“FAMILY DINNER”

JUST like last night, Jaoquin picked up Lara. That was also his original plan earlier because apart from his wanting to be with his girlfriend, he also really wanted to see and bond with Callie.

At the thought of the little girl, Joaquin smiled.

In the store because Lara's staff already knew him. The reason why they let him enter his girlfriend's office. And just like yesterday, the young lady was there alone because Cynthia, who was scheduled for the opening of the store, had already left to go home.

*****

"Tired?" Joaquin asked when the two of them were inside his car.

Lara smiled as she turned to her boyfriend, and then he tenderly caressed her face with so much affection.

"It has always been like this. I'm used to it," the young lady said after fastening her seatbelt.

A few moments later, the young man started the car. They were already in the middle of the trip when she thought of asking Joaquin about his plan of introducing her to his father.

"Have you set the date already with your father?" Lara asked the boyfriend after a while.

“Not yet. But maybe tomorrow I'll talk to him. I’ll give him a call,” he said, turning around to face her for a moment and then looking back at the road.

The young lady did not answer after that. The truth is that she was really worried about what could happen when she faced Joaquin's father. Because as she said and admitted earlier to Cynthia, her status of being a single mother is one of the reasons why she is like that.

Until they got home, Lara did not speak. She just quietly got out of the car.

“Have dinner with me, okay? So, when you got home all you need to do is just rest,” she said to the young man.

Smiling, Joaquin nodded at her. After that, she bowed and then kissed her on the forehead.

"Do you think Callie is still awake?" Joaquin asked her after a while.

Lara smiled at the young man's question. She then tenderly leaned her head on his shoulder as they entered the gate.

“It seems that she is still awake. After all, she told me before I left that she would wait for you,” Lara told her boyfriend.

That was when Joaquin's thick eyebrows rose. Then he opened his mouth to speak. "Did she know I would take you home?" his amused question.

“I told her earlier. Before I left, she asked when are you supposed to come back? I don't even know how to answer that question. So, I just said you would take me home. It's a good thing you did because if you don't, she will look for you,” Lara said unable to stop herself from giggling.

Joaquin nodded in succession before opening his mouth to speak. "Yeah, it's good that what you said is the same as what I was thinking when I was still at the office,” he said after winking at her.

Despite the blush on her face, Lara chose to ignore her boyfriend about his naughtiness. She did that to somehow reduce the heat on both her cheeks because she also did not want her father to see her in that order.

"Uncle Joaquin!" Callie's happy greeting to Joaquin when Rodolfo opened the door for them.

Joaquin immediately lifted Callie and then hugged her. The girl then kissed the young man on both cheeks.

“It's good that you have arrived. I have been so hungry. My granddaughter doesn't want to eat. What she wants is for us to have dinner with you,” said her father, shaking his head.

At that time, Lara stared in astonishment at her daughter who was still carried by Joaquin. "Is that true, sweetie?" she asked in a calm tone of speech.

Callie nodded in succession with her shy smile. "I want to have dinner with Uncle Joaquin," she told her.

She didn't even want to admit it. Lara knew that Callie's words touched her heart. But of course, she tried to keep that. Maybe that's just the way it is. Even though the two have no idea that they are for a fact father and daughter, their hearts could still feel that.

And because Callie wanted to have dinner with her Joaquin. She let her seat beside the young man. While Rodolfo and she couldn't stop exchanging meaningful smiles and glances because of the natural sweetness of the two.

"Thank you for tonight, sweetheart," Joaquin told her as she delivered him to the gate.

"Thank you too. You made my daughter very happy," she replied even though she wanted to replace the ‘my’ she used with the word 'our'.

"I'll call you tomorrow about that possible dinner that we will have with Papa," Joaquin told her.

Lara nodded while ignoring the nervousness that suddenly came to life in her chest because of that idea.

"Are you okay?" Joaquin asked when he might have noticed her silence.

She nodded in succession. "Maybe it's normal to be nervous, isn't it?" she asked following what she said with a joking laugh.

"Of course," Joaquin agreed. "But I just want you to know what I told you this morning. That I will fight for you no matter what happens,” he told her.

Lara's heart was touched by what her boyfriend said. So somehow, she can say that the nervousness she feels has been relieved.

"I have to go," Joaquin told her before he bowed and then kissed her on the lips.

Lara stayed there for a while as the view of her boyfriend's car drove away. When it finally disappeared from her sight, she then moved to enter the gate. But she was prevented from doing so when a familiar vehicle pulled up in front of her.

"How are you, Lara?" the driver asked as he lowered the mirror on his side.

"Ramil?" she said in surprise.

Ramil immediately got out of his car and approached her. In his hands is a stem of a red rose.

“I passed by a flower shop. I thought that maybe I could still have another chance in your heart, even if you already have a boyfriend,” he told her while the last thing he said caused a pinch in her conscience.

In the past few days, she has not heard any news from Ramil. All she thought was that he had accepted the fact that they would never be. But she made a mistake.

“Thank you. But I’m sorry. I'm tired and I want to rest,” she said which is the truth.

A bitter smile tore from Ramil's lips. "I understand," he said. "I'll go ahead," he said after leaving.

Lara let out a heavy sigh after that. After she opened the gate and locked it, she decided to just stick the rose given by Ramil into the pot of fern.

Not for any reason. But she didn't want her daughter to see that. She will ask just in case. Callie is still young, and she still can't explain everything well to her by any chance.