Come Inside

XX

Thank you for reaching this chapter, and for your patience and understanding. Love you all! Please read the author's note at the end. And please answer the question upon finishing the chapter. <3

- x-

ELAINE WIPED OF DUST THAT WERE IN RAICCA'S TOMBSTONE. She smiled despite of what she was feeling the moment she stepped there. Nakaramdam siya ng inggit nang makita niya ang pangalan nito.

Raicca Elvira Figueroa- Baltazar
Born: February 28, 1988
Died: June 1, 2010

Mabuti pa si Raicca, kasal kay Jacob. Mabuti pa si Raicca, gamit ang apelyidong gustong-gusto niya. She heaved a deep sigh. It's been a year since Jacob let her have a space on her own, since he let her go to find herself again, to accept things. And for a few months, everything had changed.

Tanggap na niya ang nangyari kina Jacob at Raicca. But sometimes she kept on thinking what if that never happened, what if Raicca didn't have cancer and died. There were so many unanswerable questions in her mind but she smiled at all of it.

"Raicca, ang swerte mo. Ako ang girlfriend niya noon pero ikaw ang mas inuuna niya. And you loved him dearly but you were just a friend to him. Kaibigan ka lang niya pero pinakasalan ka niya. Nagkaanak kayong dalawa. You fulfilled one of the best wishes he had. I'm happy that you became a mother before you were taken. I'm genuinely happy for you," Elaine said to Raicca's grave. "Thank you for being there for Jacob when I was so weak. Thank you for making him happy while I was making him distressed. If you were alive right now, sigurado akong hindi na ako babalikan ni Jacob. He had feelings for you. He had. I felt it. The sincerity, care, trust, and respect."

Elaine imagined Raicca's face. The face she remembered so much. The way her straight silky hair fell to her face while she looked down. Raicca had the most contagious smile Elaine had seen dahil noong college sila ay sa tuwing nakikita niyang ngumingiti si Raicca, napapangiti rin ang mga kasama nito. Elaine never had anything against it dahil kaibigan din ang turing niya kay Raicca. Naalala niya rin ang mga pagkakataong magkasama sila ni Raicca kapag hinihintay si Jacob tuwing training ng binata habang pinag-uusapan nila ang buhok ni Jacob.

"Elaine!" Napalingon siya sa pinanggalingan ng boses ni Camille at saka siya kumaway, isang senyas na pinapalapit niya ito. Obviously, Camille was with Kael. Nang makalapit ay agad itong sumambit, "Ngayon lang ako nakapunta rito sa puntod ni Raicca. Hindi naman kasi kami close noon kaya hindi ko dinadalaw."

"Ano ka ba? Ayos lang 'yon. Ang dami kayang alam ni Raicca tungkol sa 'yo."

"Ano? Chinichismis mo buhay ko kay Raicca?"

The both women laughed then hugged each other. Over the past year, they had reconciled their relationship. Camille explained everything to her. Well, Camille was forced by Kael to be his girlfriend because some ex was still after him after knowing that Kael didn't want to marry her anymore. It wouldn't be realistic if Kael chose Elaine to be his girlfriend after he backed out from the engagement. So he stuck with Camille. And Elaine felt stupid that day.

"Hindi! Gaga ka."

The women fell silent. Elaine nodded at Kael who was smiling at her while holding Camille's hand. Kael returned the recognition. Then Elaine looked down on Raicca's grave.

"So, Jacob really did marry Raicca, huh?" Elaine felt Camille's gaze on her.

Elaine shrugged. "Yeah, dahil akala ni Jacob hindi na ako babalik. And he also believed that Raicca will fight through cancer."