Joanna entered the apartment. Her tiring travel from Isla Corale to the city is cured by the smiles of DJ. She carried him to her arms; she missed her kid so much. Delia carried Joanna’s things inside her bedroom so that she could have a moment with DJ. King knocked on the door and went inside wearing a smile for Joanna.
“How’s home?” he simply asked while leaning in a door frame with crossed arms. “Isla Corale changed so much. But the ambiance and the nature are still the same” she answered. “Good thing you are back already! DJ hardly slept for the past few days since you left” King replied. Delia came out from the kitchen and invited them to eat dinner.
“I cooked Joanna’s favorite dishes. Come on, let’s eat” she invited. She is about to return back to schooling again while raising a child. But this time, she is more motivated to strive as reminded by the comforting words of Aunt Marge. Truthfully, revealing the partial truth to Aunt Marge and Jake eased a burden from her chest.
DK opened folder by folder, managing the documents that needed his signature. A knock on his glass door caught his attention. “Enter” he simply said while continuing to sign the papers for stocks and investments. “Sir, here are the reports and summaries from the meeting earlier. Mr. Torres wants to book the hotel for a Christmas event” Paola, his secretary, mentioned while putting down a folder file on his table.
He looked at it and replied, “What date is he planning to book?”. Paola opened her tablet and checked Mr. Torres’ mail. “He plans to reserve the hotel from the second week until Christmas day” she answered. “Decline it,” DK said without lifting a look on his secretary. “May I know the reason just in case they will ask me, sir? Mr. Torres is actually a big-time client. It would be a great loss” the secretary asked. “I need the space for a family gathering. Make a way to justify my reason” he answered. Paola replied, “Copy that, sir”.
DK became busier than ever. He and Joanna had less conversations since she went back to the city, but he still continues to send money and gifts for Dion. He sat back at his swivel chair and scratched his nape. It is still eight in the morning but his energy is about to lose already. He stood up to breathe some air while looking at the island’s view from his office.
He thinks of gathering Joanna’s family and his mother on Christmas to reveal their past, as well as to acknowledge the presence of DJ, their son. It is a month away; he is already planning something in his mind. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and rang his secretary’s number. “Come to the office, I have something for you to organize” he simply said and waited for Paola to enter his office.
In a minute, Paola entered her boss’ office. “What is it that I have to organize, sir?” Paola asked while holding a notebook and a pen. DK answered, “I want you to decorate the function hall in my signal. I want it to look like an elegant Christmas theme. Do not accept room bookings from the fifteenth until the thirty-first. Reserve all the VIP rooms as well”.
“How many persons will the function hall accommodate, sir?” she asked further. “About twenty is fine. Contact the best cooks of our hotel and send me a menu and a meal plan good for seventeen days” he added to the request. Paola just nodded while noting down DK’s requests for the holiday season. “I want all proposals submitted here in my table in two weeks’ time. You can go” he concluded, giving a deadline for his request.
This is the perfect time he waited for a long time. Revealing DJ as his son and Joanna as her wife. DK and Joanna parted ways so much that they forgot about their anniversary. He returned back to his swivel chair and tried calling Joanna.
Joanna went over her notes. Her upcoming graduation makes her overwhelmed. She is thinking of how she will survive her work exposures in the hospital. She turned on her phone the moment she finished reviewing. There were a bunch of missed calls from DK’s number. She tapped the notification, making an unexpected dial.
Her eyes widened when DK swiftly answered her accidental phone call. “Hey, I am calling just to inform you about my plan for December” DK started. Joanna’s eyebrows crossed, “What plan? And how come I am involved with that?” she asked out of confusion.
DK unbuttoned his suit and sat back in his swivel chair. “You see, I have been holding our secret for a long time already. If you did your part already, then I’ll be doing mine also” he explained first. Joanna’s face lit up. She waited for a long time to hear that from DK. She kept on listening to DK’s plan.
“I want our families to meet here at the hotel on the second week of December. Bring DJ along; this is the right time I am telling you”, he stated his plan. Joanna does not seem to disagree with DK’s proposal. She looked at DJ who enjoys playing in the apartment’s living room. “Alright. If you need anything with the preparations, just ask Aunt Marge and Jake” she replied.
DK fisted in the air. He thought it would take him a lot of attempts to convince Joanna. He sighed out a relief and is planning to talk to his mother next. He is thinking of a way on how to talk to his mother when Jake enters his office.
“I knocked. Why do you seem so absent-minded?” Jake asked while holding a folder in his hands. “Just tired. Got so many things to accomplish lately” he answered. “This is the advertising proposal you asked me to do. Feel free to review it and let me know if you need some changes” Jake said. DK just nodded; it’s been a long time since he appointed Jake to be the promotion head of the hotel and restaurant business.
Jake was about to turn around when DK stopped him. “Wait a minute, let me ask you something” he started. Jake faced him, looking interested in what DK was about to say. “Joanna agreed to spend the holidays here in the hotel with our son. Could you do me a favor? Can you and Aunt Marge come along also? Be the one to call some of your closest relatives” he revealed.
Jake smiled; “I didn’t know you were planning these all along. You did not leave any mark though we are always together,” he said, chuckling. “Well, a surprise will not be a surprise if it does not trigger someone’s interest” DK replied. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you arrange everything. I’ll split tasks with Paola” Jake concluded and proceeded back to his working space.
DK cannot be more excited than this. His plan is one of the things he is dreaming of, aside from being a licensed engineer.