dans une autre vie

Epilogue

Epilogue

"You'll be my anchor when I'm in the field, you'll be my strength when I'm in pain and you'll be the only person I will love for the rest of my life. I know it's hard for you when you saw me leave, no assurance of what might happen next or in the future but I'm holding for the fact that we won't give up on this fight because what we have is like a battlefield, we won't stop until we won the fight. You're the reason I'm fighting and you'll always be the reason I'll keep fighting. Just like what I said every time you worried, don't overthink and let it all comes without intervening it... but I guess the most beautiful thing that happened when I came to ruin your life but in a good way, makes sense right? We might have our own ways now, you back in the Philippines and still, distance kept us apart. But you know that we'll always find a way to each other, right? We will always be. Je T'aime, Leonardo De Guzman. Lovingly yours, Michel Beck."

"So what happened, Papi? Why didn't you guys end up together?" Lukas asked.

"If that happens, your mom wouldn't be and you wouldn't be alive," Leo answered to his grandson. "But to answer your question, our relationship was actually going great and we were so in love with each other that we've already thought about setting up a marriage ceremony if one of us visits the country, vice versa but that didn't happen... it was all a fuss of our dreams and it turns out quite hallucinations because it didn't work out."

"You broke up?" Brian asked.

"We did... eventually," Leo confessed. "After his three-year duty overseas, he met a woman back in his hometown and they quickly get to know each other. Without me being there, it is hard for me to be at his side knowing all the possibilities of losing him. Carter, his brother talks to me about what his brother do until one day, out of nowhere, he had to end his relationship with me because he made the new girl pregnant. I was heartbroken, he was my first love, and clearly, he cheated on me... and then the underlying of he can't pursue long-distance relationship anymore. It is hard, but that's the reality I've entered. I already thought of it way back before we became official, I know these situations would occur and I thought myself not to be hurt by it but it still did because I'm in love with him and the only thing I can do to forget him is to accept that he's not mine anymore..."

"Is that why you married Lola?"

"Uh, yeah... apart from losing Michel, I'm not particularly out with my family so when Mich decided to end things between. I didn't pursue to come out anymore until when I started working, I met your Lola and we just grew together and she somehow made me forget about him. Her love replaced his love, but sure, I wouldn't forget him because he's my first love. He believed that we can work it out but then he's the one who gives up on us. We're already talking about marriage and yet, he chose to cheat on me... but I don't blame him, I wasn't there to be with him..." Leo laughs. "Funny how I still remember all those times, maybe I wouldn't be able to forget it..." he said, defeated.

"I'm sorry Papi... I didn't know you've gone into that kind of situation and I'm here, rebelling because my parents might not want me anymore."

"They love you, Lukas, I'm sure of that and what you choose to be and who you want to be will always be your choice and it is still you no matter what. You're still Lukas, right? Nothing change right?"

"Yes, Papi..." Lukas answered, nodding his head.

"I don't care if you love a boy, I did the same thing so do what you want to do. You're still you no matter what and if they will hate you, I will help you to get through with it, okay? Because I know how hard to go through this alone..."