After a peaceful lunch, Lance and Darius immediately went downstairs to retrieve the items Lance and Kitty had bought for Angela. A brief silence followed, as if giving Clark and Angela a chance to talk privately.
Inside the apartment, Clark quietly tidied up, wiping the dishes while occasionally glancing at his girlfriend.
"How are you feeling?" Clark asked gently, his voice filled with concern.
"I'm good," Gel replied with a small smile. "It feels light, being able to talk with Kitty and Lance."
Clark looked at her and paused from what he was doing. Before he could say anything else, Angela spoke again, her tone deeper.
"Thank you."
Clark frowned slightly. "For what, baby?"
"For always being there for me," Gel replied, throwing him a grateful glance.
Clark walked over and gently kissed her on the forehead. "Always been my pleasure, baby," he whispered.
Gel smiled, while Kitty, who had just come from the washroom, stopped briefly and watched them.
Kitty smiled. Now, it was clear to her just how happy Gel was — and how at peace she seemed in this new chapter of her life, no matter how different it was from the past.
"Maybe this is how it's supposed to be. Happiness doesn't depend on status in life. What matters is who you're with, and how they love you, value you, and care for you."
"Ahem!" Kitty said, pretending to break the scene. "Sorry, but I have to interrupt you lovebirds."
Angela laughed, and Clark gave a quiet smile.
"Congratulations to the both of you. I can see how happy Gel is," Kitty said, reaching out her hand to Clark.
Clark took it immediately. "Thank you," he replied simply.
But Kitty shook her head, a trace of sadness on her face.
"No, I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for taking care of her. For being there… during the times I wasn't. I was blinded by anger when she suddenly left. Instead of understanding her, I gave in to my emotions."
Kitty teared up, lowering her eyes to the floor, as if ashamed.
Clark lightly but firmly placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's all in the past now. What's important is you're here. now You talked and cleared things up. She needs us — both of us — now."
Kitty nodded, holding back the tears that threatened to fall again. At the side, Clark gently put an arm around Gel, who could no longer hold back her tears either.
Both felt a slight weight lifted off their chests.
But deep inside Clark, a lingering worry remained — one he couldn't shake off, especially whenever he noticed Darius glancing at Angela.
"What if she realizes she still loves Darius?"
"What will I do then?"
***
Outside, on the way to the car, Lance couldn't help but call out his cousin.
"Hey, cuz, could you maybe ease up on the staring at Gel?"
"What? That was nothing," Darius said defensively.
"Don't lie to me," Lance rolled his eyes. "It's obvious. Good thing Clark stays calm, though I'm sure he sees those looks you're throwing."
Darius scratched the back of his head, like a kid caught sneaking food.
"If it were you, you'd probably have blown up by now. But him? He didn't even raise an eyebrow. Remember before, just one glance from him at Gel and you were fuming with jealousy."
"So, what's your point now?" Darius asked, clearly irritated.
"My point is: you two are over. A long time ago. You've got Elle now, and she's with Clark. Have some respect — not just for her, but for your own wife too."
Darius looked down, momentarily silent. A few seconds passed before he spoke again.
"Sorry. I just can't believe it. You know that feeling, when you thought you knew someone, and now you feel like you don't know her at all?"
"With everything Gel's been through, it's not surprising she's changed," Lance replied. "And it's been years, right?"
Darius stayed quiet, then spoke softly, almost in a whisper.
"Sometimes I wonder… if that thing hadn't happened to her mom, if they had stayed in the Philippines… maybe we'd still be together. Maybe Clark would be the one far away, not me."
Lance placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder.
"There are things we can't control. Not everything we want, we get. Maybe… this is really how it was meant to be."
Darius nodded, forcing a smile, and followed Lance back to the apartment.
When they returned, the conversation inside was lively. Kitty was animatedly telling Gel stories about her and Lance's child, showing pictures on her phone, while Clark and Gel sat together on the loveseat.
When Kitty saw the paper bags they brought, she smiled excitedly.
"Hey! There they are — the stuff I bought for you," she said enthusiastically. As expected, she once again became the star of her own story, explaining why she chose each item — from prenatal vitamins to maternity pillows.
Gel stayed quiet, laughing but clearly touched. Her boyfriend remained by her side, always attentive. Angela had to be extra careful with her movements because of her sensitive condition, especially given her history of miscarriage.
If Clark had it his way, he would've asked Angela to rest right after lunch. It had become her routine to take afternoon naps ever since she stopped working due to everything that had happened. But today was different — they had visitors.
If the day ever came when it was truly their child inside Angela, Clark knew he would be doing even more to take care of the woman he loved. But the question lingered… would that ever happen? Now that the people who once had major roles in their past had returned.
Meanwhile, not one of them dared bring up Angela's past miscarriage. Only Dylan had been able to tell Kitty and Lance about it.
As Kitty listened to the cheerful stories, she couldn't help but glance at Darius.
"How did he even manage to deal with that?"
Despite everything he now knew, he remained silent.
Kitty couldn't help but wonder…
Would the two of them ever get to talk again?
And would Clark let them?