Love, Heila (Tagalog)

Chapter 13

The Tuesday morning heat arrived with a heavy, oppressive humidity that made the air inside the shop feel thick and stationary. By nine o'clock, the sun was already beating down hard on the concrete alley outside, forcing us to keep the front glass doors firmly shut and the old, rattling air conditioner running at its maximum capacity. The mechanical hum of the unit provided a steady, white-noise backdrop to the quiet scraping of my plastic rake against the wooden floor tiles.

Hijomi was sitting at the far end of the worktable, his head resting in his hands as he meticulously separated a massive bundle of imported baby's breath into smaller, delicate sprigs. For once, he wasn't singing along to the radio or gossiping about the local neighborhood chismis; the heat had effectively sapped his energy, leaving him looking like a deflated balloon.

"Heila, kapag ganito kainit ang buong linggo, baka bago sumapit ang Sabado ay lantang-gulay na ang mga puting rosas natin sa storage room," Hijomi groaned, tossing a broken stem onto the discard pile. "Kailangan nating dagdagan ang yelo doon sa mga balde, kundi, malulugi na naman tayo sa supplies."

"Alam ko, Hijomi. Pinasok na ni Rehan 'yung unang batch ng yelo kanina bago pa dumating 'yung huling delivery galing sa market," sagot ko habang nagpupunas ng pawis sa noo gamit ang likod ng aking braso. "Mabuti nga at maagang nagising si Rehan ngayon para tulungan ako mag-ayos ng conditioning buckets."

Speaking of Rehan, he was currently in the deep corner of the back room, quietly cleaning out the large glass display cases. He had rolled his black sweatshirt sleeves all the way up past his elbows, exposing the pale, lean muscles of his forearms as he aggressively wiped down the glass pane with a newspaper and vinegar solution. He worked with a silent, heavy intensity, his sharp jawline clenched tightly as if the act of cleaning glass required the same amount of strategic focus as leading an army.

Every time I looked at him, I still felt a tiny, lingering twinge of embarrassment from yesterday morning when I had accidentally wiped the dirt off his face. He hadn't brought it up, and neither had I, but the space between us felt just a fraction different now—less like a boss and an intimidating stranger, and more like two people sharing a quiet, mutual rhythm.

The sharp, distinct ting of the front door brass bell broke the quiet hum of the shop.

I turned around, expecting a frantic walk-in customer looking for a last-minute anniversary bouquet. Instead, my chest tightened slightly with concern as I saw Marion Devan step inside.

He looked incredibly exhausted. The usual sharp, perfectly tailored appearance of the Marketing Department Head was noticeably compromised. His dark charcoal suit jacket was draped loosely over his left arm, his silk tie was slightly askew at his collar, and the top button of his white dress shirt was undone. His hair, which was normally meticulously styled with pomade, looked slightly messy, with a few stray strands falling over his forehead. He carried a heavy leather briefcase in one hand and a stack of printed corporate folders in the other.

"Good morning, Heila," Marion greeted, his voice carrying a rough, raspy edge that suggested he had been speaking in meetings for hours without a break. He managed to force a small, polite smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, which were bloodshot and heavy with dark circles.

"Hey! Kaaga mo naman yata ngayon?" mabilis akong lumapit sa kaniya, guiding him toward the small wooden chair near the display window. "Maupo ka muna rito. Mukhang galing ka sa gyera, ah? Anong nangyari?"

Marion let out a long, heavy sigh as he sank into the chair, placing his briefcase and folders onto the low corner table. He leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes for a brief second. "Honestly, Heila, it feels like a war. Our department is preparing for the Q3 regional campaign launch, and the board of directors suddenly moved the deadline up by two weeks. I’ve been at the office since four o'clock this morning rewriting the entire marketing proposal."

"Four ng umaga?!" Hijomi chimed in from the table, his eyes wide with horror. "Jusko, Marion, tao ka pa ba? Sa oras na 'yan, tulog na tulog pa ako at nananaginip ng masasarap na pagkain!"

