Fruitcake Sanctuary (GL)

Chapter Twenty

"Cinderella married the prince and they lived happily, ever after" Sabi ko, closing the book at pinatay ang ilaw.

Nakahiga si Cece sa tabi ko, a toothy grin brightening her angelic face. Pero biglang nag-shift ang atmosphere. She frowned, appearing to be deep in thought.

​I braced myself. Questions from Cece are like surprise exams in Calculus..kahit gaano ka-prepared ang puso mo, ang utak mo laging nagka-crash.

​"Does everybody get a happy ending? I mean, ikaw Panda. Do you still believe in happy endings?" tanong ni Cece. Her hazel brown eyes were like two deep pools of curiosity, searching for an answer I wasn’t sure I had the license to give.

'Pwedeng happy lang wala ng ending?'

​"Oo naman," sagot ko, trying to sound like a motivational poster. "I guess... I just have to be patient enough and be able to wait for it. Because alam kong everyone, everybody and us..has a happy ending in our lives. We really want it to happen, right?"

As I said those words, my mind started drifting into the dark corners of the world that Cinderella never visited.

Because in the real world, the clock strikes midnight and sometimes the carriage doesn’t just turn back into a pumpkin..it explodes.

I know that happy endings are often just unfinished stories. Maraming tao ang namamatay na hindi man lang nakatikim ng 'happy.' Victims of war, victims of their own shadows, people who ran out of ink before they could reach the final chapter.

Reality is a messy editor; it cuts out the parts where you’re supposed to be okay.
​But looking at Cece now, I didn't want to be a literary critic of life. I wanted to be her safety net.

​"Let's sleep, Panda..." Sandali itong ngumiti sa akin, her eyes softening as she tucked herself deeper into the sheets. "Goodnight.""

​"Goodnight, Cece," I whispered back.
​I stayed awake for a few more minutes, listening to the rhythm of her breathing.

Maybe a happy ending isn't a destination. Baka hindi ito yung 'The End' sa huling pahina. Baka ang happy ending ay itong moment na 'to..yung nakakahinga ka sa tabi ng taong mahal mo nang walang kaba, kahit pansamantala lang. Kung ang mundo ay isang malaking trahedya, heto kami ni Cece, ninanakaw ang isang maliit na subplot ng kapayapaan.

12:00 mn, The witching hour. Pero heto ako, gising na gising, nananatiling gising habang ang buong mundo ay parang naka-mute. Napalingon ako kay Cece. Mahimbing na itong natutulog, and honestly, she looks like she’s auditioning for a role as a literal angel.

Her eyelids closed against the dim light of the room and her breathing was deep and relaxed, all the muscles in her face and body were totally at peace, para siyang sanggol na natutulog.

Her eyelids were closed against the dim light, and her breathing was deep and relaxed. All the muscles in her face and body were totally at peace. Para siyang sanggol..yung tipong hindi mo aakalain na nakipag-gyera sa sarili niyang mga demonyo sa kanyang loob.

She twitched her nose, and I swear, my heart did a little somersault. Cuteness overload. Innocence showed on her sleeping face, those serene dreams acting like a firewall, blocking out the dangers of the outside world. Her soft breathing made the world feel like it was standing still, as if the universe decided to hold its breath para hindi siya magising.

Dahan-dahan akong tumabi sa kanya, behaving like a ninja, at hinatak ang kumot sa katawan naming dalawa. I wrapped my arms around her and suddenly, I felt complete. Like the last piece of a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle na sa wakas ay nahanap ko na sa ilalim ng sofa.