"I can accompany you there if you want," Mia said softly.
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Nathaniel asked her.
"Yes, definitely. If you manage to get her picture, at least we'll know where to start looking for your sister," she replied.
"So, meaning to say you are willing to help me?" the young man clarified, briefly turning to look at her.
At that moment, Nathaniel precisely stopped the car in front of the gate of their large house. As it was already late afternoon, they spotted Nanny Ising sweeping the front yard.
"Yes, of course. It's just a small way for me to repay all the kindness you and Nanny Ising have shown me and my baby," she said, smiling as she unbuckled her seat belt.
Nathaniel's face brightened as he looked at her. Then his hand moved, gently tapping her cheek.
"Alright, let's discuss that later. I need to ask Aunt Ising first about the shelter," he added, preemptively getting out of the car to open the door for her.
*****
"I still remember that shelter. Why did you ask about it?"
That evening, while they were having dinner, Nathaniel decided to open up and ask Nanny Ising about the shelter.
Nathaniel glanced at Mia for a moment and then smiled. She did the same in return.
"Is it a good idea for you to visit there, Nathaniel?" Nanny Ising inquired further.
"I just thought it would be a good, well, first step in my search for my sister, Aunt," Nathaniel replied, continuing his meal.
A moment of silence enveloped the table after Nathaniel's words. Mia didn't know and couldn't guess the purpose of that silence. But since she was only a guest in that house, she had no plans to pry or bring up any topics.
"Do you still blame yourself for what happened to Nathalie, son?" Nanny Ising asked her nephew.
Mia saw an overwhelming sadness crease on Nathaniel's handsome face. As she observed him, it was as if the male version of herself began to take shape in her mind.
She didn't want to entertain the thought that she might be the lost sibling, so she quickly pushed that idea out of her mind.
Once again, silence enveloped the entire dining room, where only the sound of utensils creating noise could be heard. They finished eating when the old woman broke the silence with her words.
"If you think it will be beneficial for you, son, I'll help you. Tomorrow, I'll take you to that shelter," she said, accompanied by a beautiful smile directed at Nathaniel.
Mia quietly observed the face of the man she now considered her older brother. It wasn't difficult for her to do so, all things considered. Why and how? She couldn't say. All she knew was that she felt at ease with him, and that was enough.
*****
"Take a rest, Mia. It’s late already."
Nathaniel's voice from behind slightly startled Mia.
"You startled me," she said, laughing softly.
"Sorry," Nathaniel replied with a gentle, apologetic smile as he approached her.
She simply nodded and returned her gaze to nothingness, not looking at the young man she felt sitting on the long bamboo bench.
"You know, Mia, I can't quite understand why. But there's a part of my heart that's genuinely curious about who you really are."
Mia felt a momentary hesitation upon hearing Nathaniel's words. Then she hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether this is the right time to tell him what truly happened to her.
"But if you're not comfortable or not ready to talk about it, that's fine by me. The truth is, I just want to get to know you better," he explained, perhaps wanting to address whatever was going through her mind in those moments.
Mia smiled and shook her head. Then she opened her mouth to speak.
"My life story is quite dramatic," she said, following it with a soft laugh.
"Yeah, I know that already. Aunt Ising has told me about it. That's why you left your previous partner, right? Because he was hurting you?" Nathaniel asked.
Mia let out a sad sigh at that.
"And he's also one of the reasons why I'm here now," she replied, as a bitter tinge slowly tainted her smile.
Nathaniel fell silent after she said that. And so, Mia began to recount how everything led to this point.
FOUR MONTHS BEFORE…
"E-Erik?" The name slipped from Mia's lips as she regained consciousness in a private room.
She saw Erik sitting on the sofa not far from her bed. His head was resting against the wall with his eyes closed. Despite the weariness evident on his face, his inherent handsomeness remained unaffected.
"E-Erik!" she called out, raising her voice slightly to make sure he heard her.
She noticed Erik stir and quickly moved upon realizing she was awake.
"Mia," he said, swiftly standing up. "How are you? What are you feeling?" were his immediate questions to her.
Mia couldn't help but smile at Erik's reaction. She then pointed to the chair for him. He immediately pulled it and took a seat.
