My little brain hasn't yet figured out who mailed the teddy bear, and all clues that I've got is, it's from Mockingbird. Who the hell is this Mockingbird?

It's already nighttime, and I just finished greeting Charm, Grace, and Nissi through a text message. I wasn't able to spoke to Grace and Nissi in a while. Thus, we had a little chat to update each other. I told them everything that happened and the foolish things that I did. Grace doesn't want to be much involved, and she only said that it's my decision that matters. However, Nissi did not take it lightly, and she's furious about it. I did explain to her that there's no need for her to be mad as I already expected it to happen. Lastly, I assured them not to worry about it, and I'm fine now.

The stuffed toy was with me in my bed, and I'm ready to sleep. I was hugging it tightly, and suddenly someone talked.

"I love you, Z," it made me startled as no one else is in the room. My eyes look around the place and see nothing aside from my reflection in the big mirror.

I'm drowsy at the moment. Maybe it's only my imagination. My arms once again wrapped around the teddy bear to hug it. I felt something weird and hard inside. It becomes clear to me that the sound earlier was made by the soft inanimate animal beside me.

Serotonin got me pumped up and ecstatic to think there's someone who would put such an effort into these kinds of things. Just who are you?

Days had passed, and it's my birthday now, but I'm in my room again, and I do not have a plan on celebrating it. I'm playing around pressing on repeat the left chest of the teddy bear to listen to it. I discern that the voice in the recorder has a deep tone, but it's cute at the same time as if it sounds very manly and a little bit shy, music to my ears.

Beep beep

A text message from Ley.

"Get down. We're going somewhere. No questions, I'm already outside."

"Wait, I'm still in my pajama. Give me 10 minutes to change," I replied.

Where are we going? Like it's afternoon, and the sun is up so high. Luckily, I washed my body earlier this morning. A plain white shirt for top partnered with jogging pants and slippers is what I'm wearing.

I went straight out. I saw Ley using his phone as he leans on our front gate, and he saw me. He took out a handkerchief and blindfolded me.

"What is this for?" asking what is he doing.

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"You'll know soon. Just be patient and do not remove it," Ley said, referring to the cloth in my eyes.

He then assists me in walking since I'm tripping as my sight is all black. All I knew is that we rode a tricycle for a couple of minutes, and it stops somewhere. He held my arms and walks again. After a few couples of steps, I think he opened a door.

Everyone there greets me with their loudest, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ziggy!!!" as soon as I removed the blindfold. After a while, I was startled by the sound of a loud pop, and I looked around and saw Liam holding the party popper. The confetti was all over the place.

The only person inside was me, Charm, Lira, Liam, Danver, and of course Ley. Ley must have rented the whole Café Blanca as there's no other customer inside other than the rest of us. The coiling doors (aluminum rolling shutters) were all down except for the ones in the doorway.

Ley was carrying a cake with lighted candles on top of it. Like where did he get that? He walks towards me, and I get excited because the cake was a siphon, and it is mocha. Other than a blueberry cheesecake, mocha is love. For me, flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet are way too overrated and common.

He was in front of me, I was crying out of happiness, and they started singing the happy birthday song. I was clapping and sobbing at the same time but still trying to sing along with them.

I wiped off my tears with my fingers and blew the candles.

"Thank you, everyone," showing my gratitude to them.

Charm came to me. She hugged me and whispered to my ears, "Happy birthday girl, I hope that you are happy today and every day because you deserved it. Enjoy your day." And she hands me over a small rectangular box. I removed the wrap, and there's a crystal inside.

"It's your birthstone Turquoise. It symbolizes new beginnings and restoring your well-being. A stone for self-forgiveness, self-acceptance, and the release of useless regrets, which I think you need now more than ever." She elaborates why crystal, and I get her point.

We're on a four-sitting table. Charm was beside me, and Ley was in front of me, and to his left is Lira, which is facing Charm. Lira also greeted me and handed me a book. Ley was looking somewhere else, and when he noticed me looking at him, he mouthed happy birthday, and I did the same with my thank you that made us laugh.

Liam approached me and gave me three pieces of sunflower.

I said, "Thank you!" He then leans and kisses me on my right cheek.

He greets me, but my face made big eyes as I was flabbergast by what he did, and I could respond. He left giggling, and I'm still dumbfounded.

We had a great time, and I happy genuinely happy. Though it's only a short time, my mind forgets Shane even for a while.

I head home, and honestly talking, I expect that something like a surprise from my parent would happen to celebrate my birthday like earlier. But no, I'm just daydreaming, and it's all in my fantasy. They don't care about how my feelings at all. There's no one waiting for me, and so I went straight to my room. My heart is aching like someone is crushing it, and as much as I can to keep my tears from falling, but it did. I turned on the switch to give my room some lights, and looking around, I saw a box on my study desk.

Maybe Manang Linda brought it here. Oh, I had never mention Manang Linda to you. She is our one and only trustworthy kasambahay. She's in her late forties, and she does almost everything here in the house, like cleaning, laundry, except cooking. Now that I'm all grown up, she does not need to take care of me, which makes her life here in the house a lot easier. She was away this Christmas to celebrate it with her family. She only went back yesterday, that's why I'm the one arranging the table last time, and that's fine with me.

Back to the box, there's a card at the top of it, and it says there:

Happy Birthday, Zig. You are my Sword, and I'll be your Shield.

-Mockingbird