Fall For You

Epilogue

Epilogue

TOBI

Napatingin ako sa phone ko nang marinig kong tumunog iyon. Addy's beautiful smile flashed, huminga ako ng malalim at itinuon muli ang atensyon ko sa laptop ko. Ilang sandali matapos itong matigil sa pagring nang tumunog muli ito tanda na may nagtext.

I grabbed my phone.

Fr: Girlfriend Ko
San ka na, boyfriend ko? Food's ready.

Nagtipa ako ng reply.

To: Girlfriend Ko
Sorry, girlfriend ko. Baka matagalan pa ako, ang dami ko pa kasing tatapusin.

Napapikit ako nang magflashback sa akin ang pag-uusap namin ni Daddy bago siya mawala. This memory, again. Fuck.

Narinig kong bumukas ang pinto ng office ko pero hindi ako nagmulat ng mata.

"Hindi ka pa uuwi?" Narinig kong sabi ni Troy.

Doon lang ako nagmulat ng mata. "Just need to review some projects." I told him.

He sighed. "You can work on that tomorrow. Umuwi ka na sa fiancé mo, Tobi. You might not hear her say it, but that doesn't mean that she's not hurting." Paalala nito bago lumabas muli sa office ko.

Pag-uwi ko ay naabutan kong mahimbing nang natutulog si Addy. I sat down beside her and watched her sleep.

Nabasag ang puso ko nang makita kong may bakas na naman ng luha ang unan nito. I gently touched her hair, down to her face. "I'm sorry." I whispered, tears streaming down my face.

Alam kong may usapan kami na maaga kami uuwi ngayon para makapagluto siya at para sabay kami magdinner.

But everytime I'd bring myself near her, I'd remember those times that I should've stayed with my Dad, and figured out that there was something wrong instead of living my best life with her.

The guilt of not being there for my Dad during his last moments when he's been there for me my entire life was eating me up from the inside out.

That, and the pain of losing the only family I have, yet again. I just feel like I don't deserve to be happy anymore. Kasi tuwing sumasaya ako, may nagiging kapalit.

"Alam kong hirap na hirap ka na." Mahinang sabi ko kahit alam ko naman na hindi niya ako naririnig dahil mahimbing na ang tulog nito.

She's hurting, I know. I can see that. I'm not fucking blind. But I'm feeling all these emotions—pain, grief, guilt, loneliness, everything all at once that I couldn't care less about other people's pain, not even hers.

"I—I love you." I said before leaning in and kissing her head.

Alam kong mula nawala si Daddy ay hindi ko pa iyon nasasabi sakanya ng harapan. I don't know why but I just can't. It's just that something's holding me back, but I can't exactly pinpoint which of these many emotions was it.

Lumipas ang mga araw and before I know it, we were just two days away from Dad's death anniversary.

I was interrupted with what I'm doing when Emma stormed into the office out of nowhere. "You are unbelievable!" She hissed.

My eyebrows furrowed. "What?" I said, completely clueless of what she's talking about.

"Addy called me last night, crying—again!" Nanggigigl na sabi niya.

Bumuntong hininga ako. "Please, it's Dad's death anniversary in two days, just let me be." Sabi ko dito.

Mataman niya akong tinignan. "You have got to stop using Tito Ashton as an excuse for being a bad partner. Addy deserves better than this, and you know it." Galit na sabi ni Emma bago ito lumabas ng office ko.