Lydia and a Hundred Love Letters

Chapter 6

83rd letter
Dear Em,

Yellow has been interested with crochet lately, I wanna learn it, too. I saw people has been crocheting flowers. What's your favorite flower? I want to give my first ever crochet to you.

Sincerely,
Levi Dune

90th letter
Dear Em,

I hope you loved the flower crochet! I'm just sad that Yellow got the credit for my hardwork. I hope I can crochet you another someday, and something better, and something you'll recognize my effort for. I'd love to be recognized by you.

Sincerely,
Levi Dune

"Silly boy. That was yours?" I laugh as I ugly cry.

92nd letter
Dear Em,

I hope I can be by your side, I hope I can be the one to push your wheelchair, I hope my support can make you stronger... I wish to be there. You are an amazing person, be it the Lydia Emery who can walk independently, or the Lydia Emery who's dependent on a wheelchair. When you are better, I hope you'll let me be your cane.

Sincerely,
Levi Dune

I remember his offer earlier. I'm glad I took his hand. "You and your ways."

99th letter
Dear Em,

Happy graduation! Congratulations, Emery! And... safe skies.

Sincerely,
Levi Dune

100th letter
Dear Em,

As this is the hundredth letter, I wanna confess something.

Did you ever consider that your persistent bugging over the past four years might have made me reciprocate those feelings for you? Because it did, Em. Since the first year. Less than that actually, even driving me to fake how bad I am in Math until 10th grade just so you could tutor me, my only way to spend time with you.

Emery, who wouldn't fall so fast for you when your gravity beats the Earth's core?

I wanna knock on your heart, I wanna come in, but circumstances didn't let me, Em, and I'm sorry that I portrayed myself as someone heartless. No, I'm sorry because I was indeed cruel to you.

But right now, I want you to know that for long, my heart has been vociferously calling "Lydia Emery"; every heartbeat sounded like your name. And I confess, for the second time... I love you.

Love,
Levi Dune

I am in tears, emotional, from reading his letters, when the last sentence I read catch my attention. 'For the second time'? When did he...?

"No, Emery. Come back to me, please! I'll... v... y..., Em."

Natutop ko ang bibig. Oh my God. I was figuring out for years if he really did say anything that night. It's not something with "I'll" but was that actually the first time he told me "I love you"?

"Did Levi Dune said anything to me the night I got into an accident?" those were my first words to my Ate after boarding the plane, off to London.

"I can't remember much kasi iyak lang ako ng iyak. But I remember him leaning close to you no'ng nasa loob na tayo ng ambulance. Siguro may sinabi s'ya? Bakit? May naalala ka?"

"I was in and out of consciousness kaya 'di ako sigurado. I can just remember his voice vaguely."

"Wow ha? Mamamatay na't lahat si Levi pa rin and inuna ng sistema." Inirapan ko na lang ang tukso ng Ate ko.

"Mapapatay talaga kita, Ate!" sigaw ko na sinagot n'ya lang ng "sorry!"

I can't help myself but re-read the letters to my heart's content. Ginawa ko ring lock screen ang picure ng crochet flower na ibinigay kuno ni Yellow pero gawa n'ya naman pala.

The last thing I read before finally falling asleep is the note on the tin lid, leaving a smile on my lips.

"To: The most beautiful soul I've ever known, Lydia Emery

From: Levi Dune Romero"