AN: For context, ate (pronounced as ah-tēh) here means older sister in Tagalog language and said before the name. If a sibling is older, we don't call them by their first name.

***

The following day, I wake up to the sound of my alarm clock banging unceremoniously. With eyes still closed, I turn off the alarm and snuggle into my bed a few minutes more. Yet, the demon that is my alarm clock chimes again, and finally, with a loud groan, I turn it off once more and stretch my body.

Today is a little bit colder than usual so I cover my head with my blanket. I stretch my hand to get my phone on the bedside table and check if there are messages from my family. There were several missed calls and messages from my brother at 4 am this morning. I wonder why.

I read the messages and instantly, my hand drops my phone on my bed.

Ate Yari, daddy slipped inside the bathroom. We're going to bring him to the hospital because he said his back and insides are twisting in pain from getting hit.

Ate Yari, we're here in the hospital. I'm with tita Dita.

Ate, the doctors said daddy needs to stay for one night. They will check if there are critical parts of the body that got hit.

Ate, can I stay here at the hospital with daddy?

What happened to my dad?! My brain is trying its best to process everything as I pick up my phone and immediately press the video call button. Why is it taking Leon this long to answer the call?! 

After an agonizing few seconds, my younger brother finally answers.

"Ate Yari!"

"Leon, what happened to daddy? He slipped? What did the doctors say? Did anything break? Did he hit his head?!" I take the blanket off my head and shoot a million questions per second.

"One at a time, ate. First off, daddy is okay," Leon raises his hand up to stop me. "Yes, he slipped. He tried to take a bath on his own and then he slipped. But now, he's okay."

I see from the screen that my brother keeps on pacing around despite the calm face. He might trick my relatives but not me. Leon's sixteen and acts tough most of the time but I know the scared child inside of him is surfacing in that chocolate eyes of his. As his older sister, I instantly shift my thoughts to a more relaxed one and do my best to be the stronger person for the both of us.

"Alright, daddy's okay. Have you finished all your assignments? Finish it all once you get back home so that you can sleep immediately and rest."

"Yes, ate Yari. I might just ask a classmate to pass it. I'll take care of daddy."

"Leon, daddy would like it better if you went to school and you know that, " I breathe a heavy sigh. One of the things we have in common is how stubborn we both are. "Just visit after school is finished. I'll tell that to tita Dita."

"Ate Yari, come on!" Leon pouts indignantly like a child for a second. He must have noticed it so he immediately shifted into a serious face. "I never miss a day of school but this one is for daddy."

"You said so yourself that daddy is okay. Go to school. I'll ask tita Dita and tito Ramon to tell me if you will not go to school. Daddy doesn't want you having absences," I say with a tone of finality. My brother might be in his rebellious stage but he knows when I am serious. The kid grumbles and groans and I know that he will be following my word. "Where is tita Dita by the way? How about daddy?"

Leon paces the brightly light halls more as he combs his hair with his hand.

"Daddy is asleep. Tita Dita is in the room taking care of daddy." I can see my younger brother having the strong urge to make another case but I know that he knows that I am right. So, Leon grumbles and looks away.

"Alright, give the phone to tita Dita. I'll talk to her." I tell him.

My little brother follows and walks for a second then opens the room to probably daddy's room and talks to tita Dita. My tita takes his phone and immediately, I am greeted by a strong aura of warmth which   calms me further.

"Yari, it's good that you finally saw the texts on your phone," My tita Dita gives a soft assuring smile. I hear Leon excusing himself to go outside and close the door.

"Tita, is daddy okay?" Without my little brother inside the room, my composure finally breaks and tears prickle my eyes.

"He tried to shower on his own but it wasn't his schedule yet. 11:30 was his usual shower time but he showered at 10. You know your daddy, he still tries to do things on his own. But, he slipped hard and hit his back and behind."

Tita Dita's eyes glisten and the sorrow is evident in her eyes. Even though we aren't blood related, I know that if anyone asks me who I considered as my mom, her name will be the first I'll say.

"Tita, please take care of dad for me." A teardrop falls and the waterworks just come.

"You don't have to ask that, my child. We will take care of Ige", Tita Dita gives me the best reassuring smile she can give. "Your daddy is strong. He'll get through this."

Being thousands of miles away, I will never be at ease but I find some comfort that tita Dita and tito Ramon are there for my brother and dad. All I have to worry now are daddy's bills. I know it will be costly if he's staying for the night.

