Jay's POV
My heart wouldn't stop racing.
The car slowed down as we entered the familiar street.
My street.
My home.
My fingers tightened unconsciously around the fabric of my dress. I hadn't realized how nervous I was until now.
Beside me, Keifer noticed immediately.
He always did.
Without saying anything, he reached for my hand.
His fingers intertwined with mine slowly, firmly.
Grounding me.
"I'm here," he said quietly.
Just those words.
Just him.
And suddenly, breathing became easier.
Keagan sat in the passenger seat beside the driver, while Keiren and Eces were in the back, talking softly with each other. But my mind was somewhere else.
Memories.
Childhood.
Laughter.
Crying.
Everything lived inside that house.
And today… I was returning not as their daughter.
But as someone's wife.
Keifer stopped the car in front of the gate.
Neither of us moved immediately.
He turned to look at me.
His expression softened.
"Nervous?" he asked.
I nodded slightly.
"Yes."
He lifted my hand and pressed a soft kiss on my knuckles.
"Don't be."
His voice lowered.
"You belong here."
Then he added quietly,
"And you belong with me."
My chest tightened.
He stepped out first, then walked around and opened my door.
His hand extended toward me.
I took it.
And we walked together.
Before we could knock, the door opened.
And there she was.
My mom.
She froze.
Her eyes locked onto me.
Then moved to Keifer.
Then to our hands.
Still intertwined.
Her lips trembled.
"Jay…"
That was enough.
I ran to her.
"Mom."
She hugged me tightly.
So tightly.
Like she had been waiting forever.
Like she was afraid to let go.
"I missed you," she whispered.
Her voice cracked.
Tears fell from my eyes.
"I missed you too."
She pulled back and cupped my face.
Her eyes scanned me carefully.
"You look happy."
I smiled softly.
"I am."
Her eyes then shifted to Keifer.
He stood respectfully behind me.
Calm.
Quiet.
Waiting.
Not forcing himself forward.
Not interrupting.
Just… waiting.
He spoke gently.
"Aunt—"
She immediately frowned.
"No."
He stopped.
She stepped closer to him.
Her expression softened.
"You call me Mom now."
Silence filled the air.
I saw Keifer freeze slightly.
Just for a moment.
Because this meant acceptance.
Real acceptance.
Not tolerance.
Not formality.
Acceptance.
His voice was quiet.
"Yes… Mom."
She smiled.
And hugged him.
At first, he stood stiff.
Then slowly…
He hugged her back.
My heart melted.
Because Keifer never hugged easily.
But he hugged her.
Because she accepted him.
Behind us, Keiren rushed inside excitedly.
"Tita! I'm hungry!"
Eces followed him, immediately hugging her tightly.
"Mom."
My mother smiled warmly and hugged her back too, just as tightly.
Because to her—
Eces was also her daughter.
Not by blood.
But by heart.
Keagan greeted her respectfully.
Then we entered the living room.
And I froze.
Tita Gema was sitting there.
She stood up immediately when she saw us.
Her eyes sparkled.
"Well, well," she said dramatically. "The married couple finally decided to show their faces."
I laughed softly.
She hugged me first.
Then she looked at Keifer proudly.
"You're taking care of her properly, right?"
Keifer nodded without hesitation.
"Always."
She smiled in approval.
Then I saw Aries sitting casually nearby, watching everything.
Angelo stood beside him.
Calm.
Serious.
And beside Angelo…
Ion.
My breath paused for just a second.
She looked beautiful.
Graceful.
Calm.
Keifer's past.
But I didn't feel insecure.
Because Keifer's hand was still holding mine.
Firm.
Unwavering.
Ion stepped closer and smiled gently.
"Jay."
She hugged me softly.
"Congratulations."
Her voice was sincere.
I smiled.
"Thank you."
Then Angelo cleared his throat.
His serious expression made everyone look at him.
"I have an announcement."
Ion looked at him, already smiling.
Angelo held her hand.
"We're getting engaged next Sunday."
Silence.
Then chaos.
Keiren gasped loudly.
"What?!"
Eces' eyes widened.
Tita Gema clapped happily.
My mom smiled warmly.
I looked at Ion.
