Where I Belong

Kabanata 17

Farewell

The final day of our vacation arrived, I woke up to the smell of breakfast and found everyone bustling around, preparing something special.

I smiled, wondering what they had planned.

After kong kumain ng almusal, pumunta ako kay Kuya Asher, who was busy putting up the lights. I asked him kung anong event ang magaganap.

“At the end of our vacation, nagkakaroon kami ng party, and now parang farewell party mo na rin,” he answered with a faint smile on his face.

Ayaw kong mag-alala sila, so I tried to lift up my energy.

“Is there something I could do?”

“Malapit ko na rin naman matapos ito, kaya okay lang. Puntahan mo na lang sila Austin, baka kailangan nila ng tulong.”

“Sige po,” I said, and went to Austin and Archie, who were fighting over the color of the candle holder.

“Brea, if you were to pick the color, what would you pick? Silver or Gold?” Austin asked.

Why did I even come here? Now I’m in a tight spot.

“Umm, I think… we could use both?”

“I think that’s a great idea. Thanks, Brea,” Archie replied, then walked to the table.

As the sun began to set, the beach had been transformed into a beautiful party setup, with fairy lights, a long table filled with delicious food, and a makeshift dance floor.

We sat down to a wonderful dinner. Tita Alisa had cooked all my favorite dishes, and we enjoyed a hearty meal together. After dinner, everyone took turns giving toasts.

Kuya Asher went first. "Brea, you've been a wonderful addition to our family. We're going to miss you,"

One by one, they all shared their heartfelt messages, and I felt so loved and appreciated. When it was Aiden's turn, he stood up, looking at me with a tender smile.

"Brea, thank you for coming into our lives. You've made this house brighter and our days better. I'll always be here for you, no matter what. Don't ever forget that."

After the toasts, the music started, at sumayaw kami sa ilalim ng mga bituin.

Aiden and I danced together, his hands gentle on my waist as we moved to the rhythm of the music. "This is the best summer I've ever had," I whispered.

"Mine too," he replied softly, his eyes reflecting the twinkling lights around us.

As the night came to an end, we all gathered around the fire pit. I looked around at the faces that had become so dear to me, feeling a mix of sadness and gratitude.

"I'm going to miss all of you so much," I said, my voice breaking.

"We'll miss you too, Brea," Austin said, giving me a tight hug. "But this isn't goodbye. You'll always have a place here."

The party eventually ended, and everyone headed to bed. I stayed outside a little longer, soaking in the moment. Aiden joined me, sitting close as we watched the dying embers of the fire.

After a while, we went back to the beach house and bid our goodnights.

I lay down, trying to sleep, but I couldn’t, so I just stayed like that, staring at the ceiling until sleep finally overtook me.