That Unexpected Feeling

Chapter 1

Twenty-two year-old Alessa Valmores barely heard the flight attendant announce their arrival. When chatter filled the entire cabin after the plane had landed, passengers stood up to retrieve their hand-carried stuff from the overhead compartments. She stifled a yawn and peeked outside from her window seat.

Grabbing her backpack, she followed the stream of passengers going out the front end. She was supposed to be in Manila for the entire summer to visit her mom if not for a last minute business trip that put a damper on their plans for Balesin. Perhaps out of guilt, her mom offered to pay for her ticket if she wanted to tag along; Alessa declined and opted to return home earlier instead.

As soon as she collected her checked-in luggage, she scanned the crowd at the arrival area and smiled after seeing a familiar six-foot frame.

"Hey dad," she cheerfully greeted him as she approached. They had the same smile. That dimpled look.

Jim Valmores ruffled his daughter's hair, and then opened his arms for a bear hug. "Aren't you going to give your old man a hug?"

Alessa warmly embraced her father and realized how happy she was to finally be home. The south was always home. After the annulment of her parents' marriage, her mom uprooted both of them to Singapore, took a job at a multi-national firm as part of its PR team and never once mentioned moving back to the Philippines again. Somehow things changed when she turned 12. She moved back with her dad, who by then had remarried, on the condition that she spent Christmas and summer breaks with her mom. It was an arrangement beneficial enough for both parties since the latter was now based in Manila after accepting a lucrative relocation offer.

"You've grown taller!" he said. Alessa rolled her eyes in disbelief. She had only been gone for a month! "How's your mom?"

"She's good," she replied, feigning interest. "She's actually flying to Singapore this weekend for a business trip."

"Always the workaholic," he noted wistfully.

Alessa merely shrugged because it was the truth. Her mom was a dedicated career woman who thrived in the demands of her profession. It was one of the issues she and her now ex-husband used to argue about in the early years of their marriage. None of them was willing to compromise. Family friends always said it happens when two career-driven professionals elope at the prime of their careers.

"I'm sorry Balesin didn't push through, sweetheart." Jim told his daughter while taking the trolley's handle from her grasp.

"Mom offered to let me tag along though," she answered. "But you know her. She's basically married to her work I'd probably end up navigating Singapore on my own anyways. So no thanks."

"Why don't you give her a chance?" he sighed. "I knew how much you looked forward to this summer and I'm sure your mom's trying her best to fix her schedule around your plans. This was her graduation gift, remember?"

"It's not just Balesin, dad." Alessa quipped. "It's been like this since I was five. We couldn't even go through a single vacation without work coming in at the last minute."

Discussions about their complicated family set-up always hit a sore spot for Alessa. She was surprised, however, to hear her dad sticking up for her mom. It was a far cry from their tempestuous short-lived marriage that had them arguing constantly. Maybe her dad had a point.

"Uncle Jim!" A male voice called out as soon as they reached their parking spot.

Jim nodded to someone behind Alessa. "Good evening, son. Are you here to meet someone?"

"Just my mom," the guy answered. "She's arriving from Hong Kong but the flight isn't due for another 30 minutes."

Recognizing the voice, Alessa turned on her heel to a familiar face.

"Justin!"

"Hey, Alessa," he greeted. He stood so close his frame dwarfed her 5'4" figure. "I didn't expect you to be back so soon."

"It's a long story," she sighed. "Oh I'm so glad to see you!"

Justin was taken aback when Alessa's arms flew around him for a hug.

"Geez! If I didn't know better, I'd say you've missed me for the entire thirty days you were away."

"Of course," she replied jokingly. "I had no one to annoy in Manila."

"Ahhh, that makes sense."

"Any luck on finding a date for Trina's birthday?"

"If I don't find one, will you be my date instead?"

She playfully whacked him on the shoulder. They banter that way. Justin Oliver dela Merced Rosaceña is, after all, one of her closest friends since high school.

"Why don't you find a date from your legion of admirers? Bianca has some friends who are willing." His sister Bianca, a college freshman, would often complain that popular girls from her batch befriend her hoping to score an introduction with her brother. Justin, of course, was oblivious to the attention.

"They're barely out of high school, Alessa -"

"Okay scratch those from the list of prospects," she said, arm-hooking him towards their car. "I got your back, okay? I'll help you find a date."

"What's wrong with us going together?" Justin asked.

"I'd rather not drag you into the equation," Alessa answered with conviction. "You know how people from school can be unforgiving with the rumors."

Justin looked confused so she continued, "C'mon, it's Trina's birthday. She deserves the spotlight."

"I'm sorry Justin but we'd better get going." Alessa's dad cut through the conversation. "We don't want to be stuck in traffic going back to the city."

"I don't see how us going together actually steals the birthday celebrant's thunder," Justin whispered, out of Mr. Valmores' earshot. "We're graduates now. You don't owe anyone an explanation at all."

She patted his left shoulder for assurance. "You worry too much about me. I'll be fine."

Somehow Justin wasn't entirely convinced what she said was true.

When Alessa was a freshman in college, she met Rafael Evaristo. He was her seatmate in Math class who unknowingly turned out to be the son of a family friend. Rafa wasn't your typical campus jock but he was bookish, smart and a good conversationalist. Needless to say, he became the object of Alessa's affection.

Justin was quick to pick up on her crush and started inviting Rafa to hang out with their group. They also began spending most of their free time together since they had the same classes for the semester. It was too good to be true but Alessa couldn't care less.

Until Trina came back.

Alessa was unaware of their past when Trina returned from the US during their second year. Rafa, on the other hand, was honest enough to admit he thought he'd never see Trina again after they broke up in junior high and her family migrated to the United States. There was no closure between them, he said.

But she came back. For him. Fate gave them a chance to reconnect and both realized they still had feelings for each other. It would've been so easy to hate her but Trina was a good person. She was also comfortable with Alessa from the moment they were introduced; like they had been friends for a long time.

It was then Alessa realized she had officially lost her chance and all that's left was for her to let go.