Playing For Keeps (Book 2 & 3)

3. Chapter 2.

"The moment you're ready to quit is the usually the moment right before a miracle happens..."

"Lola doesn't know yet until when..." Caroline said, answering her nephew's question but addressing it to the little one who was in her hands. "Basta dito muna ako... because I miss this beautiful baby every day..."

She pinched the baby's chin and Zooey cooed and gurgled some more like she was enjoying their conversation. Caroline felt her heart swell with happiness as her granddaughter started to entertain her in her own little way and this was something she didn't want to miss for the world.

"That's right, Zoe, Lola misses you so bad..." then she paused and turned her attention to the two people who were standing not far from where she was. Caroline narrowed her eyes on them. "Why?" she cocked a brow at the two, taking in the same dumbfounded expression that was still on their faces but now she saw a hint of fret on Drei's face and amusement on Alex's. "May problema ba if I stay here for a while? Bakit ganyan kayo makatingin sa akin?"

"Ay wala po, Tita...t-there's no problem," Drei stammered, still unable to take in why their unexpected visitor was here. Was this a bad joke? But then Caroline wasn't the type who'd joke around and now as the older woman slid her a skeptical look, it finally sink into her that this wasn't a joke at all. Drei took in the two medium sized, black Rimowa suitcases that were in front of her. No shit, she thought to herself. This is real...as real as it gets! The Madam was staying. "We were just –"

"We're just surprised, that's all..." Alex finished up for her, smiled at his aunt and placed an arm over Drei's shoulder. "Napaka unexpected naman kasi Madam!"

"I hope its fine with you both that I am here..." She glanced back at Alex and Drei again. "...and besides, Antipolo is quite boring..."

It's been two months since she came back home to the Philippines and the home that she shared with her brother Dan, since he got divorced with his ex-wife, suddenly felt unfamiliar to her. After being surrounded by the big families of her sister Cora and her younger brother Miguelito for almost a year in San Francisco, the silence in Dan's house was so deafening that it made her restless. She'd constantly find herself looking for a good distraction to while away her time.

Caroline started with the garden first. She redid the landscaping, rearranged her orchids and Dan's bonsais. When that was done, she shifted to remodeling the whole living room with the help of their youngest sister Chi. They bought in new wall papers and redesigned the look. After the living room fix, Caroline started to sort the things that was inside their storage room. She found old magazines, clothes and all the whatnots that's never been used for ages. Two days later, she donated the old clothes to the local charity they had in Antipolo.

Despite the distraction, she still felt the need to do something and that's when she wanted to get out of there for a while. Being busy didn't seem enough for her. She needed a change of environment and which is why she ended up in Alex's doorstep on this Saturday afternoon. It was always her thing to show up unannounced and unexpected. Ambush visit at its finest!  And besides, she missed being around Zooey. At least twice a week, she and Dan would visit their new granddaughter, thrice a week at the most, but then again it didn't seem not enough for Caroline. If Dan was busy, she'd ask Dennis, Dan's part-time driver to drive her out to Bonifacio Global City whenever she feels like it.