Marion let out a weak, genuine laugh at Hijomi's reaction, opening his eyes to look at us. "When you're the head of the department, Hijomi, your time isn't really yours anymore. The pressure from the executive board is immense. If this campaign fails, it’s my neck on the line." He paused, his expression softening as he looked around the peaceful, colorful environment of the flower shop. "I just needed a fifteen-minute escape from the corporate building before my next executive board presentation. Your shop is the only place in this town that doesn't smell like printer ink and anxiety."

"Sure, pwedeng-pwede ka namang tumambay rito kahit gaano mo katagal gusto," malumanay kong sabi, feeling a deep wave of sympathy for him. Marion was the absolute definition of a hard worker—someone who built his career entirely from scratch, using his intellect and dedication to secure a stable future. "Teka lang, ikukuha kita ng malamig na tubig. Mukhang tuyong-tuyo na ang lalamunan mo."

As I turned around to head into the back pantry, the wooden slats of the separating curtain shifted open. Rehan stepped out into the main aisle, carrying a freshly washed glass vase under his arm. His dark, sharp eyes immediately locked onto Marion's disheveled corporate figure sitting in the chair.

The air between the two men grew quietly still. Marion, despite his immense exhaustion, maintained his innate polite character. He gave Rehan a respectful, weary nod. "Hi, Rehan. Good to see you. Thanks again for your hard work at the pavilion."

Rehan stood completely motionless for a split second. He observed the deep circles under Marion's eyes, the wrinkled fabric of his expensive corporate shirt, and the slight tremor in Marion's fingers as he reached out to organize his folders. Rehan didn't say a word, but he gave a single, firm nod of acknowledgement before placing the glass vase down onto the counter.

"I will get the water," Rehan suddenly spoke up, his low, accented baritone cutting through the quietness of the room.

I blinked in surprise, looking at Rehan. "Ah, sige, Rehan. Salamat. Paki-kuha na rin 'yung pitsel doon sa ref."

Rehan disappeared into the pantry, leaving the curtain swinging slowly behind him. Marion watched him leave, a thoughtful, faint smile appearing on his lips as he turned back to me. "He’s a very quiet guy, Heila. But there’s something very steady about him. He reminds me of some of the international consultants we hire from multinational firms—very precise, very observant."

"Naku, napakasungit niyan kapag hindi mo kausap," biro ko habang naupo sa tabi ng mesa ni Marion. "Pero totoo, napakasipag niya rito sa shop. Malaking tulong siya sa akin, lalo na noong bumaha."

"That’s good to hear," Marion said softly. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his temples. "I’m glad you have someone reliable here. Especially now... when things are getting so chaotic."

"Kaya nga e. Anyway, kumusta naman kayo ni Leticia?" tanong ko nang maingat, remembering what he had mentioned about her being under a lot of stress from her family. "Nagustuhan ba niya 'yung mga centerpieces na dinala mo sa bahay nila pagkatapos ng dinner?"

A sudden, sharp shadow passed over Marion's features. It was incredibly brief, but because I had known him for years, I didn't miss the way his jaw tightened. He picked up one of his folders, his thumb lightly brushing against the edge of the cardboard.

"She... she wasn't home when I dropped them off," Marion said quietly, his voice dropping into a lower, more careful tone. "Her mother told me she had to go out of town for an urgent corporate seminar in Batangas. She left early that morning. I haven't really had the chance to talk to her much on the weekend. Her phone has been mostly turned off, or she says the signal at the resort pavilion is weak."

My heart gave a strange, uneasy thud. Out of town? Weekend seminar? I didn't know why, but a faint, cold feeling of discomfort settled in my stomach. Marion was sitting right in front of me, defending her absence with that absolute, green-flag understanding that defined his character. He loved her so deeply that he automatically filled the gaps of her absence with excuses, refusing to let even a single seed of doubt enter his mind. Five years of shared history had made his trust in her absolute, like a massive stone fortress that nothing could shake.

"Ah... baka nga seryoso talaga 'yung seminar niya," sabi ko na lang, forcing myself to nod agreement because I didn't want to add to his already overflowing corporate stress. "Mahirap talaga kapag sabay kayong busy sa trabaho."

