February hits like a snowstorm of doom.

The weather goes into full Arctic mode, dropping all the way to -20, and considering the wind chill, it feels like stepping into a deep freezer set at -35 to -40 degrees Celsius. Most days, it snows all day, as if the universe has decided to have a month-long snow globe extravaganza. The rail tracks and the roads are buried under layers of white stuff, leading to transit delays, for buses and trains alike.

Thalia's 15-minute commute becomes an Olympic sport. When buses come late, sometimes even to nearly half an hour, she walks home, conquering the knee-deep snow.

Unfortunately, the dreadful days typically occur when Miguel has to do some sort of collaborative streaming with other YouTubers. Not that he is her designated chauffeur... But he has been up for it for the whole of January.

It is also during this period that Thalia decides to learn how to drive. Sure, her savings account resembles a barren desert, but she scours Kijiji with the determination of a treasure hunter, unearthing a few budget-friendly, second-hand cars. She'll make do.

However, on the first day of Spring, en route to the registry, Miguel tries to be the voice of reason. He strives to talk Thalia out of buying the car, arguing that she might spend more to get it fixed. That it might not be as reliable in the cold, as his five-year-old car, which he has traded in for a brand-new Toyota RAV4.

Thalia maintains her stance, arms folded in resistance. "Easy for you to say not to buy one when you don't have to walk in -25."

Miguel, keeping his eyes steadfast on the road, continues the debate. "I'm saying it's not practical. I'll help you find a better-used car. One that won't break down on you in the middle of the road. Did you see the mileage on that Volkswagen? It's 150k. That's a lot. Get something below 80K at least. That'd last you longer."

A defiant shake of the head comes from Thalia. "You don't get it. I can't think long-term if my budget is short-term."

The verbal sparring persists until they reach the registry. The queue isn't as long, and Thalia is immediately seated to take her learner's exam. With a combination of manual knowledge and some well-rehearsed practice questions, she breezes through the test in ten minutes, takes her photo, and returns to the car with Miguel.

With a casual flick of his wrist, Miguel tosses the keys in Thalia's direction. "Here. You drive."

Thalia catches them, dumbfounded. "Are you kidding me? This is my first time driving. You want me to hit the road immediately? In your brand new car? Do you have a death wish or something?"

"No time better than the present," he utters. "But fine. I'll drive us to an empty residential spot so you can practice a little."

The roads are slushy due to some leftover snow melting, but every Edmontonian will rejoice over 5 degrees. The trees, once bare, have started to sprout tender leaves, and the skies, now a canvas of clearer blue, allow the golden sun to shower them with Vitamin D.

Miguel smoothly parks the car, engine humming, and initiates the pivotal switch with Thalia. Though she'll never confess it, her knees are secretly conducting a jittery symphony. Bumper cars at the amusement park had been the extent of her driving escapades. Miguel, ever the reassuring coach, insists it's the same principle – there's a gas pedal and a brake, and the only rule is to avoid collisions because, well, insurance rates are no joke. He says this with a smile, but even Thalia can ascertain that he means business.

"I'd seriously rather sign up for driving school," she remarks, fingers gripping the steering wheel, palms becoming moist.

"Yeah? Can you afford it?" His hiss earns him a glare from Thalia. "Relax. Just ease on the gas without turning into a speed demon. Check the side mirrors and the rearview. Now, gently step on the brake and shift to D... Good. Press on the gas... Easy... Easy! Thalia! Brake! Brake!"

Miguel's face drains of color after almost rear-ending a Mercedes Benz, his neck twinging from the seat belt intervention.

"You said brake..." Thalia mumbles, afraid of looking his way.

Jaws clenched, Miguel scowls, "Thalia... I said less force. Why'd you step on it like you were squashing a cockroach?"

"Sorry, hehe."

Their entire Sunday unfolds on the road. They navigate loops around the recently developed residential area near the store. Miguel teaches Thalia how to park. Front park. Reverse park. And then parallel park. The last one, surprisingly, is what Thalia enjoys, which is great because it holds the ticket to the heart of road test instructors everywhere.

