When Mikha finds herself spiraling on the night of her ex-girlfriend Aiah's birthday, she doesn't expect it to be the start of a slow, emotional reckoning. What follows is a tender exploration of love, heartbreak, healing, and second chances. As both women navigate the aftermath of a relationship that once fell apart under the weight of unspoken struggles, they begin to rediscover themselves—and each other—in a deeply intimate and quiet journey back to love. This is a story about growth, vulnerability, and what it really means to choose someone, not just once, but every day.
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The clock struck midnight. Mikha tipped her head back, the bitter burn of the cheap whiskey scorching her throat as she slammed the shot glass down on the scarred wooden table. She wasn't counting. Tonight wasn't for numbers or limits or caution. Tonight was for erasing everything. Burning the memory of this cursed day until it turned to ash and floated away.
"Hoy, Mikha! Tama na yan, bai!" Colet's sharp voice cut through the hazy air, snatching the next shot out of Mikha's reach.
Mikha swayed in her seat, eyes half-lidded, hand grasping for the glass like it might save her from drowning. "I'm fine! Let me—"
"Fine ka diyan," Jho interjected, pushing a glass of water toward her instead. "Inom ka muna nito. Sobra sobra na, Mikha. Ni hindi mo na mabuksan 'yung mata mo."
Mikha waved them off, muttering, "I'm an adult." Her words slurred together, barely audible over the loud pop music thumping in the background.
Stacey leaned forward, her tone light but laced with exasperation. "Adult daw? Sus, sabi mo miss mo lang maging babi ni Aiah."
And there it was. The name. Aiah. The goddess of Mikha's world, her torment, her muse. The perfect human being she'd let slip away like an idiot fumbling with a priceless heirloom.
"Can you not mention her name?" Mikha snapped, a flash of clarity cutting through her haze. But her voice cracked at the edges, her armor too weak to hold.
Colet, who'd been quietly stewing, finally let her thoughts spill out. "Hoy, Mikha Lim, don't act like ikaw 'yung biktima dito, bai. Both sides tayo ah. Kahit balibaliktarin mo pa, we know kung bakit natapos. Sorry, mahal ka namin, pero tanga ka minsan."
Mikha laughed bitterly, a sound so sharp it made Colet flinch. "Wow, thanks for the reminder," she said, dragging the words out slowly, her voice a mix of venom and exhaustion.
But she couldn't deny it. Not really. Not when every word they said was true. Aiah had been her everything—her sun, her moon, her impossible dream. A walking Greek goddess, a force of nature who somehow made even her bad hair days look like they belonged on the cover of a magazine. For seven years, Mikha had celebrated January 27 like it was a holy day, a day to honor the universe for gifting the world someone as breathtaking as Aiah.
But last year, everything shattered. Mikha couldn't even remember what set it all off. A stupid argument? A careless word? A pattern of neglect? But it was her fault—of that much, she was sure. She'd grown complacent, taken Aiah's love for granted. And when Aiah finally left, she didn't just take her things, she took every scrap of light in Mikha's life.
Now, this day—the day she used to count down to with giddy excitement—had become a curse. It wasn't a celebration anymore. It was a reminder of her failures.
But then, Jho nudged her shoulder. "Mikha," she said cautiously, like she wasn't sure if she should say it. "Did Maloi tell you?"
Mikha blinked, sluggish from the alcohol. "Tell me what?"
"That Aiah's not even here?" Jho said, her voice dropping into something gentler. "She's traveling solo for her birthday. Maloi said she's off somewhere, I think in Thailand. Just wanted to be alone for a while, sabi niya."
