Colored Pad Paper

Kitchen..

I and Jay sat on the chairs opposite as Tita Perry took the dishes.

"Where will you meet?" Jay asks and Tita Perry sat in the middle chair.

"At the #123 Ed Cafe downtown East" I answers where I start to take a spoon of baked macaroni.

Then Stephanie arrived carrying baby Gabriel where Trefor was running toward us.

"Good morning!!" she greets us and her eyes got wide when she saw the baked macaroni.

"Oh, who cook that?" Stephanie reacts as she went closer to us then she stand between me and Tita Perry.

"Who else?" Tita Perry retorts while we are digging our foods.

"Hi, Trefor sweety, you want to eat?" I ask as he keeps staring at the food.

"Can I, Mom?" he asks permission from Stephanie and turns to look up.

"Of course, baby" Steph answers then my phone vibrates.

"I want to sit beside you, Tita Sha" Trefor says as I took out my phone.

"Sure, sweety, let me help you to sit" I retorts while I'm reading the message of Dad.

"Don't you like to sit beside me, Tref?" Jay asks. Is he sulking at Trefor?

"I like here beside, Tita Sha" I keep my phone. I smiled when Jay didn't react after Trefor said that.

"Why you don't like to sit beside, Tito Jay?" I ask Trefor as I move the chair a bit backward.

"'Cause you're going to leave tomorrow and I might not have a chance to sit and see you, Tita" then Trefor pouts after he said that.

"You can still see me some other time and I will visit you" where I looked at him.

"Really?!" as his eyes got wide in excitement.

I smiled at his cuteness act.

Trefor is a good kid and a smart one as I get to know him every time they are here visiting. And I think he's going to be a great man and loving son to his parents like his Mom.

Looking at him, made me think about myself and if I could be a good Mom someday to my children.

"Yeah" I retort and sit back.

"Love, I think we need to go now" Jay said. I gaze at my watch and it was time.

"I think we are, so see you later, sweety" I stand up after I kiss Trefor on his cheek.

"I'll wait for you outside" where he is heading out.

"Can I ask you a favor, Tita?" Trefor asks before I could head upstairs.

"Sure sweety, what is it?" when my phone vibrates.

"Can you buy me color pad paper?" I arch my eyebrows upon hearing that.

"What are you going to do with that? 'Cause I was thinking you were going to say chocolates, candies, or anything sweets" I answer 'cause I find it weird.

"Mom, forgot yesterday to buy for my school stuff" color pad paper? 5-year-old kid?

"You're using that paper? But I'll buy it for you " I says, and took out my phone.

"Thank you, Tita" while I'm reading Mae's message.

"You're always welcome, sweety" and I keep my phone.

"Go get your things now and he's waiting for you" Tita Perry retorts then I headed back to the bedroom and took my things faster as I can and headed out where Jay was waiting.

Then we headed off to Downtown East.

#123 Cafe Downtown East..

We entered and searched for Dad around when someone called my name and his voice seems familiar. I looked around where the voice came from until I found him.

I went towards Dad where Jay to the counter.

"Hi, Dad, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting" as I reached him.

"It's alright and where is Jay?" Dad said and I sat down opposite him.

"He's taking an order for us" I answers while I'm gazing at him. He got fat a bit. What did he do to himself?

"Anyway, how are you? Your Mom, and your two siblings?" he starts then my phone vibrates apart from the waiter who came now.

Where is Jay?

"Enjoy!!" the waiter said and he leaves where I took out my phone.

It was Jay who messages and he left that's what he said. So he just ordered for us. For me and Dad.

I keep my phone and gaze back to Dad then to the foods and drinks right in front of us.

"Let's dig before the ants came" I say and took the utensils behind my plates.

"Yeah" he shortly said before he took his utensils and smiled a bit.

"Anyway, umm.. We're fine and how about you?" as I take a slice of my mint cake.

"I'm good and by the way, congratulations, and I'm proud of you and I - I missed you all" Dad replies where he was slicing his cake as I dig mine.

"Thank you" I thought he forgot.

"And I'm very sorry for what I did" where we both now gazing at each other.

"I know, but how about Mom? When are you going to apologize to her?" then I finished up my food.

"I'm still finding time to talk to her" and we both drink our cocktails which are Margarita and Moscow Mule.

"And thank you for giving me your time and for letting me talk to you but did you already forgive me?" he retorts as I gulped my cocktail.

Should I tell him that I already forgive him?

'Cause there is some part of me that I was holding up and I want to know from myself.

"A little, maybe" I lied and took the tablecloth from my lap and wipes my mouth.

"I understand" he frowned then he gulped his cocktail.

"So umm.. I'm going now and take care of yourself, D - Dad" and I stand up before my tears got to fall. I don't want to see him that I'm crying out for him.

"Thank you and see you again and oh, can I go to your graduation day?" should I tell him?

But seeing him there, cheering for me, and supporting me makes me glad. But what if they saw him there? I don't want to ruin that day.

What am I going supposed to do?

"Joyce theatre, Saturday 9 am, June 2*, 2021, just don't show them" and I left out.

Did I do right?

And why is Jay still not here? What's taking him so long?

Oh, I need to buy color pad paper. And I think I know where to store I could buy it.

Cassie's Art Store...

I entered and was about to find that colored pad paper when I saw Jay with a girl.

Who is that girl?

Wait! I think I know who she is. Why they are together? And they are smiling at each other.

I texted him and look if he will take it and what will he be going to reply to.

He takes but he didn't reply.

When my phone rings and what I'm going to do? Should I answer it? He may be caught me up here hiding.

I run out and saw Dray heading towards here and I hooked my arms around him and told him to just act once Jay saw us.

But did they see me?

"Haha, really?" I say as we enter the shop.

"Yeah, and I didn't expect that, oh hi, Jay, and who is she?" Dray retorts as we got stopped when we got to bump into them.

"I'm Lyca, Jay's colleague, and you?" Lyca said when she introduced herself to Dray where Jay was gazing at me.

"I'm Dray, Shanie's close friend, nice to meet you" then Dray lend his hand for a shake.

"Nice to meet you too" Lyca says as she lends her hand as well and they shake hands.

"Are you going to buy too?" Lyca asks and my phone vibrates.

"Yeah, and uhmm.. See you, let's go, Sha!?" Dray retorts looking at me where I gaze at Jay who is looking at his phone. He was perhaps waiting for my reply.

Earn it!

"Nice to see you again, Lyca, and enjoy your day" I said and smiled at her which is fake.

"Same thing with you" Where we are heading to the counter.

"Good day Ms. and Mr., what can I do for you?" the sales lady representative asks and greet us as we reached the counter.

"What are you going to buy, Sha? It's my treat" Dray says when he gazed at me.

"Thank you, Dray, and I must the one who will treat you for helping me" I answered 'cause my plan was a success.

"It's my pleasure and let me treat you just this one, alright?" I smiled at him to just agree with him.

"I will just buy a color pad paper for my niece" and I headed to the paper station.

As I'm heading to the paper station, I took out my phone and read Jay's message.

He got annoyed.