ART AND TALE OF ESTELLE

April 25, 2026

First Class Cabin, Korean Air

Already two hours into the flight and each of them was occupied with their own little world. Art was going through something on his laptop, while his fiancee was absentmindedly enjoying the meal they pre-ordered.

But every now and then, her attention wandered toward Art’s untouched plate. Without asking, her fork would steal a piece or two of the beef salpicao whenever she felt like it. And when we say when she felt like it, it’s all the time.

“You know that’s mine, right?” Art finally looked at her and asked with a chuckle.

Estelle puckered her lips before biting her lower lip as she thought through what he just said. “I just wanna try some,” she said as an excuse. “No need to be selfish.”

“Try,” he scoffed, clearly not believing her. But he let her continue until she had already eaten his entire meal. For someone who just wanted a taste, she surely devoured everything.

He couldn’t help but find her adorable, especially now that she was eating more than she usually did. Her lips were plump and her cheeks were much chubbier now, and she was literally glowing. It seemed like she had her very own ringlight. Art was so fond of it; it suited her best.

“Samgyeopsal, Gabrisal, Hangjeongsal,” she mindlessly sang to herself.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“My cravings,” she answered straight away. “Let’s eat those once we land. I know a place.”

“Yeah, let’s do that. I’m starving because of a certain someone,” he said without looking. First, he was laughing then groaning in pain when Estelle slapped his arm.

That’s when she eyed him suspiciously because he was too engrossed in his laptop the whole time they were together. She hadn’t noticed earlier because she was too busy eating. “Hey! What are you doing?” she asked.

“Shopping for your wedding gift,” he casually answered. His attention was still fixed on the screen as he scrolled. When she peeked over his shoulder, her brows furrowed.

“Those are airlines,” she pointed out. “How would that be a wedding gift?” Her curiosity quickly turned into suspicion when she noticed another tab open. Her eyes widened when she saw the familiar ELLE logo. “Don’t you dare!”

“Why not?” he asked with a mischievous little smile.

“Because!”

“Because?” he asked.

She shot him a warning glare. He closed the ELLE tab and then proceeded to scroll through different airlines and properties instead.

“Okay, better. Less crazy for me,” she muttered, though she kept a suspicious look on him. “You can buy whatever you want, just not ELLE.”

“Because?” he asked again, clearly trying to annoy her this time.

“Do you wanna sleep on the couch again?” she asked, her brow shooting up as he looked at her more intently now.

Right from the start, he knows she’s sensitive. But now… she easily gets irritated tenfold.

“Joking, only joking,” he defended himself. He gave her a smile she couldn’t resist and refrained himself from saying another word that might get into her skin.

He had done that once or twice by now. He kept on teasing her by hiding her iPad until she was no longer laughing with him, and he even brought up the brick wall line again, earning himself two nights on the couch. Art wasn’t pleased with the outcome, but being banished to the couch didn’t exactly mean he was going to leave her alone. He stubbornly insisted on sleeping beside her despite her anger.

That was until she threatened to sleep on the couch herself. He immediately stopped arguing. Apparently, he could survive two nights on the couch, but the thought of her sleeping there was where he drew the line.

Hiding things she left unattended was officially off-limits. Brick wall lines were officially marked off the list, too. And, apparently, buying ELLE Philippines had earned itself a spot on that list as well.

Not long after, Estelle pressed her palms against her stomach. She started feeling a little uneasy, but she didn’t want to make a fuss considering that her fiance was doing his own thing. Her stomach felt like it had consumed more than it was meant to. Well… it actually did.

After sitting through it for a few seconds, she finally unbuckled her seatbelt and stood. “I’ll be right back,” she murmured as she hurriedly made her way to the lavatory.

Art barely looked up from his laptop, assuming she was simply going to relieve herself. “Okay, love,” he replied absentmindedly.

After a few minutes, Estelle stepped out of the lavatory, looking noticeably pale. One of the flight attendants assisted her back to her seat. Art immediately looked up, and his expression changed the moment he saw her. He quickly closed the laptop he’d been engrossed in moments ago. “What happened?” he asked worriedly, already reaching for her hand.

“She wasn’t feeling well,” the stewardess explained.

Art’s brows furrowed as he looked at Estelle. “Are you okay, love?”

Estelle nodded weakly, trying to reassure him. “I’m fine. I just felt sick for a bit. Maybe because of the turbulence? Or… I don’t know.”

