Samantha gave a satisfied smile as she watched the newly engaged couple in front of her dance inside the makeshift gazebo she and her team have made for tonight’s event. They placed it in the middle of what looked like an enchanted forest near the shore, with fireflies dancing around.
It was magical.
Sila ang mga clients niya sa isang resort sa Nasugbu na kinaroroonan nila ngayon. Both are doctors and college sweethearts. And she’s glad to be a part of their journey to the road of happy ever after.
Happy every after.
She smiled bitterly. She doesn’t believe in happy ever afters. With all the things she had been through, how could she? She got burned once, got pregnant unexpectedly and now a single mother to an adorable toddler. The world regarded people like her as a left-over—something that was thrown to the garbage by someone after use. At kahit na anong girlpower quotes pa ang mabasa at maibandera sa harap niya, th
Samantha was furious.Alas-dos na ng hapon subalit wala pa si Mandy. Malinaw ang usapan nila ng kaibigan: uuwi ito nang maaga ngayon kahit na nagpa-iwan ito sa Nasugbu kagabi.She trusted Mandy. At ngayon na hindi niya mahanap ni anino nito, naghahalo na ang galit at pag-aalala sa dibdib niya para sa kaibigan. Hindi rin niya ito makontak. Kaninang umaga pa nakapatay ang cellphone nito. She called the resort too to check on him, pero walang maibigay na eksaktong sagot ang mga ito. Hindi raw kasi nag-check in roon si Mandy ayon sa system ng resort.And now she’s here, pacing nervously back and forth inside her office.Where could Mandy be?Halos mapalundag pa siya nang biglang tumunog ang cellphone niya. When she looked at it, naka-flash sa screen and number ni Aaron. She tried to ignore it, ayaw niyang madagdagan ang pagte-tensiyon niya ngayon. Buong araw na siyang punumpuno ng tensiyon.Kaninang umaga lang,
“Grandpa!” Charlie screamed as soon as the chopper landed on the private beach house Samantha’s family owns.Unang bumaba ng chopper si Lucas, bago sila inalalayang mag-ina sa pagbaba. And as soon as Charlie’s feet landed on the white sand surrounding the area, nagtatakbo agad ito patungo sa lolo nito.Sinalubong naman ng Daddy niya ang apo nito, binuhat bago niyakap nang mahigpit. Charlie did the same thing. It was clear, na-miss ng mag-lolo ang isa’t-isa.“Hello, little princess,” narinig niyang bati ng Daddy niya kay Charlie.“Miss you too, Grandpa,” sabi ni Charlie, ibinuro pa ang ulo sa leeg ng Daddy niya.She doesn’t know why it feels like her daughter was seeking assurance, some sense of belongingness-- a complete home. Bagay na hindi niya alam kung kaya niyang ibigay.Her chest instantly got heavy. Is this still about them having the same surnames?
Parang nabingi si Samantha sa sinabi ng kapatid. For a while she was left too stunned to speak from her brother’s revelation.A wife! His brother had a wife. And not just some woman but her own employee Natalie!How in the world did that happen? She doesn’t have any idea. This is one of the most shocking surprise she’s ever had for a while. And she can’t wrap her head around it just yet.She had always thought that her brother’s life is perfect—failure proof. Why wouldn’t she? Lucas always knows what to do. He is a leader—an admirable one. He plans everything—from the time he wakes up in the morning up to the dinner he’d have for the dinner of next week. He lives and breathes with schedules. And for the last four years, she had never ever seen her brother miss any of his planned endeavors. Kapag naka-plano, ‘yon ang ginagawa nito.And she had always thought that living a
Sinipat ni Samantha ang sarili niya sa salamin. She was wearing a little black A-line dress she had brought from Dior. It has a sweetheart neckline and a hem that falls just a couple of inches above her knees. She looked... perfect. But perfect is far from what she feels right now.She turned to her bed and saw the pile of dresses she had tried on for the past hour. Halos okupahin na ng mga damit niya ang buong kama niya. At pakiramdam niya, she's still not wearing the right dress.Muli siyang napabuntong-hininga bago humarap ulit sa salamin.It's just a date. Just a date, sabi niya sa sarili.Yes, tonight is the date she had promised Aaron. At kahit na anong gawin niyang pagpapakalma sa sarili niya, hindi niya magawa. Every time she thinks that she'll be spending time with Aaron na sila lang dalawa, she's freaking out. Why wouldn't she? Bumabalik nang kusa sa isip niya ang mga alaa
