Darius stared blankly into space, haunted by questions that had long troubled him. "What really happened to her? Did I truly do everything I could to find her back then? Or did I give up on her even before she was truly gone?" he whispered softly to himself before directing the question to his cousin Lance, who was currently in London with his wife Kitty, speaking to him via FaceTime.
"I don't really know how to answer you, bro," Lance replied seriously, sitting on a sofa beside Kitty, who was quietly listening. "But I know we did everything we could back then to find them and figure out what happened."
Lance looked at his wife, as if waiting for her opinion. "What about you, babe? What do you think?"
Kitty just shook her head. She still couldn't believe that her former best friend—whom she had considered a sister—was alive and in San Francisco all this time. Even now, she couldn't understand why she had suddenly disappeared without a word. The wound it left in her was deep and still unhealed, because it felt like she also lost a second family.
She had thought about going to San Francisco to see her, but she and Lance already had a vacation planned. They had dreamed of this time for so long—especially since they had left their child with Lance's parents, who had arranged their trip to Europe. They also wanted to take this opportunity to focus on their dream of having a second child.
"I think only Gel can answer our questions," Lance added. "But for now, we're heading out. It would be a waste not to enjoy this vacation that Mom and Dad gave us. We'll talk again soon and figure out the best way to reach her."
"You're right," Kitty agreed. In her mind, she was already thinking of talking to Lance about going to San Francisco before they returned to the Philippines. Even if it meant cutting their European vacation short, she was ready to do it if it meant seeing Angela again.
Just then, Elle arrived from a meeting with her manager for a new project. Darius sighed. He knew his wife had just gotten arrived, but he still couldn't get the conversation about Angela out of his head. As much as possible, he didn't want to mention her name in front of Elle. He couldn't bring himself to say that name—not because he feared Elle's anger, but because he was afraid of all the feelings it might bring back. That's why he carefully spoke to Lance and Kitty about the woman who was once a part of his past.
***
Two days after the string of recent events, Angela sat alone on a bench at the park. She read quietly while listening to Yiruma's music through her earphones. She had nothing else planned and didn't want to stay inside Clark's apartment, so she decided to spend time at the park. The weather was nice and a bit chilly, now that autumn had begun.
Since she decided to take a break from working at the hospital, this had become her routine—peaceful, far from critical and judgmental eyes.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus on what she was reading. Her mind was blank. The same unanswered questions kept circling back.
She decided to call her former psychiatrist to ask for guidance. She knew she needed a clearer perspective on everything weighing on her. But before doing that, she would tell Clark first. She didn't want him to worry, especially since the institution she'd be visiting was far. She knew that if she left without saying anything, Clark would definitely look for her.
Clark. The man who was always there for her. Her rock through everything. She couldn't deny that he treated her as someone special, yet he had never confessed anything for years—not until the night of his mom's birthday party. That was when she finally realized how different Clark's care had been, especially after their colleagues pointed it out. They didn't believe they were just friends.
Since she became aware of all that, she began questioning herself—did she have feelings too? Or had she simply fallen for the comfort Clark's presence gave her? For the past years, Clark had always been there—accompanying her to her monthly psychiatrist visits, bringing her food daily, and going with her whenever she visited her family's grave. Except this year, as her body had become too weak to travel. She told Clark she'd just go to church, but instead, she went to her favorite overlooking spot in San Francisco.
Since realizing all this, she began paying more attention to her own feelings. What did she really feel for Clark? She was certain she hadn't loved him the way she once loved Darius, but why did she feel at peace whenever he was around? Was that normal between close friends? She had no one to talk to about it, so she chose to stay silent and wait to see where everything would lead.
Just when things had finally become clear between her and Clark—just when she was ready to answer the questions she had long avoided—trouble suddenly came back into her life.
Moments later, she felt hungry. She hadn't eaten much at lunch. She wasn't hungry enough for a heavy meal, so she decided to look for a place to eat.
She noticed a café that wasn't too crowded. There was an empty table for two, so she walked over and sat down.
***
While waiting for her order, she tried to return to her book. She continued listening to Yiruma's music—one of her favorite pianists. She felt like it brought calm to her chaotic mind.
A little later, she received a call from Clark's mother. She said she needed to buy something and wanted Angela to accompany her before they went to dinner with Clark. Angela didn't hesitate—she stood up and left to meet her.
Her whole day passed peacefully—far from the chaos of the past few days. She hadn't expected the events that recently resurfaced in her life, but she was grateful that Clark was always there for her. Always lightening her burdens. Always making her feel safe.
She didn't know how it happened that the person she once avoided had become the closest to her. The person she never expected to become her hero—and now, the one her heart quietly longs for and beats for.