"How…how did you know that name?" The curiosity and confusion in Wally's voice were undeniable.
"No time to explain," she grabbed Wally by the wrist. "Come on, come on. Mom, you follow us, too."
Cecilia started to run towards the bridge with Wally in tow, nearly pulling his arm out of its socket. "Miss Cecilia…what is this all about?"
"Save your questions for later, please!" Cecilia replied in a singy-song voice. The three of them ran as fast as they could to reach the bridge.
"Cee, what is this all about?" Selina was baffled as to why they needed to go to the bridge.
"Captain, here is the ship's noontime report." Bustamante hands a clipboard to Chris.
The chief officer starts his report as Chris flips through the pages. "At 1200 hours local time on December 15, 2025, Kasanaan time, the vessel's position was recorded at latitude 32 degrees 15.4 minutes North and longitude 75 degrees 30.2 minutes West. The ship was proceeding on a true course of 145 degrees at a speed of 14.2 knots. The wind was coming from the southwest, specifically 210 degrees true, at a steady 18 knots."
"Water conditions were moderate, with waves approximately 2.5 meters in height, and visibility remained good, extending beyond 10 nautical miles. Atmospheric pressure was steady at 1013.5 hectopascals. The air temperature was a warm 27 degrees Celsius, while the river temperature measured 24 degrees Celsius."
"The vessel's draft was noted as 6.8 meters forward and 7.2 meters aft. Fuel reserves stood at 320 metric tons. Cargo loading was stable at 85 percent capacity, with no issues reported during the voyage thus far. Overall, the ship continued on a smooth course with no abnormalities observed."
Chris raised an eyebrow as he returned the clipboard to the chief officer. "What's the point of you giving me these things to read, if you are just going to recite them to me like poetry?"
"Sorry, captain, force of habit," Bustamante expressed with a bow
Just then, Cecilia barged onto the bridge, panting and clearly out of breath, "CHIEF BUSTAMANTE!" she yelled.
Her antics caused everyone on the bridge to flinch and jump from the shock of it all. "What is wrong with you?" Chris blurted out while massaging his chest and sitting back up straight.
Cecilia rushed to the chief officer, holding him by the shoulders. "Chief Bustamante!"
"What is it, Miss Bermudez?" Bustamante asked, while leaning back as far away as he could from Cecilia's wide eyes.
"That story that the captain told me…your family's story. Tell it to me!" Cecilia requested, or rather told the Chief Officer to do.
"S-s-story? What story?" Bustamante replied with utter confusion.
"The story of why you lost track of them," Cecilia urged, her tone rising
"Pink…what is this all about?" Chris asked to intervene and cut through all the confusion.
Selina pushes Wally towards her daughter, and Cecilia pushes Wally forward towards the chief. "This is Wally, or rather Walter Arcilia." She then nudged Wally. "Tell them why you guys live in Nasugbu."
Though confused, Wally told his family's tale, "My family isn't originally from Nasugbu; my great-grandmother left and took her family with her after a fierce storm nearly wiped out their fishing village."
When he heard the story, something tugged at Bustamante's heartstrings. "Whe-where was your family originally from?"
"From Dingalan, Sir." When Wally made the revelation, Chris and Bustamante exchanged surprised glances.
"Then what happened to her? To your great-grandmother?" Bustamante asked with a trembling voice.
"They relocated to Manila, but then she married Panfilo Arcila, and that is how they finally settled in Nasugbu," Wally answered, still confused as to why he was telling the story of his family's relocation
Chief Bustamante approached Wally with shaky knees and his breath hitching on his throat, "What was her name? Your great-grandmother was it…was her name Ysadora?"
"Ysadora Bustamante, yes, she was my great-grandmother," he answered, surprised how the chief knew. "How did you know her name?"
Bustamante's voice cracked, and tears streamed from his eyes. "Ysadora Bustamante was my granddaughter. I've lost track of her when she left Dingalan." He wrapped Wally in a tight embrace. "Oh my god, you're my grandson," he said, looking at all the souls witnessing the reunion. "He's my grandson!"
But then the smile disappeared from Bustamante's lips, replaced by a heartbreaking realization. "If you're here…then does it mean there is no one left of the Bustamante bloodline?"
"Not at all, sir," Wally happily told Chief Bustamante, "My dad is still alive, and he and my mom are expecting a new baby."
Bustamante clutched his chest and ran his hand through his hair, not from despair or pain but from joy and excitement. "A new grandchild?" His eyes twinkled at the news, "I'm going to have a new grandchild!"
The bridge erupted with cheers, the bridge crew all shook, and congratulated Chief Bustamante. Chris got up from his chair and shook hands with the chief. "Congratulations, chief," he said with a joyful tone.
As he left Bustamante to be congratulated by the others, he walked up to Cecilia. "Nice find, Miss Pink," he smiled at her.
Selina hugged her daughter and whispered, "I'm so proud of you, Cee."
Three days later, the Twilight is docked at the port of Kaginhawaan, and the passengers are disembarking. Cecilia hugs her mother as she and Chris see her off, "I'm going to miss you, Mom," tears flowing from her eyes.
Selina wipes the tears away from Cecilia's eyes. "Oh, my poor Cee, are you crying because you are sad?"
"You are finally getting your rest, and that makes me glad, but I won't see you again, and that makes me sad." Chris furrowed his brows and glanced at Cecilia. "Dad is missing, and I'm sure some demon is behind this, and it infuriates me!"
"Wow, three emotions all at once," Chris whispered to himself.
"Promise me, Cee, that you will live your life to the fullest. Don't let heartbreaks hold you back from the happiness that you could have." Selina's voice started to tremble, and the tears started to fall as the realization that she would never see her child again dawned on her. "I missed you, my baby, and I am so grateful that we are given this second chance to be together."
"Mom…can't you stay? Please stay with me just for a couple more days?" Cecilia begged as she hugged her mother tighter.
"We've been given a rare second chance, Cee, and that is more than enough." She strokes her daughter's hair. "It would be greedy to ask for more when so much has already been given to us without anything in return." Selina sighs, "This is not goodbye, my child. Like your pops, I will always be here," placing her hands over her forehead, "…and here," she then placed her hand over Cecilia's chest.