“Where exactly are we going?” hindi na napigilang tanungin ni Samantha kay Aaron.They have been flying for a few minutes now and at sigurado siya na nasa labas na sila ng Maynila. Nang hayaan niya itong igiya siya patungo sa chopper kanina, halos wala siyang reklamo. Well, that’s basically because she was busy composing herself. She almost melted from the inside out when she saw how handsome Aaron looked tonight. A thing she had rehearsed herself not to do before she went to see him.At dahil sablay siya agad sa unang task na sinabi niya sa sariling h’wag gagawin, inokupa ng takot ang isip niya sa maaaring mangyari sa mga susunod na oras na kasama niya ito.At ngayon na bahagya na siyang kumalma, ngayon lang niya naisip tanungin kung saan siya nito dadalhin.Bumaling ito sa kanya, ngumiti. “To my family’s home in Tagaytay,” anito.She inwardly groaned. Mukhang sablay na rin ang 2 to 3 hours t
Hindi agad nakasagot si Samantha sa tanong ni Aaron. Panic was racing through her veins at kahit na anong gawin niya, hindi niya mapigilan ang sariling mataranta.Bakit hindi? Iyon na ang ikalawang pagkakataon na tinanong iyon ni Aaron sa kanya. Kung bakit, hindi niya alam.Naaalala na ba nito ang gabing iyon? Imposible!He had lived for four damn years na halatang walang alam tungkol sa nangyari nang gabing iyon. At sigurado siya doon dahil hindi naman ito magtatanong sa kanya ngayon kung malinaw na nga sa memorya nito ang nangyari sa kanila sa penthouse nito apat na taon na ang nakararaan.He would have been sure. But him asking her all over again the same question she had already answered means that he’s still uncertain of his memories.Pinuno niya ng hangin ang dibdib at pinakalma ang sarili.She reached for her wine glass and took a swig of the wine in it to give her time to compose herself. When she had placed the w
Aaron gently cupped her face with his hands and desperate need instantly spreaded all throughout Samantha’s body. She's slowly drowning with the anticipation and she's willing surrendering to it.Just one kiss, she said to herself.Not a second later, confusion instantly rose inside her chest. And she knew it was her logic, trying to prevent her from doing another mistake with Aaron.Who the f*ck are you to judge me like that? Empleyada ka lang…. Know your place, Ms. Bautista. Now I want you out of my company and never come back!Her eyes flew open as Aaron’s hurtful words from four year ago rang repeatedly inside her head. Agad na nanumbalik sa isip niya ang lahat ng mga pinagdaanan niyang hirap matapos ang ginawa nito sa kanya. Para siyang binuhusan ng malamig na tubig.She then quickly pushed Aaron with all her might and he struggled to steady his steps backwards. He looked at her wi
Samantha took in a slow steady breath, trying to calm her heart hammering inside her chest. Truth be told she was low-key panicking from his question. How did he know about Charlie? lihim niyang tanong sa sarili. “I heard you when you were on the phone,” he explained, probably seeing the confusion on her face. “Is… is he your boyfriend?” Napakurap siya. How the hell did he thought that… Then it dawned her. Charlie is a man’s name. May kumislap na ideya sa isip niya. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang magiging resulta niyon kung gagawin niya. But if she does it well, maybe tonight can still end good, at least for her. “Y-yes. H-he is,” pagsisinungaling niya. “Something happened. H-he was rushed to the hospital,” dugtong pa niya. Nakita niya ang sandaling pagkunot ng noo nito bago ito tumango-tango. “So,you have a boyfriend.” She swallowed, hard. Steadying her composure as she keep up with the
