Way back into Love

Epilogue

Hey, you. Yes, you! I just want to thank you. Thank you for giving this story a chance. Thank you for reading up to this part. Sana naenjoy at may natutunan kayo. Thank you for letting me share to you a little bit part of me. Dahil sayo, kaya patuloy na magsusulat ako. See you on my next story? :) God bless all. Lovelots! ♥️

Iya's POV

That day, we came home hand in hand. Dumiretso muna kami sa Daddy niya. Nasurprise si Tito sa pag-uwi ni Eric, pero mas nasurprise ata siya na kasama ako ni Eric. Tito thanked me that night for me giving his son another chance. Hay. Tito Rod still ship us!

And it's been a year since that night though. On my side, tuwang tuwa din si Tita. Team Eric 'to eversince, eh! And mama's happy for me too. Atleast hindi na daw work ang lagi kong pagkakaabalahan.

It's funny how sometimes, the person who inflicts us pain, is also the only one who can take it away.

Who would have thought that we will still end up together? All along, siya pa rin pala talaga. Siya lang. And I am so happy to be with him.

My best friends, Krizel and Rein knew too. Sila pa ba, mahuhuli? I narrated them all things that happened that they missed. Hindi kasi nila nalaman na umalis si Eric at two years siyang nawala. So yeah, at the end they still support me. And Krizel and Gio's getting stronger. And guess what? Rein ended up with Brix!

"Love, matagal ka pa ba dyan?" Eric knocking on my door.

"Oo, eto na. Wait." I wear my earrings at tinignan ang sarili sa salamin.

Wedding Anniversary kasi nina Tito Rod at Tita Erica ngayon. If Tita's still here, they would be celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Today's October 14. Advance Celebration na din for Eric's birthday in the next two days.

Lumabas na ako at dumiretso na kami ni Eric sa sasakyan. He drove through our way to Shang-ri La. Doon kasi ang venue para medyo malaki.

Sinalubong kami ng friends namin. And Chesca too.

Yep, friends na din kami. Eric said that sinundan nga siya noon ni Chesca sa NY. Pero nag sorry lang siya ulit at tinanggihan si Ches. Sad but natanggap naman niya. She always said to us na we already had our "karma" so binibigay na daw niya ang happy ending namin. We always laughed at that thought.

Magsasalita na si Tito sa harap. Bumaling ako sa katabi kong text nang text. Siniko ko siya ng bahagya.

"Huy. Who's you're texting ba? Magsisimula na." sabi ko. Lumingon naman siya sa side ko.

"Huh?" Tapos tumingin siya sa harap. "Ahh, yeah." Tapos tinago niya na ang phone niya. Inakbayan niya ang likod ng upuan ko.

Nasa isang table kami nila Krizel at Rein together with Gio and Brixx.

Tito Rod's in front. "Can I have your attention please?" Simula niya.

"First of all, I want to thank you for being here with us. Celebrating our 50th Wedding Anniversary with my love up there. Sweetheart, I know you're here, smiling. And this is also a advance birthday celebration for my only son's Birthday, Robert Eric."

Eric raised up his hand. Did I mention na nandito din ang iba pang friends ni Tito at pati Tita ko? So yeah, they are here, too.

Pagkatapos ng speech ni Tito ay kumain muna ang lahat. After that, hindi ko makita si Eric. Kanina pa hindi mapakali yun, eh! Kaya ayun. Lumapit muna ako kina Gio na malapit sa dance floor.

"Uy, nakita niyo ba si Eric?"

"Huh? Hindi, eh. Tara picture muna tayo!" Aya ni Gio.

Nagpicture kami. Nagmukha akong fifth wheel sa kanila. Gosh. San ba 'to si Eric??
I excused myself from them and search for Eric. I'm trying to contact him pero naka-off ang phone niya.

Uuwi na lang ako. Bwisit siya! Ano ba kasing pinagkakaabalahan niya? Tsk. I wanted to surprise him kasi nga birthday niya in two days. Pero nag aaksaya pala ako sa wala.

Naglalakad na ako sa hallway ng makita si William. If I'm not mistaken, classmate namin 'to nung grade six!

"William?"

"Uy, Iya! Dyan ka pala. Saan punta mo?"

"Uwi na. Ikaw? May event kang pupuntahan?"

"Ah, eh. Oo, eh." Kamot pa niya sa batok niya.

"Tara sama ka sakin." hinila niya ko sa kung saan.

"Uy! Saan tayo pupunta??"

Someone even blindfolded me! What the hell?

Nung nakarating na kami sa kung saan, binitawan ako nila William. Tinanggal ko ang blindfold ko. Medyo madilim pa din. Tapos paliwanag nang paliwanag.
Then I heard someone singing and strumming the guitar...

Eric??

When your legs don't work like they used to before
And I can't sweep you off of your feet
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks

Nagulat ako nung makita ang lahat na nandito din. Pati yung mga classmate namin nung grade school. What's going on?

And darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70
And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23

Then lumapit siya sa akin at kinuha ang kamay ko.

I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe it's all part of a plan
I'll just keep on making the same mistakes
Hoping that you'll understand

Someone held the guitar for him. Then he kneel in front of me!

"Babe, Love, my baby, this is the day we've always waiting for. Sorry for taking it this long. Promise, I'll make it up to you. We have the rest of our life..."

Naghiyawan ang ibang bisita. At this moment, I can't recognize other people but him. Naiiyak na ko. I tried to hide my tears by covering my mouth.

"I love you. I really do. Not because my parents wants us to end up together but because you make my heart beat for you since the very first day I met you. Since gradeschool, Iya. Sinubukan kong magmahal ng iba pero wala, eh. Ikaw pa rin. And that's when I realized that you are the one. My first love, my last, my greatest and my true love."

"I don't know what the future may hold, but I'm ready to face whatever it is as long as you are there. Let me love you forever. Aaliyah Marie Lopez, will you let me? Will you marry me?"

I cried. I nod to him. "Yes!!"

He put the ring on my finger and kissed me. Naghiyawan naman ang mga tao dito. Nagulat ako nung nandito ang mama ko. Ang sabi niya, Eric formally asked my hand to her before executing this.

This guy and his surprises!

Finally. We have our happy ending. Our story is not perfect. And will never be. But atleast, nag fail man, heto pa rin kami.

I am wondering before if love really find its way back? And now, I have the answer. And that is, yes. It did. And once you have that love don't ever let that took away from you again. Because true love is rare. And now that I have my own, hindi ko na ito pakakawalan pa.

As one saying goes, "People who are meant to be together find their way back. They make take few detours, but they're never lost."