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President Bongbong Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte were both walking around in the grounds of Malacañang Palace. The evening was surprisingly cold for Manila, and the grounds were a peaceful place for both leaders to be alone for a moment.
Bongbong sat on a stone bench, his gaze lost in the patterns of the stone path. He thought about how strange it was that they had become so distant, so quickly. Once, they had shared dreams and secrets under the stars, their conversations filled with plans for the future and mutual understanding. How had they ended up feeling like strangers?
It was an odd reality to confront. Bongbong had told himself he was ready to move on, that their separation was for the best. Yet, he still found himself hoping for a call or a message from Sara, even though he knew deep down it was unlikely.
He had convinced himself that moving forward was the right choice, that their love and partnership had run their course. The pain of their parting and the unhealed wounds made it clear that staying together wasn't an option. So he forced himself to let go, even though it felt like a daily struggle.
Every day, Bongbong wrestled with the tension between his desire for closure and his lingering attachment to Sara. He knew seeing her again would only make it harder to heal, yet he couldn't shake the feeling of searching for her in every crowd and every meeting, hoping for an unexpected encounter.
Sara, too, had been grappling with the strange distance between them. She wandered through the palace's garden, the scent of the flowers reminding her of times when their plans and dreams were intertwined. Now, it felt like a cruel irony that the very place where they had once shared so much was now where she felt the weight of their separation most acutely.
Sara had accepted that their paths had diverged, that their relationship had reached its end. She had made an effort to move on, though not without difficulty. Despite her best efforts, a part of her still yearned for Bongbong. She would catch herself waiting for his name to appear on her phone, her heart sinking each time it didn't.
As she walked through the garden, she reflected on how they had both tried to forge new paths, each facing their own struggles. She recognized that her longing for Bongbong, despite her attempts to distance herself, was a reflection of how deeply their connection had once been. It was a strange and painful paradox—wanting someone who could only bring more heartache.
There was no anger in her heart, just a deep, pervasive sadness and a longing for what might have been. They were no longer the people they once were. Their paths had split in ways she had never imagined, leaving her with a profound sense of loss.
Sara knew that eventually, the pain would fade, and the memories would become less painful. But for now, she held onto those memories, bittersweet and precious. They were a reminder of a love that had existed, a love that, despite its strangeness and the way it had ended, had once felt like it would last forever.
As the night went on, Bongbong and Sara moved apart, each bringing the weight of the past with them. Even though their lives had changed, the memories of the times they had spent together stayed in their hearts.
