Chapter 30

Months have passed, and Stacia described that everything went slow, but she could pass on the things she thought she could never recover. She doesn't need to put a smile on her face anymore. She thought she didn't need a man to make herself happy and contented, she only needed herself to live a life—especially those twenty years had passed. To live the times she had lost and make up for them.

"How are you doing lately, Stacia? I heard the news about your son a while ago, how is he doing?"

Stacia knew this topic would eventually come up and wouldn't be able to get away from it. She put a smile on her face—a smile that doesn't need to be guilty about. "I'm doing good lately. . . And for my son, Kian, I'm so blessed he's doing okay now. . . He's still living with me and I asked him to do that so I could look after him. But everything is okay. . ."

"We are glad to hear that, Stacia! We're happy you get to join us today. We've been wanting to see you come here for the past months."

"Yeah, I've been wanting to. . . When Rogina invited me the other day, I knew I couldn't refuse so I came."

Aside from putting her time into reading classic books in her hammock and growing her garden in the background, when her friend, Rogina, invited her to join in a Teapot session with some of their friends, she thought it would also be best for her to put her attention elsewhere.

After ending what was going on between her and Jordan because of what happened, it broke her heart into pieces that's why she thought she needed to put her attention into a lot of things so she won't be able to herself into misery. She only remained in contact with him whenever they had to pay him. It was a little struggle for her since Brian's finances have been split into two things—Kian's bill and Marlyn's pregnancy, it may take them too long to pay Jordan. What's good about it, Jordan didn't rush them to pay him sooner as he understood what they were going through.

They haven't got to talk to each other yet, they only send short text messages about the payment and that was all of it.

Did she regret seeing Jordan go? Absolutely, but she respects his decision. And if there was a time machine she could ride into and go back to the time when she could do things right, she would do it.

The teapot session was an hour-long get-together with the ladies around the neighborhood in the nearby tea shop in the area. It was something Stacia found relaxing, especially when they didn't have to talk about their husbands or ex-husbands in their conversations. It was just all about them and what life has to offer for them. This is what she has been meaning to do. Not all forgetting about what happened, but finally moved on from heartaches because there's nothing in this world that is more precious than peace of mind.

After an hour, they left the shop, but then she watched these ladies let their husbands pick them up one by one. 

Stacia stayed with Rogina while waiting for her husband to pick her up. She looked at her, and she hugged her and she knew what that meant for her. She tried laughing it off because got what was the hug for. When she parted away from Rogina's hug, the smile on her smile didn't wear off.

"I've heard what happened to you and Jordan, I'm sorry. . ." she said, comforting her by rubbing her shoulder. Hindi naman naalis ang ngiti sa labi ni Stacia. "It must've been hard for you to deal with things like this. I'm proud of you. . . You're so brave and strong. I'm happy you came to the teapot session today. Thank you for giving us a chance. . ."

"Thank you, Rog. . . I really appreciate the invitation as well. Thank you for being so nice and a good friend to me."

Later on, Rogina's husband came arriving in his car. Dali-dali rin namang sumampa si Rogina sa sasakyan at muli pa nitong niremind ang pagpunta next week sa teapot session. Tumango na lamang si Stacia. Wala rin naman siyang gagawin kung hindi ang pumunta. It would be nice for her to grow her relationship with the ladies and bond with them more often.

Stacia decided to go to the nearest grocery store to pick up some things before she could go back home. Nang marating naman niya ang store ay kumuha na lamang ito ng cart at sinimulan ang paghahanap ng mga kailangan niyang bilhin. She thought cooking some Kian's favorite dish for the night so she just went to the meat section to get some slice of steaks.

When she reached the meat section, she didn't realize someone familiar to him was just a few feet away from her until she recognized his voice. Mabilis naman itong tumalikod at umaktong may chine-check sa kanyang cart. Saglit lamang ng marinig nito ang paghakbang palayo ng lalaki ay muli niyang inilingon ang sarili at dinungaw kung si Jordan nga ba ang narinig niya. She wasn't wrong about it. Si Jordan nga ang narinig niya ang boses. Titig na titig pa ito sa lalaki at inaalala ang mga panahong magkasama sila hangga't sa may isang babae ang lumapit kay Jordan. She was blonde, holding a piece of bread on her hand and asked something about to Jordan. He nodded and she put them in the cart. She then hold Jordan's arm as if she was his new girlfriend.

Hindi na napigilan ni Stacia at muling tumalikod. She stayed like that for a bit until the staff called her out what she want for the meat. She only got back to her senses at that time and requested some slices of steaks. When she looked back to where they were, wala na sila ro'n. Napahugot na lamang ito nang malalim na hininga at nang makuha ang mga pinamili ay hindi na rin ito nagtagal at tumuloy na sa counter para bayaran ang mga item na kinuha niya.

She was kind of a little frantic if she would catch Jordan at the counter, but she got in time when she left, and she didn't see him again. 

She went back straight home and soon she got back, she went to the kitchen and started preparing for their dinner. She called her son to clean the table and get himself clean before they could eat. Stacia remembered the time when she tried visiting Thamara, bringing her favorite cookies she made for her when she was still a child, but she was so disappointed when Thamara didn't want to see her. She just handed over the cookies she made to the officer hoping she would eat them. She doesn't if she did. After that day, she wasn't able to visit and get to see her child anymore.

As soon as Stacia finished cooking their dinner, she called Kian who quickly got on his seat, and then she served their dinner. It was just the two of them, but she appreciated how Kian stayed with him after all the things that had happened. 

"Mom, I just want to let you know that Ate Thamara has been bailed out," panimula ni Kian. "I don't know how, but she just texted me earlier and she said she's doing fine and probably be leaving the city soon. . . I told her to come and see you, but she didn't reply to me anymore."

Isang pilit na ngiti naman ang lumabas sa labi ni Stacia. "It's okay if she doesn't want to. . . I'm happy she finally got out of it. I'm sure she missed her life out here. . ."

"I wish she was here. . . She also loves your steak. . ." dagdag pa ni Kian.

Hindi na naman nakapagbigay pa ng komento si Stacia dahil pinipigilan lamang niyang maluha sa harap ng anak niya. They may say all the words to describe her, strong and brave, but Stacia felt like she wasn't strong and brave. She was weak and a coward. But she doesn't want them to see that side of her, so she puts this image to let the other people know she is fine and they don't have to worry about her. It was always the others before herself. It was what Stacia always did.

In the middle of their dinner, Stacia's phone called, and when she saw Brian's name on the screen, she wondered what the call was for. She answered it, but what Brian delivered to her brought her into sadness. When she went back to the table, Kian found her gawking, he tried getting her attention by waving her hands to her face.

"Mom? Who called? What's wrong? What happened?" he asked, the concern in his tone started to build up because of what he saw in his mother's expression after that call.

Stacia looked at her son. "It was you father. . ."

"Okay. . . And he called for what?"

"Marlyn. . ."

"What about Marlyn, Mom?"

She swallowed, something she didn't want to say. "They lost their child. . . Marlyn had a miscarriage. . ."

At that point, Stacia thought that was it her fault again. Would she always think it will always gonna be her fault when people around her ended up in a bad situation? She thought maybe she was the curse, and the only thing to stop it was to move away. Far away.