LIEN sniffed the morning breeze that welcomed her right after she got off of the car. She was now in Sitio Ilaya, where she spent most of her childhood and teenage years. The only place where good and precious memories of her family will live forever. She joyfully hopped on the staircase, one at a time. It felt like she was back to being a kid, playing on that steep staircase of their ancestral house.

A deafening silence welcomed Lien when she arrived upstairs. She was expecting to see her grandmother sitting by the window, embroidering. But Grams wasn’t there.

“Grams?” Lien called. “Jill?”

But no one answers.

“Where are they? Is this some kind of ignore Lien prank?” And then, all of a sudden, something hard hit her butt. “Ouch!”

She turned to her back and saw her grandmother holding a broomstick and her cane on the other hand: two different items, the same level of damage.

“Grams!” Lien stomped her feet. “Am I still a kid to you?”

“Then act like an adult and be responsible for your actions!” Grams poke her forehead with the tip of the broomstick. And to her amazement, it went down to her elbow. “What happened to that?”

How come her grandmother knew about it? Does she have a sixth sense or what? Lien never told anyone about it, not even Jillian. The only person who knows aside from her was Vince. And there’s no way he would spill the beans when he didn’t know her grandmother.

“W-what are you talking about, Grams?” She cupped her elbow. “Nothing ha—”

“Do you really think I didn’t know?” Grams words trailed off. “I know everything about you even though I haven’t seen you for months. You were like a lost kitten trying to find a good home. And your suicidal attempt is what breaks my heart the most.”

Her grandmother cried. She crossed their distance and hugged her.

“Grams…”

It still puzzled her how come she knew everything. But when her grandmother’s loving arms enveloped her, she broke down and cried.

“What did I tell you, hmm?” Grams asked. “Whenever life would lock you out, you can turn to me. Share with me a piece of your burden.”

“I’m sorry, Grams… I’m so sorry.” Lien sobbed.

“You are not alone, Lien. I’m here and will always be here for you.” She caressed her head down to her back. “I couldn’t be there for your mom. I can only make it up with her by being here for you.”

Grams distanced from Lien and dried her tears with the back of her hands.

“Stop crying now and tell me everything,” Grams said.

She ushered her to the sofa where they sat side by side.

“Grams, how come you know everything?” Lien asked her grandmother.

“Remember that boy when you were young?”

Her forehead creased. After her mother’s death, memories were a bit blurry; the psychologist said it was due to the trauma that she had experienced back then.

“I… I can’t recall.” She shook her head.

“That boy that my youngest sister took care of. You can’t remember him?” said Grams.

“I don’t…”

“That night, when your father left, you followed his car, and you tripped on the road. You scratched your knees.”

“I couldn’t forget that night,” she said in a low tone. It left a permanent scar in her heart.

“You have a very low pain tolerance. Whenever you scratch a knee or two, you never walk until it heals. That night, the boy I was talking about carried you on his back and took you home.”

Lien didn’t know that boy’s name, and she was pretty sure that even if she saw him now, she wouldn’t recognize his face. It was long, long ago.

“What’s with that boy now, Grams?”

“He lives next to you. He’s my spy.” Grams lips curved into a smile.

Her brows drew together, and then her eyes widened when the realization hit her.

“I-is it Vince? T-that doctor, who lives next to me?”

Grams nodded in response.

She cupped her cheek. That must be why Vince was acting that way towards her. He knew her since they were kids, and that sly doctor didn’t even bother to tell her! She felt deceived!

“That…” She scoffed.

“Why, did you finally had the chance to talk to each other?” Grams asked.

Lien gave her grandmother a doubtful look. “I thought you already know everything. Vince didn’t tell you that I spend a night with him?”

Grams mouth formed a letter O. She slapped her arm afterward. “You slept with him?”

She rolled her eyes. Her grandmother’s mind was heading in a different direction.

“Spending a night in his unit doesn’t mean that we had sex, Grams. I went there because he treated my wound.” Lien raised her elbow. “And we dined together.”

“Oh… I guess Vince was really a refined man.”

She leaned on the sofa. “Did you order him to look after me?”

“No.” Grams smiled. “I just met him at Erlinda’s house a couple of days ago when he visited her. Erlinda and I ended up talking about you, and Vince heard about my sentiments that you’re not coming home. In fact, I was surprised when he told me that he knew you and you live next to each other. He was the one who volunteered to check on you. The next day, I was surprised to receive a call from him, giving me some update about you.”

Lien scratched the side of her neck. “Why do I have this feeling that he tricked me yesterday? I thought he was fast asleep when I left him.”

“You should forget about your feelings for Darren,” Grams said afterward.

“That was so random, Grams. We’re talking about—”

“It’s not random. I am sure his marriage is one of the reasons why you tried to give up on your life.”

She met her grandmother’s gaze and looked away after realizing there is no way she would win against her. Grams always knew how to read her mind. Or maybe her vulnerability made it easy for her.

“Everything is stuffed in here that day.” Lien knocked her fist on her chest. “Dad, Darren, my failures, they seem to connive against me.”

Grams pulled Lien to her chest.

“Grams… pray for me, please,” she said, wrapping her arms around her grandmother’s waist.

“You are always included in my prayers. I always pray that may God gives you the wisdom and knowledge that you need to get through the hard path you are walking to. And it seems that He answered my prayers in the form of that boy.”

“Vince again?” Lien pouted her lips.

“If not for Vince, you might be dead by now.”

“Yeah, right.”

“You are such an ungrateful kid.” Grams flicked the top of her head.