“This is fine. We’re fine. Deep breath, Diana.” Except that the thumps and scrapes of luggage and balikbayan boxes being pulled from the conveyer belt became a cacophony. Doubts came back in a full tidal wave: What if these people were not who they said they were? What if this was all a lie, too? What if they were murderers?
She texted her mother and Sam in a group text, as promised.
I just landed. Colette is here to pick me up.
Here is my location.
Sam’s answer came quickly.
Got it.
Remember that you can walk away. Follow your instincts.
* * *
Baggage claim and customs were each a relatively painless process. But when she walked to the arrival lobby and toward the meet-up area outside the double doors of the air-conditioned airport, Diana was hit with a fight-or-flight reaction. Despite the dark night, the heat was suffocating, confusing to her body, which had, a little more than a day prior, left the cool DC springtime behind. The air was sticky and stifling, and her lungs tightened as she breathed in the smell of motor oil and gasoline from the bumper-to-bumper curbside traffic.
She spotted the sign to the meet-and-greet area. Across the pedestrian parking and down the ramp she went, following the sound of voices until they became a roar. Other passengers disappeared into the mass of people on the other side of the barrier. People were holding signs, some calling for their families and friends, others in uniforms ushering people and their luggage into cabs and cars. It was a total overload of Diana’s senses.
Then, out of the waves of sound, she heard her name like a hummingbird’s trill. And then she heard it again: “Diana!”
She jerked to the right and walked to the edge of the sidewalk. The air whooshed as cabs and cars sped by. She willed her eyes to cooperate despite feeling discombobulated, then she saw it, a bobbing sign with her last name in big block letters. GALLAGHER-CARY.
Then she heaved a breath, urging her legs to carry her as her heart whirled in anticipation.
A figure came around the corner of a group of people: a woman who looked a decade younger than Diana with a shoulder-length bob and long bangs, and a smile that exuded confidence. The sign was in her hand. “Oh my God. Gallagher-Cary?”
“Yes?” Diana asked more to herself than to the woman as she scoured her face for familiarity. Did she look like the picture from her Facebook photo? And sure enough, slowly, her brain puzzled together the similarities.
“Yay!” Colette leaned in and threw her arms around Diana, who hesitated at the forward gesture. She wasn’t in the habit of just hugging anyone, family or not. “Ate Diana, it’s so nice to meet you. Oh my God. I see some of my mom in you. It’s weird and cool at the same time.” The woman pulled back and canvassed her face, smile widening.
“And you’re …” Diana faltered, surprised at the belly poking her. “You’re having a baby!”
“I am!” Her hands flew to her belly. “I’m seven months tomorrow, in fact!” She cleared her throat. “Oh, and ate means ‘older sister.’ ”
“I know what that means, and some common Tagalog terms. Some words. I have nurse friends who are … and my mom knew some phrases, and then of course Rosetta Stone.” Diana stumbled through her explanation, apologetic.
“The family speaks English, and I’ll help, Ate.” Colette smiled. “Anyway, I have a car for us. Let’s get you home.” She took Diana’s bag automatically. “Follow me.”
“Actually, I’ve rented a car. I can go get it and follow you,” Diana said.
With that Colette threw her head back and barked a laugh, then simmered down to a giggle. “Have you ever driven here, in Manila?”
“No, but I’ve driven in busy cities before.”
“It’s not the same, trust me. Also, you’re tired. Better just ride with me.” She was already walking away with her bag, leaving Diana to follow like a lost puppy who had just found its mother.
“Wait.” Diana halted in her tracks. “May I … can I see some ID?” She felt silly asking for it, as if it was a true fail-safe.
“Of course. Silly me.” Colette dug through her bag and pulled out a black wallet, from which slid a Republic of the Philippines driver’s license from a card slot. And sure enough, it said Colette Cruz Macaraeg. “Shall we go?” Colette asked brightly.
“Okay.” Diana relented. Colette was nice enough, but it all felt so sudden. When they reached a luxury car parked at a curb, a man who had been leaning his back against it stood and scooped up Diana’s bag, stuffing it into the trunk.
“You’re really coming in at the best time of day. Besides it being a little cooler, you get to see Manila Bay at its best, at night,” Colette said, getting into the car, and Diana followed suit.
As they got on the road, Colette took charge of the conversation. She asked Diana basic questions about her flight, the travel she had planned. Nothing too difficult to answer, thank goodness, because Diana was trying to take the skyline in, and how different it felt being with this cheerful woman who was supposed to be her blood relative. But it hadn’t sunk in yet.
She was also gawking at the audacious drivers around her who were sometimes ignoring traffic rules and lines on the road.
“This is Manila Bay, Ate Diana,” Colette said, pointing to the left. The bay’s water glistened in the distance, broken up by the outline of the winding road that seemingly drove out into the water, and the sway of palm trees. “And Las Cruces is coming up.”
The car slowed, then took a right into a curved driveway among the towering buildings that lit up the night sky. LAS CRUCES HOTEL was etched into marble at the entrance. Guests in beautiful cocktail dresses entered and exited the front doors, reminding Diana that she had not brushed her teeth in almost twenty-four hours. She ran her fingers through her hair, pressed them under her eyes, swollen from her lack sleep. She must look like a zombie.
“There is a wedding planned this weekend, and we have most of the large party staying here and starting their celebrations early, but we placed you on the twenty-fourth floor to get away from the noise—I hope that will be fine. It even has a balcony. We can meet up tomorrow, if you’d like, but I know you might want to get settled and look around, so I’ll keep that open, okay? I do have a meeting set up the next day for an early lunch, when we will do the DNA test and make our plans.”
“Do we … do I get to meet Flora?” Diana’s voice cracked.
“Yes, though not here. It will be at Sunset Corner—”
“Sunset Corner?” Diana asked, flashing on her grandfather’s letters.
“Yes, our home in Forbes Park in Makati. Lola Flora is too old to get around, and we’ll have to make sure that she’s well enough to see you. I hope you don’t mind that that part isn’t set yet. I figured we should get the DNA test done here, where it’s easiest, and then make the call.”
“I think it’s a good idea,” Diana agreed. “One thing at a time.”
The door next to Colette was pulled open by the valet. The sound of traffic filtered into the car. “Oh, and here, your key.” She fanned out two hotel key cards and handed her one. “I hoped in the last minute that Tita Margo would come, so I reserved one of our suites in both of your names. But I’ll go ahead and bring this extra key to the desk since you don’t need to check in. You’re family, after all.” She smiled.