After a few days of staying in Louisiana, I decided to fly to California to look for my old friend, Katie. She's the only one I know who can help me accomplish my real mission in going back to States.

I used to live peacefully in the Philippines after coping up the whole five years since we moved in there and decided to raise our own business. But when grandma died, I decided to get back to States for a short time only.

After 6 hours of travel, I can already feel the California sea breeze which always been my favorite before.

I didn't mind the tiredness I got from travel and happily take a little stroll along the populous streets.

"Oh, how I miss this place" my heart melts as I was starring the sunsets on the ocean and the beach party was about to start.

I startled when my phone vibrated from my pocket

Right before I even said hello I can already hear a loud voice from the line that made me get the phone speaker away from my ear

"Sweetie! What took you so long to call me! "

"HELLO, Katie! Would you mind greeting me first?" I sarcastically answered emphasizing my first word

"Whatever, hey! Were are you? If I wasn't mistaken from my computation, you must already be here by now. O c'mon! I told you to call me right before you step out from the plane" she sounded like a big sister of mine as always

"I'm on my way to your workplace, I was supposed to surprise you, dear"

"What? No! My shift's already done. Just meet me at the nearby cafe okay? I'll send you the address"

she hanged up and soon I received the location

As soon as I get in the cafe, I saw a black American beauty waving at me, wearing a smile with a dimple on her right cheek.

"Katie!" I excitedly run to my best friend and she hugged me tightly

"Oh my god! Lauren!" She screams from her seat beside the cafe windows

It's good that there are only a few costumers around and they don't even care about us

"Oh, sweetie. I miss you so much. How are you?"

"I miss you too Katie and I had a lot to tell you."

"Oh I expected that" she smiled sweetly as we both sit down

"So, its been five years since you left, now your back and look at you now, I mean look at my damn old crybaby grown up so pretty!"

I pouted on her when she mentioned me as a crybaby. But I admit it, aside from my grandmother, she's the one that I've been crying with while sharing my heartbreak stories before

"Oh Lauren" she suddenly saddened and look straight to my eyes

"What?" I puzzledly ask and give her a little smile

"I'm sorry to hear about Ms. Hudson"

she caresses my hair as she was talking about my grandmother

I immediately give her the biggest smile that I could and removed her hands from my hair

"Its okay Katie, please don't look at me like that" I tried to give her a relief not to be sad for me

"So, I thought you had a very good life back in the Philippines. What brings you back in here? Did you change your mind to leave your peaceful life there and decided to get a life here?" she asked trying to change the topic

I take a sip first on the latte she ordered me before I could answer her questions

"Uhmm, about that. I don't plan to stay here for a long time"

"Why? What a long time? You mean, you're only staying here for a year, what?" she looks intrigued

"A couple of weeks maybe?"

"Weeks? Oh c'mon sweetie, so you're saying that you're just taking a vacation at your old hometown for a few weeks?"

"I had my reasons okay like I said I'm not on a vacation okay, I'm on a mission"

"What mission?" She furrowed her brows

"Remember about my grandma's stories before?"

I used to tell Katie about Grandma's stories and she listens well every time. that's one of hundred things that makes me treasure our friendship before

"About her life as a gracious woman who raised a young girl like you? On how she loves people before?"

"Not that Katie"

she again wrinkles her forehead

"Her first love" I continued

"Oh, about those old magical, splendid, classic love stories of hers that weren't existing on our times, so tell me about it"

I looked at her straightly and the same as before, she was the best friend who could listen to you even to those crappy nonsense stories you've ever told

"It's just that Grandma used to tell a lot about love stories before, but when we started living in Asia, she never mentions not even a word about her old life stories"

"Oh yeah, I know how much you're fond of old stories and history kinds of stuff. So?"

"I just decided to find her first and only love "

"Wait? You're telling me that you plan to find a person you'd never met in a big country? "

I just nodded

"You must be kidding me, Lauren. You don't even know if that man's still alive?"

"He's alive" I firmly answered

"How are you so sure? Why? What for? C'mon Sweetie, I think you're just tired and needed some rest. Maybe you'll probably change your mind by tomorrow and decided to just get a great life, come on, I'll show you my house!"

Now she seems not to like my plans but I already decided. We just talked for some random different stuff as we walk to her house.

And when she says house, it's her apartment in Europian style buildings a few kilometers from the main town.

"I didn't know there's such a place like this in California"

"Oh, civilization is a rapid thing, Sweetie. And I'm not surprised you'll like it in here"

"Oh, I love it!"

I was still amazed looking at the view of the vintage building facing apart with floral terraces and some stores beside the alleyways. Though it was a little bit cloudy night, the street lamps and lights from the buildings are enough to see the beauty of bricked pathways

"Come, on. It's getting cold"

Katie leads me to her apartment on the third and last level of the building.

She told me to stay with her for my whole "vacation" and I lovingly agreed to it.

Up all night, we had never stopped talking with each other about what happened to our lives for the past five years since I left California to the Philippines with my grandma. I also told her about what happened back in Louisiana and she was worried about me. She's even surprised that I stopped by at Louisiana just to find my mother's sister, Aunt Hilda which was only a relative that I'veI known.

"Why are you spending your life looking for a person that wasn't even looking for you?"

Her words were like a knife that stabbed my chest. It was true and that's what makes it hurt so bad.

"You know, you should already be looking for a life sweetie. C'mon, Drake was the last boy that came to your life. Well technically speaking, the only"

I just chuckled to her.

Drake was my best friend before, not until I fell for him but he told me I'm only just a little sister to her. It's one of the reasons why I automatically agreed to Grandma before when she said we're moving to the Philippines.

"Speaking? Did you get over him?"

"Of course I am, Duh! I was just a teenager having puppy love on my best friend back then. It's okay, really okay!"

"Sure?" she talks like playing around with me so I just give her an annoying look that makes her laugh

"Okay then, why'd you never dated someone? Do you plan to live like your Grandma?"

"What? No! I-its just that..."

she widened her eyes waiting for my answer

"I also don't know why I just never feel my heart beats to someone like what I had to Drake before. The doctor told me that it has nothing to do with the heart transplant or anything, maybe I was just focused to live well after a year since I have undergone surgery and lose my only family"

Katie hugged me upon hearing those words

"You still got me, and you always will"

I tightly hugged her back

"Okay, enough of these dramas, I still had to figure out how will I find Grandma's Man"

"What!"

"Katie, I've made up my mind right before I decided to get back here okay. I also don't know how, but I believe I can still find him. At least that's what I could do to pay back every kindness and love grandma has given to me even if we're not blood-related" I finally explained to her and she just sighed

"I understand how lovingly granddaughter with own principles you are, raised by a strong gracious woman, Ms. Laura Hudson herself, and all had to do is to support my best friend"

I just give her my sweetest smile. Katie knew a lot from me and I'm glad she never forgot all about it.