"Tomorrow?"
Nelica sighed. "Yes, Andz. Tomorrow."
Andrew Blake Madrigal, her best friend for six years and the handsome COO of her company, chuckled on the other line. "Hmm.."
"What?" She curiously asked and stood up from her bed and headed her way to the balcony of her room.
Andrew laughed softly too on the other line. "Nothing. I was just thinking that, for a woman who was just forced to accept that decision her parents made, you really seem so excited to meet that man mindlessly and it shows."
Her forehead creased. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"I mean.. You seriously said to your parents earlier that you want to meet up with him tomorrow? Har, you have a tight schedule by tomorrow in case you forgot."
She chuckled. "Oh don't worry about that. I rescheduled that already next week.. And besides.. I really just want this thing to end eventually."
Andrew sighed. "You really wanna do this for your parents' sake?"
She smiled bitterly and darted her eyes nowhere in the dark views with sparkling lights outside. "Yes. And I'm going to end that getting to know each other thing as soon as possible. I really can't stand being with a new man again up to now."
"That's good to know then. I don't want my bestfriend to get hurt again." He said genuinely.
She smiled. "Don't worry, Andz. I won't let that happen again."
"A meet up?"
White Francis slowly nodded and averted his gaze at Neo who was playing in the pavillion that morning. While him and Cazzandra were sitting on a long metallic chair not far from Neo while talking about what happened the other night. Then he sighed as he remembered what happened the other night when it suddenly flashed back in his thoughts..
White Francis was about to sip his whisky once again when his mother suddenly looked surprise and very happy at the same time upon answering someone's call that the latter called "kumare".
Then his mother excitedly looked at him and said, "White Francis, hijo. Start packing your things now."
He frowned. "Huh? Why, mom?"
His mother held his hand with the sweetest smile she wore and said, "Hijo.. It was Mrs. Dikkinsons who just called u to say that their daughter finally agreed. And she'll meet up with you, son.. Effective tomorrow."
So White Francis sighed again with the thought, smiled forcibly and softly answered. "Yes, Cazz."
"And a getting to know each other set up after?"
He nodded again. "Yeah."
Cazzandra grinned teasingly. "So.. When is this meet up gonna happen?" Cazz asked while eyes were sparkling in an obvious excitement. And he wanted to shake his head because of the latter's reaction.
"Effective tomorrow."
"Effective tomorrow?! Wow.. That's so.. Exciting." Cazzandra teased while chuckling in amusement.
He sighed. "Cazz, please."
Cazzandra just laughed in amusement. "Seriously, White. What's wrong with that anyway? And besides, you already agreed right?"
"I was just.. Thinking about you and Neo."
Cazzandra immediately looked away. "Don't worry about us, White. Just focus on that moving on process of yours with that woman who was supposedly your wife back then if she didn't stow away. Because who knows right? It was really her who was destined for you. Like I said.. Maybe your perfect match was still broken. So maybe she's the one, White. So don't think of us while you're with her soon. Just think of your present with her. And maybe your future. And I'm so happy you take all our advice's to you. Hopefully that's the start of something new, White."
White Francis just plainly smiled. Then he said, "You sure you two are gonna be okay here while I'm gone?"
Cazzandra smiled sweetly at him and nodded. "Yup! Don't worry. Just call us up when you miss us already. And we'll just call you up too, when we miss you. A video call will also do."
White Francis just smiled. "Sure is. And uhh.. I actually just dropped by here to inform you that because I'll go straight to the company right after to make sure I settle everything first before this meet up. And surely I'll be very busy in the entire week signing contracts, dealing with my investors, board meetings.. Everything. So I'll not be visiting you both here for the whole week perhaps. But don't worry.. I'll try to settle everything a day before my one week ends so I'll be able to bid goodbye to the both of you personally before going to the Philippines finally."
Cazzandra smiled sweetly at him even more. "We'll expect your presence before you leave then."
He just smiled back at her. "Surething."
"By the way, White.. I realized that I havent asked you about your parents' long time friends yet. So now Im gonna ask you.. What:s their surname and business by the way?"
"Well according to mom.. The Dikkinsons are into wine industries. And they are Mr. Jernan Dikkinson and Mrs. Evangeline Dikkinson."
Cazz smiled. "And their daughter's name?"
