"PICTURE FRAME"

Lana awoke from deep sleep to hear a noise coming from the kitchen. She immediately looked for Andrew next to her and then smiled when she remembered that they were the only two in that house.

Lana stared blankly into her former room. And along with the flow of many memories was also the rapid warming of the corners of her eyes. Then Lana bit her lower lip to control her own emotions and the young lady succeeded.

Andrew’s former manager is the one she remembers who bought it when Mama Cecille sold it. How it went to the young man she no longer knew.

Lana stared at the white ceiling for a while before deciding to get up and pick up the clothes that Andrew had taken off earlier. She had no trouble finding them because the young man had just thrown them on the floor. At last thought, Lana laughed softly.

When she got dressed, she went to the kitchen of the house. Like her former room, nothing much has changed there. Only minor renovations were done.

"You're awake," Andrew said when he could probably feel her presence.

The young lady smiled then pulled out a chair from a long table and sat down.

"Can you send me home after dinner?" she asked as she filled the glass with cold water and drank.

With a beautiful smile, Andrew laid the plate of Chicken Adobo on the dining table and then spoke. "Okay, no problem," he said as he sat down.

"Did you cook it or did you just heat it?" she asked following what was said with a weak laugh as Andrew started to put hot rice on her plate.

What she was referring to was the prepared Chicken Adobo that looked delicious so even though she didn’t admit it she quickly felt hungry.

"Of course! What do you think of me, doesn't know how to cook? Chicken Adobo is my specialty," Andrew said promptly then teasingly laughed. "I know you're really tired, so I want you to eat so you can regain your strength," he said meaningfully and then winked at her.

Lana's face quickly warmed at what the young man said. "Stop it! Naughty!" she laughed softly then gave Andrew a warning look although she was smiling.

"Isn't that true?" Andrew continued to tease her then he stared at her intently afterward.

Lana felt her throat dry from the way the young man was staring at her so she quickly reached for the glass of cold water and drank.

"I don't know if I need to tell you what's on my mind," when she started eating she decided to just avoid Andrew's stares.

"Yeah?" Andrew who is just like her eats too.

Then Lana looked at the young man inwardly. "Do you know we are the original owner of this house?"

Lana saw the intense amusement on Andrew's face. "Really? You mean you sold this to Aunt Tina?"

Lana shrugged her shoulders. "Actually I asked an agent to sell this. The transaction ended when I found out that your former manager bought it," she said.

Andrew nodded. "What if you found out she was the buyer even before the payment was settled, you would withdraw?"

Lana laughed there. "Of course not! We really needed money at that time. Actually, Mama Cecille wanted to sell it for a long time. At first, even if she didn't admit it, I knew she was worried that my mother might come back for us. But when ..." finally the young lady was stunned then hesitation enveloped her face before she stared at the young man again.

"What?" Andrew seemed even more interested in what she had to say.

It was then that Lana looked back at the food on her plate then replied.

"She became determined to sell it when we found out about my pregnancy," she said glancing at Andrew.

The young man just kept his eyes on her.

Mixed emotions are what she saw that draw in his eyes. Then Lana decided to continue.

"Then my mother got pregnant, she was showered with a lot of gossips here. People judged her. And that's what Mama didn't want to happen to me so she chose to just sell it. Because honestly as I got older I thought maybe because of the judgment my mother experienced, they may have been the reason why she hated me, so she left me," there was a trace of sadness in Lana's voice.

Lana let out a deep sigh. It was then that Andrew took one of her hands so she ended staring at the young man again.

"I'm sorry," Andrew said almost in a whisper.

That was very heartfelt so a delicate but sweet smile tore from Lana's lips.

"I just told you," she said when guilt was what she felt in the young man's tone.

Andrew just nodded then smiled at her. "Eat," he said, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. "I hope someday I can bring our daughter here too," his voice said full of anticipation.

Andrew's words touched Lana's heart again.

Without saying a word, she could see how much the young man loved their daughter. Well, she didn’t fully know him before Andrea even came into their lives. But despite being a womanizer then she knew he was a good man.

What Andrea has changed in Andrew’s life and personality, she can’t say. But the strange brightness in his eyes, it is undeniable that their daughter is now the center of his world. And she was very happy because of that.

*****

"LANA?"

It was Andrew's voice that at that moment was inside his room.

Lana at that moment was in the living room and currently browsing a magazine. She suddenly felt nervous. She knew the young man was taking a bath so it quickly played in her mind what could happen to them again inside Andrew's room.

"Sweetheart?"

Once again, the young lady was startled and stood up. Her chest heaved as she entered Andrew's room. There she found him standing in front of an open closet.

"W-Why?" her voice trembled as she asked.

That was when the young man laughed softly and then pulled out a familiar object from inside his large closet.

"I just wanted to give you something," he said handing her the blow-up picture of Andrew that she had intentionally left in that house when they sold it.

Lana smiled. "I-I---,"

The young lady couldn't continue what she wanted to say because Andrew had already cut it off.

"Sam gave me this. She said Aunt Tina found it here," Andrew started.

Lana swallowed when she remembered what she had written on the back of that frame. Then she turned the frame and then quietly read what was written on the back of it. But because she remained silent the young man spoke again.

"L.A.M stands for Lana Amara Montes, right?" amusement was in the young man's tone.

Lana looked up at Andrew then shyly smiled. "Yes, I made it from my first paycheck. I gave it to myself as a birthday gift," she said truthfully then bowed to the photo again. “I left it here because I wanted it to be easier for me to forget you,” to which she took the courage to say that, the young lady didn’t know.

Lana closes her eyes as Andrew caresses her face. "I have never forgotten you. There are many women after you and I have to be honest with that but they have not been able to erase you from my memory. Not even once," the young man said passionately.

Lana was stunned by what she heard so she let out a violent gasp when Andrew touch her lips with a simple kiss.

That kiss was short but as usual, it brought an intense horror and delicious sensation all over her.

"W-Will you take me home?" when Andrew released her lips.

Smiling, Andrew reclaimed her lips. "All right, but I'll just take a shower first," he said.

Lana smiled. "Andrew," when he turned his back on her.

"Yeah?"

"Is it okay if I hang it in its old place?" she said glancing at the part of the wall where a wall clock hung.

Andrew stared at her first before he spoke. "So that means this was also your room then?"

A weak laugh ran down on Lana's throat before speaking.

"It looks like that," she said handing the photo to Andrew who in turn hung it.