Dahil na rin sa pagod sakakaiisip at kakaiyak, tuluyang nakatuog si Charlie. Nang magising siya, madaling-araw na. She can’t believe she slept that long and missed dinner!Dinner. Shes' not supposed to miss any meals!She secretly groaned, realizing what she did.That has sent her to the edge of panic and relief all at the same time. Sandali siyang nakiramdam. Gael wasn’t cuddling her like he used to. She turned to her side carefully and she saw her husband sleeping on his side too facing away from her. Napalabi siya. Mukhang nagtampo na talaga sa kanya ang asawa.Hindi bale, today is officially their anniversary. She can tell him her secret now.Mabilis niya itong niyugyog. “Gael, wake up,” she whispered.He groaned, shifted slowly and lied on his back. Singkit ang mga matang tumingin ito sa kanya. “W-What? What is it?”Umusog siya kaunti palayo rito. “You have to get up. I’ll tell you something.”He huffed and clicked his tongue. Subalit bumangon din. Sandali itong bumaling sa orasa
“Again? Pero puno pa ang fridge niyan, love. Nakita ko kagabi nang bumaba ako sa kitchen,” reklamo ni Gael kay Charlie nang muli siyang maglagay ng dragon fruit sa cart. They were out grocery shopping in a local grocery store in Cancun. They have been staying there for a week now in celebration of their second wedding anniversary. It was a trip she didn’t really want to take at first because she easily gets tired lately. But when Gael told her that she will call the shots every time, she was in in no time.She rolled her eyes and faced him. “Can’t you get it? I’m not buying them for me to eat. I’m buying it because they looked cute,” pagrarason niya, muling naglagay ng dalawang piraso pa ng nasabing prutas sa cart.Gael huffed. “Should I buy you a dragon fruit farm?”“Of course not!” sabi niya, muling naglakad sa aisle ng prutas na kinaroroonan nila.“What about a grocery store then? You want me to purchase this grocery store for you?”Namawaywang na siya at hinarap ang asawa. “You
“Are you ready?” tanong ng Mommy ni Charlie sa kanya.She filled her lungs with air and gave her mother a slow nod. “Yes,” she replied smiling.Gumanti ng ngiti ang Mommy niya, nangingilid ang luha. Masuyo pa nitong inabot anag kanyang pisngi. “I wish you all the happiness in the world, sweetheart.”“Thanks, Mom,” sabi niya bago niyakap ang ina.They stayed like that for a while bago sila nakarinig ng katok sa pinto. “Hey, the music’s starting and all the guests are waiting. Don’t tell me may balak ka pang itakbo ‘yang anak mo, Sam,” said her father’s familiar voice outside the door.Natatawa nilang binitiwan ng Mommy niya ang isa’t-isa. Sandaling nitong pinunasan ng panyo ang gilid ng mga mata nito bago siya muling nginitian. “Let’s go. Your Dad cannot wait to give you away… officially,” pabirong sabi ng Mommy niya bago inabot sa kanya ang kanyang bouquet.When her mother opened the door to her room, she was met by her father’s loving gaze. “Finally,” anito, nakangiti. He gave her
“Ate, sa ‘yo na po ito,” anang sampung taong gulang na batang babae sa kanya. The girl was handing her a big white gumamela flower she probably picked near the gate of the orphanage. Napangiti siya, bahagyang yumuko bago tinanggap ang bulaklak na inaabot ng bata. “Talaga, akin na lang ‘to… ano nga ulit ang pangalan mo?” “Chamy po, ate.” “Salamat, Chamy.” The child gave her a soft smile in return. Akma na sana itong tatakbo pabalik sa mga kalaro nito sa ‘di kalayuan nang pigilan niya ito. “Ano nga palang gusto mong maging paglaki mo, Chamy?” The child beamed at her.“Gusto ko pong maging nurse, Ate!” Sandaling nangunot ang noo niya. “Bakit naman nurse, Chamy?” “Gusto ko po kasing alagaan si Lolo Gael d’yan sa kabilang building.” Lalong nagsalubong ang mga kilay niya. “Lolo Gael?” Mabillis na tumango si Chamy. “Gael lang po kasi ang alam niyang banggitin. Kaya Lolo Gael.” Tumuwid siya ng tayo, hinayon ng tingin ang building ng carehome sa mga matatanda na naroon din sa compoun
It was a manic day for Charlie. No. It was chaos spelled in all caps.She’s running late from her appointment “Hey, slow down, beautiful. You’ll hurt yourself,” nakangiting sabi ni Gael sa kanya, sumandal pa sa hamba ng pinto ng walk-in closet niya.“Go away, Gael. You know I cannot be late today,” sabi niya habang naglalagay ng sunscreen sa mukha. Gael chuckled. “Bakit, hindi ka naman late a. You still have at least an hour and a half to spare.”She scoffed and picked up her blush powder. She won’t wear her full make-up today. “An hour and a half spare that I’ll spend for travel. You know how’s Manila traffic in the morning, Gael. It’s one of the worse and I can’t afford to be late today. Nakakahiya sa orphanage at carehome! At lalong nakakahiya kay Ate Sophie.”It’s true, kasama niya sa pagpunta sa bahay-ampunan at carehome ang kapatid ni Jasmine ngayon. Siguro, kung hindi lang kapapanganak ni Jasmine, baka kasama rin niya ito ngayon.Visiting orphanages was a thing she had been d
