DARK CHOCOLATE SERIES 6: TRIPLE TREAT, LOVE REASSURED

Epilogue - Mrs. Filomino

What a blessing it would be if we could open and shut our ears as easily as we do our eyes.

- George C Lichtenberg

It had been more than a year since my bathtub incident. The girls still talked about it. Kung noon ay ang parati lamang nagkakausap ay sina Alexandra, Shelley, at Jaye, ngayon ay kasama na nila sina AJ at Lulu.

It was Shelley who insisted that they invited Lulu in the group. Bukod sa alam niya na mabait na tao si Lulu ay napakaraming bagay ang gusto niyang kompirmahin dito. At nang nagsimula silang magkuwento kay Lulu ay may inamin ito---na ang totoong dahilan kung bakit kinailangan nitong kunin ang kahon kung saan ko itinago ang blackmail note ni Gracia ay dahil nakilala niya ang sinturon sa larawan, sa kapatid niya iyong si Katalina.

Now the girls knew Armado killed Gracia because he found out she was the one blackmailing me. It was Katalina, Lulu's sister who confirmed this. Nang makita niya sa diyaryo ang balita tungkol sa aksidente ni Armado ay nakita niya doon ang larawan ng private investigator na pumanaw sa aksidente, kasama sa sasakyan ng asawa ko. She recognized the photo. It was the same man who introduced himself to her as a real estate agent.

She told her husband Gabriel Wharton about this. Gabriel, who got a little curious himself, found out the man had never sold real estate his whole for he owned an investigation agency. And that he was a former member of the military.

She told Lulu about this. And they both realized they could've died if it weren't for the turn of events.

It was Alexandra who told all the ladies they should stop forming theories on what my secret was. They all decided I died to protect it whatever it was, and they were going to respect that.

But Isabella did not have the same opinion. She knew, the moment she saw the newspaper with the private investigator's photo on it, that she had been lied to. She had been deceived yet again. For why was the man with her stepfather when he met the accident? They knew each other. And all the information the man gave her were in all probability a crockload of lies.

She did not know where to start looking again. Her only source of information was now gone, not that Armado ever helped her out. After Armado died she left Sweet Homes to find peace of mind. Sinubukan niyang muli na kalimutan na lamang lahat ng mga katanungan niya. She failed yet again. Subalit naisip niyang dapat na inasahan na niya iyon.

She came back to Sweet Homes, feeling like she did not belong there. But she felt that way in every place she had ever been in.

Si Leticia na naghihintay lamang ng tamang oras para kausapin si Isabella ay naghanda ng isang bungkos ng bulaklak. She knocked on Isabella's door.

"Welcome back, Isabella." She gave her the flowers.

"Thank you. You shouldn't have bothered."

"Oh, but that's not for you." She held Isabella's hand. "I wanted to wait forty days after Armado's death before I talked to you. It's been a while now. You left."

"I w-was looking for something."

"Answers are hard to find when you don't know where to look. Isabella, the reason why you recognize me is because I was the one who was there with you that night almost two decades ago. That night you were out of yourself... you remember, of course. Yes, that night."

Isabella's hand trembled. "Y-you..." An image flashed inside her brain. It came and went too fast but the image was Leticia, a lot younger than she was now. Her knees weakened. Bihirang mangyari sa kanyang makaalala siya nang ganoon. Ilang ulit niya nang pinilit makaalala, hindi iyon madali para sa kanya. Her shrink said it was normal. Normal for someone like her.

"'Tell Isabella Cecilia loved her so much. And that I love her, too.' Those were Amado's last words."

"But you told me he didn't say a-anything." She knew Leticia was with Armado when he passed away. She had already asked her about his stepfather's last words.

"I was waiting for the right time."

"D-did he tell you anything e-else? P-please say he did."

"Roberto is buried in Saint Catherine Memorial."

Tears started to fall from her eyes.

"Do you have the key to your mother's house?"

"Y-yes."

"Get it. The one you're looking for is right there."

Isabella did what she was told. At nang nasa loob na sila ng bahay namin ni Armado ay itinuro niya ang urn na nasa shelf.

"Those flowers are for him. His name was Angelo," Leticia said.

"He's...?"

"Yes. He was very small... Very pale, very weak..."

"But alive..."

"Yes."

"My m-mother... She...?"

Leticia nodded.

"Oh, God! Oh, God!" Mahahaba ang pagkabigkas niya sa mga salita, halos gumasgas sa kanyang lalamunan, puno ng emosyon. Isabella felt like she was losing her mind. "Oh, God...! Oh, God...!"

Halos hindi makalapit si Isabella sa urn. Umaalog na nang matindi ang mga balikat niya sa paghagulgol. She carefully placed the flowers in front of the urn. After a while, she touched it, almost scared to do so.

"Angelo... All this time... All this time..."

Tila hindi na mauubos pa ang mga luha niya. The very thing that I prayed never to happen finally did. Isabella found out the truth.