JAY'S POV — After Cole's Letter
We stayed in the hall for a few moments, and I just… let it all sink in. Cole's words, the necklace, the photo frame — it was like he was there with me, in some way I could feel deep in my chest. My hands shook slightly as I held the letter, tracing the familiar loops of his handwriting.
"I… I can feel him here," I whispered, voice barely above the quiet hum of the morning. "Like he's… watching me… smiling at me."
Stella rested a hand on my shoulder, warm and steady. "He is, Jay. He always will be. That's what people who love you do — they never really leave. Not fully. Not in your heart."
David gave a small, soft nod. "And we're here too. Always."
I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath, letting the words wrap around me like a hug. After a few moments, I felt a little steadier. "Okay… let's go upstairs. I need a minute to process all this," I murmured.
Stella grinned softly. "Sure thing, birthday girl. But don't think you're escaping us entirely. We're staying nearby if you need backup."
David gave me a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder as we walked upstairs together. Every step felt slow, almost ceremonial, carrying the weight of memories and the warmth of love around me. My fingers kept brushing the letter, and I held the necklace close, the cool metal grounding me.
When we got to my room, I gently placed the letter and necklace on my desk. I sank down onto the edge of my bed, leaning back against the wall, and exhaled. My chest felt full, my heart heavy and light all at once.
"I… I don't know what to say," I admitted, my voice catching. "It's all just… too much, in the best way."
"You don't have to say anything," Stella said softly. "Just feel it. All of it."
David smiled faintly, a quiet strength in his expression. "And when you're ready… we can go back downstairs. More cake, more chaos, more gifts — your day isn't over yet."
I let out a small laugh, wiping the last of the tears from my cheeks. "Yeah… okay. I think I'm ready for that."
From downstairs, I could hear the quiet bustle — Mom and Tita Gema tidying up the breakfast table, Aries and kuya Angelo standing calmly near the door, as always, watchful, protective, and just a little… softer when he glanced upstairs.
I sank back against the wall, clutching the letter and the necklace. For a moment, the house felt peaceful. Full of warmth. Full of love. Even in the ache of missing Cole, I felt surrounded — held up — by everyone who cared for me.
And for once, it didn't feel chaotic. It felt… perfect.
Stella and David flopped onto my bed beside me, both a little more relaxed now that the letter had been read. I hugged my knees to my chest, the necklace resting lightly against my collarbone, still warm from my fingers.
"You okay?" Stella asked softly, her eyes searching mine.
I nodded, though my throat felt tight. "Yeah… I just… needed that. Cole… he always knew how to get through to me."
David leaned back against the headboard, folding his arms casually. "He's proud of you, Jay. No doubt about that. And we're proud too… of how strong you are."
Stella nudged me gently. "And hey… there's something else we should probably tell you."
I looked between them, curious and slightly nervous. "What's that?"
David smiled faintly, a quiet warmth in his eyes. "Stella and I… we're together now."
The words hit me, soft and almost unexpected, but somehow not shocking. I blinked, processing. "Wait… you two…?"
Stella laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Yeah. We didn't want to make it a big deal in front of everyone downstairs. But… we wanted you to know. Before anyone else did."
I felt a smile tug at my lips, a mix of surprise and happiness. "Wow… okay. That's… really good. I'm happy for you both."
David grinned faintly, reaching over to squeeze Stella's hand. "We're happy too. And we wanted you to know… because you're like family, Jay. And family should know these things."
I nodded, a warmth spreading through my chest. "Thanks… that really means a lot."
Stella leaned back, resting her head lightly against my shoulder. "You're welcome. Now… let's just enjoy this quiet for a little while. Cake and chaos can wait a bit."
I leaned back against the wall, letting the necklace rest against my heart, and closed my eyes. Surrounded by people I loved, and carrying the memory of someone I'd lost so dearly, the morning felt soft and steady. For the first time in a long while, it felt like everything was… right....
JAY'S POV — Section E Invasion
We spent a few more quiet moments in my room, laughing softly over little things — silly stories, childhood memories, David making exaggerated faces that made Stella snort, and Stella teasing me about how dramatic I'd been over Cole's letter. It felt… light. Peaceful. Healing.
