Chapter 57

Elyana's Point of View I excused myself when Quintin was gone to bring the gift he gave me to my room. Right after putting it on the table, I suddenly remembered to check my phone. I expected to receive greetings from Felicity, but there weren't. I got disappointed looking at my phone screen, but the gynecologist sent one. "I can help you through artificial insemination, but you might need a donor. We can provide screened donors that you can choose based on their profile, and we are also open if you have someone willing to donate. Everything will be safe. No information will leak, especially if you chose screened donors, and if the guy is someone you picked, it's up to the two of you what would be convenient." The message made me pause for a minute. I sent her a message asking what kind of help she could give me, just like she told me when I went to her clinic. I felt some cringe when I thought about the screened donors she said. I got worried. Even if they had been tested and were free from all sorts of diseases, there were other factors to consider. However, I didn't even know anyone I could ask for help—to donate. Felix came into my mind, but his wife would surely kill me if she found out, and Quintin crossed my mind, but I felt some creeps when I tried to imagine him as my child's father. Besides, he had been known as a playboy, sleeping with various women. It gave me a headache thinking about who I could ask for help. I sat on the edge of my bed and continued idling. I stayed there for some time, which I didn't notice for how long. When I checked my phone again, it was nearly midnight. Exactly nine minutes before twelve. I hurriedly ran downstairs. Dad donated fireworks, and they would light them up in the center of the subdivision. I wanted to watch with my parents and the others, and just right on time before the countdown started, I was already in the garden with them, looking up at the sky in the direction where we could be seeing colors in the nick of time. The countdown has begun. The maids were yelling while counting, and just as the clock struck twelve, loud whistling sounds were heard, and colors brightened up the sky. It was beautiful. I felt like I was a small girl again while watching it with awe. We used to jump when the clock struck twelve when I was young because my mom believed I could grow taller if I did it every year. I was too gullible to do that back then with the Martincus. Felicity would hold my hand while we were jumping, and Lea would pull Felix to force him to do the same. That was such a fun memory, and I hope Felicity was having fun with his family. While looking up at the sky, Lucas crossed my mind. It was my first holiday as a divorced woman. I was thinking about what he wanted when he asked to meet me. I shocked my head to erase him from my head. I wanted to forget about those—about him. He better go back to Diane—that crazy woman. "Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad!" I shouted. I smiled and walked closer to them to give them both a hug. "Merry Christmas, our brave princess!" Dad replied. "Merry Christmas, our forever baby!" Mom said. My parents hugged me tight, and I received a kiss on the forehead from my dad and a kiss on the cheek from my mom. After a few seconds, Mom let go and turned back, looking up to watch the fireworks show. She stood on my dad's right side, and I was on his left. He stayed hugging me with one arm, and he wrapped the other around Mom's waist. I let go, but his arm stayed. I leaned on his side and went back, watching the colors above our heads. Just enjoying the moment. I could say I was lucky to have them as my parents. Although Mom was a certified nagger, I guess all moms were like her. Their way of showing how much they care. We finished the fireworks show, which took about thirty minutes. I asked everyone to go to the living room, where I displayed all the gifts I would give. All the servants were too excited. They were shouting, and their eyes were twinkling. I sat on a fluffy white chair near the Christmas tree, and my parents took a seat on the sofa, facing me. Dad placed his camera to record everything that would happen so that we could have something to lock back to someday. It was our first Christmas back in the Philippines after a long time abroad. I picked a box and called the name. "Daldalita!" Our loud servant went running towards me to receive her gift. She slipped on the floor, and everyone was laughing while watching her stand up. "Thank you, Miss Elyana! Thank you, Sir Cihan and Ma'am Marietta!" Daldalita shouted. "Don't open it yet." She was about to rip the gift wrap when I stopped her. "Let's the others have theirs, and everyone will open their gift together," I continued. She went back to her seat, and I called the next. Everyone patiently waited. I saw how confused they were while they held the boxes of the same sizes. It was light because what was inside was just letters and photographs of the gifts listed on their wishlists. I was quite impressed with those because most were wishes for their family living in the province, and once everyone was holding a wrapped box, I let them open it. They had different