Looking back at my life choices, I'm proud to say that moving to Australia for work five years ago was the right choice. Until now, I can still remember the tough times and hard work I put in.

When I got to Australia, I quickly started a job at a hospital doing administrative work. But I wanted to work as a nurse there, so I decided to study while working. Luckily, I was granted a year's worth of credit, thereby getting my nursing degree in just two years.

I promised my best  friend Jana I'd be at her wedding, so I went home the next year. But soon after, I came back to Australia to continue my work and studies.

Upon completing my studies, I began working as a nurse at the same hospital where I initially worked in administration. My coworkers were supportive, and I found a good work-life balance there.

If you're asking whether I have stress-free work there, to be honest, there isn't any job that's entirely stress-free. There are always challenges that come my way, but I've learned to see them as opportunities to grow and it has changed how I perceive work.

Overall, my time in Australia has been incredibly rewarding, and I have enjoyed every moment of it. I was able to explore new places, pick up hobbies, and learn more about myself.

I was lost in thoughts when the flight attendant announced that we'd landed. I checked my watch and saw we were just on time.

As I stepped off the plane, I felt a gust of fresh air and smelled the comforting scent of home. It felt so good to be finally back in a place I know.

As I walked to the airport lobby, I heard a familiar voice called to me, "Auntie Cali!" Although he's now a teenager and his voice has changed, I could still hear echoes of the little kid I used to tease. It was Bambi!

"You've grown up so fast!" I said, noticing that he was now standing as tall as me.

"I missed you, Auntie!" he said, giving me a hug. "By the way, there's Mom!" he added as he pulled away, pointing to Jana sitting in the lobby seat, currently breastfeeding her baby. Nick was seated beside her.

Bambi and I walked over to them, and as we approached, Jana spotted me, her smile widening. She immediately stood up, carrying her baby.

"Is this my favorite niece?" I teased, reaching out to play with the baby. "You're such a cute little baby, Fiona!" I added.

Fiona smiled at me, seemingly thrilled to finally see me. I hadn't expected her to be this adorable in person, looking quite different from the photos Jana sends me. And yes, to confirm, Fiona is Jana and Nick's daughter.

"She must really like you," Jana said. "Do you want to hold her?" she asked, and I nodded eagerly. Now I was cradling Fiona, and seeing her sweet face melted my heart.

"Look at you," I cooed, still playing with her tiny fingers.

"It's good to see you again, Cali," Nick said, smiling at me while I continued to play with baby Fiona.

"It's good to see you too, Nick. I think you should consider making more babies as cute as this one," I teased playfully.

"Cali!" Jana called out, her tone slightly embarrassed.

"I miss you, bestie," I told her, attempting to mimic Izzy's playful tone from before.

"I miss you too!" she replied, pinching my cheek. She couldn't hug me properly at the moment since I was holding baby Fiona.

After spending some time playing with Fiona, we headed straight to the car and got in. Nick drove us home.

"How was Australia? You didn't come back home after my wedding." Jana asked from the front seat.

"It was cool. I saw lots of kangaroos, and there were snakes everywhere," I replied, trying to sound chill even though I was kinda scared.

"I guess we really need to catch up! You must have a lot of stories to tell," Jana said.

"Yes, and you too," I agreed.

Upon arriving home, I was surprised to find they had planned a welcoming party for me.

"Welcome home, Cali!" Dessa exclaimed as she popped party confetti, causing it to explode in my face. "Oh, sorry!" she quickly apologized, brushing the confetti off my face.

"It's okay," I reassured her, blinking to clear my vision and to my surprise, I saw Izzy standing there too. I had no idea he'd be home!

He rushed over to me, wrapping me in a tight hug. "I missed you, girl!" he exclaimed.

Returning his embrace, we jumped up and down in excitement. "I missed you too, Izzy!" I told him.

Dessa stood nearby, arms crossed with a playful look on her face. "So you didn't miss me?" she teased, as confetti from earlier fluttered around her.

"Of course, I missed you too, Dessa! I miss you both!" I said, pulling her into our hug.

After our quick reunion, we settled down, and they suggested I rest first after the flight. However, I was too excited about the gifts I brought for Bambi and my niece, so I quickly grabbed my pasalubong box and opened it.

"Come here, Bambi," I called, and he eagerly approached.

"What is it, Auntie?" he asked.

"Remember when you mentioned you wanted an Xbox?" I asked, and he nodded, visibly excited. "Well, I got it for you!" I exclaimed, handing him his wish.

"Wow, thank you, Auntie!" he exclaimed as he accepted his gift.

Next, I took out some baby dresses from the box and gave them to Jana for Fiona.