"Thank you, tita. How much is everything? I'll send it immediately."

My aunt's long hair follows as she shakes her head.

"Don't worry. Just pay his overnight stay. We'll cover the rest," The woman gives an earnest smile and my tear drops fall once more. "Save it for Leon or add it for the meds that Ige will need in the coming months. "

"Tita, I don't want to burden you. How much is it really so--"

"Yari, it's alright. We're family. Don't worry, okay? Just add it to what you'll give to Leon." With her firm, this-is-final voice, I heed her command.

"Alright. Thank you, tita." I nod.

Tita Dita stands up and I hear her opening the door.

"Alright, go work there already. We'll take care of things here. Your tito Ramon will pick up Leon later. Don't worry, I'll make him go to school." Tita Dita winks at me. "Here's Leon again...Leon!"

With one last wave, my aunt hands the phone to my brother while I hurry wiping my tears away.

"Leon, help tita Dita take care of daddy, okay? Message me when he wakes up. I'll also send money there. That's for you and daddy. Take care there. Take care of yourself!" I wag my finger at him.

"Yes, ate Yari. Take care too. Bye!" Leon rolls his eyes but I catch him smiling before the call ends.

I stare at a daze in the wall for a second as tears fall down my face. What if the accident took daddy's life and I can't even go back because I don't have enough money for plane tickets? What if our expenses will be so high that Leon has to stop with going to school because we can't pay the school fees? What if my tito and tita decide one day that they're already done helping us and daddy's fall was the cherry on top?

So many negative thoughts run in my head with no sign of slowing down. Still, I push myself to take a shower and change into my uniform despite them shouting inside my head. Nothing will happen if I just sit here and let myself wallow in misery.

I start with my morning work and let myself get distracted with all the cleaning in the living room and cooking in the kitchen. At nine am, I'm finishing the last scrambled egg in the frying pan when I hear the sound of some band playing on the record player from the third floor.

Harry is awake. I put the last scrambled egg on the plate and carry all the food to the table as I hear Harry's footsteps going down the stairs. The guy arrives shortly and announces his presence with a slight yawn.

"Good morning, Yari." The brunette proceeds to sit on his usual chair and pours himself a mug of coffee.

"Good morning, Harry."

I focus myself on cleaning the mess and washing dishes then heading out to my room. Once inside the room, I message my brother,

Go to school, okay? Daddy would want you to go to school.

I get a reply instantly.

Yes, ate Yari.

I pace through the room and stare at the wall as scenes play in my head. Anxiety creeps up inside me and I do my best to push it away by listening to the music outside and closing my eyes, trying to clear my mind. Sadly, the thoughts remain even after almost half an hour. So, I sigh and take my phone to scroll through my social media. The internet is a great distraction always.

Once online, I instantly receive a message from one from my best friends.

Girl, how are you there? I'm terrified. There are only two months left before the exams!

Instantly, my lips frown. I forgot that they are taking their board exams. Soon, they will be licensed engineers. How I wish I can be there with them and take the exam too!

I'm okay here. You can do it. Don't worry. Good luck with the exams!

I scroll through my friends' profile and see more pictures of my friends reviewing. Gosh, I feel so jealous.

While reading, I suddenly get a text.

All done. Thank you for the meal.

I sit up again and rub my eyes off its stray tears. Outside, I see Harry still in the kitchen drinking water. I pass by him and take the utensils then wash the dishes. I focus on cleaning and as I look up, I realize that Harry has already left.

While I continue my work cleaning the whole house, my thoughts seem to stand still and for a few hours, I focus on nothing but cleaning. The thoughts do come back though as soon as it's time to cook the rice then add the vegetables into the pot. So much so for a distraction.

Meanwhile, shuffling sounds resonate from the third floor probably coming from Harry. He must be working inside his music room. My focus shifts back to arranging the plants and pots in the living room until I hear the sound of a group of singers that I know by heart singing a song that is so close to my heart. I don't know if it's the universe playing with me right now but I fight the stray tears running on my face as I set Harry's plate and utensils again.

The kitchen is only several steps away and I easily set the table and place the dish in front of the utensils. Harry arrives wearing a fresh shirt, pants, and his usual boots.

"I'm going out." Harry announces and sits on his chair.

I nod and take the dessert we made last night from the freezer and set it out to thaw for easy cutting.

"Alright. Anyway, just tell me when I'll serve the strawberry float."

"Okay."

