This chapter is for the considerate readers. Yung marunong maghintay. Kung ikaw yun, then consider this dedicated to you. Salamat.
--
So don't you worry 'bout a thing
Or all the miles in between
You have my heart
You had it from the start
I'll love you from afar
I hear them say
That what we have may fade away
But I refuse
We'll never lose
--Near or Far by Us The Duo (salamat sa nag-suggest!)
--
LDR is proving to be very hard for the both of them, but Lena knew that she shouldn't give up, because Cyrus is always finding a way to make the relationship work. He sends her flowers every day. Nagustuhan kasi niya ang mga iyon. They really look like branches, especially the baby's breath. So Cyrus made a promise to send her one every day.
She wished that she could send him something, but he told her that he doesn't mind not receiving any gift. Still, naghanap pa rin siya ng paraan para matapatan ang efforts nito. It's not that she was competing against him. She just wants to make him feel loved as much as he makes her feel loved.
She never thought that she could be sweet. She never thought that she'd want to be sweet to anyone, ever. But Cyrus is special. He brought out the side of her that she never knew she has. Kaya rin pala niyang gawin ang ginagawa ng ibang tao.
And it's not only towards Cyrus. Napansin niyang naging showy at expressive din siya pagdating sa ibang tao. Sabi nga ng mommy niya, magandang influence daw ito sa kanya. Not only did she learn to open her heart to him, but she also gained confidence in herself. She didn't get out of her comfort zone. It was more like her comfort zone expanded. Those uncharted territories before now seem so familiar to her. It was quite a change, she could hardly believe it.
Everyone around her is taking notice of that change as well. Some told her that she seems to be more attractive. Tama nga siguro ang sinasabi ng ilan na nakakaganda lalo ang confidence. She feels beautiful. That makes her smile a lot. She was no longer the shriveled soul she was before.
Kung napapansin man iyon ni Cyrus, wala itong kumento. He just makes sure to compliment her whenever there's a chance. Like that one time she stayed up all night trying to learn how to put makeup properly on her own. Birthday kasi ni Cyrus kinabukasan. She told him to wake up at 12, so they could video chat. She wanted to be the first one to greet him.
Hindi na siya natulog dahil inayos pa niya iyong cake para kay Cyrus. At 3:30 in the morning, she brought the cake to her room. She changed into a pretty blue dress that she bought with her own salary and put the makeup on.
At exactly 4:00, she called him to greet him a happy birthday. He was still wide awake, unlike her na mapapikit lang ay paniguradong makakatulog na.
"Happy birthday!" she greeted. She showed him the cake. "Make a wish and I'll blow the candle."
Cyrus smiled. "Please blow the candle. I already got what I wished for."
He was staring so intently when he said that, it sent shivers down her spine. She blew the candle and put the cake on the bedside table.
"I wish I could give you something," she told him.
"You prepared for my birthday. That's enough for me." He pointed at her dress. "And you even put on a dress."
She stood up to show him the full length. "Do you like it?"
"It's pretty," he said with a nod. "Who did your makeup?"
"I did," she answered. "Do you like it?"
"Getting greedy on the compliments, aren't we?"
She smiled sheepishly. "I just want to know if you like it, para gagawin ko nang mas madalas."
