“OF COURSE. With you around, it will definitely be fun.” I nodded, completely forgetting where we were. All I could see was her and the glow in her face. “Gender does not really matter as long as they would all look like you.”
It was so easy to imagine her raising kids who looked exactly like her. But when I realized that it was Alaric who would be her children’s father, my smile vanished.

(Gianna)
“LET’S take a break for a while, kiddo. I am sure Manang Rosing had already prepared some snacks and drinks for us. You can go inside and eat.” I said to Miguel after we got tired flying our kites on the seashore.
The little boy eyed me reluctantly. “Would it be okay for me to eat there, Miss Gianna?”
I playfully messed his wavy hair. “Of course! Don’t hesitate to eat as much as you can. Didn’t I tell you the other day just how wealthy the owner of this place is? His wealth would not decrease just because you’d eat a lot in his kitchen. He would not even notice it.” I winked at him. “That’s why feel free to eat to your heart’s content. You can even bring some food to your Uncle later when he fetches you so that when you come home, he wouldn’t need to cook anymore. Both of you can eat right away.”
When Miguel ran back to the mansion with an excited look on his face, I stepped towards Caleb who was sitting alone on the sand while staring at the waves. I sat beside him. If there was one thing that I noticed about Caleb these past few days, it was the fact that he had become… gentle. He did not mind seeing Miguel now. In fact, he lets the kid play around and he even helped him make a kite a while ago. He was good at making it that’s why I took advantage of it and asked a kite for myself, too. That’s why in the end, Miguel and I played together while he watched on the background. I’ve missed doing it. The kids and I used to fly our kites when we were in the orphanage. That was our bonding time. And we used to play for hours. I didn’t think I could have fun in this place but I did.
Caleb remained polite in front of his employees but he was no longer as rude as before. It seemed like he had been careful in picking his words now. He also doesn’t demand anything from me anymore as if he had given up on doing it. He indulged my silly requests and allows me to be childish. Just like what happened earlier. And honestly, I was not sure what to think about him. Seeing him kept confusing me. And it was supposed to be a bad thing. But recently, spending time with him like this doesn’t seem… that bad at all.
That was the reason why I would often find myself feeling guilty at the end of the day. I could not help but sigh at the thought of it.
“What was that sigh for?” Caleb asked without looking at me.
I made myself busy and created a castle in the sand while thinking of what to say. Even if he was slowly changing, I still have to be cautious in whatever I would tell him. There was always a possibility that he would explode any time just like what happened a few days ago when he wanted to fire Manang Rosing.
“Don’t mind me. I just thought of going to the market. We’ve almost consumed all of our stocks in the kitchen. I notice that Manang Rosing seems to be a little tired lately especially that she kept coming back and forth in this place and to her apartment to visit her daughter. I know that she is getting really tired even if she doesn’t say it. Besides, she is not young anymore. I am thinking of buying the groceries instead of her so she can rest here for a while.
“But that would be impossible, right? You would not risk sending me to that place even with the guards around. Of course, the guards can always buy things for Manang Rosing. But you know them. They are not used to doing those stuffs. It would be a waste if they bought something else that Manang would not be able to use in cooking. I know you are a very wealthy man. Still, that was not enough reason for you to waste money.”
When Caleb remained silent, I gulped before proceeding nervously. Was I pushing my luck too much? I raised my right hand that was still filled with sand. “I promise that I will not try to escape. I will not even try to call Alaric anymore. I know better than to do that now. I’ve learned my lesson. I just really want to help Manang Rosing. I also want to go out. Let me do it, Caleb. Please.”
Instead of answering, he took my hands and removed the sand there using his handkerchief. “I believe you. Actually, I haven’t been to the market ever since I arrived here. I will go with you there. Let’s buy the groceries together tomorrow.”
My eyes glimmered. “Really? Thank you, Caleb!”
Caleb just smiled and caressed my cheeks before he lay on the sand and closed his eyes. He was still as mysterious as before. Whenever he would be this quiet, I could not help but be curious. What could be going on in his mind right now? I know that it was still very difficult for Caleb to forget the past that’s why he still would not let me go until now. But on days like this, I could not help but think that it was not really me who was trapped. It was him.
He was trapped by the memories of the past and by the countless it-could-have-beens with his supposed to be wife and child.