The soft hum of the ocean stretched across the coastline, its rhythm steady and calming. The sky was painted with deepening hues of orange and violet as the sun inched its way down the horizon. Golden light shimmered across the gentle waves, while the sea breeze carried laughter and music from the company salo-salo behind the coconut trees.
The team had moved back to the open picnic area after the games—plastic tables lined with trays of food, paper plates stacked beside them, and colleagues taking shots while recounting the chaotic tug-of-war. Everyone seemed relaxed. Happy. Exhausted in a good way.
Pero si Mikaela, hindi siya sumama sa gitna ng kasiyahan.
Tahimik lang siyang lumayo, dinala ng mga paa niya ang sarili sa gilid ng resort, kung saan may swing na nakabitin sa pagitan ng da
