Marry Me, Engineer

Chapter Five

Proposal

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"Do you love Dad, Mom?" my younger self asked while my mom was braiding my hair.

She stopped and looked into my eyes through our reflection in the mirror. She smiled warmly. "I do, my love."

"Bakit po?" I knew nothing about love and why most people were eager to find it. Is it that perfect? Is it that special-to find someone to love and who will love you?

She finished braiding my hair and took a moment to adjust it. She placed her palms on the sides of my head.

"Do we need a reason to love someone?" she answered with another question.

Napanguso ako dahil doon. "Hindi mo naman sinagot ang tanong ko, Mommy e!"

She laughed and let go of my head. She shook her head while I just watched her reflection in the mirror. Even in her age, she's still gorgeous. Dad told me that she was a model way back when, but she gave it up when she had me. She left modeling to pursue a career as a businesswoman.

Maraming nagsasabi na halos lahat ng features ko ay nakuha ko kay Mommy. Almond brown eyes, well-defined brows, thin lips, a small pointed nose, and angelic pale skin. The only feature I inherited from Dad was my hair. It was jet black and straight.

"Euryle..." she called my attention even though I had been looking at her all this time. She caressed my braided hair. "Love is inevitable. You don't just love someone because of a certain reason. You love them because it's them. You love them because you love them. At a certain point, you may find their flaws and imperfections, but that doesn't make your love falter."

"E? Paano po kung liar po sila? Paano po kung sinaktan ka po nila?" I scratched my head, trying to figure out the answers on my own.

"Love doesn't guarantee you happiness. You should ask yourself if the pain is worth it. Because if it's not, you need to find the love; not with them, but with yourself." She hugged me while I was still confused about how that worked. "You'll find out once you love someone. Anak, you'll get hurt in the process but once you find someone who can accept, value, and never let go of your heart, it will all be worth it."

Tumango ako at hinawakan ang braso niyang nakayakap pa rin sa akin.

"Mahal ko kayo, Euryle. And I hope you find someone who will help you find the answers to your questions."

It was one of the most memorable talks I had with my mother. As an only child, I was full of love, care, and support. My parents never abandoned me once. They never made me feel that I was alone. They never made me feel caged. They never made me feel that I was lacking nor compared me to someone.

"I love you, Hyacinth," was the first sentence I heard from Acheron since I saw them.

Hyacinth smiled and held his hands. She caressed and squeezed them afterward. For the first time in my whole life, I wished I was someone else. I wished I wasn't born as Euryle but rather as Hyacinth.

"Mahal na mahal kita," mahina ngunit puno ng emosyong ani ni Hyacinth.

Love.

That fucking word still confuses me to this day.

I felt my heart squeeze, like someone was pounding on it really hard. It felt like nervousness but much more painful. It was like someone was knocking on my heart while stabbing it.