To Fall Inlove

Birthday Party

SAVANNA

Twenty minutes after showing up here at Mrs. Zandejas' birthday party, I gazed at the door longingly while sitting on the table that was farthest from the stage. Gusto ko ng umuwi. Kailangan ko lang naman batiin ang ginang para makaalis na ako. But there were too many people crowding her.

Nakakainis.

Ano ba kasi ginagawa ng mga tao na 'to? All they had to do was greet Mrs. Zandejas. Why are they taking so long? Why am I even here? Natigilan ako ng maalala ko bakit ako nandito at sino ang salarin. It was Mauve's fault. Sasabunutan ko talaga siya pagbalik niya.

Two weeks earlier...

"Savanna, can you do me a favor? Hmm..." Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ko ng marinig ko malambing niyang boses. Isa lang ibig sabihin nun. May kailangan siya sa akin at alam ko kung ano yun. Isang linggo na niya akong kinukulit na umattend ng party ng isang kliyente namin.

Nilingon ko siya. Si Mauve. My best friend and one of the co-owner of the Beautiful Spaces Incorporated, a design and construction firm that she, Liam, and I owned. It was five years ago when we all agreed that our bosses sucks, so instead of working again with another one, we decided to have our own.

Last week, while we were discussing the renovation of Mrs. Zandejas' mansion, the client invited us to her birthday party. Mauve and everyone who knew me was aware that I hated attending parties, as with any party even on my own. Every time a client asked me to come, I always declined them, which I constantly did in a polite way, but Mauve and Liam reprimanded me whenever I did it.

"I told you I don't want to go," ulit ko at ipinagpatuloy ang pagchecheck ng mga blueprints na nasa harap ko.

"Sav, please," pakiusap niya. "Walang magrerepresent ng kumpanya natin dun. I have to go somewhere important and Liam will be in Coron on Saturday, so walang a-attend on our behalf eh pumayag na ko, nakakahiya!" dagdag niya habang nagmamaktol.

"Hindi ko na problema yan," mataray kong tugon. " Also, can't you see how busy I am right now?" turan ko habang ang atensyon ay nasa blueprints pa rin. "And besides, kahit anong sabihin or gawin mo, hindi pa rin ako pupunta."

Nang wala akong marinig na tugon mula sa kanya, nilingon ko siya at nanlaki ang mga mata ko ng makitang nangingilid ng luha ang mga mata niya. Inihilig ko ang ulo ko sa upuan at pumikit.

Well you see, Mauve hated crying. She didn't even cry when her ten-year-old dog died, but with Cillian, her fiancé, she always broke down even the minuscule things about him and their relationship. She cried when he did something romantic to her. She sobbed when he upset her. So, seeing her eyes welling with tears, I knew I was in a horrible situation. Alam niyang hindi ko siya kayang tanggihan kapag ganito siya.

Huminga ako ng malalim bago ko siya tiningnan. "Will you take a seat and tell me what happened?"

"Ganito kasi yun... Um... Um...Well..."

I rolled my eyes as I listened to her stuttering voice.

"Well, um... if you don't start explaining, I'll call Cillian and ask him what happened," inis kong saad. I massaged my temple, feeling the incoming headache.

Tinapunan niya ako ng malungkot na tingin habang nakaupo sa guest chair na nasa harap ng lamesa ko. "Remember last week when Cillian and I had a meeting with our wedding coordinator?"

Tumango ako.

"I arrived fifteen minutes early. I was fiddling with my phone, waiting for them, when I got a notification on my Instagram. Xander posted a photo. You know him, right?"