from the large scar. It was impossible to overlook, especially since he had lost his sight. Alessa couldn’t help feeling sorry for him once again.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, causing strands of her hair to fall in front of her face. She quickly brushed them away. When she looked back at Elijah, her heart almost skipped a beat. “Does he see me? Did he catch me staring at him?”

Startled, she quickly crouched down and straightened up again. When she looked back, relief washed over her as Elijah was no longer there. She let out a sigh.

“Alessa!”

It was only then that she was able to look away when she heard her mother’s voice from inside the mansion.

“Mom?”

“Come here! It’s so hot out there!” her mom shouted.

“Y-yes, Mom!”

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Alessa thought that her mom might have seen her earlier. She silently prayed for the ground to swallow her up. It was too embarrassing. “What will Mom say?”

“Alessa, I found this box of yours from when you were a child in your father’s room. It might have been misplaced when we were cleaning, and your dad thought it was yours,” her mom said, holding a large violet-colored box.

Alessa took it and examined it. “I don’t remember owning this, Mom. Are you sure it’s mine?” she asked, unable to recall having such a box.

“Yes, we looked inside, and it was clearly yours.”

“Okay, Mom. Thank you! I’ll check it in my room.”

Alessa hurriedly went inside her room and sat on her bed. She opened the box and looked at its contents. She was amazed to find some of her childhood belongings from when she was still in secondary school.

A smile formed on her face as she spotted an old keychain with a Hello Kitty design. It had been a gift from her old friend who now lived in Canada. She went through the rest of the box, discovering a pink plastic envelope. The word ‘Bubble’ was still written on the cover, so she opened it. She couldn’t help but laugh when she found an old photo of herself playing in the mansion’s garden.

She must have been around ten years old at the time. In the picture, she was accompanied by a dog, happily playing with a small ball. As she looked at the next photo, she saw a picture of a teenager who was probably around fourteen years old.

“I remember. These are from Elijah!” Alessa smiled as she looked at the other photos in the envelope, one by one. It all came back to her that this box had been a gift from Elijah before he moved to the US.

She lay back on her bed, reminiscing over everything. The passage of time became evident. They used to have so much fun in the garden and were inseparable. But now, things had changed so much. Alessa set aside the items and placed the box under her bed. She continued organizing the remaining mess, reminiscing about the past.

***

[Flashback]

“BUBBLE!” Elijah’s voice rang out as he played basketball on the mini-court within the grounds of the Villaruiz mansion.

“What?” Alessa replied, engrossed in her assignment in the garden, where he could see her from the court.

“Is the snack ready? I’m hungry,” Elijah asked, clutching his stomach. He wore a red and yellow-striped jersey and was sweaty, slightly out of breath.

“I’m not sure! Mom was just roasting the corn,” she answered.

He nodded, picked up the ball, and resumed playing. Alessa stopped writing and watched Elijah as he played. He was skilled at basketball, but she knew he had declined an offer to be a varsity player at the school he attended.

She was even more surprised when he looked at her and grinned. “You like what you see? I’m handsome, aren’t I?”

Frowning at his gesture, she closed her notebook and book in front of her, dropping the pen she had been holding. She turned her attention to him. “Handsome? Where?”

He laughed and walked over to her. He pointed at himself. “Right here. Right in front of you, Alessa.”

She smiled and shook her head. “Handsome? I don’t think so.”

“What?” His face revealed his annoyance.

She chuckled. “Look at yourself.” She even pointed to his face. Feeling really handsome, Elijah!”

“What!?” He dramatically grabbed an empty chair from nearby and plopped down on it, crossing his arms. After a moment, he pretended to sniffle, his arms folded tightly. “That’s how you are when you fall in love with me. It’s all up to you!”

Alessa glared at him. “That’s something that will never happen!”

“And why is that? I’m handsome!”

“You’re not my type, okay?” she said, relishing in Elijah’s irritation.

His pout grew longer, making him resemble a sulking child. “Well, who is your type then? What do you even know? You’re too young for that!”

She smiled at him. “I might be young, but I already know what I want!”

He leaned back in his chair and turned to look at the court. It was no longer scorching hot as it was already five o’clock in the afternoon. “So, what’s your type?”

“It’s a secret!”

He turned to her. “Secret?”

“Yep, I won’t tell you, so you won’t find out anything!” She stuck out her tongue playfully.

“Bubble, oh! Maybe you’ll have a crush at school, huh! Be prepared!”

She laughed. “So, you think someone will like me?”

“What do you mean?” He looked at her quizzically.

“I mean, look at me. I’m not pretty—”

“You’re pretty!”

She didn’t answer, turning her gaze toward him. Their eyes met, and she felt a slight flutter in her chest. Her eyes widened when he winked at her. “Y-you’re crazy!” She playfully hit his arm.

Elijah held his arm where she had hit him and looked at her. “Why did you hurt me? I’m just speaking the truth!”

“I don’t know. Just… you won’t know what kind of guy I like. Besides, I’m too young for that.” She reopened her books and notebooks and began writing again.

She could sense Elijah’s eyes on her, but she ignored it. Even though she wouldn’t admit it to him, Alessa knew that she liked Elijah a lot. But she also had her dreams. She wanted to graduate first and didn’t have time for matters of love.

Considering the current state of their relationship, Alessa knew it was impossible for any of her dreams to come true. She had to admit that she had strong feelings for him, but she also understood their limitations.

As they sat there, her mom approached them with a tray. Two bowls of roasted corn, their favorite snack, were on it.

“Wow! My favorite!” Elijah exclaimed.

“It looks delicious, Mom!” Alessa added.

The two of them spoke almost simultaneously, causing laughter to fill the air. Even her mom joined in because of their infectious joy. “Enjoy, you two. Then go inside and have a great time.” Her mom carefully placed the bowls in front of Alessa and Elijah.

They enjoyed their favorite snack together, accompanied by the laughter of that afternoon…

[End of flashback]