Miggy's POV
It was a frenetically busy day at the office. One of our company's biggest clients dropped by unannounced, and the entire team had to shift gears quickly. Thankfully, before the chaos began, I had already called a flower shop and arranged for a bouquet to be delivered to Gabie's school. I made sure to provide every detail the delivery man would need so she'd receive it right after her defense.
Just to be safe, I also called Jhay and asked him to make sure the flowers got to her. He said he'd be on campus anyway and would personally hand them to her. That gave me a little peace of mind. Around mid-morning, I even planned to send them lunch. But before I could place the order, I got called into an emergency meeting.
Since Meynard was already juggling a lot, I asked him to call the restaurant and handle the food delivery to Jhay and Gabie on my behalf. I brought another staff member to the meeting instead. It dragged on for more than three hours and ended just before lunch. I came out of it completely drained.
Meetings like that? I hate them. But I had no real excuse to skip it.
I thought of calling Gabie just to say hi, but I didn't want to disturb her. For a while, I was satisfied just getting updates from Jhay. Over lunch, Meynard and I ate quietly inside my office.
"They were wondering why you didn't join the VIPs for lunch," Meynard said, glancing at me.
"They shouldn't be surprised. It's not the first time I've skipped," I replied.
"You're one of the bosses now. You should be there."
"I don't want to be there. I'm not comfortable, so I won't enjoy the food anyway."
Meynard just smirked, knowing better than to argue.
The rest of the afternoon flew by. I made sure to finish all the paperwork on my desk—didn't want it piling up. But as the workday ended, I realized I still hadn't heard from Gabie. That made me nervous. I tried to shake it off but ended up calling Jhay before heading home.
"Hello, sir!" Jhay answered brightly.
"Hey. How's Gabie?"
"She's eating the food you sent. We just started lunch now. She couldn't go out earlier because she was waiting to be called."
"Ah, okay. Sorry to bother you. Go ahead and eat. I'll call later."
"It's okay, sir. Just call again later so you can talk."
"Thanks."
I ended the call with a small sigh. Poor Gabie. She hadn't eaten all day. But I understood. I went through the same thing during my thesis defense—waiting hours, unsure when you'd be called, unable to step out because you might miss your turn.
That night, our routine continued. Meynard drove me to the condo, where dinner was already prepared. We washed up and ate right away. These dinners had become something I looked forward to. Back when Meynard was often away, I usually ate alone. But now that Gabie was around, there was never a dull night.
After dinner, Gabie had ice cream, while Meynard and I shared a bottle of beer each on the veranda. As usual, Meynard started telling ridiculous stories from our college days, making Gabie laugh. I had to shake my head sometimes at his nonsense, but I couldn't deny it—his humor lit up the room.
"It's good your fiancée isn't yelling at you," Gabie teased him after one particularly wild story.
"Because of my jokes, she fell in love with me. That's why she can't leave me now," he said smugly.
I admired Meynard for that. He could find light in any moment. Even my mom loved having him around whenever I visited home.
Speaking of Mom, she and Carla were in the U.S. for a short vacation. They'd been in Las Vegas for a few days and were now visiting my uncle in Mississippi. He'd suffered a stroke and had been rushed to the hospital. It was a sudden trip—not business-related—so Carla finally got a break from her usual PA duties.
After we finished our beers, Meynard said his goodbyes and headed home. Gabie moved to the living room, settling onto the couch to watch something on Netflix, while I took a quick shower.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, toweling my hair dry, I noticed my phone screen lighting up with a message from her.
"I'm sorry. Hello, good evening."
I replied, "Good evening. How are you?"
Her next message came quickly.
"I'm sorry... Did I bother you?"
"No, why?" I texted back.
"Can we meet?"
"Yeah, sure. When?"
There was a pause—then came another hesitant message.
"I'm sorry. Can you… now?"
"Okay. Where are you?"
"Study hub."
"Okay, I'll just get dressed and leave."
"Thank you. See you."
I stood there for a bit, staring at the screen. Whatever this was, it felt urgent. And I wasn't about to leave her waiting.
I grabbed my phone and keys and headed for the door.
"Are you going out?" Gab asked, surprised.
"Yeah. Gabie called. I'll be back soon," I said.
"Okay. I'll take care of the place," she said with a teasing smile.
Her tone had a knowing ring to it, but I didn't take the bait. I was too focused on getting to Gabie.
She rarely asked to meet this late. That alone worried me. My mind raced. Maybe she hadn't been called yet for the defense? Maybe it was tomorrow?
When I got to the study hub, I found her in our usual spot, hunched over her notes.
"Hey," I called.
"Hi," she replied softly, barely lifting her head.
"You, okay?" I asked, sitting across from her.
"No. I'm more nervous now. I wasn't called today. And earlier, I saw a classmate crying after her defense… It freaked me out," she said, looking defeated.
"Chill. You'll be fine. I'm sure you'll make it tomorrow," I said, gently reaching for her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"What if I don't?"
"Don't think that way. You've worked hard. You're more than capable. I believe in you," I said, locking eyes with her.
She glanced down, visibly embarrassed. "Maybe you're just saying that because… you know…"
"Because I'm flirting with you?" I teased, lightly pinching her nose. She flushed.
"Don't say stuff like that," she mumbled, covering her face. I chuckled.
"You're lucky I'm holding back, or I might just kiss you right now," I whispered.
That only made her turn redder. She gave me a small glare, but the smile tugging at her lips gave her away.
"Thank you for the flowers," she said shyly. "I haven't defended yet, but it really meant a lot."
"It's okay. Consider it advance encouragement," I smiled.
