Be Mine

13

Lianna placed the two orders of coffee and a chocolate cake on the table. She sat down in front of Gary after the car incident that day. She doesn't know how to repay him other than inviting him to the café.

"Thank you, Lianna.", Gary says.

"Naku, ako dapat ang magpasalamat sayo. Thanks for helping me with my car and dropping me off.", she tells him with a smile.

"Wala yun. Glad to be of help lalo na sa mga old friends like you.", he smiles back and Lianna couldn't describe the feeling when he did that.

She watches him, as he takes a sip of the coffee that she personally made for him. He smiled and said, "This is good, ha!"

"Thanks. We really outsourced good coffee beans for the café."

Gary looked around the café and then to her, "Ang ganda nitong café mo. Akala ko gusto mong maging doctor?"

Lianna smiled at the thought that he still remembers her childhood dream. "I did.", she answers, "I actually took up psychology when I entered college, but I don't know, I felt like my heart wasn't really there."

"But did you finish it?, he asks as he took a sip again.

Lianna nodded, "I did. But I didn't practice it. My parents told me to enroll in baking and culinary classes when I said I want to help Mom run the cafe. I then took other courses that helped me run the place."

Gary nodded as he ate a bite of the cake, which he enjoyed, too.

"Ikaw? How are you after all these years?", she asks him and takes a sip of coffee, too.

"Twenty years na rin tayong hindi nagkikita 'no?"

Lianna nodded, "Ang tagal na nga.", and she giggled.

"Hmmm..", she looks at him as he was about to start, "I am actually working for my Dad."

"Hindi ka natuloy mag-pilot?", she got curious as this was what he really wanted ever since.

Gary shakes his head, "Hindi pumayag si Dad, he wanted me to take over the company, lalo na nung namatay si Mommy.", his tone changed when he said about his Mom. She knows that he is really close to her.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Gary."

"It's okay. Matagal na rin yun."

Lianna feels bad about what he is experiencing. She lost a mom, too, "My mom passed away also. Mga five years na rin."

"Sorry to hear that, too.", and he gave her a smile to make things lighter.

Lianna smiles, "Nakakatawa isipin 'no? We weren't able to push thru with what we really want."

Gary chuckles, "Oo nga eh. But it's okay."

They were silent for a while as she lets Gary drink the coffee and eat the cake. She was observing him to check how the years were good to him. From a clean face during highschool, he now built up some muscles, grew a beard, and still the handsome man he knew and loved years ago.

She was about to ask if he is currently seeing someone when he placed his left hand on the table and saw a ring around his finger.

"Guys, meet Clara Sandoval-Jimenez. She will be our wedding coordinator."

Lianna felt her hand being held by someone under the table and when she decided to look down to know who it is, she's grateful to hold Bianca's, and all she could do was to hold it as tightly as she can. Then she heard Bianca whisper to her, "Breathe, Lia.", she didn't notice that she was holding her breath for a while and tried to exhale calmly.