"When did you prepare this?" Namamanghang saad ko habang nakatingin sa gazebo hindi kalayuan. May dining table doon na may candle light pa sa gitna. May fairy lights din ang buong paligid.
"Tita Isabelle..." Kahit hindi niya dagdagan, alam ko na kaagad kung anong ibig niyang sabihin. It was my biological mom who helped him in doing everything.
I just stared at him. Finding the right words.
Ngumiti siya sa akin. "Not sure if you know this. But when we first met," he sang the first two lines of the song. I immediately teared up. Everything feels surreal. Everything feels intimate. Everything seems like a dream.
"I got so nervous, I couldn't speak..." He encircled his arms around my waist. Our eyes locked. I am crying and sobbing while smiling from ear to ear at the same time.
He's smiling with a glint on his eyes. He was almost crying... like how he reacted when I am walking down the aisle for the first time... and he was on the other side... waiting for me.
"In that very moment... I found the one and," he paused because his voice almost broke. "My life had found its missing piece..." It was almost a whisper. The way he delivers the song touches my heart... to my soul. Everything still feels like how it feels before.
"I know I already said this a lot of times pero gusto ko lang paulit-ulitin. Joerrelle, Yshanna, Elle, love, my joy, mahal na mahal na mahal kita." Pau whispered and sniffed a bit. He chuckled lightly and looked down before staring at my eyes again. "Mula noon hanggang ngayon... ikaw pa rin ang pipiliin ko... Ikaw pa rin ang mamahalin ko. Kahit ilang bagyo ang dumaan, hindi magbabago 'yun." I smiled and held his hand tight.
"I know, everything is too hard to bear. From day 1, I know what we have to endure. We have to go against a lot of people but look at us, we are still here... together." Dagdag niya. I smile and nodded my head. "I'll promise to continue to hold your hand tight... Kapag dumating 'yung panahong ayaw mo nang lumaban, katulad ng palagi kong sinasabi noon, handa akong lumaban para sa ating dalawa..."
"I love you so much... and I am willing to do anything just to be with you."
No. You can't do that.
"I know you will always choose me. So I will always choose you... I will always choose us." Ngumiti siya at saka mas inilapit ang mukha sa akin para halikan ako. "I can lose everything... but not you. I can give everything up... except you."
"Pau..." Bulong ko pero hinalikan niya ulit ako para patahimikin. He chuckled that made a tear fall from his eyes again.
"I know you too well Joy. I know what's going on your mind. I didn't know what exactly you are doing right now but I want to remind you that my love for you is so great that no one and nothing could break it apart." He leaned closer and gave me a peck on my lips for the nth time. "I love you... to the moon and back... forever... and beyond."
He paused a bit and stood straighter.
