To the Moon and Back

EPILOGUE

One year, five months and six days later

I never had a dream come true,
till the day that I found you,
even though I pretend that I moved on,
you're always be my baby.
I never found the words to say,
you're the one I think about each day.
And I know no matter where life takes me to,
a part of me will always be with you.
Maaliwalas ang buong paligid. Malamig ang tampal ng hangin sa balat ng bawat isa, ngunit hindi nagdidilim. Tirik ang araw ngunit hindi maalinsangan.
Umaalingawngaw ang bawat letra mula sa awit na iyon sa loob ng simbahan. It's as if eveything's placed perfectly. The melody of the song almost went along with the wind.
Maaliwalas ring tignan ang mga asul na dekorasyong nakaadorno sa simbahan. Mga laso, poste, maging ang mga rosas, asul. Kapansin-pansin din ang tema ng buong lugar. May mga planeta, buwan at bituing nakasabit sa kisame at nakadikit sa mga poste.
Ang bawat upuan ay puno ng mga tao. Mga taong naging mahalaga sa buhay ni Luna at Apollo. Sa kanang bahagi, naroon ang mga magulang ni Apollo. Ang kanyang ina ay humihikbi at nagpupunas ng luha, marahan ang pagdampi ng kanyang panyo upang hindi masiraang kanyang make-up. Happy and sad at the same time. Naroon din ang kanilang mga katrabaho sa PAASA at mga kaibigan sa kolehiyo. Sina Sue, Tom at iba pa.
Sa kaliwa naman ay halos ganoon din ang eksena. Ang ina ni Luna ay umiiyak dahil sa wakas, dumating na ang lalaking magpaparamdam kay Luna ng kanyang tunay na halaga. Ng kanyang tunay na ganda. Lalaking magmamahal sa kanya kahit ano pang mangyari. Naroon din ang kapatid ni Luna, hinahagod ang likuran ng ina upang tumahan iyon.
Sa bandang gitna naman, magkatabi sina Daphne at Clark. Yes, you guessed it right. Gumana ang pagma-match make ni Luna sa kanila. At desidido si Daphne na masalo ang bouquet mamaya. She was battling with tears, tears of joy, tears of guilt. For always pushing Luna to the wrong man she always thought was the right one. Pero higit sa lahat, masaya siya dahil alam niyang hindi niya na muling makikita si Luna na nagmumukmok sa sulok, kinakain ng kalungkutan. Now, she'll just see her indulging with the delight of love.
Kakatwa namang naluluha rin si Clark, marahil dahil mula ngayon ay mag-isa na lang siyang titira sa silid na matagal nilang pinagsaluhan ni Apollo. Balang araw ay masasanay din siyang matulog nang mag-isa sa double-deck nila.
At sa dulong-dulo, isang pamilyar na lalaki ang naka-upo, nakangiti, masaya sa mga nakikita. Happy for Luna, proud of her little sister. Si Aries.
Katabi niya roon si Patrick at si Director Tina. Kapwa sila nakangisi. Sharing the bliss of the day with the brave bride and the chivalrous groom.
At hindi siya nag-gate crash. He was cordially invited. Dahil maayos na ang lahat sa pagitan nila ni Luna. Siguro nga, mas maraming alam ang mga guro't matatanda kaysa sa mga bata, kaya naman maging kung sino ang mas karapat-dapat na mahalin ay alam nila. Alam ni Aries. Luna was more than grateful for Aries, now that she's seeing how great Aries's plans have turned out. Mga planong hindi niya naintindihan at naunawaan dati, pero alam na alam na niya ngayon. They might have been a wreckage, but that was before. Now, they are once again whole, with a clearer border-as brothers and sisters. As best friends.
Everyone is looking ahead, in front. Sa dalawang taong bida sa araw na iyon. Dalawang taong magiging isa na sa ilang sandali lamang.
Luna and Apollo were mysteriously bright, beautiful together. So much that no amount of suits and and ties, or gowns and dresses can beat them. They held hands as the priest started the ceremony.
"Luna, do you take Aries to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together with him in the covenant of marriage? Do you swear to God that he will be the only man you'll spend your life with, you'll love, you'll treasure and you will cherish?"
"I do." walang pag-aalinlangang sagot ni Luna.
"Aries, do uou take Luna to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Do you swaer to God that she will be the only woman you'll spend your life with, you'll love, you'll treasure and you'll cherish?"
"I do." he said with certainty.
"Oh, God, supremely blessed, supreme in might and glory, guide and bless this groom and bride. Standing here in the presence of God, ready to enter a lifelong bond through God's Law and ready to exchange vows and promise to love, to honor and to cherish one another. Apollo?"
Without hesitations, Apollo started his vows. Vows he wrote himself. And now's the time to make those vows happen. He pinned his gaze to Luna's eyes. Telling his vows to her soul.