And then — without warning — the door burst open.
"SURPRISE!!!"
I jumped so hard I almost knocked over the letter and necklace.
Section E. All of them. All at once. Boys I'd seen every day, suddenly crammed into my room, grinning like maniacs, holding party poppers, gifts, snacks, balloons — basically chaos incarnate.
"Happy birthday, Jay!!" they shouted in perfect unison.
Popper confetti exploded midair, covering the room in a glittery mess. Hugs came in fast succession, arms wrapping around me, voices yelling over each other, teasing, laughing, and somehow… loving.
"Eat, eat! Cake's waiting!" Felix shouted, shoving a slice toward me.
"Gifts first, obviously!" Calix added, holding up a pile of wrapped boxes.
"Don't forget the hugs," Yuri emphasized, launching himself into me with a grin.
I laughed, tears threatening again — this time from joy and utter overwhelm. Plates were shoved into my hands, presents piled in my lap, and I could barely breathe from how much energy filled the room.
And then, mid-chaos, it hit me. I looked around, scanning the crowd of familiar faces, and realized — Keifer wasn't here.
"Wait… where's Keifer?" I asked, my voice cutting through the chatter.
Cin, who was in the middle of explaining how to properly use a popper, paused and looked at me. "Uh… he had some urgent work outside the city," he said carefully, trying not to crush my heart.
"Yeah," Blaster added, shrugging. "He'll be back in the evening. Something about a client meeting or whatever."
My heart sank a little, but I nodded. "Okay… okay. He'll be back. Tonight."
Rory, Felix, and Eren immediately swooped in with snacks, shoving cupcakes into my hands. David, Calix, and Drew were all holding gifts, nudging me toward them. Popper confetti continued raining down, and the sheer noise made my head spin, but in a happy, chaotic way.
I laughed through it, hugging whoever came near, opening gifts with shaky fingers, and letting the love of this group — my friends — wash over me.
Even though Keifer wasn't here, I could feel the warmth of the day, the energy of the people who cared about me, and the memory of Cole's letter still nestled close to my heart.
For now, Section E had taken over, and my birthday? Well… it had officially gone nuclear in the best possible way.
JAY'S POV — After Section E
The chaos slowly died down. One by one, Section E left, leaving me amidst the confetti, half-eaten cupcakes, and a mountain of opened gifts. I was smiling, still shaky from the whirlwind of love and energy, when my eyes caught Kuya Angelo's expression.
He was standing by the doorway, arms crossed, eyes narrowing in that calm-but-deadly way he had mastered. His "death glare," as Stella would've called it, made even the most fearless Section E members skedaddle faster than I thought possible.
I laughed nervously, brushing stray confetti off my dress. "Okay… okay, you win," I muttered quietly.
Once the house quieted, I sank onto the couch, letting the room settle around me. The morning had been insane, overwhelming, emotional… perfect in a way I didn't think was possible. And yet, just as I let myself breathe, my phone buzzed.
I picked it up. A text. From Zack.
> Zack: "Come to the HQ, MJ. Something important."
My heart tightened slightly. "Something important?" I whispered, frowning. My fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before I finally typed a quick reply:
> Jay: "On my way."
I looked over at Kuya Angelo, who had moved closer, watching me silently. His expression softened slightly when he noticed my tension.
"I… I have to go," I murmured, trying to keep my voice casual.
He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly, not saying anything — just giving me that quiet, protective look that somehow managed to both reassure and warn at the same time.
I swallowed and added softly, almost under my breath, "Don't worry, I'll be careful."
He gave a slow nod, eyes flicking briefly toward the door before returning to his usual composed stance. I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and headed out, leaving the warmth of home behind for just a little while.
The streets were quiet, the morning sunlight softer now after the chaos, and I couldn't shake the nervous flutter in my chest. Whatever Zack needed me for, I had a feeling this wasn't going to be ordinary.
And deep down… part of me wished Keifer could've been here.
But for now, it was just me, the city, and whatever awaited at HQ...