JAY'S POV —
Everything after that kiss felt like a blur — a soft, glowing blur that wrapped around me like warmth I didn't realize I'd been aching for.
The music rose again. Lights warmed. People cheered, clapped, yelled something about "FINALLY!" when Keifer and I pulled apart.
Felix screamed, "WE SAW THAT! WE ALL SAW THAT!"
Cin: "I WAS RECORDING!"
Yuri: "SEND IT TO ME, BRO!"
Keifer glared. Every phone immediately went down.
And then—
My dad laughed softly beside me, a shy, emotional sound. Percy slung an arm around him, grinning like he owned the world.
Everything settled. Everything felt softer. Lighter.
For once.
For me.
The lights dimmed again — but this time, with the warm, golden glow of candles.
Ella and Rakki pulled a cake into the center. Cin cried so hard Stella had to hand her tissues. David placed a party hat on my head. Aries put one on Dad — he protested for two seconds then gave up.
They started singing.
Loud. Off-key. Chaotic.
Perfect.
I looked around — at all of them. At Keifer standing behind me. At Percy beside Dad. At Mom smiling through teary eyes. At Stella recording while pretending not to cry. At every single person who stayed. Who fought. Who showed up.
And I made a wish.
A simple one.
Then I blew out the candles.
Cheers erupted again — confetti blasted into my face (thanks, Cin) — and everyone shoved pieces of cake toward me to feed them.
I fed Mom first. Then Dad. (He froze, shocked and happy and trying not to cry.) Then Percy shoved his face in the way— "ME NEXT—" I pushed him away with the spatula.
Keifer stepped forward last. Quiet. Hands in pockets.
I fed him a small bite.
He didn't look at the cake. He looked at me.
And something inside me fluttered out of rhythm.
After a whileThe lights softened. The music slowed.
Zack tapped the mic.
"Alright! Birthday girl — and her dad. To the floor."
My breath hitched.
Dad's hand trembled a little when he offered it.
"May I?" he asked quietly.
My chest tightened.
"Yeah," I whispered. "You may."
We stepped onto the dance floor. A soft, old love song played — something familiar, something Mom used to hum in the kitchen once upon a time .
Dad placed a careful hand on my waist. I placed mine on his shoulder.
We moved.
A bit clumsy. A little off-beat. He stepped on my shoe once. I bumped into him twice.
We laughed.
For the first time.
Together.
His voice cracked softly as he said,
"You look so grown up… Anak."
I swallowed hard.
"I'm still your daughter."
He blinked fast, trying not to get emotional.
"I'm sorry I missed so much."
I shook my head.
"You're here now."
And he pulled me a little closer — not tight, not overwhelming — just enough to say:
I'm trying.
When the song ended, he kissed the top of my head. My throat tightened again.
Before I could fall apart, Percy cut in dramatically.
"MY TURN! MOVE, OLD MAN!"
Dad laughed and shoved him away lightly.
And then the dance floor filled: Aries spinning me in circles, Kuya Angelo actually being pretty good at it, Felix trying to dip me and failing, Stella clinging to my arm, Cin screaming "SLOW MOTIONNNN!" for no reason.
But my eyes kept drifting—
To the boy leaning against the pillar. Watching me. Soft smile. Hands tucked in his pockets.
Keifer.
My night was beautiful.But I knew— It still wasn't over.
Not until our dance happened.
The crowd eventually thinned on the dance floor, people drifting toward food, photos, or yelling at David for stealing frosting with his fingers.
But through it all…
Keifer kept leaning there.
Still.
Patient.
Watching me like I was the only thing moving in the room.
His eyes always found mine.
And every time they did, something in my chest tightened in that warm, unbearable way.
Finally, after Percy almost dropped me trying to twirl me like a helicopter, I laughed and stumbled away, breathless.
That was when Keifer pushed off the pillar.
Slowly.
Purposefully.
He walked toward me — each step steady, like he had all the time in the world but still came straight to me.
The music shifted again.
Soft.
Slow.
Warm.
Perfect.
He stopped in front of me, gaze lowered just for a moment… before lifting to meet mine.
"Can I…?" he asked quietly, offering his hand.
My heart fluttered like something stupid.
I placed my hand in his.
He pulled me gently toward the center of the room — but it didn't feel like a dance floor anymore.
It felt like our space.
Like everyone else faded into this soft golden blur.
His hand settled at my waist.
Mine touched his shoulder.
We were close, but not too close.
Not yet.
We started moving.
Slow.
Unhurried.
Like we had been dancing like this for years.
I looked up at him.
"You planned this?" I whispered.
He didn't pretend. Didn't deflect.
He just nodded once.
"For you," he said quietly. "Only you."
My chest tightened again — painfully soft this time.
"You brought my dad," I said, voice almost shaking. "And Percy. And… everything."
His eyes softened, thumb brushing lightly along my waist.
"You deserved it."
My breath hitched.
He wasn't looking away.He wasn't teasing.He wasn't guarded.He was just… there.
