CHAPTER 8:THE GUARDED ANCHOR
892 Words
Two months can change a lot when you’re rebuilding your life from scratch.
For eight weeks, my routine was clockwork:
Early lectures. Grueling exams. Library shifts until 5 PM.
I didn’t give myself room to breathe, let alone look back.
The wet termination letter? Locked in my drawer. A reminder of the future I refused to return to.
And it was paying off.
“Excellent work, Ms. Roman,” Prof. Doctolero muttered, handing back my midterm paper.
For the first time, his scowl was gone. Replaced by a nod of respect.
*100%.*
Red ink. Bold. Unmistakable.
Gasps filled the room. Whispers followed.
The girl they called a “disgraced failure” just set the highest score in Engineering.
I took my paper, sat down, and smiled to myself.
The high school valedictorian was back.
And this time, nothing could throw me off course.
But while my grades were solid, my heart was a different story.
The moment my shift started, I saw him.
Reuben. Already at the Engineering section, checking log lines.
For two months, despite my polite rejections and distance, he never stopped showing up.
He didn’t force his way in.
He just… stayed. A quiet, steady anchor in my chaotic grind.
At the circulation desk, a warm caramel macchiato waited for me.
Under it, a yellow sticky note:
_“You’ve been studying too hard for the midterms. Drink this before it gets cold. — R”_
My hands warmed around the cup.
I glanced over. Reuben was flipping through an Auditing reviewer, calm and focused.
At peace, even with the workload.
Karen nudged me, smirking.
“Grabe ang consistency ni Papa Reuben, no? Dalawang buwan na kayong magka-shift, pero ganiyan pa rin siya.
The King of Accountancy and the Queen of Engineering... bagay na bagay talaga kayo, Malia.”
My neck burned.
King of Accountancy. Queen of Engineering.
The university knew both.
He topped every board exam simulation.
I shattered Prof. Doctolero’s Calculus record.
Holding the coffee, I made a decision.
Two months of walls was enough to prove I wouldn’t be swayed.
But ignoring his kindness now? That would be cruel.
I walked out from behind the desk and sat across from him.
“Hindi ba pwedeng dinalhan mo na lang ako ng libro sa counter
kaysa nag-iiwan ka ng kape rito sa tabi ng logbook araw-araw?” I teased softly.
Reuben closed his book, smiling slow and breathtaking.
“I didn’t want to disturb the Queen while she was engineering her destiny.
But now that you’re here... do I finally get that thank-you conversation?”
“Thank you, ha, Reuben,” I said, sipping the coffee.
“You’ve been so thoughtful... kahit na I’m choosing to keep my distance.
Pasensiya ka na, I just have to…”
I trailed off.
Ten years of trauma was hard to explain.
Reuben didn’t push.
“You don’t have to explain anything, Malia,” he said softly.
“Sabi ko naman sa’yo noong unang araw, hindi ako nagmamadali.
I respect your boundaries. The last thing I want is to be a distraction.”
“Then why do you keep volunteering for the same shifts with me?”
“Because being the King of Accountancy means nothing
if I can’t support the Queen of Engineering,” he replied, eyes steady.
“Hindi ako nagpapapansin para guluhin ka.
I just want you to know you don’t have to carry the world alone.
Kung kailangan mo ng taga-bitbit ng libro, taga-timpla ng kape, o tagapakinig... nandito lang ako.”
My heart fluttered.
But this time, it didn’t feel like a trap.
With Reuben, it felt like a safe harbor.
“Salamat,” I whispered, smiling for real.
“I’ll hold you to that, Mr. Accountant.”
“It’s a deal, Ms. Engineer,” he said, eyes crinkling.
The rest of the shift felt lighter.
Every time I looked up, Reuben would glance over and give me a small nod.
He stayed within my boundaries.
But his presence felt like a shield.
At 5 PM, we hung our aprons and stepped out into the cool afternoon breeze.
“Let me walk you to your building’s lobby,” he offered.
“Hindi mo naman kailangan,” I said, but I didn’t stop walking beside him.
“Malapit lang naman Accountancy building,” he said.
“Tsaka, sabi ko naman sa’yo, handa akong maging taga-bitbit mo.”
I chuckled.
For the first time in ten years, I felt peace walking beside a man.
No demands. No expectations. Just quiet respect for my hustle.
At the Engineering building steps, he stopped.
Sunlight hit his face.
“Review well tonight, Malia. Don’t push yourself too hard,” he said softly,
reaching out to pat my head—brief, innocent, but it made my skin tingle.
“See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow, Reuben.”
I touched the spot where his hand rested, smiling.
Maybe this second life held more than a diploma.
Maybe it was also a chance to learn how to trust again.
I walked up the stairs, heart lighter than it had been in years.
I thought the storm had passed.
That my blueprint for success was safe.
But as the glass doors closed behind me, I didn’t know yet—
the calm was about to end.
A bigger, more dangerous storm was coming.
- Writer
