After a long afternoon of strolling through stores in the main plaza of San Ignacio, Javier took Iñigo to a popular café in the upscale part of the city, where palm trees lined the well-kept roads surrounded by cleanly-trimmed bushes.

They had left Esther, who continued to go shopping with their driver. She told the two of them that she had more urgent shopping she suddenly had to finish, and sent them on their way to the café, where she would meet them later on.

As the security guard opened the glass door to let the two inside, Iñigo took a good look at his surroundings and gasped in awe. From the moment he first set foot into the shop, Iñigo was fixated at how posh the place was, with its ornate glass chandelier, its selection of tea and coffee imported from all around the world, and even the fine, decorative pieces of fine china on which the delicate slabs of cake and pastries were plated. As Iñigo continued to admire the café’s craftsmanship, he let out an unabated smile.

Upon seeing Iñigo’s smile, Javier felt his heart begin to tighten within his chest. How he longed so hard for Iñigo to be his for the past few years. 

Javier could remember the day Iñigo moved into the apartment he owned. From the moment Javier helped Iñigo take his belongings up the stairs, he was attracted to him. From eyeing Iñigo’s tall frame to glancing at his handsome face whenever he believed he wasn’t looking, Javier at first wanted to have a physical relationship with the young man.

However, Iñigo quickly put his trust in Javier and began to confide in him over his sexuality, and the souring relationship he had with his parents. The more Javier helped him settle in and the more Iñigo continued to rely on him, Javier’s simple attraction grew into love. Having seen himself in Iñigo, Javier began to fall for Iñigo on an even deeper level. Soon enough, he wanted to be the rock on which Iñigo could stand. 

But that soon changed the moment Kenji moved in soon after. While Javier knew that they were just friends at that point, the defensive look Kenji shot at Javier, a look that told him to back off, rubbed him the wrong way.

The look on Javier’s face soured the more he thought about Kenji, just as the waiter served them their cakes and coffee. As the waiter left in a hurry, Javier turned to Iñigo, who continued to have a wistful look in his eye as he admired the cake that Javier had ordered for him. But deep within Iñigo’s gaze, Javier knew there was something more that Iñigo wanted.

“What’s on your mind?” Javier asked Iñigo, whose smile had begun to fade. Iñigo gave a despondent sigh.

“I just wish that someday, somehow…” Iñigo paused as he looked down toward his lap. “I can run a café of my own, something like this.” 

There was an air of pessimism in his voice, an air which Javier picked up.

“Why not, Iñigo?” Javier pressed on. Iñigo looked at his surroundings and sighed.

“I know that your family is doing a lot to take care of this town,” Iñigo said, his voice hesitant. Javier knew where Iñigo was going. Iñigo had always hated the idea of using his and Esther’s power in town to get his way. Iñigo was pure and genuine, Javier remarked. “But I feel that here, I cannot have a future for myself.”

Silence filled the air as Iñigo looked down, pushing bits of the cake back and forth across his plate. Then, he looked up and took a glance at Javier’s face, which stared far into the distance. He had a pensive look in his face and a guilty look in his eyes.

“What I mean to say…” Iñigo continued, choosing his words with care. “I know that, with who I am and whom I love, society is improving for people like me. But I know that I can no longer stay here if my own family here is willing to...”

“That’s enough, Iñigo,” Javier interrupted, his hand instinctively resting on top of Iñigo’s. He saw the uneasy and vulnerable look in Iñigo’s eyes.

Javier agreed with Iñigo that society was changing. However, the small town of Divinagracia held onto its customs and traditions so dearly, and was stuck in its old ways of life. For Javier, he understood how stifling it was for Iñigo, for he, the mayor’s son, powerful in name only, felt just as trapped.

“I know how much you hate it here, Iñigo. Believe me I do.” Javier continued to clasp his hand around Iñigo’s. “You have no idea how much I wanted to leave this place.”

Iñigo stared at Javier, dumbfounded. Javier knew how easily he could read Iñigo’s face, as if it was an open book. Iñigo was probably wondering why Javier would want to leave, when he could have anything he ever wanted with the snap of a finger. To that, Javier remarked to himself that there was something he coveted, something his family’s power couldn’t buy.

Javier broke the silence, his voice low.

“Esther and I have been thinking of leaving this country for years,” Javier said, his voice barely a whisper.

“But why?” Iñigo interrupted, his voice full of hurt. He pulled his hand away from Javier’s. “Why do you have to leave, when you can have anything you want here?”

“You have no idea, Iñigo,” Javier took a sip of his coffee before placing it on the saucer below. “You have no idea…”

For a few minutes, no words were exchanged between the two. Iñigo continued to take small sips from his coffee in silence. Javier took a sip of his own, his posture composed as Iñigo continued to spiral. Soon after, Iñigo began to speak.

“So,” Iñigo said. “When are you leaving?”

“I beg your pardon,” Javier asked.

“When are you two leaving, Kuya Javier?” Iñigo’s voice began to rise, a feeling of hurt cutting into his words.

Javier wasn’t surprised by Iñigo’s outburst; he knew how distraught the news would make Iñigo feel. Hell, he wouldn’t want to be away from Iñigo either. He had planned far ahead at least this much.

“Whenever you get your immigration paperwork in order,” Javier told Iñigo as if it was a matter-of-fact, rummaging through his satchel before pulling out an old notebook, which had been so full of notes that extra pages of hand-written appendices have been taped onto the pages within.

“I… I don’t understand,” Iñigo said to Javier, who did not bother trying to cover his smug smile. “What do you mean?”

“Did you know that Esther and I are dual citizens?” Javier asked, as he flipped to a map of a place called Fraser City. Iñigo knew that this was where Esther used to live when she studied abroad. He had always wondered how Esther was able to apply to study abroad so easily when for him, the process would be mired in paperwork.

“I had no idea,” Iñigo said, his mouth still open, as Javier pointed to a lot that he had circled in red a long time before.

“We have a vacant property over there, a perfect place to open a café!” Javier explained, the light in his eyes shining as he watched Iñigo’s face. 

Before Iñigo could press Javier any further, Javier grabbed Iñigo’s hands and took a deep breath.

“Move abroad with us,” Javier urged, his voice full of hope. “Let’s make your dream a reality!”

Iñigo held his breath, as if his lease on life had been renewed. As if he suddenly had a future to look forward to. The light in Iñigo’s eyes shone bright, more than it had ever done before.

Then, all of a sudden, as if remembering something important, something critical, Iñigo's smile, so full of joy, faded in an instant. Iñigo gently pulled his hands away from Javier’s once more.

“But what about Kenji?”

It took everything in Javier’s power to hide his displeasure. As much as he loved Iñigo, Javier had to fault him for his attachment to Kenji, which he believed was doing him no good. Surely there must be some way to convince Iñigo to let go of Kenji, lest he get rid of him himself. But before he could press Iñigo on it further, he was quickly interrupted.

Ring, ring, ring!

Esther had set foot in the café, with a bag full of clothes she had purchased in tow. As she sat down, Javier noticed the nervous look Esther had on her face. Iñigo wanted to ask what was going on, but figured it wasn’t a good time to do so.

Peering into the bag from his seat, Javier noticed a set of pastel blue baby clothes haphazardly shoved into the bag without a care. He took another look at Esther’s face, wondering why she had made such a purchase. Then, suddenly, her eyes meeting his own for just a second, she looked away and shoved the clothes further into her bag.

Refusing to look him in the eye, Esther stood up and ran to the café counter to make her order. Javier shot Iñigo a look, before taking another sip of his coffee, which had now gone cold.