Nothing more, nothing less

Shadows of a rift

The morning sun streamed through the curtains of their shared apartment, casting warm light across the kitchen where Celestiana and Alicia sat in a tense silence. What had started as a simple disagreement about work schedules had escalated, as misunderstandings often do, into something deeper.

"Ali, I told you I needed the evening free," Celestiana said, her voice calm but edged with frustration. She stared at the untouched coffee in front of her, her fingers tracing the rim of the mug absently. "You knew I had an important client meeting. You promised we'd reschedule dinner."

Alicia, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed, sighed heavily. "I didn't think one dinner would be such a big deal. You're always busy with work, Cel. I just wanted us to have one night—just one—without business getting in the way."

"It's not just one night," Celestiana shot back, her tone sharper now. "This is important to me. I'm trying to build something, and you knew that when we started this. I thought you supported me."

"I do support you," Alicia replied, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But it feels like everything comes second to your work. Even us."

Celestiana stood up, pushing her chair back a little too forcefully. "That's not fair, Alicia. You know how much this means to me. I'm doing this for us, for our future. You can't just expect me to drop everything because you feel neglected for one evening."

Alicia flinched, the hurt evident in her eyes. "It's not about one evening, Cel. It's about all the evenings, all the moments we've lost to your business. I miss you. I miss us."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The tension between them was thick, and the silence felt like it stretched on for miles. Celestiana opened her mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she grabbed her jacket from the chair, her frustration getting the better of her.

"I need to clear my head," she muttered, heading for the door.

Alicia's voice was quiet but firm. "Fine. Go ahead. Walk away, just like you always do when things get tough."

That stopped Celestiana in her tracks. She turned to face Alicia, her eyes blazing. "You think I'm walking away from this? From you?"

"You're not exactly staying and fighting, are you?" Alicia's voice cracked slightly, betraying the pain she was trying to hold back. "You always have somewhere else to be, something else to do. And when we argue, you shut me out. That's not how relationships work, Cel."

Celestiana's shoulders slumped, the weight of Alicia's words hitting her hard. She wanted to argue, to defend herself, but deep down, she knew there was some truth to what Alicia was saying. She *had* been distant, too focused on her business, and maybe she had taken Alicia for granted.

But the sting of their argument still lingered, and instead of softening, her frustration took over again. "Maybe you're right," she said coldly. "Maybe I'm not good at this. Maybe I don't know how to balance everything. But I'm trying, Ali. I just wish you'd see that."

Alicia's expression softened for a brief moment, but then she looked away, her arms wrapping tighter around herself as if for protection. "I don't want to keep fighting about this. I just want to feel like I matter to you."

The words hung in the air, heavy and raw. Celestiana didn't know how to respond. She *did* love Alicia, more than she could ever put into words, but the pressures of building her business, of proving herself outside of her family's legacy, had taken a toll on their relationship. And now, that toll was clearer than ever.

Without another word, Celestiana turned and left the apartment, the door closing behind her with a soft click. As soon as she stepped out into the hallway, a wave of regret washed over her, but she couldn't bring herself to go back inside. Not yet.

---

Hours passed, and the sun was already beginning to set by the time Celestiana returned. The walk had done little to clear her head, and she was still wrestling with the weight of their argument. When she opened the door to their apartment, the quiet greeted her like an old, familiar ache.

Alicia wasn't in the kitchen anymore. The candles she had lit for the dinner that never happened were still flickering, though now the wax had melted almost to the base. Celestiana sighed, running a hand through her hair. She hated the way things had spiraled between them, and she hated even more that she had walked out.

She found Alicia sitting on the balcony, staring out at the darkening skyline, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Celestiana hesitated for a moment before stepping out to join her.

"Hey," she said softly, sitting down beside Alicia. The air between them was still tense, but quieter now, like the calm after a storm.

Alicia didn't look at her. "Hey."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The silence felt heavy, like they were both afraid of saying the wrong thing and reigniting the argument. But Celestiana knew she couldn't leave things unresolved.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice quiet but sincere. "I shouldn't have walked out like that."

Alicia nodded, but still didn't meet her gaze. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to make you feel like I don't support you. I just... I just miss you."

Celestiana's heart ached at the sadness in Alicia's voice. She reached out, gently taking Alicia's hand in hers. "I miss you too, Ali. More than you know. I've been so wrapped up in trying to make this business work that I haven't been paying enough attention to us. I'm sorry."

Alicia finally looked at her, her eyes filled with a mixture of hurt and hope. "I know you're working hard, Cel, and I'm proud of you. But we have to figure out how to make this work. I don't want to keep feeling like I'm competing for your attention."

"You're not competing," Celestiana said firmly, squeezing Alicia's hand. "You're the most important thing in my life. I need to do better, I know that. And I will."

Alicia let out a slow breath, the tension in her shoulders slowly easing. "I just don't want us to drift apart. We've been through too much to lose each other now."

Celestiana nodded, her heart heavy with the weight of their conversation. "We won't. I promise you, we won't."

They sat there together, the cool evening air wrapping around them like a quiet reminder that love, no matter how strong, needed care and attention. Celestiana knew that the road ahead wouldn't always be easy, but as she held Alicia's hand in hers, she knew that they would face it together—tampuhan and all.

And as the stars twinkled above them, a sense of quiet understanding settled between them. They weren't perfect, but they didn't have to be. They just had to keep choosing each other, even in the moments when it was hard.

"I love you," Celestiana whispered, her voice barely audible above the soft hum of the city below.

Alicia smiled faintly, resting her head on Celestiana's shoulder. "I love you too."

And for now, that was enough.