Tú Eres Mi Sol

LX

Sixty. Pwede nang mag-retire?  May benefits na kayang makakuha? Hmm?
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Richard came home today, it was all quiet. Having visitors for the last three weeks was crazy but then when they all leave, the silence becomes deafening. He missed them.

His friends left for their New York City adventure two days ago, they invited him but because of work, he couldn't.

Dei left yesterday in a rush, her grandfather slipped on the bathroom floor. It was nothing serious but at his age, Dei was seriously concerned. Richard booked her flight and said, "I know you want to be there and you should be. You are all they have"

***

"Opa, how are you feeling?" Dei sitting on her grandparent's bed

"I'm doing well, Sweetheart. You didn't have to fly all the way to here."

"Opa, I want to. I want to be here with you." Dei moved to give her grandfather a hug.

Ralph Montenegro was sent to the best boarding schools and grew up knowing he was the heir to their groups of companies. Right after college, he asked if he could go backpacking around Asia before he start working for the company. His parents agreed.

It would be in Singapore that he would meet the Manila-born Ann Sevilla. Ann moved to Singapore when she was 4 just as her parents started building their business in Singapore. Ann grew up in a middle class household.

He would first bump into her at the Singapore National Library. There he would be mesmerised by her big brown eyes. He tried introducing himself but Ann would have none of it as she had a boyfriend at that time.

After a series of kismet meetings, he finally had a chance to meet her at a book club. She just kept to herself and he respected it.

He left Singapore after one week and it was bittersweet. He didn't know why at that moment, instead of continuing his Asia adventure, he booked a flight home.

A year after, his meeting with Ann forgotten, his parents asked him to set up offices in Singapore with the help of their contacts. A month in, he sees a lady in a store whose eyes were very familiar, it would be after several visits when he found out the name of the girl and one night, he realised that it was the same girl he met years ago. The feelings, he had resurfaced. This time he was adamant not to let her go.

He pursued her and after three months, she finally agreed to go out with him. After two months, he proposed marriage. She agreed. They married a week after.

If you ask Ralph why he proposed marriage after two months of being together and got married immediately a week after, he'd say when you know, you just know. Life is shot and fleeting. Why wait for tomorrow when you can start building your life together now.

They moved to Switzerland and nine months after, they had Alessia, to Ralph's parent's delight. Unfortunately, there was some complications during the child birth that made Ann unable to bear anymore children.

When news of Alessia's death reached them, they were devastated so was his parents. The only light they found in this time of darkness was the news that Alessia gave birth to a healthy baby, Dei.

***

They were having lunch at a makeshift table in the bedroom. Ralph was advised to be on bedrest for two days.

Ann was sitting next to Ralph and feeding him food.

"Honey, I can still hold utensils. You know." Ralph told Ann sweetly

"Honey, you're on bedrest. Let me do this to you, just like old times" Ann said and kissed her husbands forehead.

Dei smiled, she can't help but feel love in the air. They may have grown older but their love grows more each year.

"Opa, Oma, I actually have a surprise for the both of you. I wanted the both of you to know first."

Dei hands them an envelope.

The couple opens it together and they become teary-eyed upon reading the contents.

"Dei!" Ann opens her arms to give Dei a hug and Ralph give his granddaughter unlimited butterfly kisses.

"Sweetheart, this is amazing. We are so proud of you."

***

Dei video calls Richard at 6 in the morning. She had set her alarm.

"Dei! Bakit gising ka na?" Richard asks who is in bed

"I want to see you e and talk to you."

"Dei, Love, You don't need to wake up early."

Dei's pouting. "Nag-eeffort na nga ako e!"

"Dei, Love, don't be mad. I just want you to get the sleep that you need. I know how much you love sleep"

"I know. But we haven't spoken each other for a week na for more than 10 minutes!"

"Love, I know, I know but we're going to do this right?"

"Of course!"

"RJ, Love, I have news!"

"What? Have you been admitted to your dream school?"

"RJ, Love I'm forwarding something to you. Wait before that, set up this call on your laptop first."

"Alright!"

"Dei, Love, laptop na!"

"Here it is, forwarding! Check you phone! Look at the camera on your laptop, I want to see your reaction"

Richard checks his phone and reads a message. He smile turns into a huge grin.

"I am sooo proud of you, Love! This is amazing!"

Dei smiles widely. "Opa and Oma said the same thing. I wanted to show them first"

"They must be very very proud of you."

It was an email from one of her professors saying that Dei is to graduate from Cambridge with the highest honours in October.