"My mom doesn't hate you, Arch. She hates that she's watching herself and tito Brent through us and she's scared that we'd end up the same way as they did."
> In which Brent and Elin tried their best to make it work. But when the world doesn't want...
This was the tightest hug that I ever got from Brent.
The hug of goodbye.
I tried my best to smile and be happy for him, This was his wedding day after all. He was wearing his coat and he borrowed a little time to say goodbye as this time tomorrow he would never be mine and we could never try again.
"We really tried," he whispered. Mukha siguro kaming tanga sa likod ng simbahan, hawak hawak niya ang pisngi ko at pinupunasan ang bawat luhang pumapatak. "we tried so hard."
Tumango ako, I straightened his tie and fixed his collar. "we did," sagot ko.
but we didn't make it.
I think of the five times we tried to make this work. First was in highschool, second in college, third when he stopped basketball, fourth when I came back from Singapore and the fifth and last was last year, when we both thought we succeeded.
But we didn't.
"You know how much I love you, El." I nodded and gave him a smile.
"I do. And you know how much I hate this day."
He chuckled. "I do."
"Mahal na mahal kita," I said. But before he could say it back, Ricci called his name.
He kissed my knuckles, one last time. I watched him wipe his tears and put on a smile before walking inside the church.
I do. I whispered to myself as I watched Brent shed a few tears, Sydney was walking down the aisle. Everyone's attention was on her as it should be, But his eyes met mine. "Mahal kita," He mouthed. And I couldn't do anything but smile through the tears.
I watched the love of my life marry someone else.
"Tara na?" I looked up and saw CJ. He had this smile on his face and pity in his eyes.
