Sherwin never thought he would stand beside Jayson on his wedding day.
Not because he disliked him.
Not because he hated him.
But because deep inside, Sherwin knew the truth.
Jayson was standing where he once wished to be.
At the altar.
Waiting for Risa.
And Sherwin?
Sherwin was holding the rings.
The rings that would bind the woman he loved to another man.
Years ago, Sherwin and Risa were just two people who didn't know how to admit what everyone else already knew.
They were always together.
Everyone saw it.
Their friends saw it.
Their families saw it.
Even strangers saw it.
The way Risa looked at Sherwin.
The way Sherwin always looked for Risa in a crowded room.
They were two people who acted like they belonged to each other.
But they never said it.
Because Sherwin was afraid.
Afraid that if he confessed, everything would change.
Afraid that if he told her the truth, he might lose the friendship they already had.
He didn't realize that silence was also a choice.
And that choice would eventually cost him everything.
One afternoon, Risa sat beside Sherwin outside their favorite café.
The same café where they spent countless hours talking about their dreams.
She looked at him.
"Can I ask you something?"
Sherwin smiled.
"Anything."
"What if one day I stopped waiting?"
He laughed softly.
"Waiting for what?"
Risa looked at him.
"For someone to finally choose me."
Sherwin's smile faded.
He knew.
He knew exactly what she meant.
But fear won again.
"Risa..."
She smiled.
"It's okay."
Those words sounded okay.
But they weren't.
Because that was the moment she started giving up.
Sherwin thought he still had time.
He thought tomorrow would always come.
He thought one day he would finally gather the courage to say:
"I love you."
But tomorrow kept moving further away.
Until one day...
Jayson arrived.
And unlike Sherwin...
Jayson didn't hesitate.
