Daisy His Remedy 5 "Chance"

DAISY

Hinatid ako ni Vincent sa bahay, at dahil ang lakas pa rin ng ulan, I invited him inside na hindi ko sana ginawa dahil mag-isa lang ako sa bahay. Nasa Canada na rin kasi si Mama kasama si Reynan at pamilya nito.

Dapat sana ay kasama ko sila ngayon, umuwi lang kasi ako para um-attend sa kasal ni Charmaine. I am planning to stay only for a short vacation. Then, everything with Sir Onse happened—our friendship, our late-night talks, the way he leaned on me when things fell apart with Althea. It made me stay longer than I had planned.

But then Althea came back. Ngayon, hindi ko na alam kung mananatili pa ba ako o aalis na lang.

“Vincent magkape ka muna.” Tumango-tango lang si Vincent at ngumiti.

I excused myself to freshen up, leaving him in the living room, where the comforting smell of coffee filled the space.

As I showered, the cold water ran over me, mirroring the numbness I felt inside. I wished I could stay in the bathroom forever, letting the cold wash over me until my body was as numb as my heart. Kaya lang, nasa labas nga si Vincent, naghihintay sa akin, and I couldn’t leave him there for too long. I forced myself to get dressed and rejoin him.

When I returned, Vincent was sitting on the couch, a cup of coffee in his hands. He looked up as I entered the room, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made me pause. I hesitated, then took a seat on the chair across him. There was a silence between us, broken only by the soft hum of the rain against the windows.

“Thank you for bringing me home,” I said, offering him a small, polite smile. I didn’t want to give him the wrong impression, at ayaw ko rin na isipin niya na ungrateful ako.

He smiled back at me—that warm, sweet smile I’d come to know so well. “It was nothing, Daisy. I wasn’t about to let you walk in the rain. Besides,” he added, his voice dropping slightly, “I wouldn’t want the woman I care about catching a cold.”

Ang ayos ng pagkakaupo ko kanina. Comportable na ako, ngayon bumalik ang pagkailang ko. Hindi pa rin mawala sa isip ko ang sinabi niya kanina sa kotse na tumatak; hindi lang sa utak ko kundi pati na sa puso ko.

"Vincent...”

“Don’t worry, Daisy. Hindi naman kita minamadali. I am willing to wait; hanggang handa ka na buksan ang puso mo para sa iba.”

There it was again—that feeling, that weight in the air between us. Vincent had been hinting at his feelings for months now, and I had always deflected, too wrapped up in my own feelings for Sir Onse to consider him.

Imbes na sumagot ako, I looked down at my hands, twisting my fingers together. I didn’t want this conversation. Hindi ngayon na wasak pa ang puso ko. Ayaw kong maging katulad ko si Vincent, maging remedy or rebound.

Vincent cleared his throat softly, drawing my attention back to him. He was still looking at me, his eyes soft, but there was something else there too—a determination. “Daisy,” he began, his voice steady. “I think you know how I feel about you, right? ”

Napalunok ako. Paanong hindi ko malaman na may gusto nga siya sa akin. Panay paramdam niya, kahit hindi ko pinapansin. I didn’t respond.

“I know you’ve been through a lot with Sir Onse,” he continued, his tone careful, like he was picking his words with precision. “But... Daisy, don’t you think it’s time to let go? To move on from him? He’s never going to love you the way you want him to.”

Ayon, nasapol na naman ako. His words are sharp, direct, and brutally honest. Sumikip ang dibdib ko at parang maiiyak na naman. Pero maya maya, I looked up at him.

I forced myself to meet Vincent’s gaze. His eyes were kind, but there was a sadness in them too, like he hated saying these things to me but knew they needed to be said. “I know you care about him. Kitang-kita ko sa mga mata mo, sa tuwing hinahatid o sinusundo ka niya,” Vincent continued, his voice softer, “but how long are you going to keep doing this to yourself? You deserve more, Daisy. You deserve someone who sees you.”

I couldn’t look at him anymore. I stared at the floor, my hands trembling slightly. Everything he said was true, but admitting that out loud felt like ripping open a wound.

“I... I just thought,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, “that if I stayed long enough... if I were there for him... maybe he’d see me differently.”

Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko na hinayaan ko lang. “He won’t, Daisy, kasi may mahal siyang iba.”

Nakagat ko naman ang labi ko, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. I had spent so long hoping, waiting, and convincing myself that if I could just be there for Sir Onse, if I could just show him how much I cared, maybe he’d realize I was the one he needed. And now, Althea had come back; my dreams had shattered.

“I’m not trying to hurt you,” Vincent said softly, leaning forward in his chair, his gaze never leaving mine. “I just... I care about you, Daisy. And I hate seeing you like this. You deserve to be happy.”

Tumayo si Vincent at umupo sa tabi ko, at saka marahan na hinaplos-halos ang kamay ko. “Let me make you happy, Daisy. Just... give me a chance.”

Hindi pa rin ako makasagot. Pero napapaisip naman sa sinasabi niya. Hindi naman siguro masama kung bigyan ko nga siya ng pagkakataon o ang sarili ko. But could I?

Could I let go of Sir Onse? The idea of us? It felt like losing a part of myself, like letting go of a dream I had held onto for so long. But what was that dream worth if it only ever brought me pain?

I sighed softly, pulling my hand away from Vincent’s. “I don’t know, Vincent,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “Pero sige, I will give you a chance.”