I'll Be Back

30

Aiah

Everything felt lighter after our talk last night. The weight that had been pressing down on my heart seemed to have lifted. I couldn't believe how easily a misunderstanding had driven a wedge between us. Now, I knew better than to jump to conclusions. I even chuckled to myself, thinking, I should really learn to ask instead of assuming things. A small smile crept onto my face as I thought about Mikha. I already missed her.

Feeling a sense of clarity and wanting to savor more time in Siargao, I decided to head down to the reception to extend our stay. As I stepped out of our room and headed toward the elevator, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement.

The elevator arrived with a soft ding, and as the doors slid open, my heart nearly stopped. There she was—Mikha. She stepped out, just as surprised to see me as I was to see her.

"Mikha?" I blurted out, my voice tinged with surprise and confusion. "Dito ka rin nag s-stay?"

A wide smile spread across her face, her eyes lighting up with what seemed like genuine happiness. "Aiah!" she exclaimed, a little too enthusiastically, as if she’d been hoping to see me again. "Yeah, I'm staying here too. Small world, huh?"

I couldn’t help but laugh, the irony of it all hitting me. "Yeah, small world talaga" I replied, shaking my head in disbelief.

For a moment, we just stood there, sharing a small, quiet smile. It felt like the universe was giving us a third chance, an opportunity to make things right, and neither of us wanted to let it slip away.

"Samahan na kita pababa.. if that's okay" Mikha offered, her voice soft but eager.

I felt a flicker of hesitation at the idea of sharing a quiet elevator ride with her. The awkwardness from before still lingered, but I found myself nodding before I could second-guess my decision. "Sure, okay" I agreed.

As we stepped into the elevator, an unexpected calm settled between us. The silence wasn’t heavy or awkward, it was...nice. There was a quiet comfort in just being near her, a familiarity I hadn’t realized I missed.

"Ano plans mo today?" Mikha asked, breaking the silence with a gentle smile.

"Swimming sa beach" I replied, glancing at her. "I don't really have any other plans yet. I guess we'll just see how the day goes."

She nodded thoughtfully, then, without hesitation, asked, "Can I take you out to dinner later?"

The question caught me off guard, and I felt my heart skip a beat. My palms started to sweat, and I looked at her, searching her face for any hint of a joke. But her expression was sincere, her eyes already on mine, waiting.

"Hmm...okay" I replied after a moment, a smile tugging at my lips. I couldn’t help but look away, trying to hide the blush creeping onto my cheeks.

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped out, Mikha right behind me. I could feel her presence close, the way she stayed just a step behind, as if she didn’t want to let me out of her sight. It was kind of adorable, really—how she was sticking around even though she didn’t have to.

My transaction at the reception was quick, just a matter of extending our stay. After it was done, I stepped outside to take in the fresh air, the salty breeze of the ocean filling my lungs. The sun was climbing higher, warming the cool morning, but my day had already started perfectly—thanks to her. Hui?!