"Nelica."He answered and slowly stood up then walked towards Neo. "Hey, bud.."
Neo immediately looked at him. "Yes, dad?"
He gently carried the latter. "Dad won't be able to visit you for few days, son. Because dad would be very busy on his business these days for I have to go to the Philippines after one week for some.. Important matters."
Neo frowned. "When are you coming back then?"
"I still can't tell you when but I promise that I'll come home sooner. And I promise that I'll visit you here before my flight. We'll keep in touch alright?" He said, smiling at Neo and kissed the latter's cheek.
"Alright, dad! I'm gonna miss you then." Neo said while hugging him tight.
He hugged the child back. "I'm gonna miss you, bud. Promise I'll come back soon."
"I'm gonna miss you too, dad. But I know you'll surely come home soon.. So uhh.. Can you buy me a nice guitar from that country for souvenir, dad?"
He smiled even more. "Sure thing. What style of guitar do you want this time?"
"An ordinary one! But in just one look, can capture your attention. We have the same taste anyway."
He chuckled. "Alright then. An ordinary guitar it is."
--
"You became mine on the first night,
We became lovers at first sight,
Funny how a blink of an eye can turn your life around
Nelica was closing her eyes while playing her newly bought guitar that evening. She kind of missed playing that.
"Fly you to the moon in the front row,
With you baby nothing is impossible,
Fly you to the moon at the front row there's no limit let's go,
Sometimes we simply fall out but that don't change the fact,
I'm tied to your love like heaven's chains, always..
If you go, I go, if you stay I stay,
When you cry I'll fight to put a smile on your face,
If you fall, we fall, I will hear you call,
Always know that, baby I am yours and your mine, mine, mine
We're a match made in heaven,
Mine, mine, mine,
We're a match made in heaven,
Mine, mine, mine, mine.."
"You still played a guitar so well, my dear."
"Mom." She reacted, a little surprise seeing her mother smiling at her while standing behind her door.
"You forgot to lock the door of your room." Her mother said while smiling so sweetly at her and slowly walked towards her bed where she was sitting and playing her guitar. "But you didn't forget how to play a guitar so well."
She just smiled in response but it didn't reach her eyes. Her mother sat in front of her.
"I didn't know you still have remaining guitars after you.. Burned them all six years ago."
She cleared her throat and looked down on her guitar. "N-Not all actually. I.. I kept this one the whole time inside a box in the attic."
Her mother looked so shock. "Oh. That's.. Really surprising, honey."
Sje just smiled weakly at her mom.
"So.. Why did you suddenly play with that now?"
She gulped. "Because I.. I just feel like playing this instrument again." She said and looked at her mom.
Her mom smiled sweetly at her. "And I like how you play it beautifully.. But that song.. I remember you used to sing that when you were.. Uhm.." Her mother smiled bitterly.
She smiled bitterly too.
Her mother heaved a sigh and hugged her. "Don't worry, daughter.. Because starting tomorrow.. You'll get over that man effectively. And I'm sure of that."
On the other hand, Cazz was smiling so sweetly that night while staring at the peacefully sleeping and utterly handsome Neo.
"Your Godfather is gonna meet the woman for him tomorrow. Isn't that exciting, son?" She smilingly whispered and kissed Neo's forehead gently.
She loves Neo so much. And she knew that White Francis loves Neo so much too. The two of them actually. She smiled the thought and remembered the woman White is about to meet surprisingly tomorrow."
"That woman must be very excited to see your Daddy White personally and see how irresistibly handsome he is," she whispered again chuckling in amusement. "Well.. I just hope that if they'll click, she'll understand our places in your Daddy White's heart." She softly said again while brushing Neo's natural blonde hair with her fingers.
"Do you think she's pretty, son?" Then she laughed to herself realizing that she looks stupid now probably talking to her sleeping son. So she got up the bed, got her laptop and tried searching the face of that woman and the family members of the woman as well. She didn't know why she felt an urge to see the face of that woman though and the family of a woman White will soon to link with if fortunate. Then she smiled when she finally saw the family members' identity on the internet, and because they're unexpectedly well known, she's so glad she found it.
But when she finally saw the faces of the Dikkinsons especially the woman Francis about to meet tomorrow, she was stunned and couldn't move a muscle. Then she looked at Neo, gulped nervously and uttered in between her breath..
"No.. It can't be.."