LOVE IS WAR(M).

40

Laurice.

"And you may now... kiss the bride!"

A tear escaped my eye as I witness my best friend get officially married to the man of her dreams. Though I stood at a distance from Sebastian and our friends, I could still see them clearly and it was evident that they were discreetly wiping their tears away as if they didn't want anyone to witness that men like them were getting emotional just like everyone else. Mas lalong tumaba ang puso ko sa saya dahil sa lahat ng nasasaksihan ko ngayon. My friends and I have come a long way to get here. What an incredible journey it has been.

We spent the entire day celebrating the newlyweds, indulging in every moment of their joyful matrimony. We attended the reception, enjoyed the cocktail hour, witnessed Cassie and Steven's first dance as a married couple, savored a delightful dinner, witnessed the cake cutting ceremony, until one of the most anticipated part of the celebration finally arrived, the bouquet toss.

"Let's go girls! It's time!" Excited na sigaw ni Aubrey at tsaka nauna nang maglakad sa harap nang tawagin na kami ng emcee.

Natatawang napailing-iling nalang kami nila Vanessa at Jia habang sumusunod sa kaniya. Kanina niya pa kasi bukambibig ang boquet toss na ito and now it's finally here. A few female relatives of the couple decided to join as well, mga 9 yata kaming narito sa harapan ni Cassie ngayon.

"Alright , ladies! Get ready for an extraordinary bouquet toss. We have a special surprise planned for you. There will be music playing, and when it stops, Mrs. Javier will toss the bouquet. So, I want all of you to be attentive and..."

The emcee began explaining the mechanics of the bouquet toss and organized us into our positions. As a warm-up, there were also some short activities like "hephep hooray". At hindi nagtagal, tuluyan nang nagsimula ang pinakahihintay ng lahat ng mga babaeng kasama ko rito ngayon. A loud and upbeat music started blasting from the huge speakers in the venue. It was Milkshake by Kelis.

Us ladies began dancing like crazy to the beat of the song. We were giggling to each other but I know deep inside all of us were being wary of each other just in case the song finally stops.

My milkshake brings
all the boys to the yard
And they're like,
it's better than yours ~

Napuno ng hiyawan ang buong kapaligiran nang biglang magstop ang kanta. Before I knew it, my gaze was fixed on the bouquet gracefully soaring above us. Without hesitation, I instinctively raised both of my hands in the air, while the ladies around me were jumping and leaping around as if they were so determined to catch the boquet.

I thought I wouldn't be able to catch it because I was caught off guard to the point na mga kamay ko lang ang nagawa kong itaas marahil tila napako yata ang mga paa ko sa sahig. But to my surprise, the bouquet effortlessly landed in the palm of my hands, as if it had been destined for me all along.

Nanlalaki ang mga matang napatingin ako sa kapaligiran ko nang biglang may spotlight na tumutok sa kinatatayuan ko.

"Oh my God," Hindi makapaniwalang sambit ko na tila parang natatawa dahil sa nangyari.

Cassie began laughing hysterically as she teased Sebastian who was among the crowd behind us. Nagsimula na ring makisali ang mga bisita sa pang-aasar ng mga kaibigan namin sa'ming dalawa. And as the playful exchanges unfolded, I couldn't help but steal a glance at him while holding the bouquet of red roses in my hands.

In that moment, it felt like the noise around us faded into the background as our eyes locked. A sweet smile appeared on his face as if he was proud that I was the one who caught the bouquet. Hindi ko mapigilang mahawa sa matamis niyang ngiti sa mga sandaling iyon. And in that fleeting moment, our entire life together seemed to unfold before my eyes as he silently mouthed something to me.