The Last Promise (The Lasting Vows Series #1)

Mornings in our small apartment were always filled with soft sunlight and the sound of little footsteps running around.

"Mommy! Mommy, look!" Elijah's excited voice echoed in the living room as he ran toward me, holding up a crayon drawing. His dark curls bounced with every step, and his brown eyes,so much like his father’s,shone with pride.

I forced a smile, pushing away the ache in my chest. "Wow, baby. That looks amazing," I said, pulling him close and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Anong drawing ‘to?"

He grinned. "It’s us! You, me, and—" He paused, frowning slightly before shaking his head. "Just us!"

My heart clenched, but I nodded. "Just us," I echoed, tracing the lines of his drawing with my fingers.

Ganito na ang buhay namin ngayon. Tahimik. Payapa. Malayo sa kahit anong sakit na dulot ng nakaraan. I had built a life without Adrian, without the weight of our past dragging me down. Now, I was a mother, a designer, and a woman who had learned how to stand on her own two feet.

"Okay, mister, breakfast time na." I tickled Elijah’s sides, making him giggle before guiding him to the small dining table.

Our apartment was simple but warm. Wala itong mamahaling furniture o malalawak na espasyo, pero sapat na. It was home. Our home.

I poured him a glass of milk while he chattered about his dreams last night, something about flying cars and superheroes. I listened, nodding along, letting his words fill the quiet parts of my heart.

Minsan iniisip ko, paano kung nandito si Adrian? Paano kung alam niya? Would he have stayed? Or would he have still walked away like he did that night?

No.

I shook my head, pushing the thought away. Adrian was my past. Elijah was my present and my future.

"Mommy, are you listening?" Elijah pouted, crossing his arms.

"Of course, baby," I said, pinching his cheek. "Sabi mo, gusto mong maging superhero para ma-fix ang broken things, right?"

He nodded eagerly. "Like cars, toys... and hearts!"

Napahinto ako.

Hearts.

I let out a small laugh, trying to ignore how those words cut deep. "You’re too smart for your age, baby."

He grinned. "Kasi ikaw ang mommy ko!"

I hugged him tightly, burying my face in his curls. He was my everything. My reason for moving forward.

After breakfast, I checked the time, almost late.

"Okay, baby, school time na!"

"Ayoko pa!" He pouted again, but I was already carrying him to get dressed.

Once he was ready, I grabbed my sketchpad and bag. Being a designer meant my work never really stopped, pero wala akong ibang choice kundi pagsabayin ang pagiging ina at career ko. Mahirap, pero worth it.

As we stepped outside, I took a deep breath.

This was my life now.

Simple. Steady. Without him.

And I was okay with that.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

Pagkatapos kong ihatid si Elijah sa school, dumiretso ako sa boutique kung saan ako nagtatrabaho bilang designer. I have worked my way up in this industry, proving myself despite the odds. Designing clothes has always been my passion, and I poured my heart into every sketch, every fabric, every detail—maybe because it was the one thing in my life I had full control over.

"Celeste!" My boss, Miss Andrea, waves me over the moment I step inside. "We have an important client coming this afternoon. May final fittings siya, and I want you to oversee everything."

"Got it, Ma’am," I nod, setting my bag down at my desk.

I quickly get to work, double-checking the designs, making sure every stitch is perfect. I love my job, but sometimes, it’s exhausting. There are nights when I barely get any sleep, balancing deadlines and being a mother. Pero kahit mahirap, hindi ko iniisip na sumuko. Because at the end of the day, everything I do is for Elijah.

By evening, pagod na pagod na ko. I pick up Elijah from school, and as soon as we step inside our small but cozy apartment, he jumps onto the couch.

"Mommy, puwede pong manood muna bago mag-homework?" he asks, giving me his best puppy eyes.

I shake my head, amused. "One episode lang, then homework, okay?"

"Yay!" He cheers, grabbing the remote.

I walk to the kitchen, preparing a quick dinner. Habang hinihintay kong kumulo ang niluluto, I stare out the window, lost in thought.

Years ago, I imagined a different future—one where Adrian was beside me, where we were a family. Pero hindi gano’n ang nangyari.

I remember the way he walked away, the anger in his eyes, the pain in my chest as I watched him leave, carrying a burden he never should’ve had to bear.

You killed our unborn child!

The words I screamed that night still haunt me. Alam kong hindi niya malilimutan ‘yon. But what he doesn't know is that it was a lie. A lie I told because I was too afraid, afraid that if he knew the truth, he would take Elijah away.

And now, after all these years, I wonder…

What would happen if Adrian ever found out?

Would he hate me?

Or worse… would he try to take my son?

I shake the thought away and focus on what matters, Elijah is mine. My world. My everything. And I will never let anyone take him away.

Never.