Infinity

1

Finilene was the kind of girl who could turn even the dullest moments into magic. Her laughter was contagious, the kind that made people smile without knowing why. That’s what drew me to her the first time I saw her. It was a sunny afternoon, and we were both at a mutual friend's birthday party. Habang lahat ay abala sa mga laro at cake, ako’y nakatingin lang sa kanya—sa paraan niyang itinatago ang buhok sa likod ng tainga, at ang ngiti niyang tila walang pakialam sa paligid.

“Hi,” sabi ko, medyo nahihiya.

Tumingin siya sa akin, at saglit na parang nawawala ang lahat ng nasa paligid. “Hi,” sagot niya, ang boses niya’y malambing pero tiyak.

We talked about everything and nothing. Movies, music, dreams—she was the kind of person you could talk to for hours and feel like no time had passed. It felt effortless, as if we’d known each other for years. There was a light in her that drew people in, and I was no exception.

Weeks passed, and we became inseparable. She introduced me to her favorite songs, mostly indie tracks that made you feel like you were floating. I remember the first time she played one for me. We were lying on her bedroom floor, the sun streaming in through her window, and the song filled the room. She closed her eyes, her fingers lightly tapping the floor to the beat.

“Gusto ko, ganito tayo palagi,” she whispered, as if sharing a secret with the universe. “Yung simple lang, walang pressure, basta magkasama tayo.”

I turned to look at her, watching the way the sunlight kissed her skin. I knew in that moment that she wasn’t just a passing chapter in my life—she was my story. My beginning, my middle, and hopefully, my forever. We started making plans—big plans. Traveling the world, growing old together, even little things like what our house would look like or what names we’d give our future dogs. I remember thinking, Ito na. Siya ang taong makakasama ko hanggang sa dulo.

But life, as I would soon learn, had other plans. No matter how hard you try to hold on to the good, the bad sometimes finds its way in, sneaking into the cracks when you least expect it.