Chapter 25 - Apparently, Life Continues
By twenty-seven, I had gotten very good at not disappearing.
Apparently—
everyone else had lives too.
Rude.
Jane was the first one to become harder to schedule.
Not impossible.
Just—
busier.
Work.
Family.
Other friends.
Then eventually—
someone.
At first, I didn't know that part.
I just noticed she started saying things like—
can't saturday
or—
next week?
Normal.
People had schedules.
I had spent years learning that other people's time did not exist for my convenience.
So I said—
game next week
And moved on.
Mostly.
Then Chloe ruined the mystery.
Of course.
We were having coffee when she looked at Jane and said—
"So kumusta?"
Jane stared.
"What?"
Chloe took a drink.
"Nothing."
I looked between them.
There.
That tone.
Danger.
Jane narrowed her eyes.
"Don't."
Chloe smiled.
"Interesting."
I sighed.
"Can we retire that word?"
"No."
Then Chloe looked at me.
??
I frowned.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Jane immediately—
"May hindi ako alam?"
I looked at Chloe.
Chloe looked at Jane.
Jane looked at me.
I hated triangles.
Finally, Jane sighed.
"May kausap ako."
Oh.
There.
Simple.
I took a sip of coffee.
"Okay."
Jane looked at me.
"Okay?"
"Yes."
Chloe looked between us.
I stared at her.
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"You're thinking loudly."
Jane continued.
"Nothing serious."
"Okay."
"Few dates."
"Nice."
"That's it?"
I looked at her.
"What else?"
She laughed.
"Wala."
"Then?"
"Wala nga."
Chloe smiled into her coffee.
There was absolutely no reason to throw her drink at her.
Probably.
Later, when Jane went to the restroom, Chloe looked at me.
I looked back.
"No."
"You don't know what I'm going to say."
"Yes, I do."
"What?"
"You're going to ask if I'm okay."
She smiled.
"Are you?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Yes."
She studied me.
Annoying.
Then nodded.
"Okay."
"That easy?"
"Yeah."
I frowned.
"Wow."
She smiled.
"Interesting."
"Fuck you."
And I was okay.
That was the surprising part.
Not—
nothing.
I was not emotionally dead.
There was still that old thing inside me.
Jane.
Grade Seven.
Years.
History.
The kind of feeling that never completely vanished so much as stopped demanding anything.
So yes—
when she mentioned dates, something moved.
Small.
Old.
Familiar.
Then it settled.
Because Jane had never belonged to me.
And friendship wasn't waiting room access.
A week later, she finally showed us a photo.
Not because we interrogated her.
Chloe did.
I merely benefited.
"Pretty," I said.
Jane stared.
"What?"
"She is."
Chloe nodded.
"Very."
Jane smiled despite herself.
There.
Cute.
I noticed that more than the woman.
Not romantically.
Just—
Jane looked happy.
That mattered.
Then Jane looked at me.
"So?"
"So what?"
"Analysis?"
I stared.
"Why would I analyze her?"
"You analyze everyone."
"I do not."
Chloe:
"You do."
Traitor.
Jane smiled.
"Pretty?"
"Yes."
"Polished?"
I laughed.
"Moderately."
"Excellent nose?"
"Jane."
"Very nice legs?"
"The photo is waist-up."
Jane nodded seriously.
"Incomplete data."
I covered my face.
The joke had evolved beyond my control.
Her name was Camille.
Not girlfriend.
Not yet.
Just someone Jane was seeing.
A friend of a coworker.
Nice.
Funny, apparently.
Worked in banking.
Liked dogs.
Did not like spicy food.
That was all I knew.
Enough.
And because life apparently enjoyed balance—
I got asked out two weeks later.
At a business event.
Not by a client.
Thank God.
A woman named Natalie.
Twenty-eight.
Interior designer.
We had been talking during dinner because we ended up at the same table.
She was pretty.
Smart.
Easy conversation.
Then before leaving—
"Can I get your number?"
I paused.
Not because I didn't understand.
Because I did.
"Sure."
She smiled.
"I'm asking personally, by the way."
I stared.
Then laughed.
"Thank you for clarifying."
She looked confused.
"Should I be worried?"
"No."
"Okay."
Good.
We went out once.
Dinner.
Nice place.
Good food.
She was funny.
Attractive.
Kind.
We talked for almost three hours.
Then went home.
I waited for—
something.
Excitement.
Curiosity.
Wanting another date.
Nothing.
Not bad nothing.
Just—
nothing.
So when she asked the next day—
again sometime?
I stared at the message for a while.
Then replied honestly.
I had a good time, but I don't think I felt romantic chemistry. I don't want to waste your time.
She replied—
fair. thanks for being direct
That was it.
No problem.
No guilt.
No attempt to force compatibility because she looked good on paper.
Good.
Original Lia might have tried longer out of politeness.
