LOVE IS WAR(M).

36

Laurice.

Sebastian didn't fail to leave me mouth-opened as he guided me through each room of our home. The entire house felt like a reflection of the two of us, a perfect mix of his essence and mine. The fact that he had me in mind when this house was built is a proof that his love for me never wavered. Pinili niya pa ring isama ako sa mga pangarap niya despite of the uncertainty of our future together.

Nakangiting inilahad ni Sebastian ang kaniyang kamay sa harapan ko, it was as if he was relieved to see a pleased expression on my face after showing me around the house. "Come, there's still a room I haven't showed you yet."

"Why is there a lot of rooms here?" Naniningkit ang mga matang tanong ko but I still accepted his hand anyway. Agad naman niyang pinagsiklop ang mga kamay naming dalawa at tsaka tumawa ng mahina.

"The first 3 rooms that I showed you are for our children," He paused for a while. "While this one, it's for you."

As soon as we got inside of it, a familiar warmth enveloped my body as I let my eyes wander to drink in the details of the room. Every corner, every item, was bathed in soft pastel hues, with pink being the dominant color. The entire room was like a palette that consists every color that I like. It was as if he peeked into my heart and painted my dreams onto the walls.

"I took the color of your old room as a reference. At first I was hesitant to do that, but seeing your room in NYC, I was convinced I made the right choice. It seems like you haven't outgrown your love for these colors." Sebastian thoroughly explained as I roamed my twinkling eyes in every corner of the room.

Is he talking about the room that I had in that old house? Kung ganon, I never thought of Sebastian as the observant type. Isang beses lang naman siya nakapasok sa kwarto ko at iyon ay noong senior high pa kami, noong naabutan siya ni Cassie sa loob ng kwarto ko, pero natatandaan niya pa pala ang lahat ng iyon.

His gesture made me deeply moved. It wasn't just about the colors or the items in the room, it was the thought that he put when he created this space for me despite of not having any means of communication with me for 10 long years.

Kinabukasan, sinadya kong magising ng maaga. I've always wanted to cook breakfast for Sebastian but my schedule in New York just wouldn't let me. Other than getting my stuff and checking out of the hotel I stayed at, I don't have any other plans for this morning kaya kayang-kaya ko itong gawin para sa kaniya ngayon. Mamayang hapon pa ang susunod kong lakad, I will look for a gift that I will give to Sebastian since it's his 29th birthday tomorrow. Medyo napepressure nga ako dahil hindi ko alam kung anong klaseng regalo ang ibibigay ko sa isang tulad niya.

[Hey everyone, it's Yssa! Get ready with me for a dinner date with my soon-to-be fiance's family!]

Random videos played on YouTube as I prepared everything that I needed for the breakfast that I'll be cooking. At dahil abala ako sa pangungusina, I wasn't able to pay attention to every video that played on my phone so it only served as a background noise while I was cooking. Ilang videos pa ang nagdaan bago tuluyang mamatay ang phone ko dahil wala namang nanonood.

The soft morning light started to penetrate through the glass walls as I stood at the sink, washing the kitchen utensils I used. The sound of flowing water and birds chirping outside were like music to my ears. It's been a while since the last time I felt this peaceful during a weekday morning. I normally wake up earlier than my alarm but I still always end up rushing because that's just the nature of being a nurse. But today was different, it seemed like the time itself allowed me to move at my own pace. I was not familiar with the feeling of not chasing anything at all yet somehow, it felt liberating.