Chapter 19 Warmth

Chapter 19 Warmth
I left Ethan’s house early in the morning while everyone was still asleep. Just like I told them, I had been so exhausted the night before that I fell asleep almost immediately. Before leaving, I wrote a short note and left it in the room where I had slept.

The automatic doors of the grocery store slid open, greeting me with a blast of cold air. The maid I hired to look after TanTan had called earlier because I was rarely home, so I was here to stock up on supplies for my unit and everything my dog might need.

The pet aisle smelled faintly of rubber and kibble. I knew TanTan would probably destroy any new toy within an hour, but I still tossed two into the cart—one shaped like a bone and a squeaky blue ball. Just imagining him running around the living room with his tail wagging like crazy made me smile.

I had no plans to go home since Mom and Dad were away, but I missed TanTan, so I decided to drop by the house quickly.

I pushed the cart toward the animal care section and picked up shampoo, conditioner, soap, and a few other things I knew would be useful for him. Once I was done with the pet supplies, I wandered through the rest of the store to grab what I needed for myself.

I stopped when I passed the kids’ section. Brightly colored toy cars and building blocks were neatly arranged on the shelves. Without thinking, I reached for a small yellow truck. I remembered Ethan’s son sitting on the floor last night, giggling over something simple. His innocent laughter still echoed in my mind.

“Yeah,” I murmured, turning the box in my hand, “he’ll like this.”

I placed the truck in the cart and continued to the snacks aisle—chips, biscuits, chocolate milk, some candy, and instant noodles for Ethan’s younger siblings. I wanted to give them something. I still remembered their curious faces from last night, the way they looked at me like I was an unexpected guest in their home. They were loud but genuinely sweet kids.

As I walked, my mind drifted back to the previous evening.

“Kuya, Elise already has a suitor,” Elijah tattled while feeding Evan, who was grinning in his high chair across from his father.

Ethan shot Elise a sharp look. She was sitting in the chair beside me. “Is that true? Introduce him to me so I can punch him.”

Elise shook her head quickly. “Kuya, it’s not true, I swear.” Then she pointed at Elijah. “He’s the one who has someone he’s courting. He even gave her baon yesterday,” she said with a laugh.

“Liar, Kuya,” Elijah protested.

“Who is your brother courting, Elise?” Ethan asked calmly while continuing to feed his son.

“The one he plays basketball with—” Before she could finish, Elijah jumped up from his seat and tried to cover her mouth.

“Don’t believe her, Kuya. She’s just mad because I made her wash the dishes earlier, so she’s making things up.”

“Both of you, stop. Elijah, go back to your seat,” Ethan ordered, pointing. “Finish your food so you can sleep early. You still have school tomorrow.”

I watched every interaction in silence, growing more and more impressed with Ethan. He wasn’t just a big brother to them—he was practically their parent.

Then Elijah spoke up again. “Kuya, when are you going to buy the laptop I need? I’m falling behind in our research because the lessons keep piling up.”

Ethan stood, handed Evan to Elise, and said, “Watch him for a moment.” He walked over to Elijah and whispered something before the two of them disappeared into one of the rooms.

I was pulled back to the present when my phone beeped. It was a message from Ethan.

Ethan Hale
You left the house so early. I thought your car was out of gas?

I nearly choked. That was exactly why I had left early—I didn’t want him to realize I had lied about running out of gas.

Lucas Buenavista
A friend picked me up.

It was a stupid excuse, but I couldn’t think of anything better.

I sighed and pushed the cart faster so I could head to the mall right away. By the time I reached the counter, my mind was already on my next stop.

After loading everything into the trunk, I drove straight to the mall. The morning sun glinted off the car windows, and for a moment I wondered if I was going overboard. I planned to buy a MacBook for Elijah—he had mentioned struggling with his research last night.

Inside the electronics store, the cool air-conditioning and scent of new gadgets greeted me. Everything gleamed under bright lights.

