"Oh, Liana. Hindi ka pa kakain? It's lunch time na, baks, halikana" Ella said, Jake, my coworker, beside her. I've been in the Philippines for three weeks now, and I landed a job as a secretary before even arriving.

"I'm not done encoding yet, and I'm going home early. I need to spend time with Kyle," I told them, continuing to work.

"The boss isn't here yet, and that work isn't urgent. Come on, let's go," Ella insisted. I shook my head, laughing, and stopped working, turning off my monitor. I couldn't argue with her persistence.

Inirapan ko sila, kung sabagay sa martes pa kailangan ang mga 'to.

"Fine, you win. Besides, the deadline is Friday. It's only Tuesday, so we can go home early. I have a son to go home to," I said, gathering the things on my desk.

"Fine, let's go. The canteen's probably going to be packed. I want to see that handsome guy who works across the hall," Jake said, fixing his hair with a flirty smile.

"You're always so gay. Calm down, you flirt," Ella retorted. Here they go again, bickering.

"It's just friendly flirting, you know," Jake fired back. I laughed at his comment.

"Oh, please. I just don't find him attractive," Ella scoffed, rolling her eyes. I shook my head, amused by their banter. These two always bicker when they're together, it's never-ending.

Well, sabi nga nila hindi maganda ang trio kung hindi laging nag aaway ang dalawa.

"Stop it, you two. You're always arguing, for goodness sake. Hurry up, or we'll miss the elevator. You two shouldn't be together, really," I said, rolling my eyes at them. I felt like their mother, always having to discipline them.

"What about you, Liana? Anyone hitting on you? Or Kyle's dad? That boy is handsome, so his father must be a looker," Ella said.

"With your looks, no way? I don't believe you. Kyle is handsome, and he snagged a good-looking dad," I said, and Ella nodded, the two of them high-fiving each other.

"Oh yeah, Baby Kyle is such a cutie. Who's his dad? He speaks English so well. May lahi si guy for sure. I can tell," Ella said with a flirty smile. They all know about my son. I don't hide him, he's my child. But if I needed to keep him hidden from others, I would.

I didn't mind their comments about Kyle's looks. It's obvious he has mixed ancestry.

"You're being so random, asking about his dad. Why don't you ask her about that guy she were talking to on the phone this morning?" Jake said with a smirk. I grimaced. It was Francisco. He called because they were coming back tomorrow, and Ella and Jake were right there, listening to our conversation.

"It's Francisco. He's a friend from the States," I said, and Ella nodded.

"Oh, he's from the States? Does that yummy guy have a girlfriend?" Ella asked, playfully hitting my arm and putting her arm around me.

"Yeah, sis. If he doesn't, you can have him," Ella added, wrapping her arm around me.

I pushed them away in annoyance.

"He doesn't have a girlfriend, but I don't know if he's seeing anyone or not," I said, shrugging.

"You have to find out! Baka siya na ang forever ko, diretso kasal na 'to" Ella said, her voice dripping with flirtatious drama. She squealed like a giddy teenager and playfully slapped Jake's arm.

I just shook my head. That's how they always are. If they see a handsome guy, they automatically want him to be their "forever."

"Ouch, sis! That hurts. Besides, he wouldn't be interested in you. 'di hamak na mas maganda ako saʼyo," Ella said, making me wince and shake my head at their antics.

"You wish, you're delusional. You don't even have a boyfriend and kiffy," Ella muttered, embarrassed by their loud behavior.

"Mayroon akong boyfriend, gaya mo? Mayron din akong kiffy" I hurried my pace. They were getting too loud and attracting attention. It was so embarrassing. They were talking like they owned the entire company.

Binilisan ko ang paglakad, leaving them behind. Hindi ko kaya ang kaingayan ng dalawang 'to.

"Liana, slow down! Hindi mo man lang kami hinintay," Jake said as they caught up to me inside the canteen.

"You and Ella were too loud. You should be embarrassed," I said, shaking my head as I scanned the canteen for an empty table.

"It's Jake's fault," Ella accused.

"Hey, what do you mean? You started it! You're the one who has a boyfriend!" Jake countered, and there they were, bickering again. These two had no sense of place or decorum.

