Solana

Simula

"What is my next appointment after this meeting?" I asked my secretary pagkapasok na pagkapasok pa lang namin sa elevator.

She pressed the ground floor button at saka inisa-isa ang ilan pang appointments ko. She told me that my next client meeting will be tomorrow at pwede pa muna kaming bumalik sa firm. I nodded at her pero wala doon ang focus ko. Since the meeting has adjourned, I've been staring at the screen of my phone.

From: Ethan
See you when I come back. I love you.

How long has it been again?

Three? Four?

Oh right.

Three weeks.

Tatlong linggo na ang nakalipas mula noong araw na sinend n'ya sa akin ito. Since then, he never slide a message or even bothered to ring my phone. I understand of course. He's doing his job, his own responsibility, and I would not bother to step back if I have to. We're adults and we know the things we should prioritize. 

Besides hindi rin naman ito ang unang beses na nangyari ito. It happened multiple times already. Nasanay na lang rin ako. The only difference is maybe now is the longest stretch that Ethan's away because of this, I'm missing him extra. But if his job requires him to stay longer to save more lives then who am I to hinder?

Four years of relationship with him made me totally realize that it's really difficult to date a doctor. There were also times that we were not together to spend special occasions like Christmas, New year, mostly Valentine's, and even Birthdays. Sometimes it's because we're too fed up of our work, lalo na sa mga tulad n'yang doctor. I understand that Holiday is still a working day for them.

Just like this year.

We won't be spending my birthday together but he promised to make it up to me. And I'm fine with that. Maybe our relationship is really different from any others.

At first, during our first year as a couple, I'm yearning for his presence, his voice, kiss, and touch but I never told him. Instead, I made him feel how much I missed him every time he comes back. Either in his place or mine, it doesn't matter as long as we can make the love between us burning.

I never texted and call him during the time being. When Ethan is not around, I do my own responsibilities as well. I don't want to waste time just waiting for him. I want to actively wait for him so we can share things with each other once we're together all day and night.

I will never get tired of us having a conversation about how our days went without each other and filling our time together mostly talking about the people we met, our work, and other experiences we got to share with each other. In that way, I feel like we're still connected and I get to feel what he felt at that very same moment whenever he's storytelling. In his stories, I feel like I'm also there.

I like how smooth sailing our relationship is.

Hindi nakakasakal, hindi toxic.

He also let me wear any kind of clothes I have in my closet. He's not an overacting boyfriend when he's protecting me. He's not that guy who'll say 'I will let you wear that shit only when you're with me.'

Instead, Ethan is gentle and a gentleman as well. 

I smiled and turn off my phone. Huminga ako nang malalim at tinabi na ang cell phone ko.

God, Ethan. I can't wait to see you.

——

Right after scanning my ID ay agad na sumalubong sa akin si Vernica, a lawyer and the closest friend of mine since law school days. It's odd to see her in the lobby area.