Endpoint

Ninja Boy

"Roxy, andito na ko oh!" he pleaded, desperately blocking her path, his hands pressed together in a silent plea.

"Roxanne, please, I love yo —"

Roxy stared at herself in the mirror, the memory of her last encounter with Archie replaying in her mind.

"Archimedes Aguerro, maligno." she whispered.

It had been five years since he promised to return for her, to return for Riley. For eight months during her pregnancy, he was consistent — updating her, checking in from thousand miles away, and supporting her financially.

During those months, she found herself slowly opening up to him, falling in love all over again.

But then, without warning, he disappeared.

No explanations, no goodbyes

-just gone.

"Ngayon babalik na lang bigla? Lakas talaga ng tama," Roxy muttered.

"Nanay?" Riley asked, approaching her. "Anong ginagawa mo? Bat kanina ka pa nakatingin sa salamin?"

Roxy took a deep breath, turned to her son, and smiled. Riley was curiously staring at her, and after seeing Archie again after so many years, it struck her how much he looked like their son: black eyes, pointed nose, and that familiar grumpy expression.

"Wala, tinitingnan lang ni nanay kung gaano ako kaganda," she joked as she lifted Riley onto her lap.

"Maganda ka naman po, Nanay. Pero... nagpabango ka po ba?" Riley asked as he sniffed Roxy innocently.

Roxy awkwardly adjusted her hair, realizing she'd unconsciously been preparing herself. She didn't know why, but with Archie coming to visit Riley for the first time, she felt the need to make a good impression.

That's right, she had finally agreed to let him see Riley.

She wasn't sure what made her say yes. Was it because of Z? The pity she felt for her the last time they met? Or maybe, deep down, she knew it was simply the right thing to do.

Before Roxy could answer, her phone buzzed with a notification.

MALIGNO: "I'm here."

Roxy took a deep breath and gently slid Riley off her lap. "Anak, wait lang po ha. May bisita lang tayo."

"Sino po? Si Tito Kevin? Ayoko dun, Nanay!" Riley exclaimed, his tiny voice filled with annoyance as he scrunched his nose.

"Hindi baby, ibang tao...papakilala ko siya sayo mamaya ng maayos." Roxy nervously explained.

-----

Roxy opened the gate, and there he was. Leaning against the hood of his car, she noticed it wasn't the BMW he used to brag about in senior high school, but rather an older model of Mazda.

He was freshly shaved, a stark contrast to the last time she saw him: uneven beard, swollen eyes from sleepless nights, or perhaps from crying.

He almost looked like the Archie she once knew, but there was something different about him now.

Archie nervously tapped his toes, patiently waiting for Roxy. His heart raced at the thought of finally meeting his son, the anticipation overwhelming him. A puff from his vape might have calmed his nerves, but not now — not when he was about to meet Riley.

"Archie!" Roxy called out from the other side of the street.

Archie looked up and saw Roxy staring at him with the same stern expression she always wore around him. She wasn't in her nursing uniform, just a plain shirt and sweatpants. But somehow, after all these years, she was still as beautiful as ever.