You Are The Reason (Ongoing)

CHAPTER 26

Nagtataka at kunot ang noo ni Shan nang sundan ng tingin si Andrea, bigla na lang itong natahimik kanina, naramdaman niya na nagbago ang mood nito.

Ibinalik niya ang mga mata sa pinapanood. Napalunok siya habang pinagmamasdan ang paboritong artista ng Mommy niya sa telebisyon, si Alma Guanzon, maganda kasi ito at magaling pa sa pag-arte kaya naman hindi siya magtataka na idolo nga ito ng kaniyang ina, may isa lang siyang napansin sa babae habang pinagmamasdan ito, parang may pagkakahawig ito kay Andrea, napatitig tuloy siya sa TV.

Nawala lang ang atensyon niya roon nang bumalik na si Andrea sa tabi niya. Parang naghilamos ito ng mukha.

"Are you okay?" kunot ang noong tanong niya dito. Umayos naman ito ng upo at pinilit na ngumiti sa kaniya.

"Oo naman, okay lang ako," sagot nito sa kaniya pero hindi naman siya kumbinsido. Maya-maya ay nagsalita ang Mommy niya.

"Siya nga pala Shan, may nakausap na kami ng Daddy mo na tutulong sayo para i-therapy ka, si Mr. Johnson. Magaling iyon na physical therapist at sigurado akong mapapabilis lalo ang pag galing mo sa tulong niya," wika ng Mommy niya.

Shan felt the usual tightness in his chest. He’d always been reluctant to accept help, especially when it came to his condition. Therapy felt like an admission of weakness, a reminder of his inability to stand on his own feet—literally and figuratively. But for the first time, he found himself considering it. He saw the hopeful look in his mother’s eyes, and when he turned to Andrea, he saw her quietly rooting for him too.

“S-sure, Mom,” he said, surprising himself. Ito ang unang pagkakataon na hindi siya tumutol sa nais nitong mangyari. His mother’s eyes lit up, and for a moment, he felt a small sense of pride, like he was finally doing something right. He glanced at Andrea, who was smiling at him, and a sense of calm washed over him. He reached out, taking her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I want to walk again,” he said, his voice soft but filled with determination. “Para naman mas marami pa kaming lugar na mapuntahan ni Andrea.” He felt her hand tighten in his, and she gave him an encouraging smile, one that he felt was genuine.

But deep inside, Shan knew he needed to do this—not just for Andrea or his family, but for himself. The accident had taken so much from him, but he didn’t want it to take away his hope for a future with Andrea. Marami siyang gustong gawin kasama ito, lalo pa at alam niyang mahal na niya si Andrea. Gusto niyang dalhin ito sa kung saan nitong lugar na gusto.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Andrea spoke up. “Alam mo, Shan, masaya ako sa decision mo. Salamat naman at pumayag ka na,”

Her voice was soft, full of encouragement, but there was something in her eyes that he couldn’t quite place. It was almost like a hint of sadness, or maybe worry. He squeezed her hand again, wanting to reassure her. “Salamat, Andrea. Kung hindi siguro dahil sa mga sinabi mo hindi ako magigising. Hindi ko alam kung nasaan ako ngayon kung wala ka.” He meant every word, and he hoped she knew how much she meant to him.

He watched as a small smile tugged at her lips, but then her gaze fell to their intertwined hands, her fingers tracing the lines on his palm. “You’re stronger than you think, kayang-kaya mo ‘to.”

“Kaya ko at kakayanin ko dahil sayo,” he echoed, feeling the warmth of her words settle in his chest. “And you know, I want to take you to places—beaches, mountains, kahit saan. Kahit saan mo gustong pumunta.”

Andrea chuckled softly. “Gusto ko rin ‘yan. Pero ngayon, kailangan muna nating mag-focus sa therapy mo, okay?” She leaned closer, resting her head against his shoulder. He could feel the gentle weight of her presence, and for a moment, everything felt right.

He nodded, letting the warmth of her words sink in. “Yes, promise. Gagawin ko ‘to para sa atin.”

Silence enveloped them again, but it was a comfortable one. Shan continued watching the show, but his thoughts drifted back to the resemblance between Alma Guanzon and Andrea. It was too much to be a coincidence, and he couldn’t shake off the thought. Something about it bothered him.

“Alam mo, Andrea,” he started hesitantly, “parang kamukha mo talaga si Alma Guanzon.”

Andrea stiffened for a moment but quickly recovered, pulling away slightly to give him a teasing smile. “Talaga? Hindi naman siguro. Ang layo naman.”

“Hindi, seryoso ako.” He frowned, studying her face intently. “Parang may pagkakahawig kayo, especially ‘yung mga mata.”

Andrea laughed softly, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Shan, baka kailangan mo na ng eyeglasses. Hindi ako kamukha ni Alma Guanzon.”

He grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “Siguro nga. Pero kung kamukha ka niya, ibig sabihin lang no’n, maganda ka.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she rolled her eyes playfully. “Hala, nambola ka pa.”

“Hindi ‘yon bola. Totoo ‘yon.” He smiled, feeling a genuine warmth spread between them. For a moment, he forgot about his worries, his pain, and everything else that had been weighing him down.

But even as they shared that lighthearted exchange, Andrea’s mind was racing. She had always known this day would come—that Shan would start noticing things. She had tried to keep the truth hidden, not wanting to complicate things between them, but the more time they spent together, the harder it was to keep her secret.

Alma Guanzon wasn’t just a resemblance; she was Andrea’s mother. She had kept her real identity hidden for working for Shan’s family under a different name to escape the shadow of her past. It was her way of running away from a world she didn’t want to be part of—a world full of pain. Sobrang sakit ng puso niya nang umalis siya sa kanila, ngayon na lang ulit niya nararamdaman ang kasiyahan sa puso kasama si Shan. Kung pwede lang, ayaw na niyang bumalik sa kanila, para saan pa? Mukhang masayang-masaya na ang pamilya niya. Tila wala lang sa mga ito ang paglisan niya. Mapait siyang napangiti. Pinigilan niya ang luhang nagbabadya na namang pumatak sa mga mata niya. Hindi na siya iiyak, dapat ay maging mas matatag siya para sa sarili. Sa muling paghaharap nila ni Arvin, sinisigurado niyang wala ng luha ang tatakas sa mga mata niya.