Last night's strawberry float looks perfect and I am proud that we pulled it off. Today, I decide to stay since I have to wait for Harry to tell me when to serve. While I stay at the back staring at the wall, thoughts of earlier's events plague my mind.

It's been hours and I know that Leon must still be asleep and so would tita Dita be but I want to know already if daddy is okay. My heart just can't take that I am thousands of miles away from him. These thoughts bombard my head that I jump up in surprise when a hand lightly touches  my arm.

"Yari?"

I shake my head and look at the person in front of me.

"Sorry? Yes?" I shake my head to rid my distraction.

The guy removes his hand and puts it on my shoulder. "You okay there, Yari?"

"No, I'm good," I nod. "Was just staring at the wall too long. What were you saying?"

"I was saying if you can please get the dessert. But it's okay. I already got it." Harry directs his eye towards the kitchen island where there's already a slice of the dessert taken out and is already on a tea plate beside it.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! I'll go get you a fork." I take one from the drawer and give the plate and fork to the guy.  "I'm so sorry I'm zoning out! "

"It's alright. Happens to everyone," The guy shrugs and tastes the dish in front of me. With lips curved slightly upward and his head leaning to the side, Harry smiles and moves his shoulders.  "This is delicious! "

"Thank you," I give him a shy smile that's there. "You worked on it too you know. Again, sorry for zoning out."

"But I wouldn't have known it if it wasn't for you," Harry's lips still savor the taste of the sweet dessert. "Tell me when you're going to cook Filipino food next time. I want to try other recipes."

I nod and continue letting Harry eat his dessert while I clean spots in the kitchen to spend my time. My goodness, it's so embarrassing that I'm completely out of focus! Harry should not see me like this. It's a good thing he's going out. If he was not, he would see the mess that I am and will catch more moments of zoning out.

After two slices of the strawberry float, Harry puts his dirty dishes in the sink and drinks a glass of water. The guy sets it on the sink then fixes the invisible crease on his shirt as he walks out towards the front door.

"See you later, Yari." Harry turns back and gives me a smile.

I wave back. "Ingat!"

"Sorry?" His head turns to the side.

If I can slap my forehead now, I would have done so already. I really am out of focus today.

"It means take care in Filipino, my language. Sorry, it slipped out of my tongue." I give an embarrassing grin.

Harry nods and smiles again. "Oh. Ingat. Did I say it right?"

"Yup, you did." I nod.

"Good. Okay, I will ingat then." Harry smiles with a proud grin for saying a foreign word. He goes out of the door and I can't help but smile and shake my head at his attempt.

 The little slip was a nice break from my thought and a light mood to lift my spirits. Once I hear the sound of Harry's car roaring, I message Anthony to go over here and have lunch with me after Harry leaves. The guy arrives after several minutes along with and we have lunch.

"This stuff is good. I have to go ask Sam to ask you," Anthony closes is eyes as he takes a bite of the dessert. "Suresh will for sure finish this in one bite."

"Thank you. I'm hoping Suresh will finish it later," I chuckle at the compliment. "Anyway, how is Samantha by the way? "

"It's our anniversary next Sunday." Anthony's lips curve upward in a foolish grin.

"Ooh, congratulations!" I squeeze my friend's arm.

However, Anthony sighs and shakes his head. "Our only problem is no one can babysit Wyeth. Our parents live far away and his usual babysitter is celebrating her birthday next week too. We're still trying to find a replacement."

Maybe it's me with my messed up mind right now and the need to have a distraction but I jump on the idea right away. "I'll do it. "

"Really? We don't want you to go down to Sussex. It'll be a bother to you."

"No, it's cool. I miss Wyeth even though I've only seen him once. And you need your night together,"  I say with a definite nod. "I'll just ask permission from Harry that I'll come home late that Sunday."

"Thank you, Yari!" Anthony breathes a sigh of relief. "This really means a lot. I'll have to call Sam after this to tell her the good news."

I shake my head. "No worries. I'll be coming from a get together with some friends though but I'll go. "

The lunch gives me the small distraction that I needed. My mind is calmer now compared to earlier but the worry is still there.

After Anthony eats, Suresh comes to have his lunch and also thanks me for the dessert. I leave the man to clean his dishes while I continue cleaning by proceeding to the second floor and drowning my feelings. Time passes by until it's past five in the afternoonand I have to tend to the plants and weed out the grass.

The sky is gloomy and no clouds show up like any other day. The cold air nips my face and I hug myself a little tighter. This is the first time I am experiencing autumn and every now and then, I blow on my hands and touch my face to get warmth. I know winter is colder but if autumn is already cold for me, I'll probably freeze to death when winter comes around.

