Another Romance

Chapter 17- Kindled Hearts (2)

There was an eerie moment of silence. Her heart throbs, her eyes dimming at the blurry sight of Lance. Faight doesn't know what to say, she can't move no matter how hard she intends to. She wanted to run away but her heart wants to stay.

"Uhm, Lance so...so"

"No need to say sorry" " I was eight when it was built... Like I told you my Dad loosed his sanity when Mom died... Sobrang protective Ng Dadddy Ko sa mom Ko, Kaya sinisi niya sarili niya. It was believed she drowned kasi her body was found floating in this lake" "she was missing one night and my dad can't find her, so he built that thing" "his reasons? Believing na mahahanap niya pa Si mommy, or guilt dahil Wala siyang nagawa to help her, save her"

Cold breeze added to what was already creepy evening. She cleared her throat as she listened intently to Lance's every word.

"It was devastating to see my Dad, holding the dead body of my mom... Yung Iyak niya at sigaw hindi Ko marinig eh, nakakabingi sa sobrang lakas. I was there, standing juts few steps behind him"

His teary eyes defined the depth of pain he felt and suppressed for years.

"Still lance, I'm so sorry for ranting about it"

Lance smiled yes to Faight

"Wait" Faight realised that it was Lance who operates the light house

"Yes?"

"So...so Ikaw Yung?"

"Yes, ako nga"

Faight blushes all over. The one she felt comfortable with, the one she's been weirdly talking to every night, the one who lights up the ligh house and gives her hope and calms her soul was Lance all along.

"Uhmmmm... I don't know what to say, pero thank you"

"Yeah? You're alright...but what's more weird is, how can a devastating thing can give hopes to others?"

Faight smiled at him and gaze back at the lighthouse

"Well, diba a candle needs to be burn to give light? Life is a contrast, one must suffer death to let others appreciate life, and that is what happening to me"

"So deep, but true"

"Uhm... Lance"

Faight bravery asked Lance her curiosity about him operating the light house

"Why?"

"Do I operate it still?"

"Yes"

"Maybe I'm like my Dad... He's hoping to find my mom, while me? Ako, ano nga ba ang hinahanap Ko? O Baka nahanap Ko na. I don't know, Answers? Hope?"

"Faight...you...found me"

Lance looked at her quickly that made her blushed even more. She tucked her hair behind her ear trying to be cool

"Oh diba??? Ang witty Ko don aminin!!!"

Lance giggled and answered her back

"Ikaw talaga"

But his stare never left her face. They stayed there an hour sitting, watching the flies like a movie in a big screen. They stole glances from each other, even without words to utter their hearts talks.

Three hours after, Lance drove Faight home.

"Thank you as paghatid Lance, and sobrang Salamat sa surprise ang saya Ko talaga"

But what made her really happy was the fact that Lance opened up something to her. Although she knows there's something more, opening one's heart to a stranger is a courageous thing to do and for her it was more than enough.

"No worries... Sige good night"

Faight entered her apartment and climbed the stairs quickly. In awe, she discovered a curtain of mini lightbulb hanging all over the walls of her veranda.

"What's this?"

She noticed a small note clipped in one of the wires.

"Fireflies are seasonal, that light house is old. You deserve better, you deserve new, you deserve your own. Hope this will light you up whenever you need it. ~Lance"

Faight cannot contain the happiness she's feeling. She held the note tightly pressed in her chest, slow dancing and humming her way to her balcony. But when she looked down, her eyes widened even more as Lance is still there leaning beside his truck waving good bye at her.

"He he, bye, good night ulit"

She waved the note at him and he smiled.