Begin Again

Moving on?

I stared at the screen, my vision blurring as I reread the story I'd written years ago. It had been two and a half years since I left, and I still hadn't brought myself to delete it from my laptop or my phone. Rereading it felt like yesterday—I could still feel the raw, desperate emotions I'd typed out just to keep myself from going insane.

Sharing my pain with the world through that app had been my only lifeline back then.

Now, I was in Central Park. It was like a massive, triple-sized version of the Ayala Triangle. My life was... quiet. I had my job, my occasional visits from family, and my bike rides. I was almost contented. Almost. I still missed him every single day. At first, the sadness had been bone-deep, a physical ache that made me want to swim back across the ocean. But I had made a choice, and I had stood by it. I thought if I just waited, he would follow. But he never did. Martha wouldn't give me updates, either—she just told me to "harden up."

Maybe he moved on, I thought, letting out a long, shaky breath. Maybe he realized there are plenty of fish in the sea.

"I hope that includes me..."

I froze. The voice was deep, familiar, and painfully real. I bolted upright from the grass.

"Are you building your plan without me again, wife?"

I spun around. There he was. Philip.

My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. Was I hallucinating? Had I finally snapped? I scrambled to my feet, grabbing my bike, ready to bolt.

"Fenylyn Rose Martè..." His warm hand snaked around my arm, then firmly onto my waist.

I gasped, my legs turning to jelly. I dropped the bike, the metal clattering loudly against the pavement.

"Tatakasan mo na naman ako?" he murmured, his voice dropping into that low, dangerous register I remembered too well. He pulled me toward him, his breath ghosting over my neck.

"Philip..." I whispered, my voice failing me.

"Magmo-move on ka?" he asked, his voice shifting from tender to sharp. "At ano ako? Kakalimutan mo na lang? Asawa mo pa rin ako, akala mo?"

I looked up at him. He looked tired, hurt, and deeply angry. "Sinabi ko ba iyon?"

"Oo! Sabi mo magmo-move on ka na kaya ka minumulto!"

I stared at him, stunned. "Maybe because of my parents' genes?"

He blinked, then let out a low laugh, pulling me flush against him. "Shhh... You're not stupid. You just love me, that's all."

I pushed at his chest, trying to maintain my pride. "Ang hangin mo!"

He kissed me—hard, hungry, and unapologetic. When he pulled back, he was grinning like an idiot. I felt a mix of rage and relief. Two years! He'd left me at the door when I tried to compromise, and now he was here acting like nothing happened?

No, Fen, I told myself. Look at him.

I stopped fighting and buried my face in his chest, wrapping my arms around him with everything I had.

"Sira ulo ka!" I sobbed, hitting his chest. "Bakit ngayon ka lang? Ha!"

"You said you needed time for yourself," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "You said you wanted to conquer the world without me. I was hurt, Fen. I was blinded by fear—I couldn't lose you. I planned to follow you, but my pride wouldn't let me. I kept thinking... what if you met someone else? What if you changed your mind?"

"Maraming kano talaga?" I teased through my tears.

"Oo, I'm serious, babe... don't laugh."

"So what changed your mind?"

He sighed, pressing his forehead against mine. "Sinampal ako ni Martha."

I gasped. "She what?!"

"She called me a coward. She said if I couldn't lose you, I needed to eat my pride and chase you. That it's heart before pride."

He looked at me then, all the anger gone, replaced by a love so sincere it made my knees weak. He had flown a million miles just to find me. All the bumps in the road, the years of silence, the heartbreak—it had all led us to this destination.

"I love you..." I whispered, feeling the weight of the last two years finally lifting.

"I love you," he answered, cupping my face as he leaned in.

There, in the middle of Central Park, under the summer sky, the distance between us finally disappeared. We were home.