(Cortez Series #1) Five years ago, Ellise had only loved and chased one man: Sage Dustin Ferrero. The chase became successful and she'd managed to win his heart. Unfortunately, circumstances separated them; Sage suddenly left without a word.
P...
Oops! Ang larawang ito ay hindi sumusunod sa aming mga alituntunin sa nilalaman. Upang magpatuloy sa pag-publish, subukan itong alisin o mag-upload ng bago.
"Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pure heart."
― José N. Harris, MI VIDA: A Story of Faith, Hope and Love
LIV
Lost
I CLEAR MY THROAT, trying to get their attention. "Ellise," mahinhin na tawag ko, kahit sa kaloob-looban ay naghuhuramentado na ang puso ko sa kaba.
Tinignan ko ang batang babae na karga niya. She has a slight resemblance with Ellise; her lips, her nose and her eyes—although hers look more young and innocent. Hinahanap ko kung meron bang parte sa kanya na kahawig sa akin.
Pero wala.
Nagtagpo ang mata namin sa batang babae. She blinks, looking at me with her doey-eyes in wonderment. "Ma." She turns her little head to Ellise. "Is he my Papa?" Tinuro niya ako.
I can tell that Ellise is tensed and nervous, but the presence of the little girl in her arms somehow calms her down. "Baby, he's—"
Pero bago pa man matapos ni Ellise ang kanyang sasabihin, may nagsalita. "Elisha, there you are," sambit ng isang babae.
I turn my head to the direction of the voice. The woman is petite, and she looks young, although I reckon that she's past her 40s. She looks familiar.
"Ma," tawag ni Ellise sa babae. "You didn't tell me that you were 'gonna come here in the Philippines."
Ngayon ko lang napagtanto na kaya pala pamilyar ang babae kasi siya ang ina ni Ellise. This woman is her biological mother. If Ellise turns older, she'll probably look like her. "I wanted to surprise you," she answers, smiling warmly at her.
Binalingan ako ni Ellise ng tingin. "Sage, this is my Mom." She gestures to her mother. "And this is Elisha, my adoptive daughter." Nginitian niya ang kanyang ina. She waves at my direction. "Ma, this is Sage, my boyfriend."
Adoptive daughter? Nadagdagan na naman ang mga katanungan sa isip ko.After recovering from my confusion, I smile politely at her mother. "Good noon po," magalang na bati ko.
"If Sage is your boyfriend, does that mean he's my Papa?" inosenteng tanong ni Elisha kay Ellise.
"Don't call someone older than you by their name, baby girl," malumanay na suway ni Ellise kay Elisha. "Call him 'Tito,' at least."
"Tito Sage," she echoes, turning to look at me. "Can I call you Papa instead?"
I smile fondly at her, nodding. "Sure, baby girl."
"We were supposed to come here next week, but Elisha was really persistent. She kept on saying that she missed you. She'd been throwing tantrums every night."
