At Last, Him

Chapter 13: Knight in Shining Armor

Habang naglalakad ako papasok sa site kasama si Apinya, the early sun streamed through the skeletal frame of what would soon be a finished office, casting sharp lines across the floor and filling the place with warmth and anticipation. The buzzing sounds of drills and the dull thuds of hammering hit me all at once, reminding me of just how close we were to seeing this space fully come to life.

Inayos ko ang aking hard hat at tumingin sa paligid, soaking it all in. These were our plans—mine and Ar. Marco's—a whole layout revised and designed over countless late nights, frustrating meetings, and, honestly, a few too many coffees. Seeing it in the flesh like this was something else. My fingers were itching to touch every surface, to trace the lines of a space we had created on paper but which was now real, standing right before us.

"It's amazing to see it come together, isn't it?" I murmured, more to myself than to Apinya, who had already whipped out her tablet and was snapping photos. Hindi ko man lang sinubukang itago ang pagmamalaki sa boses ko. The light was flooding the room just as we'd planned, catching the edges of the beams and casting shadows across the freshly plastered walls.

Lumingon siya sa akin, tumango bilang pagsang-ayon. "Yes, it's beautiful! You and Architect Marco did such a good job. Now I understand why Architect Roman was pushing the deadlines so hard—totally worth it, don't you think?"

I smiled, feeling warmth spread through my chest. "Yeah, to me, it feels like every corner of this place tells a story. You know that feeling when something you worked so hard on finally becomes real? There's nothing like it."

Naglibot kami, tinitingnan ang bawat bahagi ng mga opisina, huminto sa mga lugar kung saan ginagawa ng mga manggagawa ang huling mga detalye. Marco and I had been stubborn about those details, insisting on certain elements that didn't exactly make the builders' lives easy. But standing here now, seeing the way the light hit those features, it felt worth it.

At one point, Apinya and I stopped to watch the crew working in one of the main meeting rooms. The ceiling design—a painstakingly intricate element Marco had pushed for—was being carefully installed. I knew this room would end up being one of my favorite spots, with its high ceiling and warm lighting, a quiet oasis in the middle of a bustling workplace.

"Great job, sir," I said, addressing the foreman who was directing his team through the installation. Binigyan ko siya ng mabilis at taos-pusong ngiti. "Almost there na po tayo, mukhang walang palya." Ay, nakalimutan ko. Hindi niya maiintindihan ang Tagalog.

Pero sa kabila nito, tumango siya pabalik, may ningning ng pagmamalaki sa kanyang mga mata. "Thank you, ma'am. We're making sure to follow every detail in the plan you and Architect Marco gave us."

Nang marinig ko iyon, parang...totoo, siguro? Parang lahat ng oras at pagsisikap na inilaan namin sa mga rebisyon na ito ay nagbunga, hanggang sa pinakamaliit na detalye. I stole a glance at Apinya, and the smile she returned told me she understood exactly what I was feeling. This was more than just a project; this was a piece of us.

As we started heading back toward the entrance, Apinya turned to me, a mischievous grin lighting up her face. "So... this means we're almost done with this project, right? Think Architect Roman will let us have a small celebration after this?"

Tumawa ako, umiiling. "Hopefully! But knowing him, he'll probably hand us another revision to work on before we get a chance to relax."

"True!" she laughed, rolling her eyes. "But come on, even if it's just for coffee, we should celebrate this. We deserve it."

Walking out, I paused one last time, looking back over my shoulder at the offices we'd designed. They looked solid, ready, and close to completion. I could feel the pride swelling in me again, and for a split second, I let myself savor it. I knew this feeling wouldn't last long—soon, there'd be more revisions, new designs, another project on the horizon. But for today, this was enough.