OMFTORWKAV (Trial Duo #2)

Epilogue 1.2

August 20, 2023, Sunday

Impresso Expresso Café. This is our favorite dating place when we were in college. We are both coffee lovers kaya nagkasundo kaming ito ang gawing dating place.

This is also the place where we first met. I was crying my heart out here in the coffee shop because I failed one of my subjects back then, and as a salutatorian of our high school batch, I was so embarrassed. And then he came, offering me a box of tissue dahil mukhang basang-basa na raw ang panyo ko dahil sa pag-iyak. And that's how our story started.

The last time we met here three years ago, I was not the only one crying—we were both crying. That was the time he admitted everything to me, why he left me without saying a proper goodbye and what happened to both of us within those two years na hindi kami nagpaparamdam sa isa't isa. This is where we cleared all of our problems.

And today, we are just about to celebrate our third anniversary again in this place—our favorite dating place.

I looked at my wrist watch, it's already 5:58 in the afternoon. Six o'clock ang usapan namin.

Gusto ko sanang umupo kung saan kami pumuwesto three years ago pero may nakaupo na ro'n. I looked around and the only vacant table is the one near the window, na malapit sa entrance door, at nasa harap ng counter. Naupo na ako ro'n because I don't have a choice.

Pagkaupo ko ay nilapitan agad ako ng waitress. She asked me kung ano raw ang order ko, but I told her that I'm still waiting for my date. Pagkaalis niya ay napansin ko na parang halos lahat ng nasa café ngayong oras ay nakatakip ng menu ang mga mukha. Wait, iyon na ba ang bagong paraan ng pagtingin ng menu? Dapat nakatakip talaga sa mukha?

I just shrugged and looked at the photos in my phone. Simula nang magkabalikan kami, we filled our phones with our pictures. Binawi namin 'yong dalawang taon na nawala sa amin. At halos sumobra pa nga kami because we made a lot of memories together.

Three years had passed since Knight came back to me. In those three years, he proved to me that I'm still the one he loves. Walang araw na hindi siya bumawi. Kahit simpleng pangangamusta, pagtawag bago matulog, simple greetings, ay ginawa niya. Kapag may times na hindi siya makakapunta sa family event namin o sa event ko mismo, sinisigurado niyang may pa-deliver siyang regalo. O hindi kaya, babawi siya nang bongga sa next date namin.

Knight also proved to my papa that he deserves a second chance. Nagkasundo uli sila ni Papa. On our first three years, sobrang close ni Knight sa parents ko. Kung gaano 'ko ka-close sa mama at mga ate niya, gano'n din siya sa parents ko. Kaya hindi ako nagtaka kung napatawad din siya ni Papa. His reasons are reasonable anyway.

And in those three years, napatunayan ko sa sarili kong mahal talaga ako ni Knight. Sadyang hindi lang niya nakayanan ang mga problema niya noon. Which I understand. Because I, too, came to that point. Kahit hindi pa nagiging kami. There were—and there are still—times that I just want to shut everything. Sino bang tao ang hindi nakakaranas ng breakdown? Kaya hindi ko na rin pinahirapan nang sobra si Knight.

6:13 PM. Bakit wala pa siya? Never siyang na-late kahit dalawang minuto sa date namin, madalas nga siyang maaga.

I was about to send him a text and check if he's online when I heard someone speak.

"Mic test, mic test. Hello, hello." Napalingon ako sa pinanggalingan ng boses. Wait, I know that voice, that playful baritone voice.

When I looked at the man standing in front of the counter, my heart beats fast. Wala pa siyang ginagawa pero nagwawala na ang puso ko.

That's how much I love him. That's how much I love Knight. So damn much.

"Good evening, dear customers! My family and I actually rented this café for tonight's event. I have a very important announcement to make. And I thank Impresso Expresso Café for granting our request to rent their café tonight."