One More Chance
Chapter 137: The exciting news

~~~Now the miles stretched out behind me. Loves that I have lost, broken hearts lie, victims of the game. Then good luck, it finally struck like lightning from the blue. Every highway's leading me back to you. Now, at last, I hold you, now all is said and done. The search has come full circle, our destinies are one.~~~

-David Pomeranz / Survivor-

"Tss! Don't they have an office or a conference room where they should hold such a meeting?" His brow furrowed as he threw them a disagreeing look, while I, I couldn't help rolling my eyes as my head screamed in silence...

-'Yes, they have! Of course, they have, but that's why it's called an outdoor meeting because it's outside the company or their offices.'-

"Why don't we just continue our topic earlier?" I asked, trying to get his attention. "Don't mind him, maybe he was just a bit stressed. You know, being the CEO of an international company is very stressful."

"Oh, is he a CEO?" His eyes widened.

"Yes, he's a CEO." I smiled.

-'What the heck! Why did I have to say those things, for God's sake!'-

I just sighed inwardly when he started asking about Luke and his company.

-'Dear God.'- I silently uttered and gave him a forced smile.

The next morning... Saturday...

I told Dana I'm not going to the coffee shop today. I want to take this day off. Well, it's not that just that I want to stay home all day but because I have a lot of things to do... change the beddings, curtains and wash my dirty clothes. I would also like to change some decorations that have been left by the ages and throw out those things I no longer need such as being bitter and broken-hearted----oops! Just kidding!

I was in the middle of changing my curtains when I heard my phone ringing on the center table. So I have no choice but to go down the stairs and pick up the call.

It's Cali, my sweetest Cali.

"Hello, honey,"

"Hi, Mom, how are you?"

Ohh... I was supposed to ask that question first but my daughter beat me.

"Well, except that I'm missing so much, I'm fine. How about you, my princess, how are you?"

"Ahh... I miss you too, Mom. And anyway, I have good news for you." Her voice seemed so excited.

"Hmm... Okay then, I'm so much ready to hear that good news, baby."

"But..." She paused and I frowned.

"But?"

"I want to tell it to you in person, so I'm thinking of going to the Philippines and visiting you there, Mom!" She said those words screaming on the other line so I didn't understand it clearly. "What? I didn't understand what you said, don't scream, honey."

"I'm sorry, Mom, I'm just so excited." She giggled. "I said I will go there to the Philippines."

"Ohh... I get it, but who's with you? Are you with grandma and grandpa?" I was feeling excited inside but still holding it because I still don't have an idea who was going to be with her when she comes here. "Nope, they're kinda busy and they're not here, they're in Hawaii having a grandiose vacation with grandpa's brother, so I decided to go along---"

"Oh, no, baby, you can't!" My eyes widened with what I heard. It's the most horrifying idea. "You can't just go by yourself! How about Uncle Dale? Let me talk to him."

"Mommy, even if I want to ask Uncle Dale to come with me, I can't and I'm sure he probably can't."

"But why not?"

"How about Auntie Jack? If he comes with me, then who would take care of her?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I forgot, but still, you can't go on just by yourself, Cassandra!"

"Oops! Why don't you add Lizeth so it's complete?" She then laughed at me, but before I could form a word... "Just kidding, Mom."

I just took a deep breath. I have to admit, I'm hearing my younger self on my daughter.

"I'm not alone, Mom, so don't worry and I'm not going there alone. I'm with Uncle Patrick."

"Uncle Patrick? Who is he?"

"You've already forgotten Uncle Patrick? He's Dad's assistant!"

"Oh... y-yeah, I now remember him," I said nodding and bit my lip as a chuckle left from it. - 'How did I easily forget Patrick?'- I asked myself as I suddenly remembered that man. "Mom, do you know that Dad is in the Philippines too?"

"H-Huh?" I blinked repeatedly at her question.

"Anyway, I'll tell you all the details when I get there and I'm so excited, Mom!"

"But how about your class?"

"We have a week-long vacation plus three days consecutive holidays, so I'm going to enjoy this vacation!"

"Okay, when is your flight so I can pick you up at the airport?"

"Tonight at 7 pm!"

"What?" My eyes went wide. "Have you already packed your stuff?"

"Yup and see you tomorrow, Mom, I love you."

"I love you too, and after ending this call, please give your Uncle Patrick's number to me and I'll talk to him, okay?"

"Okay, Mom, bye."

"Bye---" And she didn't even wait for me to say goodbye. She has already ended the call. "Woo!" A loud sigh escaped my lips as I thought of the upcoming situation. Cali didn't know that her Dad and I have already met again. Well, I know it won't be a problem, I just don't know what her reaction would be if she found out.

"Oh, my gosh, this is life!"

I slumped myself on the couch the moment I got back to the living room after taking a bath. I wandered my eyes around the living and a satisfied smile crept into my lips.

"I didn't know it was tiring changing the curtains, decorations, and all the stuff here, plus, cleaning them one by one. Whoa!"

And since I'm done with everything, I decided to watch a fantasy-comedy movie. I laid myself down on the couch, but because of exhaustion from doing house chores that I hadn't done in a month, I didn't know my eyes were slowly closing until I completely dozed off. I have no idea how long I'd been asleep until I was woken up by a loud noise coming from my neighbor next door. I tried to ignore it at first but when the noises were followed by another, I decided to get up and check what was happening outside.

But the moment I opened the door, shattered pieces of the fish figurine scattered on the floor came into my sight.

"Oh, my!" I uttered, shocked.

I glanced at the door next to mine and since it was open, I saw the new set of furniture inside as well as the number of boxes on the floor. There is an old man who lives there, Mr. McGregor. He doesn't have a wife, well, it's not that he lost her, she left him or the other way, but he really doesn't have a wife. In short, he hasn't been married... he didn't get married. He only has a cat inside that lived with him, but even a shadow of that cute orange cat I couldn't see.

"Is he renovating or something?" I wondered as I didn't see the old man inside the room... well, I remember I haven't seen him these past few days.

"Psst!"

I frowned as I heard someone whistle, maybe calling someone's attention.

"Psst! Sam!"

"Huh?"

Oh, I didn't know that someone was me. I turned around and saw Hailey, the tenant who occupies the room to my left waving her hand and motioning me to come to her.

"Am I the one you're calling?" I asked confused, pointing to myself.

"Oh, gosh!" She rolled her eyes. "Oo, ikaw nga, halika rito!" (Yes, it's you, come here!) She said almost in a whisper.

The frown on my forehead didn't leave and it just got deeper as I was confused as to why she had to whisper.

I walked up to her and gasped when she suddenly pulled me into her apartment. Hailey is a Filipina-Spanish who was born and grew up in the Philippines and is one of the stubborn, hard-headed women I met here. "Hey, why do you have to pull me here?" I asked as I followed her into the living room... into her living room.

"Because I have something exciting to tell you!" She screamed and I bet based on her expression, what she was going to say made her really feel excited.

"And what is it?" I tried not to roll my eyes. "You know what, I was just supposed to check where the noise coming from earlier and to see what was happening---" but she interrupted me.