Letters from Spring Street

Chapter 17.3

They decided to stay longer, and they read through some of the letters and notes Richard wrote her over the years.

As they lay on the blanket he set up, Maine comfortably resting on his chest, his arms wrapped around her. He felt her fingertips trace lazy circles on his chest, over his dress shirt, and all he could think about was how perfect that moment was.  "I know I confessed a whole lot tonight, Menggay. But even after everything, there's one more thing you need to know--the most important thing, actually."

"Tisoy, is there anything more important than finding each other again?" She raises her head to look at him, her lips in a slight frown.

He chuckles a little and tickles her side slightly, "Oo naman. There's this one other thing, that I sincerely hope, trumps every single thing I just told you tonight."

"I highly doubt that, Richard. But go on, try me."

He lifts her gently, helping her sit up. He takes her hand, and envelopes them in his. He looks at her, and finds her looking down at their hands. He realizes that time had really changed them--gone was the bubbly little girl, full of spunk and fire. The world might have made Nicomaine more subdued than her remembered--but that doesn't change anything. No, not for Richard.

He takes her chin and lightly lifts her head so that she could look back at him. He smiles at her and wordlessly tucks her hair behind her ear, "Hey, look at me, Menggay. There's nothing to be anxious about."

She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath, and slowly opening them again. Her eyes immediately drawn to his, already gazing back at her.

"That's more like it, Menggay. Your eyes have always been my favorite. And I wish I had recognized them sooner, you know?"

Her cheeks flame red and all she could do was smile, and gently rub her thumbs over his hands.

"Mahal kita."

"Huh?"

"Mahal kita. I love you. You have to know that."

Tears well up around her eyes as she looked tenderly at him, he continues, "I was a little scared when I found out you were Menggay, only because you might think I fell in love with you because you turned out to be my childhood best friend. I know I gushed about her before, but the last thing I wanted was for you to think this, this revelation, fueled my feelings for you."

It surprises her when he lifts up their intertwined hands and gently kissed the back of her hand. "Pero mahal kita Maine, exactly as you are. The fact that you turned out to be Menggay is just the icing on the cake. Ikaw ang mahal ko, and not my memory of how you used to be."

"You have to know." He says as he sees a lone tear slowly run down her face, his hands reaching over to wipe it away, "I think I'd end up loving you even without destiny bringing us together the way it did. Even if we never find out, na ikaw si Menggay at ako si Tisoy, I'd still love you."

He stares at her intently as she kept quiet, his hands getting clammier by the second. "Menggay ko, please, please say something."

"I hate you sometimes." She finally breathes out, it scared him shitless, but the fact that she still looked at him lovingly, calmed him more than she knew.

"I hate that you're this amazing writer--you take these words and string them together and make beautiful masterpieces. And I can never keep up. I don't think I'd ever be able to eloquently relay my feelings the way you did--and I feel like you deserve those beautiful words more than I do."

With her free hand, she reaches out and touches his cheek, caressing it softly. "I hate that you know me so well and how easily you can read me. How can you know all my fears without me needing to telling you?"

"I hate how perfect you are, because sometimes I feel like I won't ever deserve you."

He feels a lump form in his throat and each and every word she says making him more anxious.

"But what I hate most about you is how you make me want to be selfish. To have you all to myself, all to myself to love."

"Maine..." he croaks out and he only realizes that tears were staining his face when she wipes them away. He's surprised when she pulls him in, burying her face in his neck, "I love you too, Richard. I really, really, really love you."

She gently plants a kiss on his cheek and pulls away. She sees his stunned face and offers a smile, "Thank you, thank you for trying to find me."

He finally finds his voice, "I'm sorry I didn't try hard enough." He leans over and kisses her temple, lingering there as he spoke. "But thank you for writing every single year, for never giving up on me, despite the silence."

"No, no. Please don't think that. Everything turned out perfectly, Tisoy. It was meant to happen this way." She says, relishing the feeling of their physical closeness, "I don't think I could be happier right now."

"Ako rin, Menggay. God, there's no way to describe how happy I am right now, nor are there any words to perfectly describe how much I love you."

"Tisoy, is it just me, or this feels more than happiness? It feels so much more than that. This feels..." she looks at him, and somehow he knew exactly how she felt, and suddenly he had the perfect words that could paint the beautiful picture that is their story.

"Like coming home. This feels like coming home, my Menggay."

******

A/N: Guuuuys! Thank you for the overwhelming support for Letters from Spring Street! Umabot ng #18 in fanfiction! PAANO?!?!

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