I approached a staff member. “Good morning. I’m looking for a MacBook—something light and good for schoolwork.”

The staff nodded and led me to a display table filled with laptops.

“This is the latest MacBook Air, sir. It comes in 13-inch and 15-inch models.”

I compared the two. They were almost identical except for the size. In the end, I chose the 15-inch.

“Also,” I added, “I’d like two iPhones. The newest model. Pink for the girl, if available, and something suitable for a boy.”

I hadn’t originally planned to buy phones, but since I was getting something for Elijah, I wanted to get something for Elise too. I told myself that if I ever had my own family, I wouldn’t want any of them to feel I had favorites.

The staff returned with two boxes. “The latest iPhone 16 Plus comes in pink, sir, and we have the iPhone 16 Pro in natural titanium for boys.”

They looked good, so I took them.

“And one more thing,” I said, glancing at the iPads on display. “An iPad for a little boy, about three years old.”

My lips curved into a small smile. I could already picture Ethan’s son sitting cross-legged on the floor, eyes wide with excitement as he played with it, then running to show his papa.

I knew they deserved these things.

When the staff began ringing up the items, I stood quietly, watching the boxes being packed into clean white bags. As I left the store, the weight of the bags felt surprisingly light—because the warmth inside me outweighed everything else. A mix of nervousness and quiet happiness.

I smiled to myself, imagining their reactions: Elise’s excitement, Elijah’s grateful silence, and Evan’s delighted laughter.

I had no idea what Ethan would say. I was nervous he might scold me for spending too much. Or maybe he’d just give me that look—the one that said “You shouldn’t have,” mixed with quiet thanks.

Either way, it felt worth it.

I went straight home after shopping. It was almost noon when I arrived.

I carried the bags full of TanTan’s things in both hands as I walked inside.

Heading toward the living room, I noticed a man sitting on the sofa with his back to me.

I thought it was my older brother—there had been some business problems in Japan, so I didn’t expect him to be home.

“Kuya, why are you—” I stopped. “Yohan?”

It wasn’t my brother. It was Yohan.

His eyes were red—not just tired, but swollen and raw, like he’d been crying or fighting something he couldn’t win. His face was pale, his lips pressed tightly together as if holding back words or tears. There was a heavy, unspoken weight around him.

He tried to smile when he saw me, but it never reached his eyes. I didn’t need him to speak. I already knew something was terribly wrong.

“You okay, dude?” I asked, sitting beside him and tapping his shoulder.

He didn’t answer.

“Something wrong?”

Still nothing.

After a few minutes, he stood up and looked at me. “Tell me when your brother gets home, bro,” he said, then turned and walked out of the house.

I let him go. I knew he had a problem even if he wouldn’t say it.

Lucas Buenavista:
I know you’re going through something. When you’re ready to talk, we’re here for you, bro.

I sent the message.

“Sir, you’re home,” Emily, the maid I hired for TanTan, said as I pocketed my phone.

“Where’s my boy?” I asked, handing her the shopping bags filled with TanTan’s things.

“He’s in his room, sir.”

I nodded and headed upstairs to the former guest room that was now TanTan’s. He couldn’t stay in my room since I was rarely home anyway. The only people allowed in my room were Mom, Dad, my brother, and Ethan.

I pushed the door open slowly. The small creak broke the quiet. TanTan was curled up on his bed, chest rising and falling gently, his fur slightly messy from sleep. I held the bone-shaped toy I had bought earlier.

I walked over quietly and lay down on the bed beside him so our faces were level.

“TanTan…” I whispered, gently stroking his head. “Hey, sleepyhead.”

He didn’t move at first—just a twitch of his ear. When I waved the toy in front of him, one eye cracked open, squinting at me as if I had interrupted the best nap of his life.

“Look what I got you,” I said, dangling the toy.

That was all it took. His tail started thumping against the mattress. Then his whole body woke up—he stretched, yawned, and let out an excited little bark that always made me grin.

