"Yipeeee, a break!"
Now that I didn't have to worry about money anymore, I decided to treat myself to a full food trip around the city.
Yes.
This is life.
That was what I thought after finishing an entire meal of fried chicken along with a bunch of other dishes and drinks.
I leaned back in my chair, completely satisfied.
While enjoying my food , I suddenly saw one of my former classmates enter the restaurant together with his sister and another woman I didn't know.
I immediately raised my hand to catch his attention.
"Kael!"
He turned toward my direction.
His eyes widened.
"Xav? Is that you?"
Then he hurried over to my table.
We excitedly greeted each other.
"Man, I haven't seen you in years, Xav. How are you doing?"
"Still the same. How about you?"
Before answering, he suddenly remembered something.
"Ah, right. I forgot to introduce someone."
He gently guided the unfamiliar woman beside him.
"This is my wife, Rilian."
"Oh, nice to meet you."
I blinked in surprise.
"Wait, you got married already?"
Kael scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Ah, yeah. But we haven't done the wedding ceremony yet. I'll definitely invite you when we finally host it."
"What an honor."
I grinned.
"I'll look forward to the food."
Kael laughed.
"I knew you'd say that."
Then he pointed at the woman beside him again.
"I don't need to introduce my sister, right?"
The three of us laughed.
I had known Kael and his younger sister, Ines, since childhood.
Their house was only a few blocks away from ours, and the three of us went to the same elementary school and high school.
"Hi, Xavier. It's been a long time."
Ines greeted me with a small smile.
I smiled back.
"It really has."
"Come on, sit with me. I'll treat you guys."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Wow, how generous of you, Xav. Are you sure?"
"Yeah. It's not every day I get to see old friends."
They eventually agreed, though I only ordered desserts since I had already eaten earlier.
We spent time catching up, talking about work, life, and everything that had happened over the years.
"I can't believe we're almost thirty," I said.
"And you're already starting a family."
"Yeah, right?"
Kael laughed.
"I still remember Ines following you around everywhere because she had a crush on you all the way through high school."
"Brother!"
Ines immediately shouted, clearly trying to shut him up.
I nearly choked on my drink.
Kael only laughed harder.
"Am I wrong? I know you liked him so much that you even asked Leticia to fight over who would end up with him."
The moment that name left his mouth—
My hand froze.
The fork slipped slightly from my grip.
Kael immediately realized his mistake.
His expression stiffened.
"I mean... ah..."
He awkwardly scratched his cheek.
"I'm sorry, Xavier. I didn't mean to—"
"No."
I forced out a small smile.
"It's alright."
But suddenly—
The atmosphere turned quiet.
Even Ines noticed the shift in mood.
So she quickly changed the topic.
"By the way, did you guys know one of my coworkers recently awakened?"
She leaned forward slightly.
"And in just one month, he's already wasting money everywhere like he won the lottery."
The conversation slowly picked back up.
We laughed.
Talked.
Shared stories.
And before long, the meal came to an end.
Eventually, we all stood up and went our separate ways.
"It was really nice meeting you again, Xav."
"Same here, Kael."
I smiled.
"I enjoyed the meal. Thanks for your time too, Ines. Nice meeting you, Rilian."
"Bye!"
They waved as we headed in different directions.
When Xavier's figure finally disappeared into the crowd, the three of them began walking too.
Ines crossed her arms and looked annoyed.
"How could you say Leticia's name in front of Xavier, Brother?"
"You know what happened to them during that attack."
Kael sighed.
"Yeah, I know."
He rubbed his forehead.
"My mouth just slipped."
Rilian looked curious.
"What happened?"
Kael's expression softened.
"I honestly feel bad for the guy."
"After all, he liked her for almost two whole years during senior high school."
"Hmph."
Ines looked away.
"Not as long as mine."
The two looked at her.
"I liked him for seven years."
That was the truth.
Ines really had liked Xavier when they were younger.
Rilian blinked.
"Wait... if you liked him for that long, why did you suddenly stop?"
"Hmmm..."
Ines hummed while thinking.
"I dunno."
"When I was younger, the thing I liked most about him was his appearance."
