Where We Left Off

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"Omg, thank you," bumuntong-hininga ako nang bumungad saakin ang isang iced latte at egg drop sandwich galing sa paborito kong cafe.

"You're welcome, babe. Binilhan ko nga rin pala si tita." He showed me the Tupperware before putting it inside the ref. This guy just knew the way to my heart, huh?

"Thank youuuu!" I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a short message before pinning it with a magnet to the refrigerator para mommy could see it kaagad.

I surveyed him from head-to-toe. He was wearing a light brown shirt, jeans, and sneakers. His hoodie was hung over his shoulder. He looked so fresh despite being sleep-deprived. No dark circles in sight. I was jealous of him for that. Mas kulang pa kaya siya sa tulog kaysa saakin.

"Unfair mo talaga," bulong ko.

He laughed as he walked into the kitchen to grab my HydroFlask from my cupboard and fill it with water. "How am I unfair, Chi-Chi? I thought you adored me."

I rolled my eyes with a smile. "Make yourself at home, like usual. I'm almost ready. You can watch, but 'wag mong lalakasan 'yong volume masyado. Tulog na si mommy." I went back to my room to finish fixing up.

Mommy actually wanted to bring us to the bus station, but we refused and insisted that she took the time to rest. She agreed to let us go on one condition, and that was we send her a lot of pictures. Mommy had been busier the past couple of days after receiving a new project, when she was already handling multiple. Nago-OT siya because of it. I couldn't even imagine the stress! Kung school works nga, nakakaulol, what more kung gawain sa trabaho? Being an adult was scary!

Kinuha ko ang bag ko na nakasabit sa likod ng pinto. My bodybag didn't leave space for much so I just brought the necessities: house key, small wallet, wipes, and alcohol. I didn't have to worry about a powerbank since Kel brought one already. Pagkatapos no'n, I quietly went into mommy's room and kissed her cheek. Hindi ko na siya ginising. Nag-usap naman na kami before she went to sleep.

Nag-commute kami ni Kel going to the bus terminal. While waiting, I took a picture of the buses and sent it to our group chat.

Me:

[ Attachment sent. ]

Waiting mwehehe

Angel:

Enjoy, lovebirds!

Regina:

Hoy @Mykel Martinez ingatan mo yan ah

Medyo obob kasi yan tumawid

Dom:

HAHAHAHAHA YOLO PALAGI EH

Me:

gAGO HAHAHAHA HINDI NAMAN

Also I'm a better commuter than Kel

Dom:

Well true HAHAHAHA

Ingat mga tol

Angel:

^ (2)

Hayyy grabe talaga sila oh

First date as an official couple, sa Tagaytay pa HAHAHA

Me:

HAHAHAHAHA ganon talaga

It was a month after graduation when I decided to give him my answer. I was so excited since I wanted to catch him off guard. Mykel and I decided to go ice skating sa mall. He held my hand the entire time while we skated since I was less experienced than him. Nang huminto kami to take a small break, I embraced him tightly.

He looked confused, yet still returned my hug. "Yes?"

I bit my lower lip as I stared at him. "What's the date today?"

"July 20. Bakit?"

"Nothing much, it's the date of our anniversary." I casually grinned.

His arms that were wrapped around me dropped to his sides in shock. Nakatitig lang siya sa akin. He wasn't saying a word!

I snapped my fingers in front of his face, laughing at how adorable he looked. "Loading, 'yarn?"

He blinked a couple times before giving me an embarrassed chuckle. "Yeah. Couldn't believe it for a second." His arms returned around me. This time, his hold was tighter, but not at all suffocating. "Thank you, Akachi. Thank you so much. I can't promise that I won't make mistakes, but I can promise that I will love you wholeheartedly. I love you."

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. "Stop it, I might cry." I joked. Hindi naman ako iyakin, but Kel's words were just so sincere that I couldn't help my reaction. I was definitely getting softer, but I welcomed the change.

Mykel only laughed before pulling away to kiss my temple. "Come on, I'll teach you how to skate."

I was pulled out of my train of thoughts when Mykel patted my shoulder, saying that the bus was already here. Since maaga kaming bumangon para rito, we immediately got some shut-eye on the bus. I used Kel's shoulder as my pillow despite being in the window seat.

When I woke up, Kel was already awake and watching a horror movie on his phone. This guy really had guts. Ako 'yong scaredy-cat sa aming dalawa. I greeted him good morning before opening my phone to text mommy. We were near na kasi.

Nang dumating kami sa Tagaytay, Mykel and I headed for Starbucks so we could grab another cup of coffee. Bahala na kung mag-palpitate. Joke. We don't palpitate because of coffee. Boss things, lang. Charot.

We chose to sit outside para sa fresh air and view. I was really looking forward to seeing the sun rise. They were phenomenal with a lot of warm, and maybe even personal meanings. A symbol of hope, second chances... a reminder that we were still alive and breathing.

"Wow."

I was at loss for words when the sun started to rise. Seeing this view was a rare thing for me so I always welcomed it. I quickly took a picture before setting my phone down on the table. My boyfriend, who was seated in front of me, stood up and went to me, resting one arm on my shoulder while the other rested on the railings. I leaned into him and pressed a kiss to his shoulder before focusing on the lake that stretched for miles, and the sun that peaked out from behind it.

Suddenly wanting to catch Mykel's expression as he looked at the gorgeous view, I craned my neck only to find his gaze already on me, as if he was transfixed by me the whole time. My heart was sent in overdrive as we both let out small, contented smiles.

"I love you, Mykel."

It was funny how everything played out. He went from being my best friend, to a distant memory, back to being my friend, and then to being my lover.

The timing wasn't right before, but it was different now. We grew up together and then grew apart. In those three years without contact, we learned new things, met different people, and explored things separately. Still, our feelings remained constant and will remain constant as the years go by as we grow and improve --- together.

This is us, finally ready to pick up where we left off.

-//-

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