JAY-JAY POV
After Lily left, the house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Every breath felt heavy, every second stretched thin.
Until Keth's voice broke the silence. "Mama, who are these people?" he asked, his wide eyes darting between me and the strangers filling our living room.
My heart clenched.
I bent down to his level, forcing a smile I didn't feel. "Why don't you go upstairs and play?" I said softly, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead.
He frowned, clutching his dinosaur tighter. "But Mama—"
I kissed his cheek quickly, cutting him off. "Go on, baby. I'll call you when breakfast is ready."
He hesitated, eyes flicking back to Keifer, then to the others, before finally nodding.
His little footsteps echoed up the stairs, fading into the distance.
The moment he was gone, my smile dropped.
I straightened, my body stiff, my jaw tight, facing the ghosts in my living room.
My eyes locked on Keifer, and the weight of his stare pressed down on me.
"Why are you guys here?" I asked, my voice low but sharp. Not anymore.
Percy stepped forward, his eyes heavy, his tone steady but laced with hurt. "Well… you left with nothing but a letter," he said.
The words hit me like a blade.
That letter.
The last thing I gave them before I disappeared.
A flimsy piece of paper meant to explain the unexplainable.
My throat tightened, memories clawing their way back.
The night I wrote it.
The tears smudging the ink.
The way I folded it, knowing it wasn't enough.
Knowing it would never be enough.
"I'm sorry, Percy," I whispered, tears spilling down my cheeks. "I had no choice… I didn't want to be a burden to anyone."
The words cracked in my throat, heavy, broken, the truth I'd carried alone for years.
Percy was quick, his voice sharp but full of warmth. "You're not a burden, Jay. You're our sunshine."
Sunshine.
The name they used to call me.
The name that once made me feel like I belonged.
My knees weakened, the weight of his words pressing against the walls I'd built.
I wanted to believe him.
I wanted to fall into that warmth again.
But the memories of betrayal, of nights alone, of raising Keth without them—burned too deep
After Percy calmed me down,
the silence was broken by Kuya Angelo's voice. "So… the boy that called you Mama," he said slowly, eyes narrowing.
Before I could answer, Keifer stepped forward. "He is our son," he said firmly.
The words slammed into me like a storm.
I froze, staring at him, my heart pounding so loud I thought everyone could hear it.
Our son.
How did he know?
My eyes darted to Percy, desperate, accusing.
He raised his hands quickly, shaking his head. "What? Don't look at me. I didn't tell him," he said, his voice sharp but honest.
I swallowed hard, panic rising in my chest.
If Percy didn't tell him… then how?
Keifer's gaze burned into mine, steady, unshakable, like he'd pieced it together himself.
The room felt smaller, heavier.
"It was me," Ci-N said suddenly, breaking the silence. "My mom told me… and I told Kiefer."
Of course.
That explained it.
I had to go to Peralta hospital back then—there was no hiding forever.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Aries asked, his eyes filled with guilt.
I swallowed hard, my voice trembling. "I don't know… I was going to tell you guys, but… stuff happened."
The room fell quiet again, heavy, suffocating.
Until Percy's voice cut through. "So… the dinosaur pajama."
I glanced down at myself.
Of course.
The ridiculous pajama set is covered in cartoon dinosaurs.
"Keth's choice," I muttered, forcing a small smile. "He said I looked good in this pajama."
"Well, he's not wrong, you know," Keifer said, his voice low but warm.
I shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel.
He didn't flinch.
"Jay, we're sorry… we really are," Ci-N said, his voice softer than I'd ever heard it.
"It's okay, Ci-N. I understand," I whispered, wiping my tears. "It stopped, but you… I was young at that time. I didn't know what to do, so I made dumb mistakes."
"So you forgive us?" David asked, his eyes searching mine.
I nodded.
Without wasting a moment,
Ci-N pulled me into a hug. "You're strangling me," I muttered, half-laughing through the tears.
