JAY'S POV
The dress fit like it had been sewn onto my skin — soft, gentle, hugging me in all the right places without even trying.
Keifer's choice… somehow perfect.
Of course it was.
I stared at myself in the mirror for a long moment.
Eighteen.
A new year.
Cole's letter still warm in my chest.
My heart full.
My throat tight.
Then my phone buzzed.
One message.
One dropped pin.
No words.
Classic Keifer.
I grabbed a coat, slid the ring onto my finger, and headed out.
The drive wasn't long…
but my heartbeat echoed through the car like it was counting down to something.
When I reached the address, everything was dark.
A warehouse? A hall? I couldn't tell — the place was pitch black except for one thin crack of light under the door.
"Okay… creepy," I muttered, stepping inside.
Silence.
Stillness.
My heels clicked softly against the floor.
"Hello…?" I whispered.
Nothing.
I shifted my weight forward—
And then—
BOOM!
The lights exploded on.
"SURPRISEEEEEE!!!!"
I nearly ascended to the afterlife.
The room burst alive — cheers, clapping, whistles, confetti, pure chaos.
Section E boys were everywhere:
Cin and David yelling loudest.
Yuri recording me like a proud dad.
Felix and Calix waving glow sticks for no reason.
Blaster and Eman arguing over who shouted first.
Drew and Denzel popping tiny party cannons.
Rory, Edrix, Josh, Mayo, Kit, and Eren forming a ridiculous "WELCOME ADULT JAY" sign with their bodies.
It was… a lot.
Then the girls crashed into me:
Rakki shrieking.
Mica crying already.
Freya squeezing the air out of me.
Ella handing me a cupcake before hugging me.
Stella practically tackled me.
David lifted me until I swatted him.
Aries yelled, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUG!" loud enough to shake the entire building.
Zack pulled me in for a calm hug.
Alex ruffled my hair.
Kuya Angelo,Tita Gema and Mom smiled from the corner like they were watching their baby bird fly.
Even Keigan and keiren were there,they came close pulled me into a hug and whispered me thier wishes...
It was loud.
Chaotic.
Warm.
Overflowing.
Everything a birthday should be.
I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt.
But…
Even with all the arms around me —
all the gifts —
all the cheers —
my eyes searched.
Through Cin's shouting.
Through Yuri's camera.
Through Rakki dragging me to take pictures.
Through Aries yelling at Denzel for opening the soda too fast.
Through the crowd shifting and laughing.
But he wasn't there.
Keifer wasn't there.
A small ache curled into my chest — soft but sharp.
He picked the dress.
He sent the location.
He wanted me here.
So where was he?
Stella noticed first — of course she did.
She leaned closer, whispering,
"Looking for someone?"
I swallowed. "No — I just — I thought—"
Her smirk was evil.
"Yep. Thought so."
I rolled my eyes, cheeks warming, and she laughed, squeezing my hand.
But even then…
Even with everyone celebrating me —
even with people calling my name, pulling me into hugs, handing me cake —
my gaze drifted to the entrance again.
Waiting.
Wondering.
Hoping.
Because no matter how loud they cheered
or how tightly they hugged me…
There was one face missing in the lights and laughter.
One heartbeat I was listening for.
And I knew —my night wouldn't truly start,until he walked through that door.
The music dipped for a moment — just enough for my heart to pick up the empty space he should've been in.
I tried to smile. Tried to focus. Tried to pretend I wasn't waiting for someone who always made me feel too much.
But my eyes kept flicking to the door.
Again. And again.
Stella nudged me for the fourth time.
Aries raised an eyebrow.
Angelo hid a grin behind his cup.
Even Zack and Alex exchanged a look — one of those "just wait" looks.
Everyone knew something.
Everyone but me.
I was about to ask Stella what the hell was going on when—
The music shifted.
Lights dimmed.
The crowd parted like a movie scene.
And the door clicked open.
My breath… stopped.
Keifer stepped inside.
Dressed in black.
Button-down, sleeves rolled, hair slightly messy like he'd run a hand through it on the way here.
Calm.
Sharp.
Unbothered.
But somehow—
Dashing.
Of course he was.
My chest tightened — relief hitting so hard it almost hurt.
I was ready to walk toward him.
Ready to breathe again.