However, Art clearly wasn’t convinced. He helped her settle back into her seat and asked the flight attendant for some water. All of his attention was on her now. This was something he couldn’t ignore. He remained seated, but the concern on his face hadn’t subsided at all.

He called the flight attendant over again. “Excuse me, can I ask what was in the meal she had?” Art asked, gesturing toward Estelle.

The flight attendant reassured him that the meal had been freshly prepared. “Nothing else in it? Any sauces or seasoning?” Art asked, still concerned.

“No, sir. Everything is listed on the meal information for your reference.”

Art nodded. “Okay. Thank you. Sorry, I just wanted to make sure.”

He was about to ask another question when Estelle reached for his hand. “Love, I’m really okay now.” She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “I just ate a lot, that’s why I vomited.”

“You’re sure?”

She nodded. “I’m sure.”

He studied her face for another second before sighing. “Okay. But tell me if you feel sick again.”

The entire flight, he no longer opened his laptop. He just kept holding her hand and made sure she was feeling okay.

When they arrived in South Korea, he kept insisting that she get checked because he was worried, but she firmly decided that it wasn’t serious. Their little argument didn’t last long, though, since her family came just in time to pick them up at the airport. They then went straight to the restaurant Estelle had been raving about.

Art and Estelle had temporarily been staying at Estelle’s parents’ house. Her parents wanted to spend as much time with her as they could before she officially started another chapter of her life with Art.

For Estelle, it was completely unnecessary considering that she had been living on her own for years now. It also meant being pulled into family dinners, last minute errands, and whatever else her mother suddenly decided needed to be done. But she didn’t say anything. It was the least she could do for them before everything became official.

But for Art, it was completely necessary. It meant letting Estelle experience something she never really got to experience back then. She was already used to taking care of herself and living alone, so having her parents do all these little things for her before they finally gave her to him meant a lot to him, even if he never pointed it out.

Their time in South Korea somehow turned Art and Estelle into teenagers all over again. Estelle spent most of her time with her family since her strict mother seemed to have developed an eagle eye whenever the two of them got too close.

It was quite amusing, the dynamic of it all.

They had been living together even before the wedding. Art knew exactly how Estelle’s morning unfolded, which side of the bed she preferred, and all the little things in between. He basically knew everything about her better than anyone else did. They already had their own little routine.

Now that they were staying under her parents’ roof, they suddenly had to act like teenagers sneaking around for five minutes alone.

The moment Art sat beside her for too long, her mother would call for Estelle, and the moment Estelle embraced him, her stepfather would call Art for help with the house. The former bachelor billionaire had suddenly become the household’s helping hand. Need to fix the door knob? He got it. Need to assemble the newly bought cabinet? Not a problem. No sweat at all!

If he tried to hold her hand under the table, Estelle would quietly pull away when she noticed her mother watching. And whenever they somehow managed to sneak off together, it never lasted long.

Estelle would mouth a quick apology whenever they were interrupted, and Art would simply smile and tell her it was okay, even though he was already aching for his bride’s touch and the little moments they usually had to themselves.

She had also been getting headaches lately, but Estelle insisted they were nothing. Between the wedding preparations, family gatherings, and work, there was plenty of reason for her to be tired.

One afternoon, Art found her focused on her laptop. She was completely absorbed in editing for work. “Here, love. Your favorite iced mint chocolate latte.”

“Hmm?” she mumbled. “Oh, thanks.” She was already taking a sip without looking away from the screen.

She paused, then took another sip. Huh…? she thought. Her expression changed when she finally noticed the awful, almost rotten smell. Art tilted his head, just as confused as she was. She barely managed to cover her mouth before rushing to the bathroom.

Art immediately followed. He dropped down beside her when she knelt in front of the toilet, gathering her hair away from her face with one hand while rubbing slow circles over her back with the other as she vomited.

When it was over, Estelle stayed still for a moment. She suddenly felt cold, and there were bits of sweat dripping down her forehead. She looked pale, which made Art even more worried. “Headache again?” Art asked when she pressed her fingers against her temple.

She nodded, breathing through her nose. “A little.”

“Could you throw away that scented candle for me?” she complained as she pointed at the candle at the farthest end of the bathroom. ”The smell is too strong.”