Dessa and Izzy were waiting for their gifts, so I handed each of them a bottle of perfume. "Thank you, Auntie Cali!" they both exclaimed, teasing me.

For Jana, I gave her a branded bag, and for Nick, I gave him a set of tools as he had requested.

After giving all the pasalubongs, we decided to have lunch. They had prepared all my favorite foods. Nick then brought out champagne and handed it to Izzy.

Izzy popped the champagne, and the liquid burst out towards us. He then poured it into our glasses and said, "Cheers to Cali being home!" with a cheerful tone as he raised his champagne glass.

"Yay!" we all cheered.

Just as I was about to take a sip of my champagne, he added, "And to Dessa getting a divorce!"

Everyone cheered again, including me, but then it hit me. What did he just say? My eyes widened in surprise as soon as the realization sank in. Wait, did I hear that correctly?

"You got married?" I asked, turning to Dessa in disbelief.

Dessa took a sip of her champagne and nodded casually. "Yes," she confirmed.

"When? Why didn't I know about this?" I asked, a mix of surprise and frustration creeping into my voice. How could she have kept something so important from me?

"Five years ago," she replied, and my jaw nearly hit the floor. Five years ago? How could she have hidden a marriage for that long?

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded, feeling a surge of hurt and betrayal like she didn't trust me enough to share such news.

Dessa took another sip of her champagne before continuing, "I think it's time for you to know," she said cryptically, leaving me utterly baffled. What was she talking about? Had there been other secrets she'd been keeping?

"Know what?" I pressed, my confusion growing with each passing moment.

Everyone nodded around me. Wait, did they know something I didn't? Now I was really starting to wonder.

Dessa met my gaze and began to speak again, "Five years ago, I made a tough decision," she explained, holding my hand. "Remember that time we were drunk, and I mentioned I did you a favor?" she continued.

"You did me a favor?" I asked, totally confused.

"Yes, but you were passed out, so you probably wouldn't remember," Dessa replied.

"I'm sorry, I'm still not following," I said, still feeling confused. What does this have to do with her divorce?

But Dessa didn't respond. Instead, they looked past me with a smile, causing me to turn around and see Mino holding a bouquet of flowers. Wait, why is he here?

"Welcome back," he said, handing me the flowers. "I missed you, Cali," he added.

I looked at the flowers he gave me, then turned to them with a mix of curiosity and confusion. "Can someone please explain what's going on?" I asked, my voice tinged with bewilderment. "And you, aren't you supposed to be with your wife, Angel? She might come after me if she finds out about this," I said, recalling how devilish Angel could be.

"Relax, Cali. There's nothing to worry about," Dessa reassured me, motioning for me to take a seat.

Once I was seated, they proceeded to fill me in on everything.

Five years ago, Dessa made a tough decision to help the Vasquezes. Since Mino's father wouldn't accept outside help, she decided to marry Mino instead. Dessa said they had been childhood friends, and she couldn't bear to see her friend's happiness compromised for business. So, Dessa told Mino about her plan and he agreed.

On Mino's wedding day, Dessa intervened, declaring her fake love for Mino and causing the wedding to be called off. They both pretended to be in love to make their story more believable and kept up the act for a while to avoid arousing suspicion. Eventually, when Mino's company had recovered, they decided to go ahead with the divorce.

"You went to such lengths for that?" I asked Dessa, my eyes now teary. I never imagined she would make such a sacrifice.

"Yep, don't worry. We just made up a story that it didn't work out so they won't suspect anything," Dessa replied.

I hugged her tightly, realizing that while I was fixing myself elsewhere, she was doing something for me here too. "Thank you, Dessa," I said, tears streaming down my face.

"No worries, I just did what I thought was right," Dessa replied, and I cried even more.

"Yo, let's hug it out." Izzy said and we all gathered for a big group hug, feeling the warmth of our friendship. It was a genuine moment that I'll always remember.

After we pulled away from the hug, Mino turned to me and took my hand. I thought he was about to share something profound, but instead, he said, "So, where's my pasalubong Auntie Cali?" Mino's playful question brought a smile to my face. Oh, how I missed him.

I stepped closer and wrapped him in a hug. "Is this enough for now?" I asked, holding him tight.

"More than enough," he replied, returning the embrace. His warmth enveloped me, and in that moment, I felt a sense of belonging that I had missed so much.

During my time in Australia, I had tried to push thoughts of Mino out of my mind. But he had always held a special place in my heart. Seeing him now and feeling his embrace, it was as if I had finally found my way home. They say home is not a place, but a person, and I think Mino is my home after all.