Ready to complain, yell, hug him — whatever came out first.
But then…
Someone stepped in behind him.
No.
Two someones.
My heart dropped.
Because standing there, next to Keifer — looking unsure, nervous, hopeful — was a man I hadn't been allowed to see for so many years.
My dad.
My actual freaking dad.
The one Mom kept away. The one I had only seen once outside the university gates. The one who looked at me like he wanted to say a million things but didn't know how.
And beside him—
Percy.
Percy, who had left after I got out of the hospital saying he had urgent work in New York.
Percy, who grinned at me like he had been keeping the biggest secret in the universe.
The room blurred for a second.
Not because of tears exactly —
but because everything inside me froze.
Keifer… brought them?
Mom allowed this?
I didn't know whether to breathe or panic.
My dad took a small step forward, voice trembling just a little.
"Hi, sweetheart…"
Sweetheart.
The word hit something deep. Something small. Something I didn't let myself feel often.
I couldn't move at first.
Just stood there — stunned, breath trapped in my throat — staring at the man I had once begged to meet, the man I thought I'd see again someday, not today… not at my birthday… not walking next to Keifer like all of this was planned for me.
Percy laughed softly, warm and teasing.
"Surprise, birthday girl."
And Keifer…
He didn't say anything.
Just looked at me with that quiet, steady gaze — the kind that told me he knew exactly how my chest felt right now.
Full. Shaking. Overwhelmed. Alive.
He did this for me.
He brought them… for me.
My vision wavered — the lights, the music, the crowd behind me fading into the background as my heart tried to catch up.
I took one step forward.
Then another.
My voice barely came out, soft and cracked around the edges.
"Dad…?"
He smiled — nervous, emotional, terrified, hopeful.
"Happy birthday, Jay Anak"
And that was the moment—
For a second, I couldn't hear anything.
Not the cheers behind me. Not the music building back up. Not Stella whisper-yelling "GO, JAY, GO!"
Nothing.
Just my heartbeat hammering in my ears.
My feet moved on their own — slow, unsure, almost floating — until I stopped right in front of them.
My dad. Percy. Keifer.
Three people I never expected to stand together… yet here they were. For me.
Dad's eyes glistened, just a little.
Not enough for anyone else to notice.
But enough for me.
He opened his arms, hesitant, like he didn't know if he was allowed.
And something inside me — something old, small, hurt — cracked.
I didn't rush him. I didn't fall into his arms dramatically. I just stepped forward… and let him hold me.
His breath shook as he hugged me.
"You grew up," he whispered, almost laughing through the heartbreak in his voice. "I missed so much."
My throat closed.
I didn't know what to say. Didn't know where to start. Didn't know how to feel.
But the warmth…
the familiarity…
the quiet ache easing just a little…
I realized I needed this more than I ever admitted.
When we pulled apart, Percy immediately slung an arm around my shoulders.
"My favorite chaos magnet," he teased. "You look alive."
I huffed a soft laugh, wiping my eyes quickly before anyone caught it.
"You disappeared to New York."
"And you survived too well without me," he winked. "Had to fix that."
I rolled my eyes… but my chest felt lighter.
Then—
Then I looked at Keifer.
He stood a step behind them, hands in his pockets, watching me with that steady, unreadable expression he always had when he was feeling too much.
But when our eyes met…
Something soft flickered there.
Relief.
Warmth.
A question.
And—something deeper, something he never said out loud.
I walked toward him — slowly, breathlessly — and murmured:
"You did this?"
He shrugged faintly, voice low.
"Didn't want you celebrating your birthday without the people you deserved to have."
My heart stopped.
"Keifer…" I whispered, because I didn't know what else to say.
"You can yell at memoment for leaving you for such a big span of time.. " he added, almost teasing. "Or thank me. Or both. I'm fine with either."
I shook my head — overwhelmed, emotional, soft.
So soft it scared me.
Before I could respond, my dad and Percy were pulled into the crowd by Section E —felix dragging Percy away, Cin shouting, "HER DAD IS COOL AS HELL!"
Dad laughed nervously yet loving each moment of it Percy praising his beauty for the 8th time , The chaos swallowed them both in seconds.
Leaving me and Keifer alone in the middle of the lights and noise.