Present.Real.
The music wrapped around us, slow and gentle. His forehead dropped lightly to mine as we swayed.
"You really surprised me," I whispered.
He gave the smallest smile — the one he only ever let me see.
"You should've seen your face," he murmured.
I nudged his shoulder lightly.
He tightened his hold by just a fraction.
Not possessive.
Not demanding.
Just… wanting to keep me close.
The song dipped into its softest part.
His voice dropped with it.
"Happy birthday, Jay…"
I didn't think.
My fingers curled into his shirt.
I leaned closer.
So did he.
Our foreheads pressed together, breath mingling.
"Thank you," I whispered. "For everything."
He swallowed, eyes flicking down to my lips for a second — barely — but enough to make my pulse jump.
Then back to my eyes.
"I'd do it all again," he said softly. "Every part of it if it means I'll get to see you smile so radiantly jay..."
The room spun slowly around us.
Lights melted into gold.
People blurred.
It was just him.
Just us.
And as the song ended, he didn't let go.
He held me just a moment longer — long enough for me to hear his heartbeat under my palm, steady and warm.
"I love you my Mrs Watson untill scientists find the end of the universe..."
And then I spoke clearly out of my heart
"I love you too Mr Watson untill scientists find the end of the universe... "
The moment the words left my mouth, his breath caught.
Just a tiny inhale.
But enough.
Enough to tell me I'd hit something deep inside him.
His hand slid up my back, fingers brushing the fabric of my dress like he was memorizing the feel of me there. He pulled me closer — not rushing, not desperate — just with this quiet, overwhelming affection that made my knees weaken.
His forehead pressed harder against mine. Our noses brushed. His lips hovered close enough to steal my breath, but he didn't kiss me.
Not yet.
Instead, he whispered —
"…Jay."
Just my name.
But the way he said it—
God.
Like it was a secret.
Like it was a prayer.
Like it was something he had been waiting to say with this much emotion for a long, long time.
Around us, the room existed — music, voices, lights — but none of it touched us.
We were in our own world.
Our own universe.
A universe that, apparently, had no end.
And then—
slowly, deliberately—
Keifer cupped my jaw with one hand, thumb brushing my cheek like he was touching something fragile, precious.
His lips found mine.
Soft.
Warm.
Certain.
The kind of kiss that felt like a promise sealed under golden lights.
A kiss that said:
I'm here.
You're mine.
We're us now.
And when he pulled back, just barely, breathing against my lips—
that soft, quiet smile appeared.
Only for me.
Always for me.
My universe.
My Keifer.
And tonight, finally —
I was his.
The moment Keifer kissed me — soft, warm, steady — the whole room erupted.
Cin actually screamed. Felix yelled something like "WE KNEW IT!" Stella dropped her phone. Percy wolf-whistled. Aries and Angelo just stared.
I pulled away, face hot, breath unsteady. Keifer just smirked — the soft kind — like he was proud of himself. Proud of us.
And then Zack raised the mic again.
"GIFT TIME!!!"
Cheers. Noise. Chaos.
Section E swarmed me first.
Rakki shoved a pink bag at me. Mica pushed a box into my chest. Ella hugged me so tight I wheezed. Freya kissed my cheek twice.
Their gifts were ridiculous —
a giant plush duck,
a mug that said "CERTIFIED MENACE,"
a keychain of Keifer in chibi form (I swear Yuri made it),
and a pillow with my annoyed face printed on it.
But the last gift from them…
A photo frame.
Simple. Wooden. Warm.
Inside —
our Christmas picture.
Snow lights in the background, everyone smiling too wide, me stuck in the middle holding hot cocoa.
My breath softened.
"Group photo so you don't forget we exist when Mr. Watson steals you," Cin said dramatically.
I hugged all of them at once. Or tried to. They suffocated me. But it felt… good.
Then—
Keiren and Keigan walked up shyly, holding a flat package.
"We, uh… made this," Keiren mumbled.
I unwrapped it—
And froze.
It was a painting.
Us.
Me, Keifer, Keiren, Keigan and tita Serina
All together.
All smiling.
And at the bottom, messy handwriting:
"Our family."
My chest cracked.
I pulled both boys into a hug — tight, emotional, the kind that made Keifer look away because he was getting soft too.
Then Dad stepped forward — keys in hand.
The entire room screamed before I even understood.
"What—?"
He jingled the keys and pointed behind me.
A red ribbon.
A sleek shape.
A McLaren.
My knees almost gave out.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart," he said, eyes warm. "I missed many years. Let me give you something now."
I hugged him so hard he laughed.
And then…
Everything went quiet.
Because Keifer stepped in front of me.
Holding a velvet box.
And an envelope.
My heartbeat stuttered.
The letter was soft, handwritten — his handwriting.
"I'll read this later," I whispered.
He nodded. "Yeah… it's for later."
I opened the velvet box—
And my breath left me.
Inside was a pendant.