As the sun dips below the horizon, releasing a warm glow on their driving endeavors, they decide to schedule another session for the upcoming weekend. They'll try to get Thalia on the actual road with other cars, and Miguel's determined to get a 'new driver' sticker to caution people, and for his own mental health.

"How rude. I think I was pretty good for my first time," Thalia insists as they ascend to her apartment.

Miguel chuckles, "I'm getting the sticker for your sake. So you won't have a difficult time practicing changing lanes and such. And to avoid people honking at you. Honking's like dropping a swear word here. Do you want to get cursed at?"

"What makes you think I'll get honks?"

Miguel, exhaling in exasperation, retorts, "Really? We're going there?" Thalia, playfully delivers a punch to his arm, rolling her eyes in mock annoyance. She unlocks the front door and whispers, "Pasalamat ka gwapo ka."

(Trans: Be thankful you're handsome.)

"What? What did you say?"

"Secret."

"Did you swear at me?"

She waves her hand dismissively, taking a step into the darkened room. "I'll send you the new report by tomorrow. I'm almost done."

"Sounds good," he replies, his eyes wandering around the small space.

"'Kay, byeeeee—"

Miguel interjects, "Why do you never invite me in?"

With the lights still turned off, Thalia glances around the room behind her. "Uh, this is only one-third of your apartment. There's nothing to see."

"But still," he insists, pouting. "Can't we hang out at your place?"

"Nah," she says with finality and shuts the door in his face.

******

"Joshua, you are fluent in Tagalog, aren't you?"

Joshua's eyes flicker in delight as he whirs his head in Miguel's direction. The boss lounges by the cashier, leisurely scrolling through his phone.

Today, Thalia is off, and Linda's on vacation, leaving Joshua to hold down the fort. He's heard whispers about a new full-time recruit starting today, marking the stepping back of Rey and Sheila to prepare for retirement. This should also reduce Miguel's time in the store. He'd certainly miss the boss' presence.

"Well, yes, of course," he responds, then continues replenishing the snack bar with some hotdogs.

"Then what does päs-lëmët gwäpo mean?"

Joshua furrows his brows. "What? Thalia said this?"

Miguel nods. "I couldn't catch the whole sentence. But that's the gist."

Joshua erupts into a hearty chuckle, dropping the tray on the counter and giving Miguel an amicable pat on the shoulder. "'Gwapo' means handsome. 'Pasalamat' means 'be thankful.' So, she basically said you should be thankful for your dashing looks."

Miguel grins. "I see."

"It's usually not used as a compliment..." Joshua attempts to explain, but Miguel is already drifting into his daydream, fixating solely on the fact that Thalia had called him handsome.

The door swings open, and Joshua shifts his attention to greet the incoming customer. However, it's not a customer but the new hire – a guy in his twenties with black curls, chocolate-hued eyes, and a height that casts a shadow over everyone, including Miguel.

"Hello," The guy greets, confidently striding toward the till. "My name is Lorenzo. I'm looking for Miguel."

Miguel and Joshua exchange glances as if engaged in a silent conversation. Miguel contemplates why his parents would hire someone seemingly better suited for bodybuilding, while Joshua appears eager to delve into Lorenzo's potential diet and workout routine.

"Uh, okay," Miguel replies, rising from his seat to extend a handshake to Lorenzo. "I'm Miguel, the son of Rey and Sheila who interviewed with you. This is Joshua, a part-timer, and Baljit is currently on break. You'll meet Thalia and Linda as well."

"Sounds good."

"So, you're here to work full-time, huh?"

"Yes," Lorenzo affirms. "I just moved nearby, and I prefer small-businesses, so this works for me."

"And why's that? Sorry, you might think this is some sort of an interview again."

"Oh, not at all," he says, his grin widening. "The culture is just different."

Miguel nods, satisfied, and then leads Lorenzo to the back. He gives him a tour of the inventory room, the accounting room (where Thalia had crashed that night), the staff room, and the utilities room. Along the way, Miguel explains the daily operations, mentioning that today, Lorenzo will simply shadow Joshua and Baljit.