Hindi ko alam kung maiirita o matutuwa pa ako sa dalawang 'to.

"Tumigil na kayo. Mag order na lang kayo ng makakain, hahanap ako ng table natin," sabi ko, "Just get whatever you guys are getting, I'll have the same." They both nodded, so I went ahead to find a table.

When I found one, I sat down immediately and called Kyle's nanny. Even though I wasn't crazy about it, Tita Mica insisted, so Kyle would have company. It's true, too, since I'm working now, and when I leave the house, he has no one else to be with.

"Hi, baby," I greeted him when the nanny handed him the phone. He frowned. He hates it when I call him baby.

"Mommy, I'm not a baby anymore I am 4 years old na po" pinakita nito ang apat nitong daliri.

Tinawanan ko lang, everything is deja vu. The way he acts, speak and move, reminds me of Mateo.

"I know you are already four years old, but you are still my baby," I said, my voice laced with affection. He frowned even more, and I chuckled at his adorable seriousness. He's only four, but he's so mature for his age.

"Whatever, Mommy. I want to meet my Daddy. When will I meet him, Mommy?" he asked. I wasn't sure which daddy he was referring to, but he only knows one. So Francisco is the only one who came to mind.

I had already given him every reason under the sun not to think about his dad.

"Tomorrow you will meet Daddy Francisco with your Lola's. They're going home tomorrow," I said, trying to sound cheerful. He shook his head, and I was confused.

"Not Daddy Francis, my real dad, Mom," he said, and the smile slowly faded from my face. I bit my lip as tears welled up in his eyes. He's so sensitive when it comes to asking about his dad. But the only dad I've ever mentioned is Francisco.

I've always only mentioned Francisco, because I thought he was the one my son was looking for.

"Y-your D-dad? He's... uhh." I didn't know what to say.

"Mommy ko?" He waited for my answer, his eyes fixed on me.

"He is working far away from us, so he can buy you lots of toys. Yeah, he's working from afar," I said nervously, my hands starting to sweat.

"But I want my Daddy. I want to meet him. I'm a big boy now. You said when I grow up I will meet my Daddy, and I don't need toys, Mommy. I don't need toys, Mommy. I need my dad. I need his love. Tell him, Mommy, to go home," he said, his words piercing my heart. I thought he had forgotten about it.

Here I was again, nahihirapan na naman mag hanap ng irarason sa kaniya.

"Anak, it's because… you are still a baby. When you grow older, you'll get to meet him and play basketball or go to the zoo and buy all the things you want. You can do all the things you want to do with him. Don't cry, baby," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

"He will?" He asked, his eyes still filled with sadness. I nodded, trying to maintain a hopeful expression.

"Yes, baby. For now, Mommy has to go. Let's talk later, okay?" I said, my voice strained. He nodded, still looking downcast.

"I want to meet him already because whenever I and Yaya go to the park, I see other kids my age with their dads. You know, Mommy, I saw a man who was really handsome, and he looks like me, but we fought. I accidentally spilled my juice on his pants. He was so annoying," he said, his voice filled with a mix of disappointment and frustration. I felt a surge of anxiety. It probably wasn't Mateo.

Mateo doesn't like crowds, and he wouldn't get into a fight with a kid. But, maybe?

"I will tell him to go home. Perhaps, he's also handsome like you," I said, trying to lighten the mood. He nodded and gave me a small smile.

"Bye, Mommy. Mwa, I love you." He waved and blew me a flying kiss, so I blew him one back.

As I put down my phone, Ella and Jake arrived.

"Who was that? Was it the handsome one?" Ella asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

I nodded.

"Oh, Sino yung tumawag? Si baby gwapo ba? Why do you look like the sky just fell on your head? It doesn't suit you teh," Jake said, taking the seat across from me.

Bumuntong hininga ako, bakit nga ba hirap akong sabihin sa anak ko ang totoo?

"He's looking for his real dad. I don't know how to explain everything to him," I said, my voice laced with despair. They know my story, I've told them everything about my past.

"How long are you going to keep your son hidden? No matter what you do, sooner or later, your son and his father will have to meet," Ella said. Jake agreed.