"Sorry," Ci-N said quickly, pulling back. "You missed out on so many things."
"That's for later," Aries cut in firmly. His tone was sharp, but his eyes softened. "The important thing is… what's his full name?" Kuya Angelo asked, careful, deliberate.
Before I could answer, Keth piped up proudly, chocolate smudged across his cheek. "Mark Kenneth Mariano Waston!"
The boys froze, eyes widening at the sound of his voice. Keifer froze.
I turned to Keth, narrowing my eyes. "Keth, how did you get the chocolate?"
He grinned mischievously, clutching his dinosaur like a trophy. "I have my ways," he said smugly, like he'd just pulled off the greatest heist in history.
The room burst into laughter.
Even I couldn't hold mine back.
"Keifer… he is really your son," Drew said between laughs.
I shot them a look, sharp enough to silence the teasing.
"Mama, who are these people?" Keth asked, tugging at my sleeve, asking me to pick him up.
I lifted him into my arms, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Well, these people are your Tito," I said, pointing at everyone but Keifer.
"I'm your handsome Tito," Percy said with a grin.
I rolled my eyes.
"What about him?" Keth asked, pointing directly at Keifer.
Keifer froze, his breath caught, his eyes locked on mine.
I stared back, the weight of years pressing down. "Please, Jay," Keifer whispered, his voice breaking. "I want to be with him… and you."
My chest tightened. I swallowed hard, then finally said the words I'd been holding back for years. "That's your Papa."
Keifer's smile bloomed—warm, real, unshakable.
Keth's eyes lit up, his little voice ringing through the room. "Papa!" he called, reaching out to Keifer.
I let him go to Keifer.
Keth deserves everything.
Who am I to say no to his happiness?
Keifer scooped him up effortlessly, holding him close like he'd been waiting his whole life for this moment.
Keth giggled, clutching his dinosaur, his little arms wrapping around Keifer's neck.
Keifer pressed a kiss to his forehead, his voice breaking as he whispered, "I will never leave you."
The words hung in the air, heavy, fragile, dangerous.
I wanted to believe them.
I wanted to trust him.
But the scars of the past still burned too deep.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look away, my chest tightening.
I hope so, I thought, the words echoing louder than any promise.
The boys behind us stayed quiet, watching the moment unfold—Percy's grin fading,
Yuri's eyes soften
Everyone was quiet
"Until—" Keth's voice rang out, loud and demanding. "I want choco pancakes!" he yelled, bouncing in Keifer's arms.
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "You just ate a choco bar," I reminded him.
"I want choco pancakes," Keth repeated, turning to Keifer with the deadliest weapon in his arsenal—puppy-doll eyes.
Keifer froze, then melted instantly. "Sure," he said, smiling like he'd already lost the battle.
"Eman, can you please cook chocolate pancakes?" Keifer asked.
Eman chuckled, shaking his head but nodding as he headed toward the kitchen. "On it, boss," he said, already rolling up his sleeves.
I turned back to Keth, raising an eyebrow. "Happy?" I asked.
He stuck his tongue out at me, grinning mischievously.
The room erupted into laughter—
Percy and Felix and Ci-N clutching their stomachs, Blaster tossing playful jabs, Drew nearly falling off the couch in hysterics.
Even Aries and Kuya Angelo cracked a smile, their usual seriousness breaking for once.
Yuri and David laughed too, their voices mixing with the chaos, filling the house with a sound I hadn't heard in years.
For a moment, it didn't feel heavy. It didn't feel like ghosts in my living room. It felt… alive.
Keth grinned proudly, basking in the attention, his little chest puffed out like he'd just won a battle.
He stuck his tongue out at me again, earning another round of laughter.
I shook my head, trying to hide my own smile, but it slipped through anyway.
Because despite everything—the pain, the secrets, the years apart— this moment was real.
Messy.
Loud.
But real.
And as Keifer held Keth close, his smile warm and unshakable, I realized—
Maybe laughter was the first step back to something we'd all lost.