"You really spoil me," she said, half-joking.
"I don't think of it that way. I just wanted to make your day a little better. I know you can't bring home-cooked meals to a thesis defense."
"Thank you," she said again, this time more quietly.
"If I were you, I'd stop reading for now. You've already prepared enough. Overthinking will only make you more anxious."
I took the folder from her hand and stood up. "Come on."
"Where are we going?" she asked, letting me pull her up.
"To get snacks. My treat."
We walked to the nearest convenience store. I bought her ice cream, chocolate bars, and nuts.
"I can't finish all this," she said, laughing as I handed her a full paper bag.
"You don't have to. Just keep them for later."
"You keep giving me so much. Aren't you worried you'll run out of money?"
"It's just snacks," I shrugged, buckling my seatbelt.
"Want to go somewhere else, or should I take you home?"
"Let's go home. I have an early day tomorrow."
"Home it is," I said, grinning as she laughed softly beside me.
Gabie's POV
"Thank you," I said softly as Miggy's car stopped in front of our house. The lights were off, the house dark—a quiet signal that Mama was already asleep.
"You're welcome. Anytime," he replied.
I unbuckled my seatbelt, gathering the folder I had been carrying and the paper bag filled with the things he bought for me.
"I feel bad," I admitted, glancing at him. "You should be resting. I know you're busy at work, but you still came with me."
"That's alright," he said with a slight shake of his head. "I should be the one thanking you. You chose to call me. You chose to be with me."
That made me smile. "Oh wow. Should I be fluttered now?" I joked. We both laughed, and he gently shook his head.
"It's getting late. You need sleep. Don't stress yourself too much. I'll call you tomorrow when I wake up," he said.
"Good night. Drive safely," I replied as I opened the door and stepped out.
"Good night," he said again, just before I closed the door.
I couldn't stop smiling as I walked to the house. Miggy had this habit of waiting until I was safely inside before he left, and tonight was no different. He stayed parked until I gave a small wave from the window.
Even after a quick shower and changing into my sleeping clothes, the smile never left my face. Especially when I checked my phone and saw his message:
"Just got home. Good night again. Sleep well."
I didn't realize how much had changed in just a month. How used I had become to his presence in my life. We always talked. We spent time together when we could. And in those moments, I saw how sincere he was.
He's kind—even if he looks intimidating. You'd think he never smiles, never laughs. But with me, he does. He cares deeply. He doesn't just look out for me; he also takes care of Meynard and his younger brother when we're all together, even briefly.
Despite how hectic things get in his office, he always finds time to call or text. He never just disappears.
And maybe… that's why I feel safe with him.
I fell asleep with thoughts of him easing the nervousness building up in me for tomorrow.
***
I woke up early the next morning, even before my alarm. When I checked my phone, I found a message waiting from Miggy.
"Early bird! Did you even sleep?" I thought to myself.
To Alejandro Miguel:
Good morning. Just woke up. Did you sleep well?
I waited a few moments for a reply but when none came, I got up and started preparing breakfast for Mama and me.
"Oh? What's going on here?" I mumbled in surprise as I walked into the kitchen. Mama had beaten me to it—she was cooking.
"Happy birthday!" Mama greeted with a wide smile the moment she saw me.
"Thank you!" I beamed. She pulled me into a hug and kissed me on the cheek.
"I'll handle breakfast. Take a shower first, so you'll not be late," she insisted.
I didn't argue. I knew if we kept talking, I'd end up emotional. I just followed her instructions.
We had breakfast together, which we didn't usually do this early, but she made the exception today. She said it was because it was my birthday.
Still, the nerves returned as I got ready for school. I wore a crisp white blouse under a fitted gray blazer, paired with a pencil skirt and black heels. I tied my hair into a high ponytail, hoping I looked calm even if I didn't feel it.
I ignored the buzz of my phone, assuming they were birthday greetings from high school friends. They never forget, unlike my college classmates. I didn't have close friends here. I didn't like hanging around campus when I didn't have class—I'd rather be earning through photo shoots. Jhay was the only one I was close to, but he was from the Comm Arts department. We met during permit processing, and he introduced me to modeling. Since then, we kept in touch.
When I entered the AVR, my anxiety spiked. The panel was already there. I sat down with a few other classmates who, like me, hadn't been called yet. We were all tense, fidgeting, silently praying for calm.
"Did I eat too much rice earlier? My stomach hurts," I muttered to myself.
One by one, my classmates presented. Some stumbled. Some forgot their lines. The panel's reactions were a rollercoaster—nods when they were pleased, disinterest when they weren't. One classmate blanked out entirely and was told to sit down midway through his defense.
Then, my name was called.
My heart pounded as I walked to the front. I kept praying—"Please let me get through this. Please don't let me blank out."
Just as I was about to start, one of the panelists received a call and excused himself, saying it was urgent. The others smiled at me kindly and asked me to sit for a while.
"Just breathe," one of them said. "Relax. You'll be doing fine."
Their kindness helped. I'd memorized everything I wanted to say. The topic was close to my heart—our thesis was about patient case studies from clinical psych last year. We had firsthand experience working with the data.
When the panelist returned, I stood again.
"Multiple health behavior change (MHBC) interventions target at least two health behaviors…"
I launched into my presentation, each word carefully delivered. I avoided looking directly at the panel, focusing instead on breathing steadily.
They began asking questions when I finished. I answered every one, drawing from everything I had studied.
And when they finally handed me my folder, I froze.
94
I couldn't stop the tears that welled up. Relief, joy, pride—it all hit me at once.
I did it.