CHAPTER 59: DEPARTURE

Singapore Changi Airport. Same day, afternoon.

Timothy arrived at the main entrance of the Changi Airport. He stepped out of the taxi which was a Toyota Alphard with his luggage. Hana followed after and were now standing side by side.

"Hana," Timothy said. "This is the time I will leave. Let’s keep ourselves in touch through calls and emails and update me on everything while I’m in Manila," Timothy finished.

Hana nodded, holding her tablet close to her chest. "Understood, Mr. Guerrero. I’ll organize the executives’ reports and send you a daily summary. If something urgent comes up, I’ll call you immediately."

"That’s good." Timothy gave a small nod of approval. He adjusted the strap of his carry-on and glanced at her. "You handled yourself well back there in the meeting. Keep that up."

A faint smile crossed Hana’s lips. "Thank you. I’ll do my best not to disappoint you."

The two of them walked together toward the departure hall. Travelers streamed past, some rushing for their flights, others dragging luggage slowly. Timothy stopped briefly near the glass doors, turning to face her.

"This won’t be easy, Hana," he said seriously. "We’re building something that has never been done in the Philippines. People will doubt us, competitors will try to crush us, and the workload will be overwhelming. Are you ready for that?"

Hana met his gaze, her expression steady. "I am, Mr. Guerrero. I wouldn’t have agreed yesterday if I wasn’t."

For a moment, Timothy felt the sincerity behind her words. He gave a faint smirk. "Alright then. I’ll be counting on you."

"Safe flight, Mr. Guerrero," she said softly, bowing her head slightly.

Timothy gave her a short wave before turning toward the security gate. His luggage rolled smoothly behind him as he walked, blending into the crowd of travelers.

Hana stood by the entrance for a while, watching as he disappeared inside. Then she let out a quiet breath, straightened her posture, and left the terminal, already pulling up her tablet to review the notes she had taken from the meeting.

***

Timothy came out of the arrivals gate with his carry-on. He spotted Evelyn and Angela right away. They were holding a white placard that said WELCOME HOME, TIMOTHY! with little doodles of stars and a tiny car. Angela waved it excitedly over her head.

"Brother!" Angela ran up and hugged him.

Timothy smiled and hugged her back. "Missed you."

Evelyn stepped forward, eyes a little watery. "Welcome back, Tim."

He pulled her into a quick hug. "I’m home."

They headed to the Burger King near the exit. Trays down: Whoppers, fries, nuggets for Angela, and iced tea for Evelyn.

Evelyn asked, "How was Singapore?"

Timothy kept it short. "Productive. A lot of meetings. All good." He didn’t add more.

Angela leaned in. "Did you see the big boat hotel?"

Timothy shook his head, amused. "No sightseeing. Next time, we’ll go together. I promise. Anyways, you’ll have to enroll next week in your new school, I’ll accompany you."

"Okay brother!" Angela said with an eyes beaming with joy.

"Mother, Christmas Eve is coming soon, where do you want to celebrate?" Timothy asked.

"Uhm...I’m thinking of celebrating it at our new home," Evelyn replied.

"The condo huh? And you are going to cook?"

Evelyn nodded. "Yes, and this Christmas it won’t be like the past Christmas celebration. There will be a lot of dishes."

Timothy smiled. "Even though the celebration was simple, as long as you made it mom, it will be special for us."

Evelyn smiled warmly. "Do you have any requests? I will buy ingredients from the supermarket."

"Hmm..." Timothy hummed in thought. "I’m fine with fried chicken, spring rolls, spaghetti, and maybe your special kare-kare."

Angela’s eyes lit up. "And leche flan! Don’t forget dessert, Mom!"

Evelyn chuckled. "Alright, I’ll prepare those."

Timothy leaned back in his seat, smiling faintly. He could see how excited his mother and sister were. For years, their Christmas dinners had been modest, sometimes just enough food to get by. Now, Evelyn was talking about a full spread like they hadn’t had in years.

Angela munched on her fries happily. "Brother, can we also get gifts? Like a real tree with presents under it?"

"Of course," Timothy said without hesitation. "We’ll buy a big Christmas tree tomorrow. And gifts for both of you."

Angela’s grin widened ear to ear. "Best Christmas ever!"

Evelyn shook her head lightly, though her smile betrayed her happiness. "Don’t spoil us too much, Tim. Just being together is already enough."

Timothy looked at her, serious for a moment. "You’ve both been through a lot. If I can make things better now, I will. That’s a promise."

Evelyn reached out and squeezed his hand gently. "We know, son. And we’re proud of you."

The rest of the meal passed with easy laughter and simple conversation. For tonight, Timothy let go of the heavy business matters on his shoulders. Here, with Evelyn and Angela across the table, he wasn’t the CEO of a company planning a multibillion-dollar factory. He was just a son and a brother, home for Christmas.

The next day, Timothy and Angela were at SM Aura. The mall was alive with Christmas decorations—giant red ornaments, twinkling lights hanging from the ceiling, and carols playing faintly through the speakers. Families bustled around, children tugging their parents toward toy displays, couples snapping photos in front of the giant Christmas tree in the atrium.

Angela’s eyes sparkled as she looked around. "Wow, brother! Look at all the Christmas trees!"

Timothy smiled faintly. For years, they had never managed to build their own tree. It was always either too expensive or too impractical for their situation. But this year was different. Money wasn’t a problem anymore.

They walked together into the section filled with artificial Christmas trees of every size and design. Slim trees, full trees, white, green, even ones with fake snow sprinkled on the branches. Angela circled them with wide eyes, stopping at a tall, full green one decorated with simple gold ribbons.

"Brother, this one looks perfect."

Timothy studied it for a moment, then nodded. "Seven feet tall. Yeah, it’s big enough for the condo. What do you think, Mom will like it?"

Angela grinned, nodding eagerly. "She’ll love it. It looks like something from the movies."

"Then we’ll take it," Timothy said.

They moved on to the ornaments. Angela picked out a box of red and gold balls, then pointed at a silver star. "Can we put this on top? I want to be the one to place it."

"Of course," Timothy replied. He let her choose most of the decorations while he handled the purchase. Soon, they had carts filled with lights, garlands, ribbons, and the big tree boxed up and ready to be delivered straight to their condo.

Angela skipped a little as they left the store, clearly excited. Timothy couldn’t help but smile at her joy. For the first time in years, they would have a real Christmas tree at home.

As they walked past the gadget stores, Timothy slowed down. Angela had no idea, her eyes still darting between other Christmas displays.

He excused himself briefly, saying, "Wait here for a minute, I just need to check something."

Angela nodded, distracted by a nearby toy store display.

Timothy slipped inside the Apple store. The glass counters gleamed with the newest devices. He didn’t hesitate. "iPhone 16, white, 128GB," he told the staff. Minutes later, the box was in his hands, neatly bagged. He paid in cash without blinking.

He thought to himself, Angela doesn’t have a phone. And there will be times I won’t be by her side. She needs a way to contact me, or to have something of her own.

When he rejoined Angela, she didn’t suspect a thing. The Apple bag was tucked into his larger shopping bag, hidden under the ornaments.