Since the pandemic began, Alissa Del Rosario struggled financially as her mother from abroad decided to stop paying for her rent. After 12 years of being away, she was forced to go home to the province, to the town of Santa Barbara where her family and relatives live. However, she dislikes the idea because going home means adjusting to a new kind of life, meeting new members of the clan, and worse, remembering the past hurts that caused her to leave.

A Place Like Home

“Hey, Ali! Your father is outside.” Drew jokingly announced, as if the situation was a funny thing to laugh at. 


My heart pounded. I was scared. I was nervous. I felt so uneasy. 


He’s doing it again. Coming here without notice… like an ambush. 


I hate it when things are unplanned… when it’s beyond my control… when I’m unprepared. 


I don’t have any ill-feelings toward him. I know I have forgiven him a long time ago even if there was no chance for him to apologize, even if he wasn’t able to explain why he left, even if he never exerted any effort to see me when I was younger. 


How do I feel right now? I am more afraid than angry. 


I am afraid that if I let this person come into my world, he’d be part of it. What if he hurts me again? Intentionally or unintentionally? If he does, I might not be able to forgive him anymore. 


I have decided to close my door on him. Reconciliation with Erica and with my other half-siblings was enough. He doesn’t have to be part of that celebrating moment. Can’t he just be happy that his children are settled? Does he have to be greedy and try to include himself? Can’t he just stay excluded in this? Can’t he just forget that he had another child? 


That would be more comfortable for me. 


Forgiving doesn’t require reconnecting. Does it?


Prologue