Old, elegant, beautiful — clearly antique.
The kind of heirloom you didn't just give away lightly.
A small note sat under it.
Written in gentle handwriting:
"For my future daughter-in-law.
—Serina"
My vision blurred instantly.
I looked up at Keifer — really looked.
He didn't smirk. Didn't tease.
He just touched my cheek softly and whispered,
"She picked it… a long time ago."
My throat closed.
I threw my arms around him — not caring that everyone was watching — burying my face into his shoulder, holding him as tightly as I could.
"Thank you," I whispered. "For everything. For this. For her."
He held me just as tight.
"Happy birthday, Mrs. Watson."
My heart melted all over again.
And just like that—
the night became perfect.
Completely, beautifully, overwhelmingly perfect.
Keifer pov
After that dance… after those words —
> "I love you too, Mr. Watson, until scientists find the end of the universe…"
I swear my heart almost broke out of my chest.
The world could've ended right there and I would've been fine.
Then the spell shattered with one thing.
Cin screamed:
"GIFTS TIME!!! MOVE, PEOPLE, MOVE!"
---
Section E's chaos — of course.
They pushed Jay onto a fancy chair like she was some queen on discount throne day.
Felix handed her a tiny box.
Jay opened it.
It was empty.
"…Felix?" she whispered.
He grinned.
"It's symbolic. Like your patience with me — NOTHING."
Cin gave her a gigantic teddy bear wearing sunglasses.
"THIS IS SIR SNUGGLESTON THE THIRD. PROTECT HIM WITH YOUR LIFE."
Yuri gave her a hoodie three sizes too big.
"For when Keifer pisses you off."
I glared. Yuri hid behind Stella.
Calix, Denzel, Rory, Blaster, Mayo, Kit, Eren, Josh, David, Edrix, Drew, Eman all handed chaos gifts —
a stress ball shaped like David's head,
a mug that said "I Survived Section E",
a pen that shocked you when you clicked it (Stella smacked them all),
and a tiny notebook titled "Reasons Jay Is Annoyed Today."
She laughed at everything.
Her eyes sparkled.
That was enough.
Then the entire section e came forward with their real gift — a beautifully wrapped frame.
Jay opened it.
Inside was the Christmas photo —
all of them squished together, Jay in the middle, smiling so bright it hurt to look at.
At the bottom, in elegant handwriting:
"Always Your People."
Jay went silent.
Her throat tightened.
She hugged them so hard they squealed.
---
Then my brothers stepped forward.
Keiren and Keigan — both nervous, both pretending not to be.
Keiren cleared his throat.
"Uh… we made something."
Jay opened the large wrapped canvas.
Her breath caught.
A hand-painted artwork —
Jay, me, Mom (Serina), and my brothers —
all together.
Smiling.
Warm.
A family.
And written below in Serif gold paint:
OUR FAMILY.
Jay covered her mouth, eyes shimmering instantly.
She hugged both of them — practically squeezed the air out of Keigan.
Keiren patted her head awkwardly, trying not to look emotional.
I swallowed hard.
Mom would've loved her.
No—
Mom did love her.
---
Then her dad stepped up.
He handed her keys.
Metallic.
Shiny.
Heavy.
Jay blinked.
"…Dad?"
He smiled, nervous.
"Go outside."
We all followed.
When Jay stepped out—
Her jaw dropped.
A glossy McLaren sat in the driveway, ribbon tied across the hood.
She turned to her dad, eyes wide, one hand shaking.
"Are you serious…?"
He nodded, swallowing emotion.
"For all the birthdays I missed."
She threw her arms around him.
He hugged her just as tightly.
I looked away for a second.
The moment was theirs.
Sacred.
---
Then finally — it was my turn.
My heartbeat was loud.
Too loud.
I handed her a small envelope and a velvet box.
She opened the envelope first — my letter.
Handwritten.
Messy.
Unfiltered.
She didn't read it out loud — thank God —
but the look on her face told me she felt every word.
Then she opened the velvet box.
She froze.
Completely.
Inside was an antique gold pendant.
Old.
Delicate.
Etched with tiny roses.
Jay looked up at me, confused.
I nudged the small folded note inside.
She picked it up.
Read it.
Her breath stuttered.
"For my future daughter-in-law
—Serina "
Jay's free hand flew to her mouth.
Her eyes filled instantly.
She wasn't crying.
Not really.
Just… breaking open in the softest way a heart can.
She looked up at me —
and something in her expression shattered me completely.
I cupped her cheek.
She leaned into it, trembling.
I whispered,
"She wanted you to have it."
Jay let out a tiny, broken laugh.
"You're going to make me cry in front of everyone."
I smiled softly.
"You look beautiful either way."
She hugged me —
tight, warm, burying her face in my chest.
And for a moment…
the world stopped again.
If Mom could see this —
see her —
she would've chosen Jay a thousand times over.
I closed my eyes.
This night was hers.
Every second.
And I'd spend a lifetime giving her more....