It's been a year since Lan and I became official, and it still feels surreal sometimes. We've gone through so many things together-celebrating Christmas side by side, counting down to New Year, sharing lazy mornings, and late-night talks. Nasabi na din namin kay tita Vien that me and Lan is together and she just accept it and she support it. We did not disclose it to our fans or to the people sorrounds us except to the trusted one. People may know or not what we are, hindi namin inaamin but hindi din namin sini-secreto.
Even though he still has his own condo, he rarely stays there. It's like my place has become our place, and the thought of that makes me smile. There are still nights he will use his own condo, usually when he is working on a painting that demands his full attention. And even though I understand, those nights feel different-emptier, somehow. I'm now so used to having him around that even just one night without him feels like a different but there are times that I let him go because I know how much he needs that space for his art.
Gaya ngayon It's been almost a week since I last saw Lan, and every day of waiting has felt like an eternity. He's been holed up somewhere, working on a new painting.
It's an important project, he said-something special that his client wanted kept under wraps until it's finished and so, I've been forced into a game of patience, which is exactly na sinusubukan talaga ang pangungulila ko kay Lan. Every day, I half-expect him to show up at my door, but each evening came went with nothing, he will just text or a brief video call.
I found myself sitting on the couch, phone in hand, debating whether to call him again. I stared at the last message he sent Almost done. Will see you soon, love That had been two days ago. The words left me in a haze of longing and frustration. I missed him-the way he filled the room with his calm presence.
I sighed, tossing my phone on the coffee table and crossing my arms. The condo felt empty without him. I tried distracting myself, but nothing held my attention for long. Movies, music, social media-they all felt nothing dahil one week na akong nangungulila sa kanya.
Just as I was about to lose myself in another round of self-pity, I hear a faint of beeping sounds that unlock the door.
My heart skipped a beat. Dali-dali akong tumayo from the couch, muntik pa nga ako madapa para lang makapunta agad sa pinto para ako agad mabungadan nya. When it opened, there he was-Lan, looking slightly tired but still handsome guy, and he is mine. He wore a faint, almost sheepish smile, his hair a little messy and his hands tucked into his pockets.
"Finally," I muttered, unable to hide the happiness in my voice.
"Missed me?" he asked, his tone light, but there was a glint of warmth in his eyes.
I scoffed, crossing my arms "Maybe just a little," I said, though my expression probably betrayed me.
He chuckled softly and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He looked around the condo as if he hadn't seen it in ages, and then he turned back to me, studying me with that quiet intensity of his.
"So, you survived a week without me," he said, teasing.
"Barely," I admitted, my voice softening. "What have you been doing anyway?"
He hesitated, as if weighing whether to tell me "I told you I'd been working on a special painting," he said, his voice dropping a little. " and it's completely done. The client specially requested to personally deliver it to someone. It's actually... for you."
I blinked, taken aback. "Wait, what?"
He nodded, a slight flush on his cheeks. "The client who wanted it to be kept private was me." He held the covered painting out toward me. "I wanted it to be a surprise."