Rilian looked confused.
She honestly didn't find Xavier's face particularly attractive.
Seeing her expression, Ines laughed.
"Don't get me wrong."
"He was actually considered one of the most handsome guys in our campus before."
She paused.
"But..."
Her brows slowly furrowed.
"I don't know why."
"For some reason..."
"I can't remember what his face looked like before he graduated high school anymore."
---
Xavier walked toward his house, but his mind was somewhere else. Memories filled his thoughts, pulling him back to a past he could never forget.
A person he could never forget.
The warmth of those happy memories comforted him, yet they also carried a painful ache. Every memory of her felt bittersweet, like touching something beautiful that still managed to hurt.
Morning eventually came, and Xavier decided to visit the city where his family lived.
The journey took five hours by train and bus.
As he walked through the familiar streets, nostalgia hit him harder than he expected. These were the same roads he used to walk and bike through every day. The same corners, the same old shops, and the same places that held far too many memories, especially memories of her.
It felt strange how much time had passed, yet everything still looked almost the same.
Eventually, he stopped in front of his old house.
He simply stood there for awhile. It felt smaller than he remembered.
Or maybe he had simply changed.
Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. A minute later, someone opened it.
It was his mother.
"Xav? Is that you?"
"Hi, Mom."
Her eyes widened before instantly softening.
"Oh goodness, I missed you so much!"
Without hesitation, she pulled him into a hug, planting quick kisses on his cheek like she used to when he was younger.
"Come in, come in quickly! Your father is in the kitchen. We were in the middle of making dumplings. What perfect timing for you to visit."
A small smile appeared on Xavier's face.
It had been a while since someone welcomed him home like this.
Soon, the family of three was finally reunited.
Xavier's parents had him later in life, and age had already begun to catch up to them. Their hair had turned gray, wrinkles had deepened around their smiles, yet seeing them still healthy made Xavier feel relieved.
Together, they finished preparing the dumplings, laughing occasionally whenever his father accidentally messed up the folding.
By the time dinner came, the three of them sat around the table, sharing a warm meal happily.
"I'm so happy to see you, son," his father said. "How have you been?"
"I'm doing fine, Dad."
"You sure you're not struggling over there?" his father asked with concern. "If you need anything, your mother and I still have some extra money from our pension."
Xavier nearly laughed.
Even now, they were still worried about him.
"No need for that, Dad. I actually have more money than I need."
"Oh really?"
His father raised a brow while his mother looked pleasantly surprised.
"That's good. You're finally becoming responsible." His father chuckled. "Maybe now you can start thinking about having a family. You know your mother and I aren't getting any younger."
His mother nodded immediately.
"The only wish we have left is to see a grandchild."
Xavier nearly choked on his food.
"I think a grandchild is still a very long-term plan, Dad," he said with a laugh. "So the two of you better stay healthy and wait for me."
His parents laughed along with him.
For the rest of the day, Xavier stayed with them, talking about random things, helping around the house, and simply enjoying their company.
That night, he slept in his old room.
The familiar ceiling and the faint scent of old books.
He was feeling the quiet comfort of home.
He had really missed this.
For a brief moment, it felt like all the near-death experiences from the past month had been nothing more than a terrible nightmare.
The next day, he spent even more time with his parents before finally deciding to head back.
"Be safe out there, Xav, alright?" his mother said, her voice full of worry.
"I will, Mom."
"Take care of yourself," his father added.
"Bye, Dad."
Before leaving, Xavier quietly slipped a huge amount of money onto the kitchen counter.
He knew they would find it later.
And knowing his parents, they would probably panic after seeing how much it was.
A small smile formed on his face. At least this way, he could make their lives easier.
With that, he left once again.
But before going back, there was one place he wanted to visit.
After stopping by a flower shop, he quietly made his way there.
The atmosphere became silent.
It was still and heavy.
Xavier stood in front of a gravestone.
Slowly, he knelt and placed the bouquet of fresh lilies on the ground.
His gaze lingered on the words carved into the stone.
He stayed quiet for a long moment. Then, with a faint bitter smile, he finally spoke.
"It's been a while since I last visited you, Leticia..."