reactions when they saw the pictures. Some received a small business package, fishing boats, tricycles, appliances, gadgets for their children's education, materials to build the roof of their parents' house, and so on. Most servants cried over the photos and letters of thankfulness from their relatives that they didn't say they had already received before Christmas. Those were the things I was busy with in recent days, and no one in the mansion knew about them. I was beyond happy that they finally achieved their greatest wishes. They were sobbing out of joy, but it didn't end there, because there was still a second box that only they would go through in the raffle. No one would lose because everyone could get every single number; every number had an equivalent prize. I asked them to get one ping pong ball inside a fishbowl, and once everyone had their own, I asked them to find the designated gifts among the gifts under the Christmas tree. What was inside were mobile phones and different accessories that I knew they could use. "A new phone!" I heard Daldalita scream about what she got. "I could video call my parents now while hearing them because my old one has a speaker problem!" she added after. I heard the others scream in delight when they discovered what was inside. Countless thank yous were heard. My parents were enjoying the moment too. They were widely smiling while watching everyone in the living room. I had another surprise for them after that. I gave each of them tickets back to their hometowns to spend their new year with their family, and when I handed them the small envelope, that was the moment Daldalita cried a lot. That had been her dream for a long time. The fare to her province was quite expensive. I overheard her a few times saying she would rather send her whole salary to her parents than go home because of the cost. While looking at them, my exhaustion in the past few days was worth it. I made them all happy. It was already three o'clock in the morning when we decided to call it a day. Some of them tidied up the mess after the gift-giving and mom told them to go to sleep and finish once they had already gotten some rest. My parents went to their room, and they were about to go to sleep when I knocked on the door. "Come in," I heard Mom say. I turned the doorknob and pushed it half open for me to get inside. "Can I sleep here?" I asked Mom, who was the only one sitting on the bed, and Dad was lying comfortably. "Sure, princess," Dad answered without hesitation, and they both moved to the side of the bed to give me a space in the middle that made me smile. "I'm just kidding; I only came here to give you both my gift," I uttered, smiling. I walked closer to the foot of their bed and handed over a small box to my mom. Frankly, I can't put my gift to them inside a box or wrap it up; however, I can put someone inside that box that will surely distinguish what I have for them. Mom opened it and took a key out. "Is this a—?" she asked me. Her eyes were twinkling in delight, and Dad sat down and moved close to Mom to see what was holding. It was the key to a yacht. I bought them a large, luxurious yacht with the money I got from Lucas. I had enough in my bank, but most of the money I've been using lately came from the new bank account, which I was calling "bitter price" because her father was the one bitter when I got all those billions. Dad grabbed the key, and after figuring out what it was for, he pulled me close and hugged me. "Thank you, sweetheart!" "We can go on a cruise-like trip with our friends now that we have a means of transportation." I could sense the excitement in my mother's voice when she said this, and I heard Dad agree to it. "Wait!" Dad let go. "We have something for you too. We're supposed to give this to you tomorrow, but because you're already here, I want to hand it to you now," he continued after opening a drawer next to their bed and taking an envelope. I stayed sitting on the bed. I took the envelope from him and looked at my parents suspiciously. They didn't have to give me anything because they already gave me so much for me to be thankful for, but whatever it was, I was sure something they knew I needed. I pulled the printed paper inside and saw a seal. I instantly got a clue as to what it was, but there was still a question in my mind—where? I searched the address printed and saw it was in Bukidnon. A twenty-hectare land and a farmhouse. "OH MY GOD!" It was the hometown of my mother's grandparents. A ready-to-develop farming land was perfect for the coffee farm I was dreaming of. Tears immediately welled up in my eyes. "H-how did you guys know I was looking for a farm?" I stammered, but they only shrugged their shoulders while smiling. I knew somebody told them, but those two didn't want to spill it. They were so unfair, but I couldn't be more thankful to have supportive parents. My parents always ease all my troubles and jump in front of my plans in a snap. I got tempted to tell them what Lucas confessed to me because I knew how much I would make them happy, but I changed my mind because I would be more perfect when I finally found a donor and I'm positively carrying their grandchild.