The afternoon sun, a blinding disc of white, beat down on the small town of Lourdes, baking the asphalt of the churchyard until the air shimmered with heat. It was a day of first communions, a procession of children in starched white clothes.
Amidst the pastel-colored chaos, a man stood apart from the crowd, an island of calm in a sea of chattering families. Tall and strikingly handsome, he possessed an almost predatory charisma, the kind that made every woman turn their head for a second look. This was Nephtali Gonzaga, and he looked thoroughly out of place.
A second man, equally tall and well-built, with a similar magnetic presence, approached him. This was Dave Nolasco.
"Wipe that scowl off your face," Dave said, his voice low and teasing. "You'll frighten your godson." He paused, a flicker of genuine hurt in his eyes. "This is the first favor I've asked of you in years, not since you vanished without a trace."
"You should be grateful I even came," Nephtali grumbled, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with a practiced detachment. "You know I hate crowds. They won't leave me alone, always asking about my family, about the good they've done for this town."
"Sorry, Boss," Dave said, the honorific a throwback to their younger days. "Your ancestors built this province, and your father was the town's last mayor. It's only natural people would flock to you."
"And the moment my back is turned," Nephtali interjected, a bitter edge to his voice, "they'll talk about my womanizing, how I have children scattered with different mothers."
Dave sighed, a weary shake of his head. "You had a woman once who left with your child. And you had a wife who trapped you into marriage by faking a pregnancy. Why do you listen to gossip that you know isn't even true?"
Nephtali didn't answer. His eyes had found something in the crowd. A young woman with long, dark hair was arranging a child's collar. She turned, a smile lighting up her face as she greeted some friends, and in that instant, Nephtali froze. His world narrowed, every other person and sound fading into a distant hum.
"So, how long are you staying?" Dave asked, oblivious. "You should come home more often so we can get the gang back together. The others miss you. We talk about you all the time. Why do you even work so far away? You practically own this province; you don't need a job. Just come back."
Nephtali remained silent, his gaze fixed on the girl. Dave noticed and turned to look. He jabbed his friend in the arm.
"Get out of the way!" Nephtali snapped, pushing him.
"You weren't listening to a word I said! Why are you staring at Joyce?"
"You know her?"
"What do you mean, 'her'? She's fifteen, not ten. She just looks young because of her baby face. Her family just moved here. Everyone talks about how beautiful she is."
"Her name is Joyce?" Nephtali asked, the name a soft echo on his lips.
"Yeah. Liezel Joyce Almonte."
"How do you know her?"
"Her parents were part of the couples' ministry at the church," Dave explained. "Jerry knows her mom, who used to sing here. Besides, this town is too small for me not to know everyone."
"Only a gossip like you would know everyone," Nephtali muttered, turning away in annoyance.
"Why did Mina choose you to be my son's godfather?" Dave called after him.
"Because your wife wanted your son to be as smart and handsome as his Godfather Nephtali." He flashed a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Nephtali sat down at a nearby keyboard and began to play. Many people turned to look, drawn by the sudden, soulful melody. Joyce, too, noticed the man, her eyes meeting his from across the yard. Nephtali felt a jolt as their gazes locked. He saw her smile and his own heart gave a strange, powerful lurch.
"What's with the sudden change of mood?" Dave asked, walking over to him.
Nephtali's eyes remained on Joyce as she laughed with her friends. Dave followed his gaze, a slow understanding dawning on his face.
"What are you doing?" Dave asked, his voice now serious.
"What do you think I'm doing?" Nephtali countered.
"You look like you've been struck by five thousand of Cupid's arrows. You can't take your eyes off her."
"I don't even understand it myself."
"Go find your godson. Mass is about to start."
After the communion, a few people recognized Nephtali and came to greet him, but he was no longer listening. He was searching the crowd for Joyce. She was nowhere to be found. He was alone, sitting at the keyboard inside the church, when he saw her enter, looking for something. He approached her.
