The Very First Night [RHIMICH]

Chapter 29: My Person

M's POV

Painfully beautiful. I watch Denise unpack the last box of stuff she needs to put in her office. She got this three-floor building ready for occupancy with the help of mom. Denise's trust fund, yung pinamana sa kanya ng lolo nya, was so big na kahit bumili pa sya ng isa pang building ay kayang kaya at may sukli pa.

She turned this place into a business psychology consultancy as advised by her other cousins who are in the same field as hers. On the works parin naman ang ibang mga permit nito pero na-anticipate na in one month, they will be operating already.

I'm so proud of her. Really. Ito talaga yung dream nyang gawin sa buhay kaya nag extend ako ng three months after our graduation. I wanna be with her as she prepares being a hot shot. Naks!
Boss na yung baby ko.

"Hunhun, we need to be at the venue for your farewell party ahead of time, okay?" She said. "Baka kasi ma-late si Max and Nini.. walang mag-aasikaso sa ibang needs."

"Wifey, kalma. They just phoned me a while ago na nasa hotel na sila."

She dramatically sighed in relief. Si OA talaga to. Char. "Honey," she called me and opened her arms which I gladly sunk myself into. "I am really really going to miss you, hunhun." My clingy baby.

"I'm going to miss you, too. So much."

My farewell party is going to be held here in New York kaya our loved ones travelled to get to where we are. It's just an intimate affair though: family and friends lang talaga. Ayoko na sana, kaso itong isa, nag-insist talaga kaya pinagbigyan ko nalang. Kidding. I am touched whenever she does things like this— making me feel loved and important is her forte. Walang mintis.

"LDR, huh?" she uttered out of the blue. I gently pulled away and studied her face. Naku. Napag-usapan na namin to. Wala sanag iyakan kasi baka i-cancel ko ang flight ko pabalik ng Pinas. "Hun, pag nabalitaan kong nambababae ka dun, susunugin ko lahat ng camera mo dito pati yung motor mo."

Wtf? Hahahah! Inihilamos ko yung mga kamay ko sa mukha nya. Lakas talaga ng trip nito. "Grabe. Hindi pa ba ako nakakapasa sa loyalty test mo?"

"The real test begins when we're apart."

I appreciate the effort to make things light this time. "Hinding hindi ko magagawa sayo yun."

"Dapat lang."

I squeezed her in an embrace again and just savor the moment. Sabi ko walang iiyak eh, pero trinaydor ako ng mga mata ko. Sa aming dalawa, sya ang pinakaiyakin; ako yung magaling magtago. I sometimes cry pero hindi ko pinapakita kahit kanino. But this time, I realized that crying with somebody I love is what I need. May mga damdamin kasing hindi naeexpress ng mga salita pero naeexpress ng luha. Fuck. When she rubbed my back, mas lalo pa ako naiyak.

"I will really really miss you, my love," I said in between my sobs. Isang mahabang discussion ang nangyari before we came up with a final decision of temporarily living apart while we better ourselves. Career muna. Sabi pa nga ni mommy, mas maigi yung mag-invest sa personal growth first. Maghihiwalay lang kami ng literal pero we're keeping the relationship. Hinding hindi ko kakayanin to lose Denise in my life.

We both understand that this is temporary and we also talked about the major commitment after this: us. Us moving in together, us as partners forever, us making a home and a family. May timeline kaming ginawa and we are going to work hard to get through it all. Sabi pa nga nila Max and Janina, #RhiMichGoalz.

"Hun..." Denise gently wiped my tears. "Ngayon lang ata kita nakita umiyak."

"Your fault."