Winnie stayed silent, but Van, who clearly understood, pretended to have an epiphany. He lowered his voice and slowly unveiled the mystery, asking, "Girlfriend?"

Winnie quickly retorted, "I didn't mean that. What does 'Niñita' mean again?"

Van chuckled lightly on the other end of the line. Hearing the slight nasal sound in her voice, he asked, "You cried earlier, didn't you?"

"I didn't." Winnie's face burned, her eyes dry but her face feeling feverish from the tears. "I ...