"Are you looking for something?"
Joyce stopped, her eyes widening slightly as she took in the handsome man before her. Nephtali, in turn, was struck by her close-up beauty. Her skin was fair, her eyes soft and gentle, and her long hair fell to her waist. She was shorter than him, but her presence was immense.
"I lost my bracelet," she said, her voice a soft murmur. "I think I dropped it here."
"I'll help you look," he said, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "If you lost it here, it's not going anywhere. They haven't cleaned up yet, so don't worry."
He helped her search, and within moments, he found it. He walked back to her, holding out the silver chain.
"Thank you so much," she said, relief washing over her face. "It's my sister's. How can I ever repay you?"
"Don't worry about it," he said, his eyes on her face. "It looks like the clasp is broken. That's probably why it fell off."
"That's it!" she exclaimed. "I didn't even notice it was broken."
She noticed a smudge of lipstick on his cheek. She reached into her bag and pulled out a clean, white handkerchief.
"You can use this to wipe it off," she said, handing it to him. "It's my handkerchief."
Nephtali blushed, a rare warmth spreading through him. "I didn't even notice," he said, taking the cloth. "My godson's godmother kissed me earlier. I'll give this back to you when we see each other again."
"Let me help you," she said, taking the handkerchief back from him.
Nephtali froze as she gently wiped the lipstick from his cheek. His heart hammered against his ribs. He noticed the perfect curve of her lips, the smooth texture of her skin. He felt a sudden, profound desire to hold onto this moment forever. She handed the handkerchief back to him.
"Thank you again," she said. "I have to go now."
He watched her walk away, speechless, the plain white handkerchief a talisman in his hand. Later that evening, he sat alone, a beer in his hand, lost in thought. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice his friends approaching until they were right in front of him. He quickly hid the handkerchief.
"I knew he'd be here," Dave said, a grin on his face. "What's the problem this time? Another woman?"
"Boss, you look serious," Dranreb said, concern etched on his face. "Ruth still won't come back?"
"She'll come back," Gadriel said, ever the optimist. "She can't leave our boss alone."
"She flew to London a month ago for work," Nephtali said, his voice flat. "She left our son with her family. They won't let me visit him, much less take him." A hollow smile appeared on his face.
The men fell silent for a moment before Jerry spoke. "You're not funny, Neph. Did Ruth really leave you?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Nephtali said, a hard edge to his voice. "We're done. End of story. What do you guys want?"
"I was thinking," Dave said, "we should have a choir reunion. Father wants to organize a concert, just like the old days."
"I'm only here for two months," Nephtali said. "I can't stay. I have to go back to work. If you want a reunion, do it without me."
"This is a great opportunity," Dave pleaded. "The kids can see what we used to do, and it'll be a great time for old friends and lovers to see each other again."
The men laughed, remembering their youthful antics.
"I said no," Nephtali said, his voice firm. "I don't have time."
"Someone already created a concert flow," Dave said, a sly glint in his eyes. "All you have to do is coordinate. Jerry, show him."
Jerry handed a piece of paper to Nephtali. He noticed an acronym on the back. "Who made this?" he asked.
"I found it," Jerry said. "I was at the high school for their baccalaureate mass, and I found it in the trash. The song selections are great, and there are some good suggestions. I just can't read some of the notes."
"There's a name on the back," Gadriel said. "LJA. What does that stand for?"
Nephtali's mind raced, a name forming in his head, but he wasn't sure. He said nothing.
In the weeks that followed, Nephtali found himself at the church for practice, but he never saw Joyce. Two girls walked in to grab some chairs. One of their phones rang.
"Joyce, I'm so sorry I didn't reply yesterday," one of the girls said, her voice bright.
Nephtali froze, his heart pounding at the sound of her name.
"I'll give you back your notebook next month. I'll take good care of it. When are you coming back? So you can watch our concert? We can meet up then, so I can give you your ticket. Okay, bye."
