Today is the day Ruru grieved. The day that he prayed would never come or at least, come later. The day, he wished on every star, that would be centuries away. This was the same day his daughter spent her whole lifetime waiting.

   Man, did he never want this to happen.

   "Baba, I'm getting married!" she squealed and bounced in front of him like when she was a little girl.

   "Really? That's great, Princess," he smiled and pulled her into a hug. He hugged her tight and caressed her hair. Ruru knew it wasn't the last time he was seeing her but, she was getting married. His princess that he gave his time to, the very same one he cried to God for, the very same one that was twirling in front of him and dancing ballet, the very same one that he fed at night, the one he so willingly tired himself out for, was gonna be someone else's queen.

   "Baba, are you okay?" Noelle asked as she broke away from the hug.

   "Of course, sweetheart. Okay lang ako. I just can't believe my little girl is getting married. It was like yesterday, I was holding you in my arms with your head on my chest, and now, you're engaged," he said and looked at her face. She looked more and more like her mother as the years gone by.

   "Baba, I'll still be your little girl," she said as they sat down on the couch and cuddled up to her father.

   "I know that, Baby. I just hope he'll take good care of you because if not, nako," he said jokingly.

   "Baba, he will take care of me, I promise. At kung hindi man, I'm a black belter," she joked.

   "I guess those taekwondo and arnis lessons will be put to great use then."

   "And don't forget the muay thai and kickboxing."

   "Well, you have to thank your mother for that."

   "Baba, I'm gonna miss living in this house. I'm gonna miss you and Mama and Kuya din but he doesn't live here naman eh. Mami-miss ko yung every morning may breakfast na and stuff like that," she said and started tearing up.

   Ruru wiped away her tears with his thumb, "Hey, huwag kang umiyak. You're supposed to be happy. Ako dapat yung umiiyak."

   "Baba naman eh!"

   "Don't cry na, Princess. You're engaged na oh. All grownup na," he said and felt a little sad.

   "Dapat ikaw din, no crying ha?"

   "Hindi naman ako umiiyak ah," he denied.

   "At dapat talaga di ka iiyak," she joked.

   "Iyan yung hindi ko mapapangako."

   "But you're happy for me naman diba, Ba?" she asked like a little girl.

   "Oo naman. I'm so happy that you finally found the one for you," he replied and put an arm around her.

   "He's like you in so many ways, Baba, I swear."

   "Really? Kasing gwapo ko din ba?" he joked.

   "Siyempre, wala pa din tatalo sa kagwapuhan mo," she replied and put two fingers under his chin.

   "Ganyan dapat kahit kasal ka na, ha? Si Baba pa din ang pinaka gwapo sa buong mundo."

   "That will never change naman eh. You are my standard, Baba."

   Ruru couldn't help but feel so proud of himself and his daughter. It feels so good to be told that you were somebody's standard especially, your daughter. He knew right then and there that they raised her right.

   "Tell me more about that guy."

   "I already told you so much about him when you met him pero sige. He has black hair that is as wavy as the ocean. His eyes are these big brown orbs that suck you in when you stare. His smile is blinding. He's a great person. He can sing and dance and write poetry but of course, not as well as me. He's really patient and understanding. And when we converse, it's almost like we can talk about anything! He's a real intellectual," she says her eyes sparkling and her smile wide. Her deep dimples, which she inherited from her father, showed.

   "Is he?" Ruru asked and looked at her. She was the screaming image of in love. He and Kylie looked just like this a few years back. Not that they aren't in love anymore, it was just this situation was the most exciting.

   "Yup. Back in college, we were friends and he was always a dean's lister. He graduated a cumlaude, Baba."

   "That's great but, is he street smart?"

   "Yes, Ba. Of course, he is."

   "Well, okay then," then they fell silent for a while. It was a comfortable silence, though. They both felt like the they needed no words.

   Ruru started humming her the tune of 'Angels Brought Me Here' as a reflex. Noelle smiled. The song brought them so many memories, from bedtime adventures to tantrums. This was the song that should only be sung by him if it was for her. This song was theirs.

   "Baba, tell me a story," she blurts out.

   Ruru let out a smile, "Kung kailan engaged ka na, dun ka pa magpapa-story."

   "Baba, naman eh! Minsan na nga lang maglambing," she pouted.

   "Oo na, fine. Ano ba gusto mo?"

   "Anything. Kahit yung Amihan-Ybrahim love story, okay lang."

   "I was thinking about something else."

   "What something else?"

   "Remember the chronicles of Princess Miracle?"

   She nodded in return.

   "Once upon a time, born was a beautiful princess," he started, " She was born second in the family. Th-"

   "They called her Princess Miracle for she was truly a miracle that came to her parents," she cut off. He smiled.

   She remembers.

   "That princess was raised by her Mama and Baba. She had one older brother that they loved equally. Although their love for their children was equal, Princess Miracle got more attention because she needed it more. Pero, the Kuya did not complain. She was loved by everyone around her and in return, she would bless their day with her precious smile.

   Even in her tender years, Princess Miracle was kind and strong and intelligent. She spun words on the tip of her tongue and wove beautiful sentences in her brain then, she would put them all together and make lovely poems. She would sing her heart out and dance her way through life.

   Princess Miracle grew up to be such a beautiful woman. She came home one day and told her parents that she found her prince. Her parents were shocked. But Princess Miracle was excited as can be. She was bouncing with joy and her eyes sparkled like stars. She said that he was a great man and that he was everything she ever wanted. 'He's talented,' she said, 'He's smart.' And truly, he was. He was a smart prince and knew a lot of things. But there were some things the prince never knew and never will know."

   She looked up at him in confusion but he only smiled at her.

   "The prince never knew that Princess Miracle couldn't stick to a diet for more than a month because she loved dessert too much. The prince never knew how she scrunches her nose when you touch it. The prince never knew how her mind is wondrously filled with thoughts of dragons and knights in shining armor up to this day. He never knew how she rocks back and forth on her toes when she's nervous. The prince never knew how she loved to be told stories before sleeping. The prince never knew that her Baba was her first dance, first date, and first everything. The prince never knew how the Baba treasured her so much. Most of all, the prince will never ever know that even if the Baba sometimes wishes that Princess Miracle would still hold his hand, asked to be sang to, want to be carried, want to be fed, and cuddle up to him when she sleeps, he still feels so proud of the lady his little princess became and the queen she is ready to be."

   Ruru looked at Noelle's face. Her eyes were filled with tears and she was cuddled up tightly against it with her head on his chest.

   "Oh, why are you crying? Baby, don't cry please," he comforted and wiped away her tears.

   "I love you, Baba."

   "I love you too, Kikay," he said and kissed her head. She smiled. For the longest time, she missed being called her childhood nickname.

   Baba's little Kikay.

   Then she whispered something that made him bawl his eyes out and his heart to melt.

   "Baba, I might have found my prince but you will always be my king."

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