My mother has been laid to rest, and I am at her gravesite with some of my unfamiliar relatives from my mother's side, whom my father contacted. My father is also here with his spouse and their two children, One of my stepmother's children is my boyfriend.I couldn't help but laugh at the thought; I ignored them throughout my mother's wake. Though I wanted to blame them, I don't have a valid reason to do so."
Kiel, you go back to Settle first, leave me here at home," I told Kiel after my mother's burial. "But love, I can't leave you here. If you want, I'll accompany you," Kiel replied
No, Kiel. I want to be alone for now," I replied. Both Papa and Kiel couldn't do anything about my decision to be alone at Mama's house.
My father offered to let me stay with them and told me to approach him if I needed anything, but I didn't respond, and I have no intention of reaching out to them either."
It's just too painful for me without her, and I want to grieve here and not yet ready to return to normal life.
It's been almost a month since Mama passed away, and I'm still in Garfield. I looked around the house, and it's quite messy. Aling Telma and her child had to go home because they lost their jobs since Mama is gone, so the house is really in disarray. Kiel keeps calling me every day, and I answer his calls. Then, Archion Architect, one of the biggest architectural firms in the country, also called."
I decided to tidy up the house to distract myself and find some solace."
I cried again when I entered Mama's room. It was tidy, and my pictures filled her table. I opened the drawer of Mama's table next to her bed."
"I saw an envelope with a note written on it, 'Happy graduation my baby.' I smiled and slowly opened the envelope, and inside was a passbook with a savings account and a letter from Mama. I read the letter first, and it said that she loves me very much and is incredibly proud of me. I couldn't help but cry uncontrollably after reading Mama's letter."
I also opened the passbook and was surprised by its contents. There were 500 thousand dollars in the passbook. I looked at it and realized that Mama had been saving this money in the bank for several years.
In the evening, after I had finished cleaning the house, Kiel arrived. I was expecting him since he had mentioned last week that he wanted to come and see me. I welcomed him and gave him a hug.
Love, did you know that Yanz Builder is facing some losses?" Kiel told me. This is my dad's company; it's a small one, when I was younger, he used to take me to his office, and the firm was doing well back then. But now, I haven't heard any news about his company for a long time."
I remained silent. Kiel where started working after he graduated from college. He's also now a full-fledged engineer because he passed the exam just recently, so he immediately went into helping with managing my dad's firm.
When Kiel noticed that I wasn't interested, he changed the topic. "I miss you, love," he said as he hugged me. I missed Kiel too, but the sorrow of losing my mother still prevailed in my heart.
After a while, Kiel suddenly took out the engagement ring he should gave me when he proposed last year.
Love, I know you're still in mourning for the loss of your mother at this time, but I want to take care of you and protect you. I am here to bring back the smile on your face. You are the most important person in my life, and my love for you will never change. I love you deeply and forever.Kiel's long litany"
Love, please know that I love you deeply, but I hope you understand that I am not yet ready, especially at this time. I still have my exams to become a full-fledged architect, and our family situation is still complicated.
I don't want to rush into things while I'm still dealing with the loss of my mother and the challenges ahead. Please give me some time to sort out my feelings and priorities. I value our relationship, and I want to be in the right mindset before taking any big step.
I hope you can be patient with me and continue to support me as I go through this phase in my life.
Okay love, I am sorry. I will wait for the time when you're ready. And he kissed me on the forehead.
I decided to go back to Settle to prepare for the National Aptitude Test for Architects. I also moved to a new apartment since Mitch had already left. Kiel wanted me to stay in his condo, but I declined because I wanted to dedicate more time to my exam review.
When Butch and I took the NATA exam, we were overjoyed with the results. We both became topnotchers, with me ranking 4th and Butch ranking 10th. All the sleepless nights we spent on our review were worth it. However, because of being so busy, I lost some time with Kiel.
I immediately called Kiel, "Love, I passed! I'm so happy!" I said excitedly over the phone.
"Yes, love, we saw the results online too. Your dad is also overjoyed and wants to celebrate your topnotcher achievement," Kiel replied.
The smile on my face vanished when Kiel mentioned my dad. My dad had been calling me for a long time, but I hadn't been answering his calls. Instead, he would relay any messages he had for me through Kiel.
We celebrated with Butch and the Archor Builder LCC, one of the biggest Architect firms in the country. They decided to celebrate our passing in a grand event at a luxurious hotel.
They warmly welcomed Butch and me as new architects in their company, which delighted our hearts. Our celebration was filled with joy as they introduced us to the company's top executives, including Angelo, the handsome and young vice president of Anchor. Being single, he became a dream guy for many women.
I remembered Kiel. He called me several times this morning, but I didn't answer because I felt suffocated by his constant insistence on having dinner with my dad.
Angelo offered to drive both Butch and me, and since Butch and I are still together, I didn't feel too sad. "Thank you for the ride, sir," Butch and I bid farewell to Angelo. He replied, "You're welcome. I know you will be great assets to the company, so I will take care of you." I smiled at his words. After saying goodbye, he left.
Hey girl, I noticed how deeply Angelo was looking at you. It was his opening remark to me.
You're crazy! Maybe he was just being friendly, and besides, I love my boyfriend, okay? I replied to Butch.
One year passed, and I found happiness in my job. I handled several projects, and everything turned out successful. Kiel proposed to me multiple times, but I always turned him down, maybe because of our family situation.
Now, I have a chance to be featured in a magazine as "The Outstanding and Beautiful Architect."
I felt overwhelmed with the praises around me, and Angelo seemed agitated as well, but no matter how hard I try, I don't have any feelings for him. It's been almost two months since Kiel and I stopped talking, and I'm not sure if it's considered a break or a cool-off. The last time we saw each other, he proposed, and I turned him down. I saw the disappointment in his eyes, so I just let things be.