Habang Buhay

1

They got to know each other through text messages and the occasional phone call for the first month. With it being December when they first met, Anntonia flew to Thailand to spend the holidays with her family and didn't come back until the new year. They weren't able to see each other in the flesh until middle of January, over coffee in a discreet private cafe near Michelle's house where she knew they won't be hounded by fans.

It's been more than a year since her Miss Universe stint, she's already passed on the crown to the new Miss Universe Philippines 2024 months ago who has already competed in Mexico even. Her following was still as strong as ever though, all thanks to her manager who made sure that she stayed relevant and on track with what they planned as soon as she shot up to stardom after the pageant.

On the day she and Anntonia finally met, Michelle wanted to give Rhian a call right then and there and thank her for doing the unexpected that fateful day.

When their hands met for a handshake, something inside Michelle that she didn't even know was unsettled all this time, settled. She'd love to call it love at first sight (or touch), but it was so much more than that. It was like a feeling of a soft, warm breeze enveloping her and gently whispering into her ears, Here's your forever.

She'd never admit it to anyone, not even to Rhian, not even to Anntonia even now that they've been together for months. She knows it sounds silly, being a psychology graduate, a tactile and auditory hallucination doesn't really equate to anything good. But she swears it was not just a figment of her imagination.

Things have been doing great between them, too great, actually. She and Anntonia were the exact opposites if you list down all their personality traits, but despite these differences, they just click.

Like Yin and Yang, they were like two puzzle pieces that fit right next to each other in a big busy 1000-piece-puzzle masterpiece called this universe.

-

"Good morning, guys, just a quick live, mangangamusta lang," she says to the screen as she walks over to the stairs leading to the first floor. She started her IG live as soon as she closed the bedroom door a few seconds ago, and as expected, the numbers immediately go up to the thousands and the comment section scrolls through like a breeze with 'good morning's and greetings. "Woke up a bit late today since walang ganap, what time is it even?"

She presses the phone screen to pull down the clock and sees that it's 9:59 AM. Her eyes suddenly go wide in panic as she remembers setting her alarm for 10 AM the night before. She runs back into the room, completely forgetting that she was still on live and quickly enters the still dimly lit room, unfortunately, the blaring sound of her alarm clock was already going off in the darkness. She reaches over to the offending item to turn it off and spouts her apologies to the other occupant of the room. "Sorry, sorry."

"Wha-" came the annoyed voice from under the sheets. "Turn it off! Wha' time isit?"

"Just 10, you can go back to sleep, baby," Michelle tells her. "I'll get you once breakfast is ready, okay?"

All she got as a response was a mumble and the lump stopped moving again indicating that Anntonia has likely gone back to sleep. The girl can sleep through anything really, and can likely sleep until the late afternoon especially on the weekends like today. When they started dating, Michelle always thought Anntonia was just making excuses when she'd reply late in the afternoon on Saturdays or Sundays that she just woke, but she soon found out that the girl really can sleep through the weekend if she had no set plans.

She exits the room again and looks at her phone's screen.

OMG, si Rhian ba yun!? #RhiMich

Si Pam ata!!! My #PamMi heart is shaking!!!