Behind the Curtains

Prologue

Prologue

Continuous knocks on the door caught my attention. Kaharap ang isang malaking vanity mirror kung saan ako inaayusan ng buhok at makeup, inabangan ko mula sa reflection ng salamin kung sino ang taong dumating.

Nang makita ko ang best friend ko na si Princess Anne ay lumawak ang ngiti ko sa mukha. Her little steps jumping towards my direction showed anticipation and excitement on her face.

"Girl, ito na! This is the day you have been waiting for!" she exulted, even shaking my shoulder upon her elated emotion.

Huminga ako nang malalim saka ako tumango. "It's happening. For about seven years... kaunti na lang."

"Aww... I'm so excited and happy for you and Leandro! You look so gorgeous. They've done themselves so well on you."

I giggled. "They're not even done yet."

"Pakak! Ikaw na talaga." I grinned. "Pero ano'ng nararamdaman mo bukod sa excitement? Kasi kahit ako na hindi naman 'yong ikasasal e kinakabahan pa! Pa'no na lang kaya kung ikaw pa, 'di ba?"

"Kinakabahan talaga ako," tugon ko. "But I'm feeling a lot of things right now. Excitement. Kaba. Hawakan mo ang kamay ko."

Inabot ko kay Princess ang kamay ko at nabigla pa ito dahil sa panginginig nito.

"Chill ka lang, bes," abiso ni Princess. "Someone like you, hindi ka tatakbuhan ni Leandro. Siya na lang 'tong magiging loser kapag ginawa pa niya 'yon. But this is normal. At maganda na 'yong maging normal kaysa naman hindi ka kabahan, 'di ba?"

I laughed at her remarks. "Fair enough. Ikaw ba? Ano'ng feeling maging bridesmaid?"

"Busy," pagbibiro pa nito. "Hindi. I'm enjoying it! I know you know naman how much I love you and I am excited for you to take this new journey. Kaya hangga't maaari, I would love to witness it as your bridesmaid and I'm so happy na ako ang kinuha mo."

"I don't think I'll find someone better than you."

"Korek ka riyan," sagot pa nito.

"You're such a gorgeous bridesmaid, P.A."

"Thank you! Akala ko hindi mo na ibabalik iyong compliment kanina, e." Tawa pa nito. "Kidding aside, this is your day... so be wonderful."

When the makeup artist attended to me once again, Princess offered her assistance to them while they were busy doing magic on me.

I looked at myself in front of the mirror. I was still in a robe and later, I'll be wearing the gown I've been wishing to wear for the past years.

For seven years, I never thought we would come to this point where I would be marrying my first-ever boyfriend. Many would say Leandro has no intention of marrying me and that he'll dump me once he's over with me. Hindi naman nangyari 'yon. He still loves me like he used to the first time we met.

Through those years, I haven't been thinking about marriage, but lately, I did. I couldn't find myself marrying someone else other than Leandro. He's the man I could ever wish for. The man I really wanted to build a family with.

Someone I adore so much.

It was eight months ago when he proposed. Akala ko'y isang normal dinner night lang ang gagawin namin. He picked me up at work and we went to our favorite fancy restaurant sa Taguig. It was all normal until he did something crazy—he made it look like he dropped a fork on the floor, and he picked it up himself, but then he scooped a ring out of his coat jacket and proposed to marry his longtime girlfriend—and that's me! That proposal was also followed by the harmonious music of a violin which caught the attention of other guests dining inside the resto.