"Luna, take this ring as the token of our being one and as a daily reminder that I take you wholeheartedly as my lawfully wedded wife. Before God and these witnesses I vow to love you and take care of you for as long as I am breathing. I vow to take you with your faults and strengths, with your flaws and beauty, with your weakness and vigor. I've seen the best of you and the worst of you and I vow to take them both. I vow to help you whether you need me or not, to make you happy whether you are sad or not. I vow to dry your tears before they fall, to make you smile every single second. I vow to be your inspiration as you are to me. I vow to lay beside you as we sleep and I vow to wake up, still next to you the next day. I vow to cradle you in my arms when you are tired, I vow to lend my chest and shoulders to lay on when you're worn out. I vow to never leave your side, even when your bones got weak, or your voice got hoarse, or your face got wrinkled, I vow to love you just the same way. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life. And together with this ring, I come to you with fidelity and with trust. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to harbor and to cherish, I vow to love you to infinity and beyond, till death do us part. This, Luna, is my solemn vow I will live up with you."
Mas lalong pang dumami ang napaluha sa mga katagang sinabi ni Apollo. His voice was soft and firm and sure. He took Luna's hands, lingerred for a moment with the sofyness of his palm. Then, he slid the ring down her ring finger. Mas naging espesyal pa ang singsing na iyon dahil sa nakakabit doong hiyas. Not diamond, not pearl. Not sapphire nor ruby, nor jade, nor quartz. Nakakabit doon ang ipinangako ni Apollo- ang moonstone na nanggaling pa mismo sa buwan. Hindi iyon makinang gaya ng ibang hiyas, para lamang iyong bilog na batong kulay abo at asul. Pero hindi naman mahalaga para kay Luna ang kinang. Ang mahalaga sa kanya ay ang pangakong dala-dala ng singsing na iyon. Ang pangako na kayang gawin ni Apollo ang lahat para lang sa kanya. Kahit pa ang kumuha ng moonstone sa buwan.
Ilang saglit pa'y nagsalita na ang pari
"Luna?" hudyat ng pari para umpisahan na ni Luna ang sarili niyang pangako.
"Aries, take this ring as the token of my bond to you, and as the emblem of my sincerest oath to take you as my lawfully wedded husband. Before God and these witnesses, I vow to love you and take care of you for as long as I am living. I vow to take you with your faults and strengths. With your weaknesses and perfection. I take you whatever and whoever you are. I've seen you in your highs and in your lows and I vow to always go with you, whether in your high or low. I vow to go with you wherever you are. I vow to put every part of me to every part of you. I vow to make you laugh when you are down. To comfort you with my embrace. To become the reason behind your every smile. I vow to sing you lullabies to make you sleep. I vow to be the brightest star in your darkest night, and the biggest moon in your widest space. I vow to love you more than I loved you yesterday, even when your hair got gray, even when you got bald, even when your vision got blurred, I vow to love you until forever, across the time and space, under the sea and over the clouds.To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to nurture and to cherish. I vow to love you to the moon and back, till death do us part. This, Aries, is my solemn promise I will live up with you."
She finished her vows with slight sobs and wide smiles. Two people finally becoming one.
"With the duty vested upon me by the Lord our God, in the law of people and the law of God, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." masayang wika ng pari.
Napuno ng malakas na palakpakan at hiyawan ang buong simbahan, halos nakatayo na ang lahat, sabik na makita ang highlight ng seremonya.
Apollo placed his arms at Luna's back, he turned her to face him and bend her over a bit. Saglit silang nagtitigan. Kapwa sila nakangiti, walang mapagsidlan ng saya. Then slowly, Apollo leaned down to her, to plant his lips on hers, to seal the vows with a kiss. Slowly slowly slowly until their lips touched. They shut their eyes and stayed like that for a moment. Making a mental note that when they open their eyes, when they parted their lips, it's the start of their forever.
It might not have been easy for both of them. It might have been stupid for Luna, for hanging around with Apollo and not even finding out what the truths about their hearts are. It might been hard for Apollo that things are always a chasing game, running after the one he loves even if he knows that she's never gonna look behind. A domino effect, he falls for her, but she falls for another. It might not have been a perfect piece of picture before, when things are rough, and out of places and unfitting and truth are blinded and hopes are false. But those were all before. And it doesn't matter now.
What matters now is the love they have proven for each other. A love that took time to discover but a love that had long since been inside of them.
"I love you to the moon and back." malambing na bulong ni Apollo kay Luna.
"I love you to the Pluto and back." nakatawa namang tugon nito.
Once again, they kissed. Now more passionately. A start of their forever indeed. A start of their infinity. A start of two souls entwined as one.
A living proof that first love almost never lasts. But true love almost always does.