While I water the herbs, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I check my phone and see that it's a text from Harry.

Will be back around 8. I will be eating at home. Fish sounds really lovely. Would love the soup from earlier too.

I place my phone back inside my pocket and continue gardening. As I do so, I remember memories of daddy and I gardening back home. Daddy would talk to our plants and compliment how beautifully they've grown even though no one sees the growth. I admire how patient my father is when he talks to them and it makes me just a little more somber.

To ease my worry, I head back to my room to get the camera I borrowed from Dean and take pictures. I take a lot of pictures of the plants, the sky,  the house and of course, Anthony, Suresh, and the other guards. At one point, I even asked Anthony to hold the camera to take my pictures. Dean's impromptu photoshoot emboldened me to stand in front of the camera if not only for a few shots.

Once I'm satisfied with the number of shots I took, I put the camera back in my room and start dinner. Harry likes fish tonight so I decide to make baked fish fillets with some veggies tonight. As I cook dinner, I see that it's already a  proper time to call back home so I ring tita Dita.

"Oh, Yari. Perfect timing." My aunt smiles.

"Good afternoon po tita. Is daddy there?" I inquire.

"Ige is awake. Here, wait." My aunt pushes the phone towards something white and I finally see daddy. 

It's only been days since I've talked to him but somehow, the little accident aged him and made him weaker. Despite that, I see the same fire in his eyes. I can't help but break down in front of him. 

"Daddy!" I say in between sobs. "Don't do it again."

"Stop crying, Nakong," Daddy coos. "Stop crying, my child that I love so dearly. Okay, I won't do it anymore."

Hearing his pet name for me crumbles me further. Despite the pain, daddy still makes an effort to joke around. He's still the same goofy dad in front of his kids.

"Daddy, you made me worry!" I shake my head.

"Yes, my child. I'm not going to do it again. Wipe your tears away," Daddy smiles at me. "Just sing to daddy so I can recover faster."

"Alright, daddy. What song?" I wipe my tears away.

"You know my favorite song." 

I nod and sing his favorite song. I'm not the best and try to reach until the chorus when the front door opens. Immediately, I stop and whisper.

"Daddy, my boss is already here. I'll go ahead. Bye, daddy. I love you. Don't repeat that again."

"I love you too, Nakong!"

I press the end call button and place my phone back in my pocket quickly while Harry approaches the kitchen. The guy comes in carrying a paper bag in his arm and a warm smile painted on his face.

"Good evening." Harry greets.

"Good evening, Harry. The food is almost done." I reply and check back on the fish that's cooking in the oven

Harry places the paper bag on the kitchen island then walks towards the stairs. "Okay, I'll just get changed. Please don't touch the paper bag."

"Okay. "

I continue cooking while my boss goes to his room. As he does so, the fish and vegetables are done cooking and I take it off of the oven let it rest for a bit. Meanwhile, I place the vegetables on a plate and place it on the table.

I start heating the soup from earlier when Harry arrives in the kitchen. This is the first time that the record isn't playing during his meals. What's happening with him? 

Yet, I couldn't be bothered to ask because of how relieved I am that my dad is already awake. There's a spring on my step as I go back to my room once I finished putting all the food on the table and saw Harry tasting the dish. Once inside my room, I scroll through my phone and send a text to my dad of all the things I wasn't able to say to him earlier. Well,  it was really just me nagging him.

After a while, Harry sends a text that he is finished. I go back outside to head to the kitchen where I stop with my tracks midway. 

Turning to my right,  I see my boss watching in the living room. The guy has a bowl of popcorn on his lap, several bags of chips on his side, and a bottle of soda sitting on the table in front of him.  This is the first time Harry will stay in the living room and it's a sight to see.

So as not to misunderstand, I put my gaze away and start heading for the kitchen to set up for my dinner then eat in peace. The sound of the movie Harry's playing fills the silence in this house while I munch on the veggies and sip on the soup. From the corner of my eye,  I notice that the paper bag earlier is gone. It must be those chips beside him that contained that bag. 

After eating then washing the dishes, I bathe and change into my night time clothes. Thankfully, it is written in the contract that I can wear my own clothes once Harry is done with dinner. So, I'm now in my PJs getting ready to head back to my room.

Before I sleep, I usually drink a glass of water so I go to the kitchen and am surprised to see Harry there searching for food inside the fridge. He turns around and closes the door's fridge.