He didn’t argue. He stood up and threw it in the bin before kneeling beside his fiancee again. Estelle took another breath, then rested her head briefly against his shoulder. “I’m okay now,” she reassured him.

Art glanced at the drink she’d left behind. “Maybe it was spoiled.”

“It was.”

“Though I just bought it,” he added, which made her frown.

“It was spoiled,” she said, already starting to cry. ”Why won’t you believe me?”

Art panicked when tears started rolling down her cheeks. “Okay, love. I believe you. Please don’t cry.”

But it was too late. She was already crying her heart out.

”You bought me an expired drink,” she exclaimed, sniffing. She cried even more, and he panicked even more. ”You’re making it look like I’m crazy.”

He held her close and tried to calm her down. ”You’re not,” he reassured.

”I’m sorry, my love. I’ll throw the drink away myself,” he offered, caressing her hair. ”It’s expired, it’s expired,” he added as he wiped away her tears. ”I’m sorry, hmm?”

Not long after, she calmed down and gave him a tired look. Art brushed a few strands of hair away from her damp forehead. “You should take a break from work.”

“I have things to finish before the wedding.”

“You just threw up,” he reminded her.

“Five minutes,” she bargained.

“Ten.”

“Five.”

He sighed, clearly defeated. “Fine. Five, but no more overtimes.”

Estelle smiled widely and leaned against him for another moment before finally standing. Neither of them thought much of the headaches, the sudden sensitivity to tastes and smells, or how exhausted she had been lately. To them, it all had a perfectly reasonable explanation. Between the wedding, work, and everything else going on, Estelle simply needed more time to rest… that’s all.

But by the next morning, Art was starting to think something was wrong especially when, the night before, Estelle had complained that she couldn’t stand how loudly he was breathing. He was practically silent the whole time.

Now… now, she was attached to him. Like glued and nailed to each other kind of attached.

She followed him to the bathroom and watched him shower. “Are you enjoying the show?” Art asked when he peeked through the glass divider.

“Absolutely,” Estelle said as she played with the towel he was going to use later. Her eyes were glued to him, and she giggled and smiled like a fool the whole time. It was like a premium subscription to a fan service or something.

“Mom will freak out when she finds you here,” Art reminded her, then proceeded to apply shampoo to his hair.

“She won’t,” she argued, which made Art laugh out loud,and Estelle immediately panicked.

“Be quiet! She might hear us,” she scolded him in a low voice. Art laughed even more because his confident fiancee was no longer that confident anymore. She was still scared of her birth giver, despite living together with Art and being only days away from marrying him.

“Do you wanna join me?” he finally asked.

”Tempting offer.” She only leaned back in her chair and stretched, uninterested. “But I just wanna watch,” she said, now yawning. She was suddenly sleepy again.

”Suit yourself,” he said, then started telling a story about Chase borrowing his new Ferrari.

”I’m listening,” Estelle said as she yawned again. So he kept on talking and talking and talking.

After getting out of the shower, Art was greeted by a sleeping Estelle. ”You were asleep the whole time?” he said, completely dumbfounded. She was sound asleep on the chair, so he sat down in front of her and caressed her cheeks. “You’re unpredictable these days,” he whispered.

He studied her face for a moment before adding, “I can’t help but think you’re pregnant, love.”

“Maybe we should see your OB when we get back?” he added as he looked at her stomach.

Art looked at her face again and realized she was really in deep sleep. He smiled and gently brushed her hair away from her face. “Okay. We’ll talk about it later.”

In the afternoon, when she finally woke up, she followed him around again. Literally everywhere. She kept reaching for his face, kept fixing his hair, tracing his jaw, even squeezing his cheeks when she thought he looked particularly adorable.

Art stared at her, momentarily psyched out. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?”

“Uh huh!” she said confidently.

She cupped his cheek again as he blinked multiple times. “You couldn’t stand my breathing last night,” he pointed out.

“That was last night.”

“And now?”

She smiled and giggled even though there was nothing funny. “Now you’re cute. Like really, really cute. I want a mini version of you so I could put you inside my pocket.”

He laughed, still thoroughly confused, but he just let her do whatever she wants to do with him. Happy wife, happy life, he endlessly thought.

A few minutes later, Estelle was sitting on the bench while Art helped her stepfather with the garden. She was happily singing along with the speaker as Stop The Wedding! by Ashe played in the background.

