One More Chance by Jaycelle Rodriguez

Chapter 129: Finding someone to love

~~~Life comes in many shapes. You think you know what you got until it changes. And life will take you high

and low. You gotta learn how to walk and then which way to go. After you clear your eyes you'll see the light

somewhere in the darkness. After the rain has gone you'll feel the sun come. And though it seems your sorrow

never ends, someday it's gonna make sense~~~

-Michael Learns to Rock-

Thirty minutes have passed and customers have begun to enter the coffee shop, but | don't dare call Dana as |

don't want to 'disturb' them. Maybe they're now in the middle of making their first baby, besides, Lydia and

Arthur, our morning staff went to work early. "Sam, why is the kitchen off limit?" Maybe curiosity stuck in Lydia's

head as she pointed to the paper glued to the door that has the 'Off Limits' sign written on it.

But before | could open my mouth, Arthur whispered something into Lydia's ear that caused her eyes to widen.

And | guess | don't have to ask what Arthur told her because her eyes already say it all.

And because we were busy attending to the customers’ orders, we didn't notice the time. We were just surprised

when we saw Caleb exiting the kitchen and sat down at one of the tables on the side near the glass panel.

| raised an eyebrow and went straight to the kitchen but | met Dana halfway who was still fixing her hair.

"Hey, did you two clean up your mess in the kitchen?" | asked, playfully glaring at her but she just giggled.

"Don't worry, Sam, we didn't do it in the kitchen."

"Huh?" | was slightly shocked by her answer. "And where did you---"

"In the comfort room," she winked atwith a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"Geez! Make sure you didn't leave any mess in the CR because that's embarrassing!"

"Haha, we cleaned it up so don't worry."

"Haist!"

And she left still laughing at my reaction.

"Hey, are you two going out today?"

"Huh? No, why do you ask?" Dana frowned at my question. It's ten minutes before 11 am and Caleb is still sitting

in the shop.

"Because your fiancé is still here. Is he waiting for you?"

"Oh, he's not waiting forbut his friend, the one | told you about the other day?"

And since the frown on my forehead got deeper, she had no choice but to elaborate.

"Remember, we discussed their new project?"

"Ohh... yeah, | get it," | said nodding as | remembered she toldabout Caleb's new project the other day.

"He has an outdoor meeting with his CEO friend and he invited him here. You know, he still has to convince him

to agree with the percentage of discount he was asking."

"| see. How many are they?"

"It's just the two of them."

"Hmm... okay, if you need help later in giving their orders I'm just inside. I'll just have to call my daughter."

"Nah, don't worry about it, Lydia and Arthur are here, just tell Cali that Tita Dana misses her." (Tita means Auntie)

"1 will."

The moment | started to step into our small office, | heard the sound of the wind chimes in the doorway, an

indication that we had a new customer again. But since there were three of them left on the counter, | continued

walking until | reached the door to our office. | didn't know that the person who had just entered the coffee shop

was the one Dana referred to as Caleb's friend.

| did what | had to do. | called my daughter and asked about her day before she goes to bed. The Philippine time

is 15 hours ahead of Los Angeles, so if it's 10:50 am here, that means it's 7:50 pm in LA and it's tfor Cali's

sleep as she has class the next morning. She toldhow happy she was when her Uncle Dale and Auntie Jack

let her go with them to the hospital for Jack's monthly check-up. She said she's so excited and can't wait to see

the baby, especially when she found out it was a baby girl. She's finally having a sister. "Mommy, | hope

someday when you get married again, you'll have a baby boy so | can have both sister and brother."

| couldn't help but laugh when | heard what she said on the other line.

"Mom, please find someone to love and get married again."

"Oh, God!" | covered my mouth as | burst into laughter. "Baby, it's not easy to find someone to love and---"

"Why not? You're beautiful and | know lots of gentlemen will fall in love with you."

| just bit my lip to stop it from laughing. It's as if Dana and Cali talked about this matter.

"Cali, my baby, | know you're excited to have siblings, but honey, falling in love and marrying someone is not

easy as buying toys in the toys store or groceries in the supermarket that when your cart has had enough load,

you can pay at the cashier and go home. It takes compromise, sacrifice and revealing yourself to another person

and as of this moment, | still haven't been able to find that person I'm willing to reveal myself to, honey."

"But you're not getting any younger, mommy."

| chuckled again. If it's not Jack who told her that line, I'm sure it's Dana.

"Finding someone to love has nothing to do with age, my baby, it's about finding the right person who will love

you, will accept you and will stay beside you until you both get old."

"But mom---"

"Con, let's not talk about this ‘marriage thing', honey. You're too young to discuss this matter with me. Don't

worry, I'll just surprise you someday with a new boyfriend, how's that?"

And she just laughed aton the other line.

"For now, you have to promisethat you will study hard, okay?"

"Okay, mom, | promise." She giggled. "I miss you, mom."

"I miss you too, my baby."

Our conversation lasted for almost 30 minutes as we talked about srandom things like we always do every

t| call her or when she calls me.

And after ending the call, | quickly checked myself in the mirror and reapplied my lipstick which is in a shade of

burgundy. | don't know what comes into my mind as | also add mascara and a super light blusher.

After checking my makeup for I don't know how many times, | decided to leave the office and headed back to the

counter.

| found Dana and our two-morning staff busy serving each of their customers, so | just stayed at the counter and

checked the sales on the computer.

A few minutes later, Dana cback and sat down in the chair next to mine.

"There he is, Sam, he is so handsome!"

"Who?" | frowned at her as she squealed next to me, but not enough to catch someone's attention.

"Caleb's friend. He just arrived right before you walked into the office."

"Ahh..." Because | was busy checking our daily sales, I just give them a quick glance and turned my eyes back to

the monitor.

"Oh, wait, Caleb is calling me." And she excitedly ran towards her boyfriend's table.

| just watched her and shook my head.

"Haist! Love birds!" | muttered when she reached their table.

Caleb was the one facing my direction and his friend was facing the opposite side, so | couldn't see his face no

matter how | tried.

Five minutes have passed, Dana went back to the counter and to my surprise, she askedto prepare her

boyfriend and his friend's orders as her stomach suddenly wanted to meet the comfort room and she couldn't

take it any longer. So | was left with no choice but to prepare their orders.