I Love You because... [GxG]

The Drive Home

We were on the road, singing random songs in the car like we always do. B was driving, I was in the passenger seat, and our niece was sitting quietly in the back. Her random playlist kept us awake for the three-hour drive, and we were belting out every song at the top of our lungs, laughing at our missed notes and harmonizing when we could. Then Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko started playing, and without thinking, we sang it together.

This time, our niece didn't join in. She let us take the song. We didn't notice—we were too caught up in the lyrics, in the moment, in each other. When the song ended, she broke the silence from the backseat, her voice cracking a little as she said, "Gipahilak man ko ninyo uy." Confused, we turned to look at her, and she explained, tears brimming in her eyes. Watching us sing together up front, she said, felt like a scene straight out of a movie. She was so kilig she couldn't help but cry.

Her words lingered in the car, and for a moment, I couldn't speak. Even without trying—even without any grand gestures—our love for each other had reached her, had moved her, in a way I didn't think anyone could see. I looked at B, and she smiled, her hand brushing mine. Maybe love doesn't need to shout to be seen. Sometimes, it's in the little things—like an old song, a quiet moment, and a niece crying kilig tears in the backseat.