THE whole shoot was a struggle for Adrian. Though he has his inhaler with him, the discomfort was still there. The staffs were concern especially the director if they need to cancel the shoot but he insisted on finishing everything that day. He’s supposed to shoot the remaining scenes for his movie but he was surprised when Abby told him that there has been a problem with one of the equipment and they need to reschedule. He hates rescheduling as it takes his extra time for himself outside his job.

“Where’s Mark?” he asked Abby when she sat on the driver’s seat.

“He had an emergency. He didn’t tell me in details, he just told me to send you home.”

He looked at his phone and that’s only when he saw Mark’s messages for him.

-I’m sorry, I needed to leave. There’s an emergency in the house.-

-You are not going to fire me, are you?-

-Are you still going to the shoot tonight? Just cancel it and rest.-

-Hey, are you okay there? Text me when you’re done, okay?-

-I can’t help but worry. Text me.-

He can’t help but smirk while reading Mark’s messages. If he’s that worried about him, he shouldn’t have left. What could be that emergency that he has to leave him? It must be something urgent. If it’s not about his family, it could be his girlfriend.

“NO, you can’t leave. What if my blood pressure rises again? Are you not worried about me? Is that guy more important to you?”

Mark let out a deep sigh. He knows his mom is just pretending that she’s sick. She won’t be this energetic if she was. She even has this strength to grab his arm and stop her from leaving.

While he was talking with his mom a while ago, their maid suddenly took over and told him that his mom fainted. But when he came home, he saw her mom running inside the house. He saw a lot of people acting in front of him and he can tell that their maids are still amateurs as they looked so awkward while fanning his mom with their hands.

“You should have called Lara instead of me. She knows better what to do.”

“I’m having a headache, I’m not giving birth,” she said while giving him a pinch on his sideburns. “And besides, it’s you who gave me this headache. It’s just right for you to take care of me. Son, please tell me it wasn’t true. Tell it was just a joke.

“I’ll set you for a date tomorrow, okay? Maybe you’re just confused. I know someone that you will surely like. She’s so pretty and lovable. She also has a great family background. I-.”

“Will you disown me because I’m gay?”

His mom got speechless.

Ever since he turned thirty, his mother has been so active in setting him up for dates with her friends’ daughters. And not to embarrass her, he got no choice but to meet them even if he’s not interested in women at all.

One of the reasons why he kept the truth from his mom is because he doesn’t want to get rejected and be judged by his mother. But he guesses it’s better to face his fear now than to continue pretending as someone who he’s not.

“I’m sorry if I’m not the perfect son that you expected me to be, Mom. I’ll tell Lara that you’re not feeling well so she can check on you. I need to go.”

This time, his mom no longer stop him from leaving. He left his motorcycle in Adrian's condo that he had to take a cab. He’s still a few blocks away from their house when his phone rings. It’s Lara.

“Hey, wazzup little bro. You okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Mom called. The fact that she called me because she’s worried that you left is a good sign. Mom just got surprised by your confession but you know how much she loves you, right? Just give her time.

“Want to grab something to drink? I’m free tonight.”

“I’m fine, Lara. Just go see mom. I can’t forgive myself if something happens to her because of me.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“I’m no longer that weak kid you need to protect and comfort, Lara. I’m now a grown-up man- gay, I mean.”

He heard Lara laugh. “Okay but remember that you can always talk to me about anything. I’m just a call away.”

If there’s one person who knows everything about him, it’s his older sister. She knew about it because she was there when he was struggling to discover his true self and be himself. Without Lara and Adrian, maybe he’s already in hell a long time ago.

After his short conversation with his sister, he called his assistant to check on Adrian since he didn’t reply to his messages and did not answer his calls.

“Hello, Arnie, what happened to the shoot?”

“It has been postponed, Sir. But since the filming has to be done as soon as possible, they only gave us a day to delay the shoot.”

It may not be enough but at least Adrian can rest that night. He looks at his wristwatch. It’s still six in the evening. He tried to call Adrian’s number again but it just keeps on ringing. Where could Adrian be? He just hopes he’s at home and resting.

When he arrived at Adrian’s condo unit, the door was locked so he used his extra key to get in. He was relieved to see that Adrian was sleeping peacefully in his bed.

He can’t help but stare at Adrian’s face. Other people might find it creepy but he loves looking at Adrian's face whenever he’s asleep, his only chance to stare at his handsome face.

What if one day Adrian finds out that he likes him? Will Adrian hate him for keeping it from him? Will he ignore him? Will he feel disgusted?