Gael jumped out as soon as the car pulled over infront of the police station. Doon sila dumiretso nina Gray at Jacob mula sa simbahan. Aside from Lena, wala nang sino pa mang nasaktan sa masamang insidente na plinano ni Alaric. And it was more than a relief for him. Now he can focus on one thing, ang puntahan si Charlie sa mismong police station.Pahapyaw nang sinabi ni Jacob sa kanya kung ano ang nangyari, subalit hindi pa iyon buo. And not only does he need to talk to Charlie for the full details but he also needs to see his wife to calm the lingering worry in his chest. The picture of Lena dying in his arms was still vivid iin his memory. And he cannot stop thinking that, it could've Charlie dying in his arms and...He shook his head, willing the unwanted thoughst away. Charlie is fine, he convinced himself before picking up his pace. He was at the director’s office in no time. Agad naman siyang hinarap ng pinuno ng kapulisan. Sandali niya itong kinausap at sinabi nito mismo sa ka
Sandaling namanhid si Gael sa kanyang nasaksihan. Panandalian niyang kinumbinsi ang sarili na imahinasyon niya lang ang lahat. Na nasa maayos na lagay si Charlie at walang kaguluhan na nangyayari sa mismong araw ng kanilang kasal. He even tried to blink a few times—willing the dreadful scenario away from his head. But when he opened his eyes, his bride, his wife still laid there on the cold ground, bleeding.With his chest constricting, he tried to stand up, wanting to go to Charlie as soon as he can. But his bodyguard nearby kept him from doing so. Anger burned his skin in an instant. He had to go Charlie and no one, not even the damn death god himself could prevent him from doing so.He turned himself onto the ground, lying on his back, and gave the bodyguard hovering over at him a straight jab to the jaw. Napaupo ito, bago siya mahilo-hilong binitiwan. He took that chance to crawl his way to Charlie, who fell near the entrance of the church. ‘I like the water, Kuya Gael. Can you t
Hindi matapos-tapos ang pagsipat ni Charlie sa sarili niya sa lifesize mirror na nasa kanyang hotel suite. Hindi pa rin siya halos makapaniwala na naroon nga siya at ikakasal ulit kay Gael. This time in a church and in the presence of their family. Well, some of their family. But nevertheless their families are present and that’s the most important thing.She looked down at her ring finger. The emerald engagement ring and the ink she had five years ago are there, a testament of everything she had gone through loving Gael. But she’s glad she finally made it right there at that very moment, when she can declare to the whole world that Gael is hers as much as she is his. That in the world of broken promises and dreams, of heartaches and of tears, Gael is her always—the one she will keep on choosing to love as long as she breathes.Her phone rang, immediately stopping her train of thoughts. Agad na nagsalubong ang mga kilay niya nang mag-register sa screen ang pangalan ni Gael. She picked
Kanina pa nasa harap ng salamin si Gael subalit panay pa rin ang pag-aayos niya sa kurbata ng kanyang suit. The damn thing just won’t align! Frustrated, he took it off altogether and huffed. He’s anxious for some unknown reason. Gray, who arrived last night, said at it must be the wedding jitters but he refuses to believe so. He’s just on edge because he didn’t get to see his wife and son for hours now. Sneaking in at Charlie and Levi’s hotel room crossed his mind a few times last night. With his skills as a former elite boduyguard, he could do that with no sweat involved. But his grandfather gave him a talk about keeping his word and just wait until it’s time for them to meet at the altar again. Subalit naging sobrang napakahirap niyon sa kanya dahil sa iisang hotel lang silang naka-check –in na mag-anak—just different floors. Idagdag pa na talagang makulit si Tala at panay-panay ang pagbabantay sa mag-ina niya, h’wag lang niyang makita ang mga ito. Gray told him to have a little