Maybe This Time

14

The waves gently lapped against the shore, their rhythmic sound providing a calming background to the tension that hung between Aiah and MJ. The moon was bright, casting a soft silver glow over the beach as they stood in silence. MJ's gaze was fixed on the horizon, his jaw tense, waiting for Aiah to say something—anything—to break the wall that had grown between them over the years.

Aiah took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched MJ, his familiar silhouette framed by the moonlit ocean. She knew this conversation was inevitable, but now that they were here, it was harder than she imagined.

"MJ...," Aiah finally started, her voice barely above a whisper. MJ turned slightly to look at her, his eyes searching hers for the words she struggled to release. "Walang nangyari sa amin ni Jeremy... kahit isang beses."

MJ blinked, completely taken aback. His mouth opened slightly as if to say something, but no words came out. He just stared at her, stunned. Aiah, however, didn't give him the chance to speak.

"Let me explain,"she said quickly, her voice trembling but determined. "Kasi alam ko... Alam ko matagal mo na gustong malaman ito. Pero di ko kayang sabihin noon. Kaya ngayon, kailangan ko na."

MJ nodded slowly, his brows furrowing in confusion, but he stayed silent. His arms crossed over his chest, a defensive gesture, as if bracing himself for whatever Aiah was about to say.

"Jeremy and I... we made a pact when we were kids," Aiah began, her eyes downcast as she recalled memories from long ago. "We promised each other na kapag natapos na kami ng college, if neither of us found anyone... we would get married. We were kids. It was a silly promise. But... it became something real later on."

MJ's gaze softened, his confusion now mixed with curiosity. "Aiah..."

"After college...," Aiah continued, cutting him off gently, "Jeremy was diagnosed with cancer. It was terminal. He didn't have much time left." Her voice wavered, but she pressed on. "He asked me to keep our pact. He wanted to live the rest of his life with someone he cared about. And... I did care about him. He was my best friend, MJ. He was like family to me."

MJ exhaled sharply, shaking his head in disbelief. "So... you married him?"

"Yes," Aiah replied, her voice breaking slightly. "I married him because he asked me to. Because I couldn't bear to see him go through it alone."

MJ's face darkened, his expression a mix of frustration and heartbreak. "But why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell any of us?"

"Because I couldn't...," Aiah's voice cracked, her hands trembling as she clasped them tightly in front of her. "I couldn't face you. I couldn't face any of you. I... I was afraid, MJ. I didn't know how to tell you that I was going to marry someone else after... after everything that happened between us that night."

MJ clenched his fists at his sides, his body tense as memories of that night came rushing back—the way they had shared something so intimate, so deeply personal, only for her to disappear the next day without a word. He had searched for her, tried to reach her, but she had left nothing but a note saying she was getting married.

"You just left," MJ said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "You didn't even say goodbye properly. Just a note."

Aiah swallowed hard, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know. I know it was wrong. But I didn't know what else to do. Jeremy... he was dying, MJ. He didn't have much time, and he needed me. I thought... I thought that if I left quietly, it would hurt less. That maybe... maybe you'd forget me."

"Forget you?" MJ scoffed bitterly, his voice rising slightly. "Aiah, how could I forget you after everything we went through? You were the one person I—" He stopped himself, his voice faltering as he looked away, his emotions too raw to continue.

"MJ, I'm sorry," Aiah whispered, her own tears spilling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I left without explaining. But I need you to know... Jeremy and I, we were never like that. We never... consummated our marriage. We were together as friends. He was too sick, and... I loved him, but not in that way."

MJ looked back at her, his eyes wide in shock. "What are you saying, Aiah?"

"I'm saying...," Aiah's voice broke, her hands trembling as she wiped her tears. "I'm saying that Jeremy wasn't Maxwell's father."

MJ froze, his entire body going still as the weight of her words sank in. "What?"

"MJ...," Aiah said softly, stepping closer to him, her eyes filled with both sorrow and hope. "Jeremy was kind. He loved Maxwell, he took care of him, but... Maxwell isn't his." She took a deep breath, her heart pounding as she prepared to say the words that would change everything. "It's about time you know that Maxwell... Maxwell is yours."

The world seemed to stop. MJ stared at her, his breath catching in his throat, unable to process what she had just said. He blinked, his mind racing, trying to piece together everything he thought he knew.

"Mine?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Yes," Aiah nodded, her tears falling freely now. "Maxwell is your son, MJ. That night... three years ago..."

"Three years ago," MJ repeated, his mind still spinning. "But... why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you—"

"I was scared," Aiah admitted, her voice thick with emotion. "I didn't know how you'd react. And with Jeremy's condition, everything just happened so fast. After he passed away, I thought about telling you, but... I didn't want to disrupt your life. I didn't want to complicate things for you. And then, when we all reconnected and you met Maxwell..."

"Four months," MJ muttered, the realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. "It's been four months since I first met Maxwell, and you didn't say anything."

Aiah nodded, her head hanging low. "I know. And I'm sorry, MJ. I'm so, so sorry. But I need you to know that I wasn't trying to keep him from you. I just... I didn't know how to tell you."

MJ's heart was pounding in his chest, his emotions swirling in a chaotic storm. Part of him wanted to yell, to demand why she had kept such a life-changing secret from him for so long. But another part of him—perhaps the part that had always loved Aiah—could see the pain in her eyes, the guilt she had carried all this time.

He looked back at the beach house where Maxwell slept peacefully, unaware of the storm brewing between his parents. Suddenly, everything made sense—Maxwell's mannerisms, his smile, the way he clung to MJ from the moment they met.

"Maxwell is mine," MJ whispered, the truth finally settling in. "He's my son."

Aiah nodded again, her tears flowing freely as she reached out to him, her hand trembling as she placed it on his arm. "I'm sorry it took me this long to tell you. But I thought you deserved to know the truth. You deserve to know your son."

MJ's breath caught in his throat as the gravity of the moment overwhelmed him. He had a son. A son who had been in his life for the past four months, unknowingly bonding with him, loving him. He had missed so much already, and the thought broke his heart.

But as he looked into Aiah's tear-filled eyes, he realized something else—he hadn't lost everything. He still had time. Time to be the father that Maxwell deserved. Time to understand what had happened between him and Aiah. Time to rebuild the bridge that had been burned three years ago.

MJ inhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling as he tried to find the right words to say. But there were no words—none that could truly capture the magnitude of what he was feeling.

Instead, he pulled Aiah into his arms, holding her tightly as the waves continued to crash softly against the shore. Aiah sobbed quietly against his chest, her body shaking with the release of all the guilt and fear she had held onto for so long.

"Aiah," MJ whispered into her hair, his voice soft but steady. "Thank you for telling me. And... I'm sorry, too. For everything."

They stood there in each other's arms, the weight of the past finally lifting from their shoulders as the truth settled between them. The ocean's song filled the silence, and for the first time in years, it felt like they could finally begin to heal.

"He's ours," MJ whispered, his voice filled with awe and tenderness. "Maxwell is ours."

And with those words, a new chapter of their lives began.