Current Lia had learned enough about relationships to know—
nice person was not the same as my person.
When I told Chloe and Jane—
Jane stared.
"One date?"
"Yes."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
"Ang bilis."
"What did you want me to do? Conduct three quarterly reviews?"
Chloe laughed.
Jane:
"Maybe give it another date?"
"I didn't want one."
"Oh."
"Exactly."
Jane nodded.
Then—
"Pretty?"
I stared.
"Very."
"Polished?"
"Yes."
"Excellent nose?"
"Actually—"
I stopped.
Too late.
Jane's eyes widened.
Chloe covered her mouth.
I closed my eyes.
"Fuck."
Jane started laughing.
"EXCELLENT NOSE?"
"I hate my life."
Chloe:
"Very nice legs?"
I stood.
"I'm leaving."
Neither stopped me.
Because they knew I wasn't actually leaving.
By twenty-eight, Jane and Camille were still seeing each other.
Longer now.
Still not some dramatic love story.
But steady.
Jane was happy.
Busy.
Sometimes unavailable.
Sometimes very available.
Exactly like a person with a life.
Our friendship adjusted.
That was all.
Chloe adjusted too.
Mostly by becoming more annoying.
If Jane cancelled because of Camille—
Chloe would message me—
abandoned
I replied—
dramatic
third wheel without the couple
that's just one person
exactly
Then we'd get coffee anyway.
Sometimes just me and Chloe.
Sometimes just me and Jane.
Sometimes all three.
No one configuration became sacred.
Good.
Business kept moving too.
Abigail was fully operations now.
I started bringing in specialists where needed.
Bookkeeper became accountant.
Accountant became proper external finance support.
Lawyer on retainer for contracts.
Not because the business was massive.
Because I had learned what happened when owners pretended expertise was optional.
My accumulated judgment could tell me when something smelled wrong.
It could not replace professionals.
Important distinction.
Julia's accounts grew.
Evelyn opened another branch.
Isabella negotiated better rates for larger purchases.
Sofia's beauty business was no longer a school-side experiment.
Ate Bianca expanded.
Kuya Nathan and Ate Vivian did too.
The Ramos family group chat became dangerous because at least once a week somebody sent—
question lang
—which was always a lie.
There was never one question.
Celeste's tutorial center added another tutor.
Then another subject.
She still taught.
Still complained.
Still messaged me random business questions.
And occasionally—
random photos.
One afternoon:
not flirting
Photo.
I stared.
then why are you sending me your face
branding
to me personally?
targeted marketing
I laughed.
dangerous answer
are you interested
I stared.
Then typed—
in the tutorial center?
Celeste:
coward
Fair.
I didn't date again for several months.
Not because Natalie discouraged me.
I just wasn't hunting.
If someone appeared—
fine.
If not—
also fine.
Reset 1 was not becoming a romance mission.
That would come later.
Apparently.
At the time, I had no idea the universe would take that personally.
One Sunday, Jane came over to our house.
Not unusual.
Mama fed her.
Papa asked about work.
Sofia sat nearby pretending not to observe anything.
Jane showed Mama something on her phone.
Probably Camille.
Mama smiled.
I didn't ask.
Not my business.
Then later, while we were sitting outside—
Jane said—
"She's asking if I want to make it official."
There.
I looked at her.
"And?"
"I think yes."
I smiled.
"Then say yes."
She stared.
"That's it?"
I laughed.
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
"I don't know."
"You like her?"
"Yes."
"You're happy?"
"Yes."
"Then?"
Jane smiled.
"Okay."
Simple.
A week later—
Camille became Jane's girlfriend.
No tragedy.
No dramatic internal collapse.
No rainy window.
No soundtrack.
Just—
Jane had a girlfriend.
I still had Jane.
Different category.
Same person.
That mattered.
Chloe messaged the group chat:
congrats sa newly employed
Jane:
WHAT
Me:
girlfriend position filled
Jane:
I HATE YOU BOTH
Chloe:
benefits?
Jane left the group chat.
Then came back four minutes later.
Normal.
That night, I thought about it longer than I expected.
Not because I regretted anything.
Maybe because some part of me had always carried Jane as a permanent possibility even after accepting she wasn't one.
Not consciously.
Not actively.
Just—
a door I never tried to open again.
Now someone else had walked through a different door entirely.
And that was okay.
Really.
I had spent enough lives—
well, one and a half so far—
learning that people were not positions waiting for me to decide when I was ready.
Jane had her life.
I had mine.
They overlapped.
They did not have to merge.
My phone buzzed.
Jane.
home?
I smiled.
yes
good
Then—
btw camille has very nice legs
I stared.
Then laughed so hard Mama shouted from downstairs—
"Anong nakakatawa?"
"Nothing!"
Jane sent another message.
excellent nose too
I replied—
BLOCKED
She reacted with a heart.
Apparently—
life continued.
And, surprisingly—
so did we.