Chapter 9 - Twenty-Four #2
"Grade Eleven stable trio," I said.
Sofia looked at us.
"Ang tagal."
I nodded.
"Unfortunately."
Chloe kicked my foot under the table.
"Hoy."
I laughed.
After dinner, Mama brought out Jane's cake.
I saw it properly for the first time.
Chocolate.
Simple.
No ridiculous design.
Written on top:
Happy Birthday, Lia!
That was it.
Beautiful.
I looked at Jane.
She noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Ba't ka nakatingin?"
I smiled.
"Cake."
"Obviously."
"Thanks."
She shrugged.
"You kept asking for chocolate."
"You kept asking what I wanted."
"Exactly."
Chloe leaned in.
"She almost bought another design."
Jane looked at her.
"Why are you exposing me?"
I narrowed my eyes.
"What design?"
"Nothing."
"Chloe."
Chloe smiled.
"Pink."
I burst out laughing.
Jane:
"Because bumili ka pink cake sakin before!"
"That was YOUR birthday."
"Exactly."
"And this is mine."
"So chocolate."
"Correct."
Jane pointed at the cake.
"See? I listened."
I nodded.
"You did."
She smiled.
"Good."
I sighed.
"There it is."
They sang.
I hated it.
Naturally.
Not because I hated birthdays.
Because nobody looked normal while being sung to.
What are you supposed to do?
Stand?
Smile?
Look at everyone individually?
Clap for yourself?
Terrible social design.
I stood behind the cake smiling awkwardly while everyone sang.
Chloe recorded.
I pointed at her midway.
"No."
She kept recording.
Traitor.
Jane was laughing while singing.
Sofia looked far too entertained.
Papa clapped.
Mama sang louder than necessary.
Ate Bianca started another round of—
"Wish!"
I stared at the candle.
Wish.
Interesting.
I had already received something impossible.
What exactly was I supposed to ask for?
More money?
Been there.
Success?
Done that.
Long life?
Reasonable.
I closed my eyes.
For maybe one second.
Then thought:
Let me remember this one.
Not the cake.
Not the food.
Not the exact date.
This.
Papa just home from work.
Mama beside him.
Ate Bianca laughing.
Kuya Nathan and his wife arguing about who got more chicken.
Sofia watching everyone quietly.
Chloe holding her phone badly.
Jane standing beside her.
Twenty-four.
Again.
But this birthday—
new.
I blew out the candle.
After cake, the family slowly scattered.
Papa sat back near the TV.
Kuya Nathan and his wife talked with Mama.
Ate Bianca checked something on her phone.
Sofia helped bring plates to the kitchen.
Jane and Chloe stayed at the dining table with me.
Chloe handed me the paper bag she'd brought.
"Gift."
I stared.
"You too?"
"Open."
Inside—
a power bank.
I looked at her.
She smiled.
"You're always lowbat."
"That is genuinely useful."
"I know."
I hugged her.
She immediately—
"Enough."
"Thank you."
"Welcome."
Then I looked at Jane.
She was suspiciously empty-handed.
I narrowed my eyes.
"What?"
She blinked.
"What what?"
"Where's yours?"
Her mouth dropped.
"Cake!"
I laughed.
"I'm kidding!"
"Grabe ka."
"Cake is enough."
"It better be."
"It is."
She stared.
Then reached into her bag anyway.
I stopped laughing.
"Jane."
"What?"
She handed me something small.
Not wrapped dramatically.
A simple paper bag.
I looked inside.
Lip balm.
I stared.
Then at her.
She was already laughing.
"Fuck you."
Chloe leaned over.
"What?"
I pulled it out.
Lip balm.
Jane laughed harder.
"Para may sarili ako next time."
I stared.
"That was MY lip balm you used."
"Exactly."
"You're giving me lip balm so you can borrow it?"
"Yes."
I looked at Chloe.
"Do you see this?"
Chloe nodded seriously.
"Smart investment."
I laughed.
"Terrible people."
I put the lip balm in my bag.
"Thanks."
Jane smiled.
"Welcome."
Then—
"Use it."
"My lips aren't dry."
"Preventive."
I stared.
"Look at you learning."
"Excellent student."
"Trainable."
"Bwisit."
Old rhythm.
Later, while Mama and Chloe were talking, I caught Jane looking at me.
Not briefly.
Long enough that I noticed.
I looked back.
"What?"
She blinked.
Then smiled.
"Nothing."
I waited.
Nothing.
Okay.
Friends.
Normal.
I reached for another piece of cake.
Then Jane said—
"Masaya ka?"
I looked at her.
"Yeah."
"Sure?"
"Very."
She nodded.
"Good."
I smiled.
This time, I let the word go.
By nine, Jane and Chloe were leaving.
Mama gave them food.
Of course.
"You don't have to—" Jane started.
Mama immediately—
"Dalhin niyo."
Jane accepted.
Smart.
Chloe had already accepted hers before Mama finished speaking.
Experienced.
They did mano.
Papa waved from inside.
Sofia said goodbye.
At the gate, Chloe looked at me.
"Happy birthday ulit."
"Thanks."
Jane:
"Happy birthday."
"Thanks."
Then she looked at me.
"Twenty-four."
"Unfortunately."
"Don't disappear."
The joke left me for half a second.
Not because she said it dramatically.
She didn't.
Just—
ordinary.
A reminder.
I smiled.
"I won't."
Jane narrowed her eyes.
"Sure?"
I thought about promising.
Then remembered promises were dangerous when you had no idea what the universe intended to do with you.
So I corrected—
"I'll keep showing up."
Something softened in her face.
"Okay."
Better promise.
Something I could actually control.
Chloe looked between us.
??
I pointed at her.
"Don't."
"I didn't do anything."
"Go home."
She laughed.
When everyone was gone and the house quieted, I went upstairs.
Birthday messages still waiting.
Customer inquiries too.
I looked at both.
Then ignored the customer messages.
Tomorrow.
The world would survive.
I sat on my bed.
Power bank from Chloe.
Lip balm from Jane.
Desk organizer from Sofia.
Cash from Ate Bianca and Papa.
Chocolate cake downstairs.
Cupcake from my assistant.
None of it expensive.
None of it impressive.
At forty-five, I'd received birthday gifts worth more than some people's monthly salaries.
I couldn't remember half of them.
But I had a feeling—
I'd remember the stupid lip balm.
Annoying.
I opened my notebook.
Didn't add a rule.
Didn't calculate anything.
Didn't write a business plan.
I only wrote:
Twenty-four.
Then underneath:
Mama. Papa. Ate Bianca. Kuya Nathan. Sofia. Jane. Chloe.
I stared at the names.
Then added:
I was here.
That was enough.
I closed the notebook.
Twenty-four.
Again.
This time—
I intended to remember it.