Sunday lunch. Isabelle didn't know why she agreed to this.
"Relax," Marco whispered beside her as they stood outside Ethan and Lara's door. "They don't bite."
"Your confidence is not helping," she muttered.
Before she could say anything else, the door opened.
"Finally!" Lara beamed, pulling Isabelle into a hug. "I've been waiting for this."
"For what?" Isabelle asked, confused.
"To see if this is real or fake," Ethan chimed in from behind, arms crossed with a teasing smirk.
"Kuya!" Isabelle groaned.
Marco chuckled. "To be fair… we're still figuring that out."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Sounds serious."
Isabelle felt her cheeks heat up. "It's… complicated."
"Love is always complicated," Lara said softly, exchanging a knowing glance with Ethan.
They all sat down for lunch, the atmosphere light but filled with subtle tension. Isabelle could feel Ethan observing them, while Lara kept smiling like she already knew everything.
"So," Ethan started casually, "what's the status?"
"Kuya…" Isabelle warned.
"What? I'm just asking," he shrugged. "You deserve something real, Isa."
Marco glanced at Isabelle before answering. "We're trying."
Lara's smile softened. "Trying is a good start."
"But it's also scary," Isabelle admitted quietly.
Ethan leaned forward slightly. "It should be. If it's not scary, it probably doesn't matter enough."
Marco nodded. "Exactly."
Isabelle looked between them, feeling oddly comforted.
"Let me tell you something," Lara added gently. "When Ethan and I started… it wasn't easy either. There were misunderstandings, doubts… even moments where we thought it wouldn't work."
Ethan smirked. "She almost gave up on me, actually."
"I had valid reasons!" Lara shot back, laughing.
The room filled with warmth, easing Isabelle's nerves.
"But we chose to stay," Lara continued. "Every single time. That's what makes it real."
Isabelle glanced at Marco, who was already looking at her.
"Choosing…" she whispered.
Later that afternoon, after lunch, Ethan suddenly spoke up again.
"Alright, challenge time."
Isabelle blinked. "What?"
"Simple," he said, leaning back. "You two spend the next hour together—no phones, no distractions. Just talk. If you can survive that without awkward silence, then maybe you're on the right track."
"Kuya, that's so random," Isabelle complained.
Marco grinned. "I'm in."
She groaned. "Of course you are."
They ended up on the balcony, sitting side by side.
For a few seconds… silence.
"Okay, this is awkward," Isabelle muttered.
Marco laughed softly. "A little."
"Your fault," she teased.
"My fault? You agreed to this too."
She sighed, then smiled slightly. "Fine. Let's do this."
They started talking—about work, random childhood memories, embarrassing moments, even silly preferences like favorite food and movies.
And somehow… it wasn't forced.
It flowed.
"See?" Marco said after a while. "Not so hard."
"Yeah…" Isabelle admitted, smiling. "It's actually… nice."
He leaned closer slightly. "That's because it's real."
Her heart skipped.
For the first time, Isabelle didn't feel like she was pretending.
No act. No script.
Just… them.
And as she laughed at something Marco said, she realized—
Maybe this wasn't just something they were trying.
Maybe… it was something worth keeping.