Jay POV
Next was figure skating.
The moment Kanya's category was announced, Kaning and I immediately got up and headed toward the dressing room with her.
For someone who had been talking nonstop since morning, Kanya suddenly became very quiet.
I looked at her suspiciously.
"Nervous?"
"No."
"You are."
"I'm not."
"You are."
She crossed her arms.
"I'm excited."
"Same thing."
Kanya pouted.
Kaning laughed.
Inside the dressing room, Kanya quickly changed into her skating costume while I took out the makeup kit.
A few minutes later she stepped out.
For a second both Kaning and I simply stared.
The light blue skating dress sparkled beautifully under the lights.
Her hair was neatly tied back.
She looked adorable.
Kanya immediately spun around.
"How do I look?"
Kaning smiled instantly.
"Beautiful."
I nodded.
"Very beautiful."
Kanya grinned proudly.
Then she pointed at my makeup kit.
"Done?"
"No."
Her face immediately fell.
"Tita."
"Sit."
"Tita."
"Sit."
With dramatic suffering, she sat down.
Kaning burst out laughing.
"She's so impatient."
"Very."
Kanya sighed loudly.
"You both are bullying me."
"Absolutely."
Ten minutes later I finally finished.
Kanya immediately jumped up.
"Finally!"
I adjusted one last strand of hair.
"There."
She checked herself.
Then smiled.
"I look awesome."
"You do."
Kaning kissed her forehead.
"Go show everyone what you've practiced."
Kanya nodded confidently.
"I will!"
She ran outside.
Only to come running back again.
I blinked.
"What now?"
"My skates."
I pointed toward the bag beside the chair.
"Future champion."
Kanya laughed sheepishly before grabbing them.
Then the three of us headed toward the rink.
The audience seats were almost full.
The bright arena lights reflected beautifully across the ice.
The competition would start soon.
Keifer POV
From the audience seats, I watched Jay, Kaning, and Kanya walk out from the dressing area.
Beside me sat Kuya Angelo.
Aeron was sitting beside him.
Further down were the rest of Section E, their wives, and their children.
Everyone immediately noticed Kanya.
"She looks good," one of the wives commented.
Angelo nodded slightly.
"She does."
Down below, Kanya was talking animatedly while Jay and Kaning listened.
Then suddenly Kanya stopped.
She looked at the skates in her hands.
Then looked at Jay.
Something told me this would be interesting.
Jay POV
I was checking the schedule board when Kanya suddenly appeared directly in front of me.
Holding her skates.
I looked down.
Then at her.
"What?"
She pushed the skates closer.
"Wear them."
I blinked.
"You know how."
"I know."
"Then wear them."
"No."
I crossed my arms.
"No?"
"No."
"Why?"
For the first time all day, her playful expression disappeared.
Instead she looked completely serious.
"Because I want you to."
I froze.
"Kanya..."
"You taught me."
My throat tightened immediately.
"When I kept falling, you helped me."
I swallowed.
"When I got scared, you stayed beside me."
Kaning quietly looked away.
"And when Mama was busy, you practiced with me."
The noise around us seemed to disappear.
"So today..."
She held the skates out again.
"...before I skate, I want you to help me."
I couldn't speak for a moment.
Then I slowly knelt.
"Come here."
A huge smile appeared on her face.
She sat down immediately.
Carefully, I helped her put on her skates.
Checking every buckle.
Every lace.
Making sure everything was perfect.
When I finished, I gently tapped one skate.
"There."
Kanya looked down.
Then looked at me.
Before I could react, she leaned forward and kissed my cheek.
"Thank you, Tita."
I froze.
Completely froze.
Then she jumped up and skated away toward the warm-up area.
Keifer POV
Silence.
Even from where I was sitting, I could see what that had done to Jay.
She simply stared after Kanya.
Then her eyes filled with tears.
Angelo noticed too.
"So that's why she means so much to them."
I nodded.
"Yeah."
That wasn't just gratitude.
That was trust.
The kind that couldn't be bought.
The kind that had to be earned.
Down below, Kaning wrapped an arm around Jay's shoulders.
Jay laughed through her tears.
Embarrassed.
But nobody laughed.
Because everyone understood.
Meanwhile, completely unaware of the emotional destruction she had caused, Kanya happily skated around the warm-up area.
Jay eventually sat down.
Her eyes never leaving the ice.
Full of pride.
Full of love.
Then Ion walked toward us.
Ariella stood beside her.
"If you're done staring at your sister," Ion teased Angelo, "I'm taking her to the dressing room to get changed, okay?"
Angelo nodded.
"Okay."
Ariella smiled before following Ion.
They disappeared toward the dressing rooms.
I leaned back.
Then noticed something.
Jay was watching them.
More specifically—
She was watching ariella
Then Angelo.
Then Aeron.
Then Angelo again.
A confused look slowly appeared on her face.
I frowned.
Then nudged Angelo.
He looked at me.
"What?"
I pointed upward.
"Do you know why Jay keeps looking over here like that?"
Angelo followed my gaze.
The moment he saw her expression, he sighed.
Then rubbed his forehead.
"I don't think she knows."
"Knows what?"
"That I'm married."
I blinked.
"And that I have two kids."
I looked at Aeron.
Then toward where the ariella had disappeared.
Then back at Jay.
"Ah."
Now that made sense.
A few minutes later, Ion returned with the ariella .
This time she was wearing a skating dress.
The arena lights reflected beautifully off the fabric.
She headed toward the warm-up area.
While Ion joined the girls in the audience.
And the competition officially began.
Everyone waited.
But Section E was clearly waiting for ariella .
Especially Angelo.
Jay POV
The competition started.
One participant after another entered the rink.
Some were good.
Some were amazing.
Some nearly fell.
The audience cheered for everyone.