"Yes. It’s hard," Marion murmured, a weary, distant look entering his bloodshot eyes as he stared at the floor. "Sometimes... I feel like the harder I work to build our future, the further away she gets. But I know it's just a phase. Once this campaign launch is over and our wedding plans are finalized, everything will go back to normal. It has to."

Before I could answer, the curtain rustled open again. Rehan walked back into the room, holding a tall, condensation-covered glass of ice-cold water. He walked over to the corner table and placed the glass directly in front of Marion with absolute, quiet precision.

"Drink," Rehan said flatly, his words were sharp but completely devoid of malice. "Your body is dehydrated. Stress makes the blood thick."

Marion blinked, completely caught off guard by the silent foreigner's blunt medical observation. He looked at the sweating glass of water, then looked up at Rehan’s expressionless face. A soft, genuinely grateful chuckle escaped Marion's lips. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around the cold glass. "Thank you, Rehan. I think you're absolutely right. My head has been pounding for the last three hours."

Marion lifted the glass and drank the water in long, desperate gulps until it was entirely empty. He set the glass down with a satisfied clack, a bit of color finally returning to his pale cheeks. He checked his luxury wrist watch and let out a soft groan. "Time's up. The executive board members are probably entering the boardroom right now."

He stood up from the chair, smoothing down the wrinkles of his white shirt before slipping his dark gray suit jacket back onto his shoulders. He gathered his briefcase and folders, his posture instantly shifting back into that commanding, dedicated corporate professional role. The vulnerable, exhausted man from five minutes ago vanished behind the mask of the Marketing Department Head.

"Thank you for the escape, Heila," Marion said warmly, giving me a firm, reassuring nod. "And thank you for the water, Rehan."

"Mag-ingat ka sa pagda-drive, Marion!" sigaw ko sa kaniya habang naglalakad siya pabalik sa pinto.

Marion gave a final wave, the brass bell ringing cheerfully ting as he pushed the glass door open and stepped out into the blazing midday sun, disappearing back into the suffocating corporate world that was slowly draining his life away.

The shop fell quiet again, save for the rattling hum of the old air conditioner. Hijomi let out a soft whistle from the worktable. "Grabe, bilib talaga ako sa stamina ni Marion. Kung ako ang nasa sapatos niya, baka nag-collapse na ako sa gitna ng daan."

I didn't answer. I stood near the corner table, looking down at the empty glass of water Rehan had brought. My mind kept drifting back to Marion's exhausted face and his absolute, unwavering trust in Leticia’s weekend seminar.

"He is blinding himself," Rehan broke the silence right behind me.

I snapped my head around to see Rehan standing just a foot away, his dark eyes fixed entirely on the front door where Marion had just exited. His sharp features were completely expressionless, but there was a deep, quiet intensity in his voice that sent a sudden, cold shiver down my spine.

"Ano 'yun, Rehan?" tanong ko, staring at him.

Rehan slowly reached out his long, pale fingers, picking up the empty glass from the table. He didn't look at me; his gaze remained fixed on the sunny street outside. "A man who builds his house entirely on one person... he is a fool. When that person moves, the whole house falls. He thinks his loyalty is a shield. It is not. It is just a target."

"Rehan, napakabitter mo talaga pagdating sa relasyon," saway ko sa kaniya, forcing a small frown to mask the sudden, strange weight his words had left in my chest. "Mabait lang talaga si Marion, at nagtitiwala siya sa taong mahal niya loob ng limang taon. Hindi ba pwedeng magandang bagay ’yon?"

Rehan turned his head slowly, his dark, deep-set eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart completely skip a beat. He stepped a fraction closer, his tall frame completely blocking out the harsh light of the window.

"Trust is a luxury, Heila," Rehan whispered softly, his voice dropping into a gravelly, beautiful cadence that made the humid air feel suddenly electric. "And in this world... luxury is the first thing that gets stolen."

Without waiting for my response, he turned around and walked back into the dark pantry to finish his inventory chores, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the shop, my fingers faintly trembling against the wooden edge of the counter as the quiet strings of an unspoken storm continued to weave tightly around us.