The July wedding announcement hits the store staff like a confetti-filled tornado, but the most astonishing reaction comes from Miguel's parents. Sheila cries like she has an enormous reservoir of tears, and Rey? He supplies them both with tight hugs, all the while muttering the words: "Finally," "I knew it," and "We did it". Not necessarily in that order and not necessarily at the same time.

Thalia and Miguel swap bewildered glances, with the latter mouthing apologies. He hadn't realized his parents were so eager to send him off. They're probably thrilled that their only son is settling down. If only they had a clue about the contract situation...

No chance; his parents are never going to uncover the whole truth. Miguel's dead set on having a heart-to-heart with Thalia, just the two of them, to discuss scrapping the contract and taking the plunge into honest matrimony.

Little does he know, Thalia has reached a similar resolution to put an end to their charade, deeming it utterly pointless. The weight of indecision hanging on their relationship will suck the energy out of them both.

But, there's a condition – a requirement to finalize Miguel's defeat in her imaginary, self-proclaimed game: he needs to profess his feelings for her first!

Other than that, everything should be smooth sailing. What's gonna stop them? In three months, they'll be Mr. and Mrs. de la Cruz.

Oh, wait. Thalia's got another itch she's been meaning to scratch. She's made up her mind about the other thing nagging at her: she's going to tell her family about Miguel and their impending marriage. Of course, she'll conveniently omit the controversial starting point. Her mother, a staunch Catholic, would likely be scandalized by any mention of divorce or any hint that the sanctity of marriage is being taken lightly.

So, at 7 PM, after a long day at work, Thalia is perched at her desk with a bowl of clam chowder soup, video calling her family. "Hey, Aly, is Mama there? I have to tell you something."

"She is, yes. Actually, let me get her. I also need to tell you something. She has to be here for this—Ma!" Aly shouts.

A promising start. The vibes are good today. Things seem to be flowing accordingly.

"Hold on, you have news for me, too?" Thalia questions, squinting at the screen as the two sit side by side. Her mother pops up on the screen, waving her hand excitedly, while Aly beams, on the verge of squealing.

"Yes, I do. But you can go first," Aly insists.

"Nah, you can go first. What's up?" she probes.

"Well, Ate, you will be so happy."

(Trans: Ate - pronounced as ä-të – older sister)

"Oh yeah? What is it?"

Leonora nudges Aly, who bursts out excitedly, "I scored a full university scholarship!"

Thalia's jaw practically hits the floor, eyes widening. "What?"

"Yes, Ate. It's for the whole four years. Since I'm playing for the varsity volleyball team, the school will cover my tuition and other fees!"

"Isn't it great?" Leonora squeals, exuding the shared excitement as she claps her hands. "You don't have to save up for her education anymore, Thalia. We all know you've been working too hard to shoulder everything. But now, you can at least rest easy and keep some for your income."

"And Ate, you know, in four years, you can just come back. Or as soon as possible. You don't have to stay there."

Relief and happiness should be flooding through Thalia at that exact moment, but all she can conjure is a faux smile, her throat gripped by a wave of discomfort.

A single name repeats in her head, his image reappearing over and over, refusing to fade away.

"C-Congratulations, Aly! That's incredible," she stammers, pouring herself a glass of water and downing it in one go. "Wow, I don't know what to say. I'm so... Shocked. Um, I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, Ate. I'm so glad," she mutters. "We can be together again."

The pinch in her chest threatens to unleash an outburst of tears.

"How about you, Ate? What's your news?"

Thalia fidgets, her spoon slipping from her grasp and clattering to the floor. She quickly retrieves it, swallowing back her emotions before reappearing on camera.

"Oh, it's nothing important. Just that... I went on a trip. It was fun."

"A trip? Where? With whom?" Leonora digs for details.

"With... With my colleague. In Banff. I'll send you the photos," Thalia answers. "I'll let you guys go for now. It's early there. Have a good breakfast. And congrats, Aly!"

She allows them to exchange hearty goodbyes before ending the call. Suddenly, her world has been flipped upside down.

She's just begun getting used to it. To life in Canada. To the new job. Just begun appreciating her fresh start.

Then, there's Miguel.