“There you are,” I chuckled, stepping back as he stood and wagged his tail furiously, sniffing at my hand for the toy.

“You were pretending to sleep, huh?”

He barked louder and suddenly leaped toward me. I barely dodged in time.

“Okay, okay! You win!” I laughed, tossing the toy across the room.

He dashed after it, paws skidding on the floor, tail wagging like crazy. A moment later he came trotting back with the toy in his mouth.

“Good job, TanTan,” I said, ruffling his fur.

He looked up at me with those bright, happy eyes—the kind that always made my chest feel lighter. In that moment, the quiet room turned into our own little world, filled with laughter, barks, and the cheerful squeaking of the toy bone.

“Bro!” Kian greeted as soon as he opened the door to his unit. “Look who’s here—the guy who now has a family to go home to.”

“Shut up, what family are you talking about?” I retorted, lightly smacking the back of his head.

The smell of pizza and beer hit me immediately.

Kian had messaged the group chat saying there was a drinking session at his place. Since Ethan’s shift wouldn’t end for a while, I decided to drop by. They had no idea I planned to pick Ethan up later.

Caleb was sprawled on the couch, Martin held a game controller, Yohan was yelling at the screen, and Sydney was mixing drinks in the kitchen. The usual chaos.

Earlier Yohan had looked miserable at my house, but now he was acting like a hyper kid again. It was better this way.

“We heard you slept over at someone else’s house,” Kian said, pretending to think hard. “Whose house was it, I wonder?”

“I just crashed there. It’s not my family—I haven’t even gotten anyone pregnant yet,” I said, sitting beside Yohan.

Kian leaned against the counter. “Go on, tell us the story.”

“Yeah,” Caleb added with a smirk.

The room erupted in laughter. I rolled my eyes, but the corner of my mouth twitched. They weren’t entirely wrong—something about that night had stayed with me.

“I ran out of gas,” I explained, throwing a pillow at Kian when I saw him grinning.

Caleb smirked. “That excuse is getting old, bro. Got anything new?”

Even Yohan joined in. “Bro, you’re whipped.”

I let them tease me. I knew I couldn’t win against these idiots. I wasn’t surprised they knew—I was sure Angela had told them.

The conversation eventually moved on when I refused to answer more questions about sleeping over at Ethan’s.

“Man, she wanted to try both of us,” Caleb said, sipping his drink.

They offered me a glass, but I declined. I still planned to pick up Ethan later.

“Good thing I didn’t take my clothes off,” Martin replied.

Apparently Martin had a one-night stand, and the girl later approached Caleb at the bar, trying to hook up with him too.

“She even told me yours is bigger,” Martin added.

We burst out laughing.

“Don’t get mad, she was just being honest,” Martin teased.

Caleb stood in front of Martin and reached for his zipper. “Fine, I’ll show you right now so you’ll know mine’s bigger.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Martin yelped.

“I’m proving it!” Caleb shouted.

“Just compare sizes already,” Kian egged them on.

“What, you scared?” Caleb challenged.

“Let’s go,” Martin said, dragging Caleb into Kian’s room.

“I’m coming too!” Kian followed them inside.

Sydney and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.

I pulled out my phone and typed a message to Ethan.

Lucas Buenavista
What time do you get off work?

A few minutes later, the three of them came back out.

“These two were bragging, but mine’s still the biggest,” Kian announced as he exited the room.

My phone buzzed.

Ethan Hale
6pm

It was almost 5:30, so I said goodbye to the group.

It was Saturday, so Ethan was getting off earlier than yesterday.

I reached the mall where he worked quickly and waited in the basement parking, just as he had messaged earlier.

I moved the paper bags containing the gadgets to the backseat so Ethan could sit comfortably in the front.

I leaned back in my seat and scrolled through my phone while waiting.

It wasn’t long before someone knocked on the window. When I saw it was Ethan, I quickly reached over and opened the door for him.

