"Y/N... Hey.. Tulala ka na naman dyan. Para ka tanga nakatayo lang dyan." Ate Aika shook you from stupor. "Aalis na tayo nina mama. Tara na." She dragged you to their car.
"Okay ka lang ba 'nak?" Mama Leni asked, her voice dripping with concern and affection.
"I – I'm fine po tita." You smiled politely, trying to ignore the lump on your throat and acted like everything is perfectly fine.
After a while, you and the Robredo family arrived to your destination. The one place you have been avoiding since you were a child. There were only a handful of people around the area and never in your wildest dream that you'll be dragged to accompany the Robredo family here.
"Hi Cia. Here, favorite flowers mo." You greeted her with a smile then put the bouquet of flowers you bought earlier on her tombstone. "How are you up there? Siguro araw-araw kayo ni tito Jesse nagkukulitan." You joked. "Papa's girl ka pa naman pati. For sure you've been talking to him nonstop there. Papahingahin mo naman si tito oh." You heard ate Aika, Jill and Mama Leni laughed with what you said.
"You know... I always – " You stumbled with your words. Jill suddenly hugged you and you leaned towards her for support. While Mama Leni held your hand and ate Aika was behind her rubbing your back.
"Araw-araw kita iniisip... Araw-araw. Ikaw pa rin hinahanap ng puso ko. It's been 5 years na and I tried. I honestly tried moving on. Heck, ate Aika and Jill even set me up to blind dates. Feeling ko pati si tita Leni madradrag sa kalokohan ng dalawa mo kapatid." You chuckled, remembering how they forced and dragged you out of your condo. "Pero wala eh. Walang hihigit or papantay sayo. No one can replace you my love and..." Your voice starts to crack from all the pent-up emotions you've been hiding. "I'm not looking for anyone. You're my great love doc. You're my only love in this lifetime. Pero iniwan mo ako ng maaga. Iniwan mo kami ng walang paalam Cia." The dam that you've been trying to hold, broke through. You squatted down, hugging yourself while Jill starts to cry beside you, trying her best to calm herself down. Tita Leni and ate Aika simply hold you both.
"Sabi nga ni tita... The greatest love out there is the one you least expected. Siguro based on experience din kasi yun yung nangyari sa kanila ni tito Jesse... Who would have thought that it will also happen to one of their daughters... Pero bakit naman pati yung ending ginaya mo?" You force yourself to laugh at the irony. Tita squeezed your shoulders in assurance. "Ang sakit tita eh. Sorry pero ang sakit sakit. Dami pa plano ni Tricia, papakasalan ko pa, dami pa namin plano... Pero bakit siya pa... I've been struggling on letting her go." You cried.
"Shhh... Tama na 'nak." Tita Leni tried her best to console you, for you to finally reign in your emotions. "Masakit. Hindi naman mawawala ang sakit. Pero you'll learn to accept it little by little. Patty would hate herself kung alam niya kung paano mo pinapabayaan ang sarili mo dahil sa kanya." She shook her head, as tears gathered in her eyes as she spoke.
"I am doing my best tita to live... Pero the other part of me left, Tricia left taking half of me with her." You whimpered, wiping the last of your tears. You glanced to Jill and ate Aika and they were still silently crying.
"To live with a missing piece of your soul..." Tita started. "I can't imagine how much pain and longing you've been feeling ever since that accident... I was lucky that Jesse left me with our 3 beautiful daughters... But you and Patty never had the chance to start your family." She smiled sadly at you. "The only thing we can offer 'nak sayo is companionship and our love as a family. We'll always be here for you. Hinding hindi ka namin pababayaan."
You nodded. "I miss Cia so much... so much every single day that my heart become numb to anyone refusing to open itself."
No one spoke after your emotional meltdown. Now, there was only silence around you. Looking around, you noticed that people start to gather and are failing to discreetly look at the Robredo family. You stood up, dusted yourself off and fixed the flowers you bought for Cia. "Tita people are starting to gather and they're increasing, maybe alis na po tayo?" You spoke to Tita Leni who simply agreed with you.
"I love you Doc. Janine Patricia Gerona Robredo, my supposedly wife-to-be. In this lifetime and the next. Always. I love you." You closed your eyes as you declared your undying love, not caring how the Robredo family will react to your declaration. Once you open your eyes, you were smiling slightly and bid goodbye to Cia.
