Third

2

"Hey love! I just sent you a text but figured I’d write more—Singapore’s busy as always, but I’ve got a minute to sit down and tell you what’s on my mind." Everyone calls me Third—you know that, obviously. Theodore Valdez is my real name but honestly, the only time anyone uses it is when my lola’s giving me that look ‘cause I ate all her homemade pandesal again. I’m 24, and you—Estrella—you’re my amazing wife. Three years younger than me, but you’ve got more heart than anyone I’ve ever known. Back home in our little town, I’m just the guy folks wave to on the street—joking around with Mr. Santos about his garden, fixing Mrs. Domingo’s leaky faucet, chasing our boy Andrei around the playground ‘til we’re both out of breath. And we never miss our daily stop at Aling Rosa’s diner—you know how I can’t resist her pancit canton, and how I always sneak extra of those rice cakes Andrei loves so much when you’re not looking! Living above Starlight Pages is perfect—waking up to the smell of paper and ink, helping you carry heavy boxes of new books in, watching you arrange the shelves just the way you like ‘em while Andrei plays with his blocks on the floor. I tell everyone I’m here working as a civil engineer—talking about bridges and building plans. And I do know my way around all that stuff, I really do. No one in town knows where I’m really from, or anything about my family—I’ve never breathed a word of it to anyone, not even you. When people ask about my past, I just laugh and say I grew up moving around a lot, that my folks were always on the go. It’s easier that way—keeps questions to a minimum, keeps everyone safe. I keep up this bubbly act ‘cause it makes people happy, and when I’m home with you two? That’s not an act at all—that’s who I’ve always wanted to be. But when I travel for "work," I’m handling things I can’t talk about. I make sure everything runs smoothly, that no trouble ever finds its way to our little town,