Anselmo's stories for Era. Stories to remember whenever he forgets how to love.

Ang gusto ni Aia, si Erik. Ang gusto ni Erik, maging pari. Part one.

A dumb suggestion from my friend says that there's a foolproof method to know whether you like someone romantically or not. It's simple. All you have to do is close your eyes, think of that person, and imagine kissing them. Kapag nandiri ka, e di hindi mo gusto. But if the opposite happened, e di, delikado ka na. I'm a hundred percent sure that I only see Chio Cervantes as a friend. I just got confused because he's suddenly everywhere right after my ex-boyfriend got into a relationship with a girl he told me not to worry about. Besides, hindi ko rin siya type. He's noisy. He's shameless. He procrastinates a lot. He likes wiping the sweat off his forehead and wipe it on my arm. He drives with both his hands which somehow doesn't look appealing . . . and for some reason he doesn't refuse picking me up even when it's late at night. He always brings an extra handkerchief because I keep on forgetting mine along with a shirt I can borrow in case I need to change. He brings me good food to take my mind off deadlines. He doesn't hesitate to communicate his feelings and I honestly envy him for that. And he makes me laugh. Whatever. But just to be sure, at dahil madali lang namang gawin 'yong method, I closed my eyes and imagined his lips against mine. I realized one thing after opening my eyes. I'm in deep trouble and there's no way of getting out. BETWEEN YOUR LIPS AND MINE Cervantes Series Second Generation #1 2022, ynativity

A day in the life of a Castallonon bishop... and his four temperamental dogs.

[THIS IS THE SECOND PART OF A TWO-PART STORY.] 'Do what makes you happy; be with whoever makes you happy,' they say. But what if the things or people that make you happy aren't what you need? There are some things that go together that make you happy but don't necessarily result to something good in the long run. But you keep coming back to it. Like your heart is bound to keep wanting it. Like drugs and candy. Like cigarettes and alcohol. Like tempting fatty foods and a high-sugar drink. Like two hearts bound to retrace its steps back to each other, craving for the familiar rush. And after sleeping with her ex-boyfriend's best friend, Nadia finds her and Elias in this same category. Lovestruck Series: HEARTBOUND (Part Two of Two) ynativity, 2024 Cover illustration by charameldraws

Because life after leaving the priesthood isn't as easy as it seems. An epistolary.

Because life after breaking a vow teaches you how not to break it again. A novelette.