"Joyce gets to go on vacation, and we're stuck here," the other girl, Jessa, grumbled. "Wait for me, I have to go to the bathroom."
Jessa left, and Nephtali walked over to the remaining girl, Kaye.
"Kaye, I heard you mention a ticket for your friend. What kind of ticket is it?"
"Just a regular ticket, sir," she said. "But she's paying me for it."
"Would you mind swapping it with me?" he said, pulling two VIP tickets out of his wallet. "I have two VIP tickets, but the people I'm giving them to are too loud. They can't sit in the front. Give these to your friend instead. They're already paid for."
Kaye's eyes widened. "Really, Sir Neph? These are first-class seats, aren't they?"
"What's your friend's name?" he asked, ignoring her question. "I'll have it changed on the ticket."
"Liezel Joyce Almonte," she said. "She really wanted to join the concert, but her parents wouldn't let her because of her condition."
"What condition?" Nephtali asked, his voice low and serious.
"Before school closed, we noticed she was getting really weak and having severe nosebleeds. She just got out of the hospital last week. Her parents took her to her dad's town to rest. They said she was just tired from school because she's a very hardworking student."
Jessa returned, having heard the end of the conversation. "I told you, she has leukemia," she said. "Why don't you believe me? She needs to be treated, not go on vacation."
Nephtali's world came crashing down. He stared out into the distance, the words echoing in his mind. The practice was over, but he couldn't get the news out of his head.
"Boss, I've been watching you," Ram said, walking over to him. "You always zone out after practice and don't listen to us. You're still thinking about your wife, aren't you? Why won't you just call her?"
"Ram," Nephtali said, his voice a strained whisper, "where is Tito Carlo? He used to be the municipal doctor, but he went back to the States to be a blood specialist, right?"
"Yeah, he's in the city now," Ram said, a concerned look on his face. "Why? Is someone sick?"
"A friend of mine needs help finding a good doctor," Nephtali said, trying to sound casual. "Who's the municipal doctor here now?"
"My cousin, Mike. You know him. You used to play basketball with him. Just go to the hospital. He'll be surprised to see you."
As the others packed up, Nephtali walked over to Dave, who was eating a lollipop. Nephtali snatched it from his hand.
"If you want a lollipop, get your own."
"I need your help," Nephtali said, ignoring him.
Dave froze, looking around wildly.
"What are you doing?" Nephtali asked, annoyed.
"Neph, you've never asked anyone for help. Are you pranking me? Is there a camera on me?"
"I'm serious. I need your help."
"You want me to help you follow your wife to London? Everyone's been saying you're depressed because she left you."
"It's about Joyce."
Dave dropped the cable he was holding, his mind a sudden blank. He sat down beside Nephtali, silent, a hundred thoughts swirling in his head.
"You're the only one I can trust," Nephtali said, his voice low and intimate. "Even though you're a gossip, you can keep a secret when it comes to me."
"What's going on in your head, Neph? Are you in love with Joyce?"
Nephtali couldn't answer.
"Do you know how big the age gap is between you two?"
"I'm not going to approach her or talk to her," Nephtali said, his gaze fixed on some distant point. "I'm not hoping she'll ever feel the same. I just want to see her happy. To see her smile. It's enough for me to watch her from a distance, as long as she's here."
Dave was speechless.
"The moment I saw her smile, something inside me came back to life," Nephtali continued. "I hadn't smiled in years. She brought it back so easily. She made me happy. I know our age gap is huge—I'm thirty-two, she's fifteen. I'm not expecting anything. I just want to see her happy."
"You're just hurting yourself," Dave said, his voice soft with sympathy. "You'll forget her when you go back to the city. But I can't stand to see you like this. I'll help you. I don't want you to do something stupid because I didn't help."
Nephtali looked at his oldest friend, the man he considered his brother, and for the first time in a long time, he smiled, a genuine, powerful smile.