The café bell jingled behind him.
Charlie waited.
Five minutes.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9T3LLykhnF
Ten.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5IJdAZdb2
Fifteen.
But no Peachy.
Instead, a man stepped out, looked at the sticky note curiously, then peeled it off and tossed it in the trash without a second glance.
Charlie's heart sank.
He was too late.
Again.
The next morning, Charlie drove to the flower stall by the park. The one near the church where Peachy once volunteered. He remembered her there, humming while arranging lilies, a sticky note on the side of the cart that read:
"Make something bloom today."28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmmmT4W2r3
Pink ink. Slanted letters. Hope in a square.
But now the cart was gone. A different vendor stood in its place.
"Yung dati pong naglalako ng bulaklak dito... si Peachy?" he asked.
The vendor shook her head. "Matagal nang di nagpapakita. Buntis daw, sabi ng ate niya. Pero di ko sigurado."
Charlie's breath hitched. "May contact ka niya?"
"Wala na eh. Pero minsan, 'yung ate niya... si Patty ba? Staff 'yon sa Mo Hotel, 'di ba?"
His heart jumped. Patty. Of course.
Later that day, in the service hallway of Mo Hotel, Charlie found Patty organizing linens.
She stiffened when she saw him.
"I'm not on shift sa front desk today," she said curtly. "Kung may concern ka, pakisabi na lang sa—"
"Patty," he interrupted. "Kailangan ko lang makausap ka. About Peachy."
A long pause.
Her eyes narrowed. "Why now?"
Charlie exhaled, voice low. "Because I messed up. And I don't want to keep messing up."
Patty crossed her arms. "She's fine. She's safe. That's all you need to know."
"I know she's pregnant." His voice trembled. "And I know it's mine."
Patty didn't deny it. Her silence was answer enough.
Charlie took a step closer. "Please. Let me talk to her."
Patty looked away, torn between loyalty and distrust.
"She doesn't want pity. She doesn't want drama," Patty finally said. "She just wants peace. And honestly? After everything? She deserves it."
"I'm not here to cause chaos. I'm here because..."28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTno6BSqKnS
His voice cracked.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NSinDwYlI
"...because I saw her in a world that finally made sense. And I lost her before I even had the courage to hold her properly."
Patty looked up at him—searching his face, measuring the weight of his regret.
Finally, she sighed. "You didn't hear it from me. But she's working part-time at a small community library in West Hills. Tuesdays and Fridays. Don't go today."
Charlie blinked. "Why not?"
"She needs one more day of quiet."28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC75WomCHZR
Then she added, "And don't tell her I told you."
He nodded, grateful. "Thank you."
Patty gave him a warning look. "Hurt her again, Mo, and I'll throw you in the laundry chute."
Meanwhile, in a small apartment cluttered with half-read books and pastel laundry, Peachy sat at her makeshift desk.
She looked at the unopened text from her sister:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHVdLZMsxI
"He asked. I didn't say much."
No name, no drama. Just fact.
Peachy placed her hand on her belly. "It's okay, baby. We're okay."
She pulled out her favorite pink sticky note pad and uncapped her pen. For a second, she hesitated.
Then wrote:
"Dear Charlie,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBG7StmU3l
Sometimes I still replay the day we met. I was carrying three boxes and a lemonade, and you still didn't blink when I spilled both on your shoes.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8duVjOyvf4
You smiled instead. And I... fell.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXteMrUieM
Not right away. But steadily.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYDdNVgcWe
I'm sorry for being too hopeful.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUeKZ0nnhm
I'm not sorry for loving you anyway.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNleDl83N4I
Love,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KEo00UgWU
Peachy."
She stared at the note. The corners curled slightly.
She didn't peel it off the pad.
She just closed the notebook, slid it under her pillow, and whispered,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDsUi8qABf
"Hindi lahat ng sulat kailangang ipadala."
Outside, a breeze knocked a wind chime against her window. Soft. Like a reminder that someone, somewhere, might still be searching.
End of Chapter 15.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOScEQU9zXQ
and then Add to home screen.