It was past three in the morning when the party ended and I really couldn’t sleep after hearing Constance’s name. I was still lucky we didn’t see each other. What if he saw and recognized me because I attended the party? Would I still have a face to meet the guests if ever they found out that I hid her child? Would my daughter still accept me if ever she found out that I took her away from her father? And what would she say to me in case she woke up last night? It's a good thing I didn't attend. Fortunately, Constance still didn't know that he was only a few steps away from her little princess.

"Mom, good morning." She got up and hugged me tightly. "I love you."

"I love you too." I hugged her back and just savored that moment.

I knew I couldn’t hide her forever. I knew there was an end to everything. I just wished that I could cope with the sadness and the loneliness when the time she would be separated from me.

"Don't come out, darling. Just wait for me here inside. I'll just bring you some food here in the room."

"But why? Are there monsters outside?" she immediately asked while frowning.

I gently pinched her nose. "No monsters outside, darling. Just trust mama, okay?"

She just nodded in response and hugged me tightly again. I walked normally when I came out of the door of the room where Magdalen and I were staying, but when I got out I took every step slowly because Constance might just be around.
I had to be careful.

Maybe the fiancée was still sleeping because of the party that’s why I didn't see them inside the house or even meet them. I went straight to the kitchen to ask for food from those there. Magdalen couldn't go hungry so I thickened my face and asked for food. I was fortunate because Aling Pia prepared the food herself for us. Nemya and Joan helped me carry the food inside our room.

"Thank you, ah. Thank you for everything," I said although I was so ashamed by the inconvenience I caused them.

"Sus, that's nothing. You are kind so we're kind to you too," Nemya said.

"And because Magdalen is kind to us too. She's so cute! So cuteee!" Joan enthusiastically said.

"Thanks again. I'll go inside. I'll accompany my child to eat," I let them both know.

"Eat well. Ba-bye!" they said before they went back to the kitchen.

Garlic fried rice, sweet Italian sausage, sunny-side up eggs, waffles, and fresh milk were given to us by Aling Pia which Magdalen and I shared.

"Are you full, darling?"

"Yes, super!" She even touched her stomach before showing me a thumbs up.

“I know only the chocolate syrup in the waffles made you enjoy eating, darling,” I joked to her. "Aling Pia really put some more for you."

"Thank you, Aling Pia!" She even gave a flying kiss even though she knew that Aling Pia was in the kitchen and she couldn't see the flying kiss she was giving.

When we finished eating, I immediately washed what we used in the kitchen. I also taught Magdalen to trace vertical lines for about an hour before we headed to the playroom. The playroom was probably her favorite place inside Tary's house. Sometimes I wondered why there was a playroom in his house when he had no child. Ah, maybe Lavender already had one.

That playroom had a size of a normal room. There were toys inside that were suitable for girls and boys, you could choose what you want. There was also a place with two small study tables, a pink table and a blue one. The wall was painted with letters and numbers, from letter "a" to letter "z" as well as the numbers “1” to “10”. But my favorite of all was the golden tent that resembled the shape of a house.

Tary said that Magdalen could play in the playroom anytime she wanted to. I always reminded Magdalen to take care of the things inside the playroom because I didn't want Tary and especially Lavender to say something awful about her.

"Oh, you're here in the playroom," Tary said but I didn't say a word. Magdalen and I were sitting on the floor because we were solving a puzzle mat.

"Hello, Sir Tary!" Magdalen greeted him.

"Just call me “Tito Tary”, Magdalen."

"Alright, Tito Tary."

"Very good. Go ahead and continue what you're doing."

"Yes!"

Tary looked straight at me so he could get my attention. "Let's talk."

"About what?" I was not in the mood to ask that question.

"About Lavender's special guests."

I was suddenly alarmed by what he said so I immediately stood up. "Magdalen, you just stay here. I'll just talk to your Tito Tary outside."

"Alright, mom."

"Let’s go," I said before I pulled Tary out of the playroom and closed the door. He just let me pull him.

