In Another Life

15: The beginning

Tyrese

He lived...

And we had been in a relationship since then. It had been months since it happened, pero paranoid pa rin ako kaya ginagawa ko talaga lahat para maging healthy kaming dalawa. I had learned how to cook healthy food and we exercised at least 4 times a week. I would always remind him to sleep early and stop working too hard. 

He couldn't work less though. Isang beses, nag bouldering kami at trampoline, then nag dinner kami kasama sila Bev at Nyle. It was such a long day, but as soon as we got to his unit, he went to his study room to work. It was already midnight. 

"I won't sleep until you do." I sat on the couch. He was at his desk, in front of his laptop. 

I heard a sigh. He got up from his seat and walked towards me. He bent his knees to meet my eyes as he held my hand, our fingers intertwined. "Are you my girlfriend or secretary? Or nurse? I appreciate what you do for me, but you're also busy." Eisley kissed my forehead followed by my lips, which by the way, was still making my heart skip a beat. "I'm not going to die, Tyrese. Well, I don't know when, but..." 

Holding his hand even tighter, I told him, "I really don't want you to die." 

He kissed me again, but this time, longer. I was just glad that no matter how paranoid I was, he wasn't getting sick of me. 

By the way, I had decided to study a double degree in arts and marketing  in another country. Matagal ko na rin gusto kasi ito talaga passion ko. I honestly couldn't stop thinking about it. Next year pa naman kasi medyo mahaba-habang proseso ang visa application saka sa totoo lang, hindi pa ako ready iwan si Eisley. Ito rin isa sa mga dahilan kaya sobrang busy ko lately. 

I told Eisley about it naman. At first, I could see hesitation in his eyes, but he was too nice to say no. Eventually, he opened up to me. "I am scared, but..." He gave me a reassuring smile. "Reach for your dreams, Tyrese. I will always be here. I just want you to know that no matter what you choose to do, I fully support you." Apparently, he could see my eyes shine whenever I talked about the degree and how excited I was to explore and experience various cultures which would contribute to my knowledge and creativity. 

Later on, mas excited na siya kaysa sa akin. I just loved him more and more. 

Syempre, nag-resign na rin ako kasi conflict of interest since I was dating one of the owners of Effor. Dapat nga, hindi niya ako tinanggap in the first place, but in Eisley's defence, "You're not unqualified, Tyrese. You're extremely talented, hardworking and passionate, and... you weren't my girlfriend then." Nag-resign na nga rin pala si Martha, yung secretary niyang may gusto sa kanya. Before leaving, she apologized to us for making up stories about me. 

-

A year later... 

I proposed to Eisley before leaving for another country. 

I did it after we slept together just a day before my flight. He was making pancakes with strawberries for breakfast. While he was flipping the pancake, I hugged him from behind as I held the ring with my thumb and index finger. "Be my husband. Marry me." 

He literally froze, nearly burning the pancake, so I turned the stove off and made him face me. 

I couldn't help but giggle. "What?" 

He looked flustered, his cheeks were red, and when I touched them, they were burning. He couldn't even look me in the eye. Pasalamat nga siya kasi walang ibang tao that time. Otherwise, knowing him, he would feel even more awkward. 

A sweet, slight smile formed around his mouth as he started to finally look at me, his cheeks and ears even more red. He reached for his pocket and grabbed a small box. He opened it, took the ring out and placed it on my ring finger. "I guess, the feeling is mutual."