He stepped closer.
Just a little.
"Happy birthday, Jay," he murmured — softer than anyone else had said it.
My breath hitched.
Everything inside me — every ache, every surprise, every old memory, every new hope — rushed at once.
And before I could think…
Before I could talk myself out of it…
I rose onto my toes, grabbed the front of his shirt—
And kissed him.
It wasn't loud.
Wasn't fireworks.
Wasn't dramatic.
It was soft. Warm. Real. A quiet thank-you pressed against his lips.
He froze for half a second — shocked — then kissed me back, slow and careful, like he was afraid to hurt me.
Like he'd been waiting.
Like this moment mattered.
When we finally pulled apart — barely an inch — my forehead rested against his.
His voice was barely a breath:
"So… I guess you liked the surprise."
I laughed — shaky, breathless, glowing.
"Yeah," I whispered. "I did."
And for the first time that night—everything felt exactly right.
KEIFER'S POV —
This wasn't a simple surprise.
Not for her. Not for me.
Not when it involved the two people she should've never had to miss in the first place.
But Jay deserved everything. And I wasn't going to let her turn eighteen still carrying that hollow ache in her chest.
Not on my watch.
---
Three Weeks Earlier
I stood outside the café with Percy, who was glaring at me like I had ruined his weekend.
"You want me to what?" he hissed.
"Get her dad here," I repeated calmly.
Percy blinked once. Twice. Then groaned into his palms.
"Keifer, buddy, friend, occasional pain in my ass—Jay's mom will kill both of us."
I shrugged. "We'll take the risk."
"No. YOU will take the risk. I will attend the funeral."
I raised an eyebrow.
He sighed.
"Fine. I'll help."
Good.
Two Weeks Earlier
Meeting her dad was… something.
He looked like a man who carried years of regret in his shoulders.
He kept wringing his hands, eyes staring at the table instead of me.
"Do you… do you think she'll even want to see me?" he asked quietly.
I leaned back.
"She will," I said simply. "She wants you in her life tito ."
His eyes softened. "And her mother?"
"I'll handle it."
He nodded.
Hopeful. Afraid. Trying.
I respected that.
Percy nudged me under the table, whispering, "You're really doing this? For her birthday?"
Yes.
Yes, I was.
---
One Week Earlier
Tita Jeana nearly stabbed me with a wooden spoon.
"KEIFER WATSON! You want to bring THAT MAN near my daughter?!"
I didn't flinch.
"Jay deserves answers."
She looked furious… then conflicted… then guilty… then like she wanted to cry.
"She's… she's just a girl."
"She's turning eighteen."
Her jaw clenched.
I softened my voice.
"You've protected her long enough, Tita. Let her choose now."
She stared at me for a long moment, then looked away.
"Fine," she whispered. "But if she cries—"
"She won't cry for the wrong reasons," I said.
I would make sure of it.
---
The evening
I watched Jay walk in wearing the dress I picked.
She looked…
Beautiful wasn't the word. Not enough.
She looked like every part of her was glowing — even the places she still tried to hide.
And the second her eyes began scanning the crowd… searching…
I felt it.
That stupid, warm, dangerous pull in my chest.
She was looking for me.
Good.
But I had one more thing to do.
I brought her dad and Percy to the door.
Her dad was shaking. Percy kept patting his back. I stood between them, grounding the moment.
"You're sure about this?" Percy asked me quietly.
I nodded once.
"It's time."
And I opened the door.
---
When Jay saw us—
I swear the world stopped moving.
Her smile faltered. Her breath caught. Her eyes widened—confused, soft, vulnerable, scared, hopeful.
And when she whispered—
"Dad…?"
Something in her father broke and rebuilt itself at the same time.
I didn't step forward. Didn't speak. Didn't interrupt.
This moment wasn't mine.
This moment belonged to her.
But when she looked at me — really looked at me —
there was something in her eyes.
Something that said:
"Thank you."
I didn't need her to say it aloud.
I felt it.
Right in the center of my chest.
Because this was the real gift.
Not the dress. Not the party. Not the lights or the crowd.
But giving her back a piece of her life she thought she'd lost forever.
And the look on her face told me one thing:
It was worth every risk.
Every argument.Every plan.Every second.
For her?
Always worth it.