The medicine potion that Ervine gave me was effective. I immediately felt better after taking it, rested, and fell asleep. When I woke up, I was completely healed. It was really effective. But even though I was better, I still felt a lingering pain. A pain in my heart...
On Sunday morning, I headed early to our usual meeting place with Mr. Valdez. We couldn't come up with an excuse to refuse anymore. I was wearing jeans, a pink polo shirt, and rubber shoes, as instructed by my sister not to show any interest in Mr. Valdez.
I sat on a bench in Greenbelt Park, where there were many people due to it being Sunday. Families were happily strolling around, and I couldn't help but feel envious of them. If only Mommy and Daddy were still alive, we could have been like them.
"Carmen, have you been here long?" the man who had just arrived asked.
He was sitting beside me, so I didn't notice him right away.
Wow, Mr. Valdez looked quite young in his outfit: denim shorts and a sky blue polo shirt. It was a far cry from what I usually saw him wearing in the office. He wasn't wearing glasses either; he seemed to be wearing contact lenses.
"Huh? Why have you been staring at my face?" He leaned closer to me, grinning.
"U-Uh, it would be nice if we could take a walk, Mr. Valdez." I averted my gaze. His face was just too close. I couldn't help but feel self-conscious about his proximity.
"Call me Alejandro, since that's what you call me when we're not at work, right?"
Mr. Valdez took a step forward, carrying a black backpack. He looked like a high school student with his appearance. We headed to a nearby mall, and he ordered burger and fries from a fast-food chain. I was really surprised; Mr. Valdez had a hint of a cowboy vibe, and he looked so cool. I couldn't help but stare at him while he ate. He was cute.
"What's the matter?" he asked, looking puzzled.
Mr. Valdez paused his eating and gazed at me. I couldn't help but ask.
"Ms. Argenta, is she—"
"No! She's not my girlfriend, and we don't have any other relationship. My uncle adopted her, and even though they might want us to get married, I don't want that!" he replied firmly, answering my interrupted question.
Mr. Valdez was truly straightforward, answering without hesitation. He had a serious look on his face as he dipped his fries in ketchup. I don't know why, but I felt a sense of joy when I heard directly from Mr. Valdez that he didn't have a relationship with Ms. Argenta.
"Why are you being so polite? Knowing you, you should have been grumpy earlier, and you wouldn't have readily agreed to come with me. I know you don't like cheeseburgers from here because they have onions inside, but you finished it."
"Huh? O-onions?"
"I-I'm eating onions, heh-he." I awkwardly grinned.
Wow, he knows what my sister dislikes. I felt guilty because Mr. Valdez didn't know that I wasn't my sister.
"Carmen, if my guess is correct, you saw Argenta hugging me at the mall, right? You thought she was my girlfriend, and without asking for an explanation, you just assumed we were in a relationship." He wiped his mouth with a tissue and looked at me.
"W-Well..." I couldn't answer. I didn't know what to say.
I stood up and gestured to him. "S-Sir, let's go outside for a moment..." We went to the park again and rested for a while, sitting on a long wooden bench. There were birds pecking at food grains nearby, and they were delightful to watch.
"You're not fond of animals. I once brought my Siberian dog, Maki, to the office. He was friendly to you, but you acted like a stray dog, shooing him away." 
He even knew about that? My sister had some bad experiences with animals. She got bitten by a dog, scratched by a cat, and even had a bird poop on her. She had many unpleasant encounters with animals when she was younger, and Mommy would always tell that story.
"You know so much about me. Are you a stalker?" I asked.
"Do I look like a stalker to you? You know, I really feel like you're not Carmen," Mr. Valdez's voice carried a hint of doubt.
Mr. Valdez had a questioning look on his face, but I couldn't bring myself to confess the truth to him.
Suddenly, he held my hand, and I couldn't move away from his firm grip.
"M-Mr. Valdez? W-What are you—"
"What am I doing? I'm holding your hand, it's soft and warm..." Mr. Valdez slowly brought his face closer to mine. He held one of my hands while the other rested on my shoulder. I didn't expect Mr. Valdez to be this aggressive.
I felt nervous, wanting to push him away, but my heart was pounding. My entire body stiffened, and I couldn't move. Was he planning to k-kiss me?
"Stop that!"
I heard a shout and, as I opened my eyes in surprise, I saw-
"Ervine?!"
Ervine grabbed my hand and quickly pulled me away, but Mr. Valdez blocked us and prevented us from leaving.
"Wait! Who are you, kid? It looks like you know this child, Carmen," Mr. Valdez asked, his grip firm on my other hand.
"Y-Yes, I-I know him," I replied hesitantly.
"Let go of Carmen, kid!" Mr. Valdez threatened Ervine.
But Ervine didn't back down. "Don't call me a kid! I'm 16 years old! And besides, you're dating the wrong girl!" he retorted sharply to Mr. Valdez.
"What? What nonsense are you talking about? Carmen, let's go-"
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to deceive you. I'm really not Carmen," I apologized, bowing my head and seeking forgiveness for lying to Mr. Valdez. He looked puzzled by my actions.
"Sister Carmen? W-Wait, I'm confused!"
"Alejandro!!"