Thalia shakes her head frantically, delivering light slaps to snap herself out of the whirlwind of thoughts. It's okay. She doesn't have to leave. Aly's scholarship will simply ease her financial burden, and the thousands of dollars she has set aside for it so far can be redirected elsewhere. They still need funds for their daily expenses.

"Relax, Thalia. The wedding's still on."

Nothing is really changing.

But as this gate opens, a sliver of yearning, a chance to reclaim her life, starts to creep back in. A possibility to hold on to her previous career. To reunite with her family.

They betray her resolve.

And about Miguel... What's she going to do?

******

"Oh, boss," Joshua exclaims upon seeing Miguel stroll into the store, his eyebrows wiggling upwards. "It's nice to see you here again more frequently!"

"That's true," Linda concurs, efficiently bagging some purchases at the cashier. "But the bride-to-be isn't in today."

Miguel ambles over to the till, nodding. "Yeah. I know she's off. Just wanted to drop by and see how you guys are doing."

Lorenzo emerges from the back, hoisting a box for stock replenishment. "Hello, Miguel."

"Yo," he greets back, the traces of previous discomfort nowhere to be found, not even within himself. The trip has worked wonders, smoothing out every edge for Miguel.

"How's the wedding planning going?" Linda inquires as the last customer departs the store.

"Oh, you know, we're working on getting our marriage license. Scouting some venues... Although, I'm still trying to sway Thalia towards a nice restaurant, at least. She's on the fence. Doesn't want to spend on it," he explains.

"That's so Thalia," Linda mutters, clicking her tongue. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. She should really think about spoiling herself, too."

"Exactly! The groom is loaded anyway," Joshua hoots. "If I were Thalia, I'd go all out on the wedding dress."

"Well, thank goodness you're not," she quips, deftly cleaning up the till with a feather duster. "When I said spoiling herself, I meant maybe considering a nice venue. Great catering. The photos will be amazing. Have you ever seen Thalia wear uncomfortable clothes? I bet her dress will be minimalist. Flowy."

Miguel enthusiastically nods. "Can you help me persuade her? I think you'll do a better job."

Lorenzo, while rearranging the condiments shelf, chimes in, "Is her family coming?"

It's a conversation they've already had. Miguel has offered to assist with the costs, but Thalia is skeptical about the visa application in the mix.

The thing with visas is that they center around proving that the applicants have enough money to spend, that they have properties and strong homeland ties, and that they are committed to departing before the visas expire. It's a concept Miguel struggles to grasp, given his Canadian passport that facilitates easy travel.

So, even if it's to join Thalia on a significant occasion in her life, Aly and Leonora getting approval is less likely. Qualification is often restricted to the upper-middle class and above, and someone like Thalia must endure isolation.

"No, not really," Miguel replies, his lips pressed thinly.

Miguel isn't even sure if she's told them about him yet. She has said in passing that she will since she doesn't want to hide anything from her family.

He gives himself a mental pat on the back, finding consolation in the notion that she's not contemplating ending their relationship. The forthcoming "heart-to-heart" with her looks good. He and Thalia will start afresh without the contract acting as baggage.

"But," he adds. "We might just go to the Philippines and visit. I would still prefer to meet them in person."

"Oh, nice," Joshua responds, grinning. "You've never been, right? Look at you. Willing to go for the future wife. So in love, huh?"

A reddish tint paints across Miguel's face. "I've been meaning to! It's just, this is, um, really important."

The staff shares a hearty laughter at his expense, but he eventually joins in, seeing no reason to deny it. Whereas he is intrigued by meeting his relatives and learning more about his heritage, it's more important to him that Thalia is happy. He's sure she misses her family a lot.

"Alright, back to work," Miguel cuts in.

"Already? We still want to talk about your wedding," Joshua retorts, evidently keen to chill for the day.

Miguel throws him a glare. "Don't push your luck, buddy–"

"Your wedding?"

In the midst of their banter, they've failed to notice the bells chiming, indicating someone's arrival. It's typically nothing to get worked up about, but the voice accompanying the entrance is unmistakably familiar to Miguel. Too familiar, that it has set his heart astir.

It's the voice he'd grown accustomed to hearing every day for five years.

******

A/N: Less burden for Thalia, finally! Do you think this is good news? Next chapter, we'll see someone come back. Hope you guys are ready for some drumuh!