"And you, how are you?" she replied instead, as Erik tightly held her hand.
"I'm fine," he answered. "Are you okay?" he asked again, his tone demanding an answer from her.
Mia nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."
For a few moments, Erik gazed at her intently, his eyes sparkling. "The doctor told me something, you know," he said to her.
Mia stared back in astonishment at Erik's handsome face. Then she finally spoke.
"R-Really? What did the doctor tell you?"
Erik shrugged his shoulders. "I'll tell you soon. After our wedding," he said, giving her a mischievous wink.
Upon Erik mentioning the word "wedding," Mia suddenly felt a pang of regret. That day was supposed to be their wedding day.
"What about our wedding, Erik?" she asked with sadness in her voice, followed by a heavy sigh.
"The date will just change, but it's still happening, of course," he replied with a smile.
Mia sighed again, filled with sadness. "I'm sorry. Because of me, our wedding got delayed," she said, sighing once more and shaking her head.
"You didn't want any of this to happen. In fact, you're the victim because your life was put in danger. So, you don't have to ask for forgiveness, okay?" Erik reassured her.
Mia smiled and nodded. She knew Erik would understand everything. She just couldn't help but feel regretful, especially since they were both excited about this day. But because of Bernie, their wedding date had to be moved.
"By the way, where is Bernie?" she asked Erik, recalling her ex-boyfriend.
"Wherever he deserves to be," he answered, shrugging his shoulders.
As she remained silent, gazing at Erik, he spoke again. "He will never hurt you again, no matter what," he assured her, planting a kiss on the hand he was holding.
"He did nothing but make my life miserable," she said angrily.
Erik nodded in agreement. "He will pay for everything he's done to you, sweetheart."
Sadness crept onto Mia's face. "I didn't want things to turn out like this. Because despite how he treated me, I still wanted him to have a chance at happiness. But--"
"He needs to pay for everything, Mia. Because if you let mercy prevail and you don't--"
"You're right, he needs to be held accountable for all the wrong he's done," Mia interrupted, deciding to cut off the rest of what Erik wanted to say. She already knew where it was heading.
"Okay, if that's how it is. We don't need to discuss it further," Erik said with a contented smile.
She nodded. "I'm hungry, Erik," she informed him.
She heard an amused but gentle chuckle escape the depths of Erik's throat. Then he moved and affectionately kissed her forehead.
"Perfect timing, Mama sent you the Chicken Tinola she cooked," he informed her.
Mia immediately felt joy in her heart upon hearing that. "R-Really?" she exclaimed, unable to hide the surprise in her tone.
Then Erik began arranging her food. "I think my mother already realized just how much you truly love me. And that's because of what you did," he said, looking pleased at her.
"Do you think so?" she asked.
Erik nodded. "So, thank you for the sacrifices you've made for me, Mia," he said, his face suddenly becoming serious.
The young man wasn't satisfied with that. He approached her, embraced her tightly, and held her close.
"But next time, please, don't do that again," he said, releasing her and sitting back in the chair he had been occupying earlier.
"And what do you want me to do? Watch you be put in a situation I don't like?" Mia replied.
"But, Mia, Bernie is angry with me. To me, his bullet was meant for me, not you," the man insisted.
"He wouldn't be angry with you if I hadn't entered your life, Erik. So whether you accept it or not, everything started with me, so what I did was justified. And besides, I can't let anything happen to you. I love you so much," she explained to Erik, with a tone that sought understanding.
Erik hugged her tightly once again. Then he let go and claimed her lips with a passionate kiss.
"We're truly meant to be, aren't we? Because we're both willing to protect each other. And I will do everything, I promise you, to protect you and our future children as long as I live. Or if possible, even in the afterlife, if that's a possibility, I will do it," Erik said to her.
Mia's eyes quickly welled up with tears, but she knew that it wasn't the right time to be emotional. So she suppressed her emotions.
"Shall we eat?" she said, following her words with a soft laugh.
At that moment, Erik swiftly moved into action. "Oh, if it weren't for your condition, I might have eaten you instead, given how hungry I am," he jokingly remarked, causing her cheeks to blush.
"You're such a naughty boy," she said, laughing despite the lingering warmth on both of her cheeks.