Beside me, Kanya was warming up.
But my attention kept drifting toward Kuya Angelo.
He looked strangely focused.
Almost nervous.
And he kept looking toward the ice.
Then finally—
The announcer spoke.
"Next participant... Ariella Fernandez."
I froze.
Immediately Angelo sat straighter.
His attention locked onto the rink.
Even Aeron became excited.
The girl skated onto the ice.
And honestly?
She was amazing.
Every spin.
Every jump.
Every movement.
Everything looked effortless.
The audience watched in complete silence.
Then the routine ended.
The arena erupted into applause.
Ariella skated off the ice.
The moment she reached the exit—
She ran toward Angelo.
Then hugged him.
I blinked.
Angelo hugged her back instantly.
Then kissed her forehead.
"We're proud of you."
I froze.
No way.
Did he just smile?
Actually smile?
Even Kuya Ari was staring.
Because none of us had seen Angelo smile like that very often.
Then just like that—
His expression returned to normal.
As if nothing had happened.
What was that?
Before I could think further—
"Next participant... Kanya !"
Immediately my attention shifted.
Kanya looked toward me.
I smiled and gave her a thumbs up.
"You got this."
She grinned.
Then skated onto the ice.
And she was amazing.
When her performance ended, she came straight toward us.
Then hugged me.
"How was it?"
"You were amazing."
She grinned proudly and sat down.
As if she hadn't just performed in front of hundreds of people.
The competition eventually ended.
Now came the results.
The entire arena became silent.
"And now the winners."
Everyone crossed their fingers.
"Third place goes to..."
A pause.
"Charlotte ."
We cheered.
Then—
"Second place goes to... Ariella Fernandez."
Section E exploded.
The kids screamed.
The parents cheered.
Then came first place.
The announcer took forever.
The crowd groaned.
"Tell us already!"
Someone shouted.
The audience laughed.
Then finally—
"First place goes to... KANYA !"
For one second we froze.
Then our entire family exploded.
Kanya covered her mouth.
Her eyes filled with tears.
Then ran toward the podium.
After the medals, gifts, and prizes were given, families were allowed onto the ice.
The second Kanya saw us, she ran.
Straight toward us.
She hugged everyone.
Then finally hugged me.
The longest.
The tightest.
"We did it, Tita."
I smiled and hugged her back.
"Yeah, baby."
"We did."
Angelo POV
The moment the ceremony ended, the entire arena became chaotic.
Parents were taking pictures.
Children were showing off their medals.
Teachers were trying to organize everyone.
Laughter and cheers echoed everywhere.
I stood beside Ion while Ariella proudly showed her silver medal to Aeron.
"Daddy, look!"
Ariella held up her medal.
I smiled.
"You did amazing, anak."
Ariella beamed.
Aeron immediately jumped in.
"Ate almost got first!"
Ariella laughed.
"Almost."
Ion shook her head fondly.
"You were amazing."
For a few moments I stayed with them.
Watching my family.
Watching my children smile.
Watching Ion laugh.
Everything felt peaceful.
But somehow...
My eyes kept searching for someone.
And eventually I found her.
Jay.
She was standing with Kaning, Kanya, Kyle, Kaya, Aron, and the others.
Kanya was proudly showing everyone her medal.
Jay was smiling.
That soft smile she always had whenever she looked at the children.
The same smile she had given Kanya before her performance.
The same smile she had while helping her wear her skates.
Without realizing it, I found myself staring.
Then Jay laughed at something Kanya said.
And for a second...
The noise around me disappeared.
"angelo ."
Ion's voice pulled me back.
I blinked.
"Hm?"
She followed my gaze.
Then smiled knowingly.
I immediately looked away.
"I should go congratulate Kanya properly."
Ion's smile widened.
"Of course."
I ignored her.
Completely.
Absolutely.
A hundred percent.
Then I started walking.
The crowd was thick.
Parents.
Students.
Teachers.
Everyone moving in different directions.
But eventually I spotted Jay again.
She was only a few meters away.
"Jay."
She didn't hear me.
The noise was too loud.
I moved closer.
"Jay!"
Nothing.
Someone stepped between us.
Then another person.
Then a group of students.
By the time I got around them, she was already walking toward the exit with everyone else.
I frowned.
Then followed.
"Jay!"
Still nothing.
The cheers from the arena drowned out my voice.
She kept walking.
Completely unaware.
I stopped.
Watching her disappear further into the crowd.
For some reason...
The sight bothered me more than it should have.
I could have talked to her tomorrow.
Or the next day.
Or anytime after that.
Yet watching her leave without even noticing I was there felt strangely disappointing.
I looked down and laughed quietly at myself.
Ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous.
"Daddy?"
I looked down.
Aeron was standing beside me.
Holding my hand.
"Are we going?"
I smiled slightly.
"Yeah."
Ariella joined us.
Her silver medal hanging proudly around her neck.
Ion stood beside them.
My family.
The people I loved most.
The people who meant everything to me.
Yet before leaving, my eyes drifted toward the exit one last time.
Jay was gone.
Already gone.
A strange ache settled in my chest.
Not painful.
Just...
There.
As if I had missed something important.
Then I remembered the way she looked at Kanya.
The way Kanya looked at her.
The way she cried after that small gesture with the skates.
The way she loved people with her whole heart.
A small smile appeared on my face.
Maybe one day.
Maybe one day she would stop running off before I got the chance to talk to her.
And maybe one day...
I would finally tell her the things I had kept to myself for far too long.
"angelo?"
Ion called.
"We should go."
I nodded.
"Coming."
Taking Aeron's hand and walking beside Ariella and Ion, I headed toward the exit.
The sports festival was finally over.
But somehow...
It felt like something else had just begun.
++++++ END ++++++
one more chapter
take care
bye