“Have you been waiting long?” he asked as he got in and buckled his seatbelt.

“No, not really,” I answered.

He stretched a little and closed his eyes for a moment. I just sat there watching him—the way his breathing slowed, the tension easing from his shoulders. Waiting for him didn’t feel like a chore. It felt like something I wanted to keep doing.

I started the engine, and the headlights cut through the dim basement.

As I drove out, I caught his reflection in the window—calm, quiet, and slowly taking up more and more space in my thoughts.

And somehow, in that peaceful silence, I realized admiration wasn’t the right word anymore.

It was something deeper—something I wasn’t ready to name yet.

He slept the entire ride home. I didn’t disturb him. I knew how tired he was.

When we reached their street, I slowed down near the gate but didn’t unlock the doors immediately. Ethan looked at me, puzzled.

“We’re here,” he said.

“I know,” I murmured, fingers tapping the steering wheel. “I just… need to tell you something first.”

He raised an eyebrow but stayed silent.

I reached into the backseat and pulled out the four paper bags. “I bought some things. For your siblings.”

Ethan frowned, his voice tightening. “What?”

“A MacBook for Elijah’s schoolwork. Two iPhones—one for Elise, one for him. And an iPad for your son.”

He stared at me, eyes wide. For a moment he didn’t even blink. Then he let out a disbelieving scoff.

“And before you say anything—I wanted to do it. Not out of pity. Not because I felt I had to. I just… wanted to do something good after you let me stay over last night.”

He closed his eyes briefly before looking at me again. “I didn’t ask for anything in return. We’re fine. You didn’t have to go through the trouble. I was planning to buy Elijah a laptop with my next salary anyway.”

“I know you didn’t ask,” I said softly. “But I want to. Please.”

He turned his gaze to the windshield, lips pressed together. Silence stretched between us. I could tell he was searching for a reason to refuse.

Finally, he let out a long, slow sigh and looked back at me. “If you really want to give them, then you hand them over yourself.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You give them personally,” he said. “If you really want to do this, I want them to know exactly who it’s from. They might wonder otherwise.”

His voice was calm, waiting for my answer.

I nodded. “Alright.”

We walked toward the house together. Warm yellow light spilled from the windows. The faint scent of dinner still hung in the air as we stepped inside.

“Elise? Elijah?” Ethan called out.

I set the paper bags down on the sofa, feeling nervous.

The two siblings appeared from the hallway and immediately hugged their older brother.

“Kuya, you’re home so early today,” Elijah said. Then he noticed me. “Kuya Lucas, you’re here too.”

They let go of Ethan and turned to face me.

“Sorry, am I not allowed here anymore?” I teased.

Elijah quickly stepped closer. “No, Kuya! You’re always welcome.”

“I was just kidding.” I picked up the MacBook bag from the sofa. “I just wanted to give you this, so I stopped by.”

Elijah’s eyes widened when I handed it to him. Behind him, Elise peeked at the bag with curiosity.

He opened it and gasped. “Kuya Lucas… a MacBook? Are you sure?”

He looked from me to Ethan. His older brother simply nodded.

“You mentioned last night you needed a laptop for research, right? Use it well and take care of it.”

Elijah stepped forward and hugged me tightly. “I’ll take good care of it, Kuya Lucas. Thank you,” he said with a big grin as he pulled away.

I picked up the two iPhone bags, handed one to Elijah, and motioned for Elise to come closer before giving her the other.

They both gasped when they realized what was inside.

“Thank you, Kuya Lucas!” they said almost in unison.

“You’re welcome. Study hard, okay?”

They nodded eagerly and sat down on the sofa to look at their gifts.

I glanced around, wondering where Evan was, until I spotted Ethan in the kitchen, holding his son while preparing milk.

I walked over and cleared my throat to get his attention.

“For your son,” I said, handing him the remaining two bags—one with the iPad and the other with toys.