"Yeah, Ella's right. Hanggang kailan mo ba balak itago ang bata?" tanong ni Jake.

"I don't know. I'll let things happen as they may. But to be honest, I'm still angry at my son's father. He lied to me, but that was a long time ago. It's been hard, but I'm slowly starting to let it go," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. Ella squeezed my hand in a gesture of support.

"We're here for you, kung kailangan mo ng kasama o ano man iyan. For now, let's just eat. I'm starving," Ella said, making me chuckle. Jake rolled his eyes at her.

"Ella, there's never a time when you're not hungry and ready to eat," Jake quipped, his tone laced with amusement.

Ella just rolled her eyes and sat down beside me with a huff.

I felt Jake's hand on mine, so I turned to him and gave him a smile. He smiled back, his eyes twinkling with warmth.

After we finished eating, we all went back to our work.

While I was encoding, my boss called me over the speaker.

"Miss Cartier, come to my office," he said. Panot, I mean, my boss. I stood up immediately and grabbed my tablet, knocking before entering his office.

Sometimes he's so annoying. He'll make me encode things that aren't even important.

"Yes, Mr. Panit. What can I do for you?" I asked politely, bowing my head slightly in respect.

"Do I still have a meeting today?" he asked. I checked the tablet I was carrying.

"You have a meeting, sir, at 4 PM," I said. He nodded.

"Okay. The documents I asked you to encode need to be done by Friday. Make sure they're all finished before Friday," he said. I nodded in response.

"Yes, sir. may kailangan pa po ba kayo?"

"Anything else, Sir?" I asked politely. He just shook his head.

"None. You can go home. Get out," he said. Does he not need me?

"I won't go with you, Sir?" I asked, just to confirm. He shook his head again, so I bowed and left.

He said I could go home, so I packed up my things. I didn't want to waste any more time. I missed my son, and I didn't even realize it was already 6 PM.

"Aalis ka na? sabay na tayo wait lang natin si Jake," I saw Ella outside the company.

Hinintay namin si Jake ilang oras kaming naghintay bago siya lumabas galing companya.

"Ang tagal mong talandi ka! Where were you? We waited almost two hours for you. Look at the time, it's already 8:00! I have a child waiting for me!" I complained, playfully tugging at his hair. His lips were red, so I knew exactly why he was late.

"Chill, sis. I saw a hottie in the hallway earlier," Jake said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes.

"That's what you get for flirting! You forgot you had someone waiting for you. And it's impossible you only saw him. Hoy! 'yang labi mo namumula! No flirting at work nga' di ba?!," Ella said, giving him a playful smack on the head.

"Aray ha! hindi masakit, 'te? tse palibhasa ang type mo yung tito outfit" tatawang sabi ni Jake ito na naman nagsisimula na sila sa bangayan umiling na lang ako at nag patuloy sa paglalakad at hinayaan silang mag bangayan.

Nasa gilid at naghihintay na kami ng masasakyan ang ingay pa rin nila. Nakaka rindi.

"Bye, Ella and Jake. Be careful on your way home," I said, giving them a quick hug as I got into the taxi.

I was surprised when Jake hopped into the passenger seat next to the driver and pulled out his phone.

"Bye, sis. Kuya, pull over here. I want to take a quick picture. Ingatan mo po kaibigan ko, Kuya. She has a kid to feed and go home to," Jake said, making me blush. Ella was just laughing hysterically in the background. I gestured for her to go over and stop Jake.

"Tumigil ka nga, Jake! You're being ridiculous! Just go, nakakahiya ka maging kaibigan!" I said, pushing him away.

"Bye, sis. Ingatan mo po siya hanggang bahay niya, Kuya," I heard Jake shout before the taxi drove off. I just shook my head in amusement.

"Sorry, manong" I apologized for my friend's behavior.

"Naku! Walang problema, Ma'am. Naiintindihan ko po kaibigan mo," he said with a smile. I nodded awkwardly.

"Saan po ang adress mo, Ma'am?" he asked. I gave him my address, and he drove me home.

I wonder how Alicia and Tita Majika are doing. It's been a while since we last talked.