Aiaw Stories

She always loved him in all the ways that he never did.

Erika Sollaine Ortega was the life of every room-loud, funny, the kind of girl who made strangers laugh and made silence feel less lonely. Pero kapag pamilya na ang kasama, tila ba napapalitan ang saya ng galit. She was easily provoked, constantly misunderstood. Sa mata ng pamilya niya, isa siyang pabigat, bastos, at walang utang na loob. But deep inside, Erika only longed to be seen. She treasured the life God gave her. Kahit na parang laging siya ang mali, pilit pa rin niyang inaahon ang sarili mula sa putik ng pagkukulang. In her heart, she believed that one day, the world would shift in her favor-that everything she had ever wanted would slowly come to her. Especially Kaius Nazir Mendez, the boy she had secretly loved for more than three years. Isang gabi lang sila nagkasama kasama ang mga pinsan niya, but that one night was enough to make her hold onto the thought of him for years. And then he vanished. Ngunit sa hindi inaasahang oras at pagkakataon, muling nagtama ang kanilang landas. Kaius, no longer the same boy she once knew, and Erika, still carrying the same quiet love in her chest. Mahirap magmahal nang tahimik, pero mas mahirap ang mabuhay nang walang pinanghahawakang pag-asa. Kaya kahit pinipilit niyang maging matatag para sa sarili, hindi niya maiwasang umasa na sana... siya rin ang piliin. Sana, kahit minsan, maramdaman niyang may tahanan din siya sa piling ng iba. She held onto people like they were lifelines. She smiled like she wasn't breaking. She laughed like she didn't cry herself to sleep. And maybe, just maybe, that was her strength. But little did she know, like stars that shine brightest before they die, she was meant to burn alone before someone finally dared to hold her light.