Baby Felicity

Morning at the Argente Residence

“Aaaaahhh!!!” Ellie screamed in pain, clutching her swollen belly as her water broke, soaking the hem of her long maternity dress. Her legs were drenched in streams of fluid.

“I’m here, my love,” Ansel said urgently, rushing to her side. “The car’s ready. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Ansel gently held Ellie in his arms, guiding her out of the house. He opened the car door and carefully helped her into the backseat. Ellie, gripped by the intense pain, tried to find a more comfortable position as Ansel hurried back into the house to grab the essentials.

After locking the door, Ansel returned to the car, pausing briefly to check on Ellie through the window. He then climbed into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and they sped off onto the road.

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The Flower Shop

Lia, the Dorky Florist at Lotus Jade

In a quaint flower shop, blooms of every kind filled the room: roses, peonies, tulips, chrysanthemums, carnations, lilies, hydrangeas, and sunflowers. Alongside the flowers were various Chinese items—golden figurines of the Chinese Zodiac, each animal symbolizing fortune. The ever-present golden cat, the beckoning Maneki-neko, waved its paw endlessly.

Beside the cat sat a family photo in a frame—a Filipino-Chinese family dressed in red: a father, mother, big sister, and little brother, all smiling together.

The door opened with a soft chime. “Cling, clang, cling.” James stepped inside.

A girl in her mid-teens turned from her work, arranging flowers in a vase. She smiled warmly at him. “Welcome to Lotus Jade,” she greeted. “I’m Lia—short for Diana. Weird, right?” She extended her hand, which James shook without hesitation.

Lia, with her oversized glasses and a pastel-colored cardigan, had a braid falling among her loose, straight hair. She seemed slightly awkward yet genuine—a sweet and “adorkable” presence.

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Selena’s First Love

Elvin

Autumn afternoon at the Kennedys’ mansion. Dried leaves—brown, orange, yellow, and red—covered the trees, scattered on the ground, and fluttered through the air. The windowpanes gleamed with clear, shiny glass. Inside, Carlisle, the family butler, dressed in his formal tuxedo, carried a box of old, used items as he walked down the long hall. Nearby, Selena was sorting through a large pile of boxes—rows upon rows of them. Topher, in his bedroom, was doing his part in the cleanup.

While sorting items into boxes, Topher noticed a photograph that had fallen out. Curious, he picked it up and flipped it over. The image was of a young man with short, wavy black hair and dark eyes. He sat on a wooden bench, casually dressed, playing a guitar on the patio with the warm glow of the sunset behind him.

Topher turned the photo over again. It wasn’t blank—something was written in the lower-right corner: “Elvin Silva. October 16, 1994. The love of my life. – Selena.”

Who is this, Elvin? Topher wondered, his brows furrowing. This isn’t Dad. His curiosity got the better of him, and he left the room, hurrying down the hall.

Topher found his mother in the living room, still busy checking the boxes. “Mom, can I talk to you?”

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