Morning again. The street had once more become the home of Renzo, Julia, and their group. The blaring jeepney horns, the stench of smoke and garbage—yet to them, this was normal.
"Renzo, look, a can fell!" one of the kids shouted.
They quickly picked it up, laughing together. They mingled with other street dwellers, flowing along with the city's current.
In the midst of it all, Julia was quiet, as if lost in thought.
"Julia, are you okay?" Renzo asked, carrying their sack.
She looked at him, then back at the street.
"I don't know, Renzo. It feels like… someone's looking for me. Ever since that night when that vehicle stopped and stared, I can't get it out of my mind."
Renzo placed a hand on her shoulder.
"No matter what happens, I won't leave you."
Julia's eyes grew warm, but she quickly held back the tears. "Thank you, Renzo."
That afternoon, as they ate the bread they bought from their earnings, another multicab stopped across the street.
This time, a woman stepped down with her husband. She immediately turned her gaze to the group, and when her eyes fell on Julia, her heartbeat raced.
"Julia…" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Julia turned, eyes widening. She didn't know these people… yet something stirred in her chest.
"Julia, my daughter? Is that really you?" the woman called, her tears falling as she slowly walked closer.
The other kids stood up in surprise, while Renzo quickly stepped in front of Julia, ready to protect her if needed.
"What do you want with Julia?" Renzo demanded firmly.
But the woman didn't answer. Instead, she pulled out a small photo from her wallet—a picture of a little girl, younger, thinner, but unmistakably Julia.
Julia's eyes widened. Memories flooded back: a house in the province, her parents' laughter, and the night she disappeared.
"Mother?" she whispered, lips trembling.
The woman rushed forward and embraced her tightly, sobbing.
"Yes, Julia! It's me—your mother. We've been searching for you for so long. Thank God you're alive…"
Julia could no longer speak. Her tears fell freely as her mother held her.
Renzo stood aside, feeling both relief and unease.
At last, Julia had a family who loved her… but what would happen now to the family they had built on the streets?
Before nightfall, Julia had already decided to go with her parents. Renzo and the other children felt a sharp pain in their chests.
Their faces were painted with deep sorrow, knowing that in just a short while, they would no longer be with Julia.
Some of them held the plastic bottles and old newspapers they had collected earlier, their hands trembling.
Renzo tried his best to rub his eyes discreetly so that Julia wouldn't notice the tears threatening to fall.
"My friends," he began softly, his voice shaking, "I have to say goodbye."
Some of them were caught by surprise, while others lowered their heads in silence.
The youngest of the group immediately clung to Julia's arm. "Big Sister Julia… why? Are you leaving us?" asked Jasper, his voice trembling as tears welled up in his seven-year-old eyes.
Julia gently stroked the boy's hair. "It's not because I don't want to be with you… it's because I have a family who's been looking for me. I've been away from them for a long time. And now, they've finally found me." Tears started streaming down Julia's cheeks.
Renzo remained silent, simply looking at her. His eyes reflected the emotions he was trying so hard to hold back.
"Renzo…" Julia stepped closer, her voice breaking under the weight of her emotions. "Thank you. Even though we were only together for a few days, I learned so much from you—especially your strength in facing life." Her lips quivered as she tried to stop herself from crying.
She turned to the other children. "All of you… you became my siblings. I will never forget everything we went through together—the laughter, the hardships, the hunger we endured side by side." Her lips trembled as she spoke.
She hugged each of them one by one. Some cried, while others remained silent, their heads bowed. When she finally faced Renzo, she could no longer hold back her tears. She cried openly, her mouth wide as sobs poured out.
She hugged him tightly. "I don't know when we'll see each other again. But one thing's for sure: I will never forget you, Renzo." Her words broke between sobs.
"Promise me… don't forget us," Renzo said through tears.
"I promise, Renzo. We'll see each other again," Julia replied.
Julia's parents were deeply moved by the bond the children shared. It was as if they were more than siblings.
"Thank you, Renzo, and all of you kids, for looking after Julia," said Aling Lorna, Julia's mother, her voice filled with gratitude and joy at finally being reunited with her daughter.
Before saying her final goodbye, Julia removed the silver necklace with the heart-shaped pendant she had found days earlier. Gently, she placed it around Renzo's neck.
"This is for you, Renzo, so you'll always remember me even when we're apart," Julia whispered softly.
Renzo held the pendant tightly as Julia and her parents boarded the multicab and drove away.
Julia leaned out the window and looked back one last time to wave her final goodbye.
"Goodbye!" she shouted, waving her hand as her tears were carried away by the wind.
****
On the first night without Julia, the street fell silent. The lamppost that once witnessed their laughter now stood in quiet melancholy, submerged in the stillness of the night.
The cardboard boxes and old sacks that Renzo and Julia used to share were still laid out—but now, there was a large empty space. A vacant spot.
Renzo sat on the side, head lowered, clutching the pendant on his chest. He remembered Julia's promise that they would meet again. "I know we'll see each other again," he whispered to himself.
"Kuya Renzo… is Ate Julia really gone?" asked Jasper, the youngest, his voice trembling.
Renzo looked at the boy and forced a smile, though tears brimmed in his eyes. "She's with her family now. That's better for her," he explained gently.
"But… won't she ever come back?" asked Marlon, an eight-year-old, his voice on the verge of tears.
Renzo couldn't answer right away.
He felt a heaviness in his chest, a pain he didn't know how to ease. In the end, he looked up at the sky, at the stars shimmering against the black night.
"She'll come back… and even if she doesn't, she'll never forget us," he said softly, though his heart was filled with longing.
One by one, the children lay down, huddling close together to fight off the night's cold. But something was different.
Julia's loud laughter was gone. Her stories that once brightened their nights were no longer there.
Renzo lay down alone, eyes wide open, staring at the empty space where Julia used to sleep. It was as if she was still there—smiling, teasing.
A warm tear slid down the side of his face. "Julia…" he whispered into the night. "I miss you."
And on that first night without Julia, Renzo learned how heavy silence can be—and how deep the emptiness is when someone you love and consider family is gone.