"Come watch with me, Yari." Harry nods his head towards the living room. "It's a nice movie.  Love, Actually. "

"Oh no, it's okay. I don't want to disturb your alone time." I shake my head and go to grab my glass.

"You're too shy again. You have never disturbed me," Harry shakes his head then nods in invitation. "Come on. It's a classic."

"Si—Harry. No, it's totally fine. Enjoy your movie time." I wave my hand in refusal.

"It's better to watch with someone. Come on, I think you'll like this movie. I made too much popcorn and opened a lot of crisps." Harry insists with a slight pout on his lips.

Today has been an eventful day and I must say, watching movies is a good way to cap off my night and relieve my stress.  I know I'm really shy towards him but it would be rude if I keep on denying him of his request if we're just going to watch a movie.

"Okay." I nod.

Without a word, Harry smiles and walks back to the living room. I follow him back to the living rom where Harry sits in his seat in the middle of the green couch while I sit on the floor a seat away from his side.

"Why are you sitting on the floor?" Harry's eyebrows knit together. "The couch and the arm chair are for sitting."

I was too shy to sit on those but was surprised when he called me out. So, I sit on the arm chair behind me and watch. The two of us watch the movie in silence except for the sound of Harry munching on the bowl of cheese popcorn on his lap. My arms wrap on either sides of the sofa and watch the movie with intent. The movie is cheesy but really good.

"How are you these days, Yari?" Harry breaks our silence.

"I'm good. It's fine."

"Never got to know you that much, honestly," Harry utters and I immediately feel myself tense for a second, surprised with his statememt. "Tell me more about yourself."

Suddenly, the temperature inside this room increased tenfold and I feel myself fidgeting and sweating.  What do I say to him?  What will I tell about myself?  I must reply quickly before he even thinks I'm too awkward and overthinking things through.

I shift my body towards his direction but look at a direction just slightly beside him to avoid direct stare.

"Ugh, I'm twenty one years old. Turning twenty two this December. I like music, reading, writing, and photography." I list off my hobbies quickly without looking at the guy.

"Did you happen to learn photography and writing to distract yourself too?" Harry smirks, referring to last night.

Simultaneously, the guy passes me a bag of chips and insist on me to take it. I take the bag and get myself a handful but the guy refuses to take it back so I keep it in my lap. From the corner of my eye, I look at the guy once more to check if he is genuinely interested in our conversation. It looks like he really is.

Harry's messy brown hair is framing his green eyes and he tosses his hair to remove the distraction that's hiding his focused stare at me.  The crumbs of cheese powder in his shirt do no little to distract him from looking away.  As I assess my boss, though,  the only thing that comes on the top of my head is that the guy looks effortlessly handsome even if he's just in boxer shorts and a white shirt. Before Harry even notices me staring at him, I look at the corner beside my boss's head.

"I have ADHD and my thoughts and focus as a child were all over the place. My dad sat me one day and introduced writing because he said it was a way to put into stone all the daydreaming and imagining I did. Photography came into play when I wanted to put cover photos for the books and stories that I wrote. So, you're sort of correct on that. "

Harry chuckles lightly at my answer. "I figured you're one to have a vast imagination. You told that you like music. Who and what do you listen to?"

I shift on my seat and look away. Am I ready to admit it now?

"A lot of genre and artists. Mostly indie, rock, depends. I like your music too and I—ugh, ugh, am a Directioner," The last few words escape from my mouth quickly before I can even stop myself. "But not you of course! Oh gosh, not that I don't like you or anything but I'm a fan of Niall. Also you. All of you actually. You're all really good. You are really good and—"

"I know what you mean, Yari. It's fine," Harry chuckles but puts a hand in his chest to feign pain. "But I am hurt. You're a Niall fan instead of your own boss."

"Yours too of course!" I add quickly. "I've always supported you even if you have no clue about it and you're a talented performer.  Great boss too. "

The guy must have sensed my panic and laughs again. "I doubt the last part but thank you. I was just messing with you, Yari. You should give some songs of bands you like too. I want to listen."

"I have some with me now."

"Sure, let's have a go." Harry lowers the volume of the tv and I start sharing a song from a Filipino band that I like.

'They're good. I don't understand the language but it's good."

Harry doesn't ask any further questions but raises the volume again and we settle back to watching the movie. I must admit, I was hoping he would ask more. It was nice having an honest conversation with the guy but our purpose was to watch the movie tonight so we must focus back.