The initial impression? The new guy seems alright. He can definitely be an asset for lifting heavy loads and might even help reduce incidents due to his imposing size. Although Lorenzo frequently sports a friendly smile, his height alone makes him an intimidating figure in the store.

At 3 PM, the doors swing open, and incoming is Thalia with her eco bag.

"Thalia, what are you doing here?" Miguel saunters over to her with a huge smile pasted on his face.

"I forgot some ingredients," she replies, making her way to the aisles with Miguel trailing behind. She swiftly grabs bottles of soy sauce and vinegar before heading to the cash register.

"Oh?" Thalia hums, glancing at the tall man behind Joshua, a touch of recognition crossing her face. "Aren't you..."

"Oh?" Lorenzo echoes.

"You were a regular," she utters.

Lorenzo's face lights up. "From Jim's, right?"

"Yup."

"You always knew how I liked my coffee," he remarks. "I was so sad that it burned down."

She tips her head, glancing at him from head to toe. "You're wearing the apron... Are you the new person?" Thalia inquires, oblivious to the deepening frown of the boss' son behind her and the broadening grin of Joshua, who starts to scan the merchandise.

Lorenzo nods eagerly. "Yes, just today."

"Ah, I see. Welcome. I'm Thalia," she greets, extending a warm welcome. "I work full time here, too."

"I'm Lorenzo."

"And your purchase is ready," Joshua interjects, smoothly sliding into the conversation. Thalia taps her card, asks for the receipt to be discarded, and efficiently bags the condiments.

"Thanks, Joshua," she says, her attention now fully on the transaction at hand, seemingly unaware of the dynamic shifts and unspoken exchanges developing in the store.

"Lorenzo!" Baljit's voice calls from the inventory room. Lorenzo politely excuses himself and steps out.

"An acquaintance?" Miguel queries once Lorenzo has left the scene.

"Not really. But he used to come every day to get coffee," she answers. "He's familiar because the staff swooned over him."

"The staff?" Miguel repeats, his voice taking on a slightly higher pitch.

Seizing the opportunity, Joshua dives into the exchange, asking Thalia directly, "Gwapo?"

She pauses, uncertain of Joshua's choice of using the Tagalog word. She kneads her shoulders slightly before replying casually, "Hm. Yeah. I suppose." She turns to Miguel. "I'm heading out. I'll see you later."

Miguel waves goodbye at Thalia, then glares at Joshua, who throws his arms up defensively. "What? I was just curious."

"I'm not sure if you ship us or you don't," Miguel grumbles, jaw clenched. "Make sure to let Lorenzo know that I am dating Thalia, alright?"

Joshua gapes in disbelief, stammering, "What? Me?"

"Yeah," Miguel insists, reclaiming his spot by the cashier. "Don't make it too obvious. You can do it. I trust you."

Scratching his head, Joshua raises an eyebrow. "Boss, how old are you? Why do you sound a little insecure about the new guy?"

The question triggers a moment of silence for Miguel, leading him into a bout of introspection. As he had mentioned before, their impending marriage looms on the horizon, but nothing in their agreement forbids them from dating others outside their arrangement (if a third party would even be willing to date a married person!). They maintain a non-exclusive status with occasional physical benefits. Nevertheless, the depth of Thalia's emotional investment is a mystery to him. He's afraid to ask.

She often teases him to elicit an answer or to make him flustered, but she shows barely any signs of being on the same page as him.

Miguel feigns laughter. "Kidding. I'm not!"

"I almost thought you feel like Thalia isn't sure about you." He chuckles. "But you guys are good, aren't you?"

Miguel is fast to respond, extinguishing any doubts on their relationship. "Of course."

******

A/N: Were the doubts really extinguished? Is Miguel right to feel uneasy here?

Hehe. Hope everyone's still enjoying! Votes and comments are always appreciated. Thanks so much for all the love and support y'all.