“You don’t have to waste your night and wear your heart out~” she sang loudly. “The warning signs are flashing now~”

“Stop the wedding!” she continued, making Art look over at her. “Ah-ah-ah~”

“Stop the wedding! Ah-ah-ah~”

Art slowly stopped what he was doing. He stared at her from across the garden, a plant box still in his hands.

Estelle, completely unaware of the crisis she had just created, kept singing. “Even though the table’s set, the guests are waiting~”

Art dropped the plant box. He walked straight toward her, stopping right in front of the bench with his hands on his hips. He clicked his tongue and stared at her like he was trying to figure out if she was sending him some kind of message or something.

“You can burn the dress and run away~” Estelle didn’t even look bothered. She just kept singing. “Stop the wedding! Ah-ah-ah~”

“Stop the wedding! Ah-ah-ah~”

“Love,” he finally called her out and she immediately looked up at him. “What the hell are you singing?”

“It’s my favorite song now,” she said innocently, no longer singing through it. “Why?”

Art stared at her a little longer, trying to make sense of it all. “We’re getting married,” he pointed out. ”It sounds like you have a fantasy of being a runaway bride.”

“That’s not my fantasy at all,” she pouted. “It’s just catchy.”

His eyes were still on her for another few seconds before glancing toward her stepfather, as if silently asking whether he was hearing the same thing or if he’s just going crazy.

Estelle finally noticed his expression and laughed. She reached up, gently pulled him closer by his shirt, and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

“There,” she said with a smile. “I’m not a runaway bride. I’m marrying you without any doubts.”

Art’s expression immediately softened. “Make sure of it.”

She giggled before giving him another quick yet meaningful kiss, and just like that, his panic and confusion were gone. He reminded himself to create another playlist for her so she wouldn’t play that song on repeat again.

In the evening, he went out for a quick grocery run with her whole family. When they were all busy, he went straight to the pharmacy section and bought a pregnancy test.

He paid for it separately and slipped it into his jacket pocket before returning to them. He tried to act like nothing had happened, but he was sweating bullets as if he committed a crime. Eventually, he played it cool and casually pushed the cart around as they went through the rest of the groceries.

But every now and then, his hand would unconsciously reach for his pocket, just to make sure it was still there. He had no idea why he was this nervous considering that it was just a test. Just to be sure, he thought.

He later found his fiancee at the fruit section, hands on her hips as she pointed to a pile of mangoes. “I want those.”

Art reached for the ripe ones. “No, the green ones,” she said, her face disappointed.

He picked up one of the greener mangoes and held it up. “Yes, that one,” she finally said happily.

He placed it in the cart. She stared at it for a moment before adding, “But I want it really sour.”

Art nodded as if this made sense. Green mangoes are already sour, he thought. He had no idea how he was supposed to find a sour mango without actually tasting them, but he patiently said, “I’ll find the sour ones.”

He went through the pile, checking each mango until she finally pointed to one. “That one. Perfect!”

He put it in the cart, but then she suddenly frowned. “I want alamang.”

Art only looked at her. Signs after signs. She looked around as if there might magically be a jar of Filipino shrimp paste sitting somewhere between the Korean fruits and vegetables. “There isn’t any here,” she said, looking genuinely disappointed.

For a moment, she stood there thinking before her eyes landed on the kimchi section nearby. “Fine. I’ll have kimchi.”

Sour on sour. Not a good combination, but if it works for her, then it works. Art simply nodded and followed her lead.

He picked up one container. “No, I want the really sour one,” she said, making him place it back so he reached for another.

“Not that one,” she said again, then she picked up the first one he took. “This one,” she said, smiling brightly.

He stayed quiet, observing her. Art didn’t point it out since he knew she would just argue with him. A few seconds later, she added, “I want more.”

So he got another one, then another, and another until the basket was filled with ten jars of kimchi.

Eventually, her mother pointed out that she had just made kimchi at home and there were three tubs waiting for them, but she stubbornly said that she wanted the store-bought ones. Before her mother could say anything, Art made an excuse for her himself.

It didn’t stop there. She pointed at strawberries, then passion fruits, then pineapple, changing her mind about which ones she wanted and making him pick out the ones she thought looked best. She wanted the sweetest blueberries, the reddest apples, and the biggest oranges.

But somehow needed him to choose the bananas because she didn’t like how the others looked. She said that it reminded her of the Ubud Monkey Forest in Bali, the memory that completely scarred her.