"What was your first impression of me?" Harry asks out of the blue when the movie was about to reach its climax.

Internally, I groan at his bad timing.  The movie was getting to the good part! Still,  I shake the thoughts away and become objective.

Maybe Harry really was curious and the thought just suddenly popped in his head.  I have moments like that too.  I look at my boss but he is just staring at the tv, munching on the popcorn beside him.

"You were ugh nice?" I say as I take a bite of the chips.

"No, really. What did you think of me?" He looks back at me.

It takes me a second to form my thoughts but I form it soon after I got another bite of the chip.  "You really were nice. Still are. You gave me tacos on the first day that I met you  and reminded me to eat when I unconsciously forgot to."

Harry stays quiet for a second but smiles softly after. "Complimenting me isn't part of your job but thanks. This is off topic but I never knew why you applied as a housekeeper and here of all places. I heard you went to uni and have an engineering degree."

My eyes drop to the floor and I find myself having difficulty to sit still.  I never expected Harry to inquire about my life but I never really ruled out the possibility. I just thought that the odds were pretty low. Apparently, it's not.

"Some emergency came up with my dad back home and we needed quick money. This was the best solution since I jsut graduated from college, uni as you call it, earlier this June."

"What was your degree?"

"Chemical Engineering. "

"Wow, didn't know I was sitting with someone smart, " Harry's eyebrows arch up. "But I digress. My mum and dad experienced those problems too. Working odd jobs to support and feed the family," Harry nods. "So if you weren't a housekeeper, what would you have done? Or what were you supposed to do?"

I look back up to stare at the tv that's currently at pause. Thinking about my original future plan hits hard in my heart and I can't help but feel a little pang. Maybe I was just fooling myself that I got over it.

"I was supposed to apply in a multinational petroleum or manufacturing company and get a decent 9-5 or shifting job," I look away at the distance, reminiscing my plan. As I do so, daddy's words before I left suddenly pop inside my head. "In reality, I want to write or be a part of a cosmetics company. "

"Interesting," Harry ponders my words for a second. I've never confessed my true dreams to anyone but Harry doesn't know about any of it so he seems like the perfect candidate. "So does that mean you're not going to extend the contract after the two years and leave me immediately?"

I'm caught off guard by his last statement. My palms start to sweat and I look at anywere but my boss's face. How do I break it to my current employer that I have no intentions of renewing my contract in the future? 

"I, ugh—"

"It's okay, Yari. I don't want to hinder you from your dreams," Harry dismisses with a smile before I blabber about nonesense any further.  "I'll help you to settle in the next job before our contract ends. Though I must say that despite the short length that you've worked for me, you have already impressed me with your skills and dedication."

My cheeks redden at the compliment and I try to find another way to change the subject.  I don't like being the center of attention and compliments just make me feel awkward.

"Thank you. I'm happy that I work for a guy who gets to do their dream job by the way. Not many are able to do theirs and it inspires me to work harder and someday, work on mine too. " I smile at the guy.

Now it's time for Harry to get uncomfortable. The guy shifts on his seat and combs his hari with his fingers. A slight chuckle escapes his lips an d his green eyes twinkle at the compliment. I find it fascinating how my boss is sometimes so clueless how his little actions make him ten times more handsome.

"Yeah, the universe just manifested all the things that I worked hard and hoped for. It's like each piece was falling right into its correct place," Harry's eyes crinkle at the thought and he looks up for a second with a smile. "But you are here; thousands of kilometers away from your family and what you were used to. I'm sure the universe is also laying out your puzzle pieces."

Harry's words leave me thinking for a second. With all the storm that has happened today, was it part of its great big plan that my dad will experience this sickness and I have to travel thousands of kilometers away to do a job that I never expected that I would do? Life sure is having fun making my puzzle pieces much more intricate than others.

"Whatever it is that you're thinking, I hope you know that life brings you gifts when it feels that you can't bear it anymore. You just don't expect it to be in that form." Harry hits the  play  button again and continues onw atching the movie.

I follow and continue watching the movie with a handful of chips in my hand. Suddenly, a realization pops in my head. Looking down, I finally notice that I am eating a bag of seaweed flavored chips.

****

AN: Hey guys! I didn't post last week to give everyone tine to appreciate Red  Taylor's Version lol. Now that it has been released, please hit the vote button on this chapter and comment down below. The song above is the favorite song of Yari's dad and the song playing in the turntable