CHAPTER 14 “SECRETS OF THE PAST"

ALTHOUGH there was, in fact, it wasn't easy for Lara to go through last night. The young lady still made her life normal the next day. What she always and every day does.

She got up early to cook breakfast for her daughter and father.

She didn't think about Joaquin anymore even though in fact he was still coming back to her mind as she distracted herself in the kitchen.

"Sweetheart, why did you wake up so early?" that was the question Lara heard from behind her.

Lara immediately turned to her father Rodolfo whom she saw standing by the kitchen door.

"Sit down, Papa, I'll make you some coffee," she replied to her father instead.

“Didn't you come home late last night? Why do you still get up so early today?” her father asked again when she remained still not answering the previous question.

“I'm okay, Papa. The truth is that I---,"

“What happened to your knees? Why do you have bruises there?” her father's immediate rebuke caused her to cut off the rest of what she wanted to say.

At that time, Lara unknowingly bit her lower lip.

Why did she lose her mind about the bruises on her knees? She still has no plans to confess that to her father but because of what happened now, she has no choice.

"The truth is that last night, Papa. Well, something happened last night and ---," the rest of what she wanted to say was cut off again.

"Hello there? Good morning?" she heard a series of knocks on the door.

It was a man's voice. And that was familiar to Lara. The young lady’s eyes immediately flew to the old clock hanging on the wall of their living room where her location she could see freely.

"I'll open it," her father stood up, but the young lady quickly stopped the old man.

“Oh, Papa, I’ll do it!” she was nervous, but she still secretly greeted herself because she was able to hide that from her father and normalize the tone of her speech.

Lara saw the immediate registration of astonishment on her father's face. She would have explained but she couldn't because she heard a series of knocks on the door again. Joaquin's voice followed.

At that time, Lara's feet seemed to have a mind of their own and took steps voluntarily and in a hurry. She knew her father had followed her because she heard his footsteps on the wooden floor of their house. But she didn't stop him, and she didn't look back at him either.

"What are you doing?" her serious but almost whispered a question to the man when she opened the door who seemed to have his hand ready in the air to knock again.

"Good morning, Lara," Joaquin greeted her with a smile. "Good morning," he said as he immediately greeted her father who was standing behind her.

"Who is this man, sweetie?" her father asked as Lara traced surprised in the tone of his voice.

"Joaquin, Joaquin Antonio III," introduced the man who shook Rodolfo's hand.

Her father accepted it and then introduced himself.

"It's nice to meet you," Joaquin said, and the young lady could tell that he is true to what he just said.

There was a trace on his face that said he was happy to meet her father.

“Why don’t you come in, son? Come and join me for coffee. Wait, have you had breakfast yet?” her father asked the young man.

Smiling, Joaquin started touching his stomach and then, grinning, glanced at her before turning his eyes back to Rodolfo and answering.

"Not yet," he replied.

At that moment Lara restrained herself to feel annoyed at Joaquin. But she failed because she really felt that way.

In fact, it has been several years since she first saw him and something happened to them. The charm he possesses is still really there. In fact, he had matured a bit and she preferred the aura of the man now.

But since, or maybe because she has a secret that she doesn't want the young man to discover, she wants to drive him away now.

“Pa! Why are you inviting this man inside when we don't really know him?” that was her disgusting question then glared at Joaquin.

“Isn't he already introduced himself? Then it looks like you have known each other for a long time. In addition to the fact that I could feel it in my heart that he is a good person,” replied his father.

Lara's eyes rolled at what she was heard. "Well, you can't just let a stranger into our house," she said, emphasizing the word stranger, and then glared at Joaquin who she saw holding back a smile.

The man was obviously amused to her, and she could see that not only in the aura of his face but even more so on how his eyes twinkle. And she wants to get pissed.

"The truth is, Sir Rodolfo, Lara and I just met last night,” Joaquin suddenly replied to the conversation.

It was then that her father's eyesight and attention were drawn to the young man. "What do you mean?" Rodolfo asked.

Joaquin opened his mouth again to speak. Lara knew and she guessed he would explain and tell her father how she and the young man met. At that point, the young lady prefers to take over the scene from the newcomer. It was she who explained to her father what their visitor was trying to say.

“Is that so? Well then if that is the case why are you so mean to him? You should be thankful. Oh, I shouldn’t be asking you this. The exact reason why you are still single or not even close to getting one. Even here with the person you owe your life to, you can't be kind?” Rodolfo sermon to her after hearing her story.

Lara didn't know if it was because of the tone of her father's speech. Or in the truth of what he said. But he was really touched there. So, in the end, she did nothing.

"I'm sorry," she said to Joaquin when her father was the one who took the lead in entering the house.

Lara saw in Joaquin's eyes the understanding and she felt even more guilt because of that. She then felt as if she was very immature because of her behavior.

"It's okay, and at least I know now that it's because of your unfriendliness to men that you don't have a boyfriend," Joaquin teasingly replied to her.

Lara's chest throbbed at what she just heard. "What are you saying?" she asked Joaquin frowning.

Joaquin just shrugged his shoulders. Then he opened his mouth to answer what she said again. But all that was stopped by a small voice.

"Mama," said Callie.

Lara immediately felt very alarmed by what happened. While all of that was enough to hurriedly attend to her son who was just woke up and rubbing her own eyes with her two hands.

"So, she's whom you told me last night your daughter?" the question she heard Joaquin's lips utter.