"What's up?" I was nervous but I didn't show it off.

"Constance–"

"What about Constance?"

"Let me finish talking first," he said and was a little annoyed.

I felt uneasy. "Okay."

"He's looking for someone."

"And then?" I hated the way he spoke!

"He's looking for the person who hid his child. Couldn't he be looking for you?"

"How could you say that to me?" He’s really getting me annoyed.

I guessed I was about to break out!

"Because it's just weird that you and your daughter left Aling Speranza's hut. Then, you haven't come out of my yard since you lived here."

"Are those enough for you to conclude?" I sarcastically asked. He shouldn’t know the real deal.

"Don't be so defensive, dear. You're so obvious."

"What did you say to him? Did you say that we live here? Did you mention my name?" I just kept asking him questions and I didn't care if he noticed something.

"See, it's you. Magdalen is Constance's daughter." He nodded as if he won a lottery.

"Just lower your voice and just answer my question to end this conversation." I just held back because even if I wanted to punch him, that wouldn't change what had already happened. I needed to be calm somehow.

"I told him I have a visitor who is my ex-girlfriend and she has a child. He is not interested in knowing your name–"

I was a little relieved because of what he said. "Tsk. It's a good thing he didn't ask my name."

"But he asked your daughter’s name."

"Did you say her name?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"She suddenly said the name of her missing child."

"What name?"

"Vyvyan Artiles."

"I knew it would happen." I was able to smile somehow.

"You knew it would happen so you were able to invent a name and let your daughter use it? You're crazy already, Yvo."

"Hey, don't act like you are so clean. Weren't you that womanizer and drug addict before? Oh, maybe you forgot that you laid your hand on me when we were still together?"

"Don't change the subject. Don't divert the conversation. One more thing, I'm not cleaning up here. It's true that you're crazy. Magdalen needs his father. She has the right to know and be with Constance. Don't be selfish. You're not Vyvyan's only parent. Be grateful that Lavender was talking to her other guests last night, so she didn't have the chance to mention anything about you and she didn't say your name to Constance and Meyra. "

"Magdalen not Vyvyan. If so, thanks to Lavender."

"What's your plan?" he asked.

I just stared at the floor because I didn’t want to see how he would look at me. I didn’t want to know if he’s looking at me with pity or with judgment.

"Why do you care?"

"I care because you're here in my house and because we've been together before. Yvo, I'm no longer the Tary who’s bad, that assh*le you met. I've changed. Until now I'm still trying to be a completely good one. I always follow what my family says just to show them that I regretted the wrong decisions I made then. Even though I don't love Lavender, I was forced to accept her into my life because that’s my family's request. I can't refuse them because they still accepted me even though my life was in turmoil then. When you left me, they picked me up. Now, I’m trying to keep on finding myself and have a quiet life. I’ll try to love Lavender for my family. "

"I'm happy with the changes you're saying but please don't interfere with us. I can do it. I just hope you understand why I left you then and why I gave up on you. Tary, I'm just a weak person and I’m not perfect. I'm sorry if I left you when you needed me the most. "

"I’m not angry, so don't worry. You left me for good. I'm happy that you have a child now, but I'm also sad because I'm not the father."

"Don’t be so dramatic. You're going to have a baby with Lavender too."

"I'm going to have a child but with the woman I don't love."

"You'll learn to love her."

"How can I learn to love her if you are still the one I love until now?"

"Oh, that line is overused. A lot of things can happen in the next few days, months, and years so you'll probably learn to love her too. There's always a possibility. There's always a hope."

"Then I still have a chance," he said before he smiled.

"Don't smile like that. I already have a child, so you can't come into my life again. We're game over."

"I can accept your child and I am ready to be his father."

"But she already has a father."

"But I still love you."

"This conversation is pointless. I'll be back inside."

I was about to turn around when he suddenly pulled me closer to him until I just felt the touch of his soft lips on my lips.

I closed my eyes.

It happened so fast that I was also confused about what I should do. In the end, he succeeded in kissing me. But that’s not a reason for me to go back to him.