FORGOTTEN

Chapter 3 Manila and Jon

*Chapter 3: Manila, and Jon*

It didn’t rain the day Elias left.

But when Mara got home from their last coffee at KapeTayo, it did. Hard.

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### *Week 1: After*

She didn’t cry. Not right away.

She went to work the next day like nothing happened. Filed two stories. Laughed in a meeting.

When she got home, she opened her drawer. Elias’s hoodie was still there. It still smelled like his soap.

That’s when she cried. Quiet. For 20 minutes.

She hid the key under her notebooks.

### *Week 2: Jon*

Jon was from her team at the magazine. Also a writer. 30. Quiet but sharp. They were always stuck on overtime together because neither of them had kids.

One night, 11pm, they finished early.

"I’ll drive you home," Jon said.

"No, it’s okay."

"It’s raining. Let me."

In the car, no music. Just quiet.

"You okay?" Jon asked.

"Yeah."

"You’re not. But that’s okay."

Mara didn’t answer. But when she got out, Jon said:

"If you ever need to talk. I’m here."

### *Week 3-4: The In-Between*

Elias didn’t text.

Mara tried once. "Landed?"

Delivered. No reply.

So she stopped.

Jon was just... there. Bringing coffee when she had deadlines. Waiting when she took Lola to the doctor.

There was no courting. No dates. He was just there.

One night her friend asked her: "Does Jon like you?"

"I don’t know," Mara said.

"Do you like him?"

"I don’t know that either."

### *Month 2: The Mistake*

It was Lola’s birthday. 78.

Jon came over to help cook. Lola was used to him now.

"That boy is kind," Lola said while chopping onions.

"Yeah."

After the party, it was just them in the kitchen. Washing dishes.

"Tired?" Jon asked.

"Yeah."

"Can I hug you?"

Mara didn’t answer. But she didn’t pull away either.

It was just a hug. 10 seconds. But when he let go, something shifted.

The next day Jon texted: "Sorry if I crossed a line. I didn’t mean to."

Mara didn’t reply for 2 days.

### *Month 3: The Confession*

They ran into each other at the office.

"Are you mad?" Jon asked.

"No."

"Are you still hurting?"

"Yeah."

Jon nodded. "Me too. I hurt for you."

That’s how it started.

Not suddenly. No "I love you" right away.

Just movies. Just dinner. Just walks in UP.

Slowly, Mara got used to someone waiting for her at home. Got used to someone asking "did you eat yet?"

### *Month 4: The Email*

One morning at 3am, Mara couldn’t sleep.

She opened her laptop. Drafted an email to Elias.

_Elias,_

_I met someone. I didn’t plan it. But I got tired of waiting._

_I hope you’re okay in Europe._

_Take care._

_-M_

She didn’t send it.

A week later she found the courage.

She sent it. Then she blocked his number. Because she couldn’t handle seeing "read."

### *Month 5-6: The New One*

She and Jon were official now.

She didn’t tell Elias. She told Kiko, her editor.

"Kiko, if Elias emails, tell him I’m okay. But I need space."

That’s why Kiko emailed Elias.

Jon was kind. Caring. Stable. The kind of guy who came home and didn’t leave the next day.

But sometimes, at night, Mara would still see Elias’s key under her notebook.

She never threw it away.

### *One year later*

She and Jon moved to a bigger condo. Closer to work.

Sometimes Jon asked: "Do you still think about him?"

"Yeah," Mara said. "But it doesn’t hurt anymore."

She was lying. It still hurt. But it was a different kind of hurt. Numb.

She learned to cook adobo that tasted like Elias’s. But she made it for Jon.

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