Sheena's POV
"Am I dreaming? Girlfriend na ba talaga kita?" I asked Gweneth while we were in the backyard of their house.
She didn't answer but instead, she pinched my cheeks ng sobrang lakas kaya napasigaw ako. "Ouch! Why did you do that?" I asked, confused.
"Para alam mong this is real. You're not dreaming. We're finally together, love." she whispered and looked away, parang nahiya pa siya sa akin kaya mas lumawak pa ang ngiti ko.
"Love!?" I asked her.
"Oo nga. Bungol ka ba?" masungit na sabi niya. But her annoyed face suddenly turned into smiley one when she opened her phone.
Ayaw niya pang ipakita sa akin pero dahil mapilit ako, she gave in. It was a video of me crying after we shared our first ever kiss. At ang may pakana? Syempre ang mga siraulong kaibigan ko. I forgot that Colet was inside the library too, she probably messaged the other two idiots to go back to the school para mawitness nila kung gaano ako kabaliw kay Gwen.
"Psh. Badtrip naman oh!" I protested.
"What now, love? Are you sulking?" Natatawang tanong niya sa akin.
"Eh kasi naman. Lagi nalang nila akong pinipikon eh tapos bata pa turing nila sa akin. It sucks kaya to be the baby of the group sometimes." I ranted to my girlfriend.
She looked at me and shook her head. "Cute. They just love you so much, Shee. I know and I can feel it naman every time they're doing things for you." she told me, trying to make me feel better.
Then I realized how much sacrifices my friends made for me. Colet is always this strict but she never fails to take care of me and look after me. Mikha may always be masungit but she always makes me feel loved. Maloi, my favorite ate, always checking up on me. She's willing to drop everything for me and for the other two. She's always so selfless and matured. I suddenly feel lucky to have them.
"True. I love them naman eh kahit na sakit ng ulo dulot ko sa kanila madalas." I replied and smiled sheepishly. "Love, I know I'm a flawed person and I don't have adorable qualities aside from my face and my charisma in dancing..." I said and I heard Gwen gasped.
I turned to face Gweneth. I looked at her straight to her eyes. "... hmm, but I'll try my best to change for the better. You know, hindi madali dahil nakasanayan ko na 'yon. Basag ulo ako, mabilis uminit ulo ko, hindi ako madalas mag-aral, inaasa ko sa iba lahat ... Gwen, I'm not even half of your ideal qualities for a person to love. But I promise, I will do my best to change little by little."
"No pressure, love. Do it for yourself too. Let's be better together, yes?" she said and I held her hands. I love this girl so much!
I nodded.
I leaned against Gwen's shoulder, pointing at a cluster of stars. She smiles down at me, her gaze flickering between my face and the star-dusted sky.
"See those three stars? That's Orion's belt. Dad used to tell me stories about constellations when I was little." I started.
Gwen followed my finger and I saw a playful glint in her eyes.
"Hit me with your best constellation story then." she replied, challenging me.
"Okay, okay. So Orion was a mighty hunter... actually, there are a few different stories. But anyway, he supposedly chased these Pleiades sisters across the sky. See that cluster over there? Those are the sisters." my girlfriend leans in closer, our arms brushing.
Kahit na mukhang pang kalye ang boses ko, I tried to make my voice as soft as I can. This moment is amazing. "It's always been my favorite. It's like they're always together, no matter what."
A comfortable silence settles between us. I looked at her as the starlight reflecting in her eyes. God, she's so beautiful!
"Maybe we can be our own constellation, Sheena. Always there for each other, no matter what." she suddenly uttered.
I met Gwen's gaze as a shy smile gracing my lips. Leaning in, I closed the gap between us, our first long kiss -- soft and tentative under the vast, indifferent gaze of the universe.
I don't have any idea about this strong feeling that Gwen's making me feel. All I know is that, I love her so much and I am willing to do everything just to keep us until the end. I want us to be the end game. If it's not her, it's not anyone.
I fished my phone out of my pocket and opened the camera. But instead of focusing it to us, I focused it to the moon.
"What are you doing?" Gwen asked curiously.
"I'm taking a photo of the moon. Tonight is special, love. Ten years from now, gusto kong maalala kung ano ang hitsura ng buwan noong gabing naging tayo na. I want to show it to our future kids too." I bravely answered.
I took a photo of it. Kahit na medyo malabo, kahit na mukhang maliit lang ito, it doesn't matter. I can still clearly see a crescent moon above us.
The moon, a luminous pearl in the velvet expanse, bathed the field in a soft, ethereal glow. Our laughter fading into a comfortable silence, gazed upwards, our gazes tracing the constellations. A weight settled on my heart, a desire to etch this perfect moment in time.
I scoots closer to Gwen, our arms are brushing. Taking a deep breath, I started speaking.
"Gwen, under this moon, I promise... I promise to cherish every moment with you. We may not know what the future holds, but tonight, under the stars, I promise to give you all my love and support. Just like the moon lights up the night, I want to be your light, no matter what comes our way." I told her. My heart thrums in my chest.
Gwen turns to me, only to see her eyes shining with tears. I panicked but she stopped me. "Sheena, that's the most beautiful promise anyone's ever made to me. And I promise the same to you. Together, we'll face anything, just like the stars face the darkness every night."
We seal our promises with a kiss, a silent vow whispered under the watchful gaze of the moon. The stars above seemed to twinkle brighter, a silent witness to the love blossoming between Gwen and I.
I looked up again and silently utter a prayer.
Lord, are you there? I know I don't often talk to you but I just wanna say thank you. Thank you, God. Thank you for bringing Gwen into my life. You know, for a while there, I thought maybe love wasn't meant for me because I'm all for fun and games. But then Gwen came along, and it's like the world just... bloomed. Her laugh, her smile, the way she makes me feel... it's like nothing I've ever experienced before.
I know we're just starting out, and I'm scared, God. Scared of messing it up, scared of losing her. But I promise, I'll do everything I can to make this work. I'll love her fiercely, honestly, with all my heart. Please, guide us, watch over us. Help this love grow strong, and help us face whatever challenges come our way.
We both fell in a comfortable silence, a weight lifted from my chest after my prayer. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves and I took it as a sign of comfort. With a renewed sense of purpose, I already know what I had to do.
And that is to love Gwen, to cherish her, and to face the future, together, under the watchful eye of God.
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