destiny decried

we'll be alright

Flashback...

It's not uncanny for Isabel's to be incessant with my sleep, skincare and derma visit, more so when Leon's niece (who is technically mine, too, as she and Leon would always say)—Gail—is the entire family's resident dermatologist.

But Isabel kept on telling me that as the New Year approaches, I should be more in control of how I take care of my skin and that once a day application of sunscreen isn't the way to go, I simply put this as her way of trying to reach out now that she's almost in her thirties and might be settling down soon just like her Kuya Kiko.

I laugh as I stall her, but I realised that I won't be getting moments as such for her when she leaves the house and settles with Mark, so a week before New Year along with my Isabel's incessant reminders, I take my skincare game seriously.

"Love, Sabel said, wear your sunscreen at least thrice per day. Sumunod ka kasi hindi pwedeng ako lang pinopolice nila," I tell Leon as we do our nightly skincare routine together,

"and malapit na New Year, excited na 'ko. Our second New Year's Day together! YAY!" I jumped giddily.

She switched her gaze directly at me, and looked at me with gusto. As if we were in a room full of art, but she's chosen me amongst the artistry that surrounded us.

"I couldn't love you any more than I do right now," Leon said sheepishly, followed by a tsk, "but I'd prepare myself in case I could love you further than I do right now."

If my heart could speak, it has already spoken a thousand words. The way my heart still flutters even after all these years.

I couldn't be more ready to grow old with you, Leon.

______

There is this certain fanfare that I give the holidays to. As someone who is a sucker for endless celebrations and lively decorations, I live for the merriments of Christmas and happiness of New Year's. So when my family, along with Leon and our children, announced that we'd do some sort of grand ball for New Year's, I was more than happy to take my holiday outfit to the next level.

"I think we should all go wear white," Jessi suggested. "Maybe the parents could go in a white suit? For a change?"

The family meeting was intense, as if we were to solve world peace, as if our lives depended on it.

"Sige, yay! Let's wear matchy ones, Ate?" Isabel followed up and Jessi and the rest of our children agreed.

There's something about this family event that makes me feel stoked and scared at the same time. It must be having to be around the other people of the clan with Leon. Some of them haven't met her formally yet, even after all these years. I just didn't feel as though we had to make a fuss out of that.

______

It's my first time being here, and it feels magical.

The setup looks as though someone's bound to get married, but I think our entire family went all out with this ball. It's not every day you get to celebrate New Year's Eve and New Year's day in magical places with all the people you're bonded by blood with and those who you wish you did but love them all the same.

I travelled all the way to the South alone because Leon and our kids went ahead of me. I had to settle some stuff for work and they were way too excited to wait for me. It didn't matter anyway because I'll be seeing them here, I said.

Ronald, our family driver, courted me all the way down the van. I could see the lights gleam as the light was stolen by the moon. Magical.

It's eleven forty-five in the evening and it's past my bedtime. Still, I feel energetic more than usual. My sleepyhead makes exceptions for the holidays. Besides, there's nothing more uncannily good than celebrating the start of the New Year in a magical place such as Palazzo Verde.