Then Angelo.
Then at Keifer.
Keifer's expression was calm.
Accepting.
Peaceful.
Because his past wasn't his present anymore.
His present—
Was me.
His thumb brushed gently against my hand again.
A silent promise.
A silent reassurance.
I leaned slightly closer to him.
And for the first time since arriving…
I felt completely at home.
Dinner at home always felt… different.
Not quieter. Not louder.
Just warmer.
Maybe it was because this time, I wasn't sitting here as just a daughter.
I was here as his wife.
I sat beside Keifer, our shoulders brushing every now and then. It wasn't awkward anymore. It wasn't new.
It just… fit.
Like he had always belonged there.
Mom sat at the head of the table, watching everyone with those soft, knowing eyes.
Tita Gema, on the other hand, had already started her mission—
Teasing.
"So," she said dramatically, placing her spoon down, "engagement next Sunday, huh? Angelo, finally becoming a respectable man?"
Ion laughed.
Angelo looked personally attacked.
"I was always respectable."
Aries didn't even look up. "No, you weren't."
That was it.
The table broke into laughter.
Eces sat beside me.
Not like someone I had grown up with.
Not like someone who knew all my habits.
But somehow—
She acted like she did.
She casually reached over and took food from my plate.
I blinked.
"Hey."
She didn't even look guilty.
"Eat faster," she said calmly. "You're too slow."
I stared at her.
"…you don't even know how I eat."
She smirked slightly. "I'm learning."
I tried not to smile.
Failed.
Across the table, Keigan laughed quietly at that.
Keiren was too busy eating like the food might disappear if he slowed down.
"Keiren, breathe," someone said.
"I am breathing," he replied between bites.
Mom was watching all of us.
Not speaking.
Just… watching.
Her eyes rested on me.
Then shifted to Keifer.
Then back to me.
And she smiled.
Small.
Soft.
But it reached somewhere deep.
Under the table—
Keifer's hand found mine.
Like it always did.
No hesitation.
No question.
Just there.
His fingers curled around mine gently.
Steady.
Grounding.
I held back.
And in that moment—
With laughter around us…
With teasing and noise and familiar chaos…
With people who weren't all tied by the same past, but somehow sat together like they belonged—
Everything felt…
Right.
Not perfect.
But real.
And for once—
That was enough.
—
Keifer's phone vibrated.
Just once.
Quiet.
But I felt his hand stiffen in mine.
I turned slightly and looked at him.
His expression hadn't changed.
Not fully.
But I knew him.
I noticed the smallest shifts.
His jaw tightened.
His eyes darkened slightly as he glanced at the screen.
Just for a second.
Then he locked it.
Put the phone down.
And looked at me.
He smiled.
Soft.
Reassuring.
Like nothing had happened.
But his thumb started tracing slow circles on my palm.
He only did that when he was thinking.
When he was worried.
I didn't say anything.
I didn't want to ruin this moment.
But something inside me tightened.
—
Dinner continued.
Laughter.
Teasing.
Familiar voices.
But I could feel it.
That invisible shadow.
It never really left us.
—
Later, as everyone continued talking, I leaned closer to Keifer.
"Can we stay here tonight?" I asked softly.
He looked at me immediately.
His eyes searched mine.
He knew this house wasn't just a place.
It was my childhood.
My memories.
My safety.
"I want to stay," I whispered.
His expression softened.
But I also saw hesitation.
Not because he didn't want to.
Because he was thinking about danger.
About Kaizer.
About everything.
"I'll be here," I added quietly. "With you."
His hand moved to my waist under the table.
Steady.
Protective.
He leaned closer.
"If we stay," he said softly, "you stay with me. No wandering."
I nodded immediately.
"I promise."
He studied my face for a moment longer.
Then he sighed lightly.
"Okay."
Relief flooded through me.
I smiled.
A real smile.
He brushed his thumb across my knuckles.
But his eyes still held that darkness.
That silent calculation.
He had agreed.
But I knew Keifer.
He wouldn't relax.
Not fully.
Not even here.
Not even in my childhood home.
Because to him—
Home wasn't a place.
Home was wherever I was.
And he would protect it.
No matter what.
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