By the time they moved on from the section, the cart had an unreasonable amount of fruit and kimchi inside it. She could easily open a fruit stand at that point.

Art didn’t question any of it. If she wanted green mangoes and kimchi together, then green mangoes and kimchi it was. Plus, the unreasonable amount of fruits in their cart.

He just pushed the cart behind her, one hand slipping into his jacket pocket. His fingers brushed against the small box hidden inside.

He glanced at Estelle, who was already looking at the next aisle. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but lately, he couldn’t help but notice how strange her cravings had become. And this moment right here… it’s a great example of it.

By the time they reached the cashier, her stepfather was just reaching for his wallet when Art had already tapped his card against the terminal.

“Art, you bought too much already,” her mother said. “You already bought new furniture for the house. You didn’t have to pay for all of this.”

He did everything for his new family. He drove them wherever they needed to go, paid for everything, carried all the bags, and took care of anything that needed fixing. But the fact that he welcomed him like their own now meant everything to him.

“It’s okay,” he said, smiling. “It’s the least I could do for all the things you’ve done for us.”

“Fine, but I’ll make you your favorite stew once we get home,” her mother said, her voice still firm.

“I’d love that, Mom,” he said with a boyish smile. He slipped his card back into his wallet before wrapping his arms around Estelle’s shoulders.

Surprisingly, she didn’t freak out. He gazed at her and she was already yawning, her eyes half-closed. She leaned back against him, resting her head on his shoulder before closing her eyes. 

Art looked down at her and smiled. He adjusted his arms around her, making sure she was comfortable.  She looked completely exhausted from picking out all those fruits and kimchi.

When they finally got home, Art waited until everyone was busy putting the groceries away before quietly pulling the pregnancy test from his jacket. He handed it to Estelle. “I’m not saying you’re acting weird lately,” he said, “but just to be sure.”

Estelle stared at the box, then at him. “I’m perfectly fine.”

“I know,” he reassured. ”And I’m not saying there’s something wrong with you.”

“So I don’t need this.”

“Probably not,” he said, trying to use reverse psychology on her.

She narrowed her eyes at him, stubbornly convinced that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. Art was just overthinking everything. There was no way she could be pregnant. They hadn’t done anything for weeks now.

Well… at least, that’s what she remembered.

“Uncle!” Ari ran to Art, and he caught her before she could even slip. “Play!”

He picked her up and settled her against his hip. “What do you wanna play?”

Ari immediately started pointing toward the living room, already telling him what she wanted to do. Art listened patiently, nodding along to everything she said even though he probably understood only half of it.

He glanced at Estelle again and held the box out to her once more. “Do you want me to come with you?” he asked, already assuming she would take the test.

Estelle looked at him, then at Ari happily rambling in his arms. There was something different about seeing them together, and it made her sigh softly. She finally took the test from his hand. “Fine, but I can do it alone.”

Art smiled and nodded. “Okay. Just call me if you need help.”

A few minutes later, Estelle was sitting on the closed toilet lid as she waited for the result. She stood up and stared at the test on the bathroom counter, then crossed her arms.

Art was seriously overthinking this. She felt completely fine. Well… mostly fine. And besides, they hadn’t done anything in weeks. There was no reason for the test to be positive. She was so convinced of it that she wasn’t even nervous about the result. 

If it turns out negative, then they’ll have a year to themselves. And if it turns out positive, then…

Her shoulders dropped at the thought, and sat on the toilet again. “Then what?” she whispered to herself. ”We’ll be parents?”

The thought itself overwhelmed her, both positively and negatively. Art would be ecstatic about it, but fear also got to her. She was already wondering if she’d be a good mother. ”Will I?” she asked herself, palm hovering over her stomach.

She had barely gotten up to check the test when her mom suddenly called for her from the kitchen. “Astrid Estelle, where are you?”

Estelle froze. Oh no.

Her mother’s voice was enough to make her forget about everything else. She immediately looked toward the bathroom door, suddenly remembering that she had been in there longer than she should have.

“Astrid Estelle?”

“I’m coming!” she called back, already panicking.

She rushed toward the counter, grabbed the pregnancy test without even looking at it, and threw it straight into the trash.

“Coming!” She hurried out of the bathroom before her mother could call her again. And just like that, she went back to helping with the groceries.

The night ended with a mystery as she remained completely unaware of what she had just thrown away.