Fireworks in the pine

Chapter 1: The Cold Return

Clara Rivera's hands gripped the leather steering wheel as her car snaked its way through the winding curves of Marcos Highway. The rhythmic hum of the engine blended with the gentle tapping of raindrops against the windshield, the sound both calming and unsettling. She’d driven this road a hundred times before, but today, it felt different. She hadn’t been back to Baguio in years. In fact, she hadn’t been back since the day she left—abruptly, almost without a goodbye.

The pine-scented mountain air seeped through the slightly cracked window, carrying with it the unmistakable scent of earth and wood. Clara inhaled deeply, and for a moment, it was as if she could almost reach back in time—touch the girl she had once been. That girl was free of the weight of corporate deadlines, untainted by the emotional scars of a toxic relationship, and full of a kind of hope she couldn’t seem to find anymore. But that girl was long gone.

Now, at thirty-two, Clara was a corporate lawyer in Manila—smart, ambitious, and successful on paper. Yet, she was burnt out, brokenhearted, and questioning everything she had worked so hard to achieve. She had spent the last few months trying to convince herself that leaving her toxic relationship behind was the right decision. But even though the relationship had ended, the bruises—emotional and psychological—lingered. And her career? It had consumed her to the point where she no longer recognized the woman in the mirror.

The soft hum of her car’s engine provided a temporary distraction, but the ache in her chest remained. The breakup had shattered something deep inside her, a part of her she hadn’t even known was fragile until it was broken. And the stress of her job had only added to the weight. So, when she’d found herself standing in the middle of her upscale, minimalist apartment—clothes strewn across the floor and an overwhelming sense of emptiness in the pit of her stomach—she had made an impulsive decision.

She needed to go back. Back to where it had all started. To the place where she could breathe without the suffocating weight of ambition hanging over her.

Baguio.

The thought of returning to her childhood home brought with it a sense of nostalgia, of safety, but also a deep pang of guilt. It had been years since she’d visited, years since she’d even thought about her grandmother’s bed-and-breakfast, nestled at the edge of the pine forest in Camp 7. Clara had abandoned that life when she moved to Manila to chase success, leaving behind not just Baguio, but everything that had once felt like home. The life of a corporate lawyer was a world away from the one she had known here, a life filled with pine-scented mornings and the laughter of her grandmother’s guests filling the house. It was a life she had traded for high-rise buildings, endless paperwork, and the constant hum of city life.

But now, Baguio called her back, its misty hills and cool air promising a respite from the chaos of her mind. Clara’s grandmother, Nanay Mila, had always insisted that the inn would be waiting for her whenever she needed it. Clara hadn’t believed her at the time. She hadn’t thought she’d ever need to return. But here she was, on a rainy December evening, heading straight into the heart of the mountains to confront the life she had left behind.

As Clara passed the old Lion’s Head, now weathered and crumbling from years of exposure, memories flooded back like a tidal wave. She could almost hear the echoes of her childhood—the laughter of her cousins, the playful teasing from her friends, the scent of fresh flowers from the nearby market. Baguio had always been a place of warmth, a sanctuary tucked away from the noise of the world. But with that sanctuary came a reminder of who she had been before she became the woman who now sat behind the wheel of a sleek, black car, her heart heavy with unresolved emotions.

The car took another sharp turn, and Clara was once again surrounded by the towering pines, their branches reaching out like old friends welcoming her home. She almost expected to see her grandmother’s old house in the distance, waiting for her with open arms, just as it had always done. But when the house finally came into view, Clara felt a jolt in her chest.

It wasn’t the house that had changed. It was her.

Nanay Mila’s bed-and-breakfast had once been the heart of their family. A simple, welcoming structure made of wood and stone, the inn had been alive with the constant hum of guests. She could almost hear the sounds—the clink of cups and plates in the kitchen, the laughter from the garden, the soft murmurs of conversations in the rooms. But now, as Clara parked her car and stepped out into the cold mountain air, the house looked different. The green shutters, once bright and crisp, now hung askew, their paint chipped and faded. The garden, once a riot of colors, now looked overgrown, the flowers wilting in the winter cold.

A sudden pang of guilt twisted Clara’s gut. She had promised her grandmother she would visit more often, that she wouldn’t forget this place. But in her pursuit of success, she had neglected the very things that had once anchored her—family, love, simplicity. She hadn’t even visited Nanay Mila since the funeral, let alone thought about the inn.

Taking a deep breath, Clara grabbed her suitcase from the trunk, her fingers trembling slightly. The house was quiet, too quiet, but she could feel the weight of memories pressing in around her.

The familiar sound of creaky wooden floors greeted her as she made her way up the front steps. Her hand hovered over the doorknob, a strange sense of hesitation settling in her chest.

“Welcome home, Clara.”

The voice was soft, familiar, and filled with love—just as it always had been. Clara’s throat tightened as she looked up to see her grandmother standing in the doorway, her small frame wrapped in a thick cardigan. Despite the years, Nanay Mila still looked the same—wrinkled, but with that same warmth in her eyes. Clara had always found comfort in those eyes, a silent assurance that no matter how far she wandered, this place would always be her home.

“I wasn’t sure you’d still recognize me,” Clara said, a shaky laugh escaping her lips.

Nanay Mila stepped forward, enveloping Clara in a tight hug. The scent of lavender and old books filled Clara’s senses, and for a moment, it felt like nothing had changed. She was still that girl, with her grandmother’s arms around her, safe from the pressures of the world.

“Of course, I recognize you, child. Come in. I’ve made you something to eat.”

Clara nodded, her heart swelling with emotion. She followed her grandmother inside, stepping into the cozy warmth of the living room. The fire crackled softly in the hearth, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee mixed with the scent of pine that had permeated the house for as long as Clara could remember.

Nanay Mila led Clara to the dining table, where a steaming bowl of sinigang, a Filipino sour soup, sat waiting for her. The simple dish was a taste of home, of memories she had pushed aside in her quest for success. As Clara took a seat and picked up her spoon, the weight of her exhaustion seemed to melt away, if only for a moment.

“I’ve missed this,” Clara murmured, taking a sip of the broth. It was warm, comforting, and reminded her of everything she had left behind.

“Good. You need to rest. You’ve been running too fast for too long, Clara,” Nanay Mila said, her voice tinged with concern. “Don’t worry about the inn. It’s been quiet, but the guests who come through—” She paused, her eyes lighting up with a knowing smile. “They always say this place has something special. You used to know that.”

Clara looked down at her bowl, the guilt she had buried rising once more. “I’m sorry, Nanay. I should have come sooner. I should have been here more.”

Her grandmother’s eyes softened. “You came when you needed to. That’s what matters now.”

Clara nodded, but her thoughts were far away, drifting to the life she had left behind in Manila. There were things she had to sort out, pieces of her life she needed to pick up. But for now, as the warmth of the fire wrapped around her and the mountain air drifted through the windows, Clara felt a flicker of hope. Perhaps this was the beginning of something new, something that didn’t involve corporate deadlines and broken promises.

And then, as if the universe were throwing a curveball, she heard a familiar voice, deep and resonant, from the porch.

"Clara?"

Her heart skipped a beat, the sound of her name so unexpected, so foreign in this place of old memories.

She froze, her spoon half-lifted to her mouth.

It couldn’t be. But then, a shadow moved across the porch, and Clara’s heart lurched.

Lucas Mendoza.

He was here.