"Si-CR lang kami. Ang clingy nito!"

Celine let out an exasperated sigh nang gawin siyang subject ng tug of war nina Janelle at Kelvin. When they told everyone about their current status, Janelle immediately asked her for a double date. Matagal na kasi nitong gusto iyon. Wala lang syang boyfriend dati kaya hindi nila iyon magawa-gawa.

Dati-rati, pinandidirihan niya iyong idea. Now, she's all for it. She even suggested the place.

"Kay Marlon ka na lang kasi magpasama!" Kelvin retorted.

"Hindi sya pwede sa CR ng babae!" Janelle pulled her arm. Kelvin pulled the other.

"Ano ba!" She pulled both her arms back. "Para kayong mga bata!"

"'Yang boyfriend mo kasi!" nakangusong sabi ni Janelle.

Inakbayan siya ni Kelvin then he stuck his tongue out at Janelle. She rolled her eyes while Marlon simply laughed. Parang aso't pusa ang dalawa pa nilang kasama, palibhasa'y pareho ng ugali.

"Hoy, Aragonza, umayos ka ha. Tandaan mong inireto kita dito sa kaibigan ko. Baka gusto mong bawiin ko ang approval ko sa 'yo."

"Bawiin mo. Sisingilin kita do'n sa nagastos ko sa kasal mo."

Marlon guffawed. Janelle elbowed her husband while she slapped Kelvin's arm in a reprimanding manner.

"What? She started it."

She huffed. Tumayo siya at hinila rin patayo ang kaibigan, ignoring Kelvin's complaint.

"Sandali lang kami," paalam niya rito.

--

Pagdating sa CR, tumapat lang ito sa salamin at nag-retouch.

"Akala ko naiihi ka?"

"Arte lang 'yon," sagot nito. Then she turned to her, beaming. Nagulat siya nang umirit ito saka siya niyakap. "I'm so happy for you both! Ang cute-cute nyo!"

"Ano 'yan? Dinala mo lang ako rito para makairit ka?" natatawa niyang tanong.

"Alam mo namang pagagalitan ako ni Marlon kapag umirit ako sa harap nya," paliwanag nito. "So kumusta naman? Nag-kiss na ba kayo? For sure, di ba? Ano'ng feeling?" sunod-sunod nitong tanong.

She didn't want to tell her about the kiss, thinking that the information is for her and Kelvin alone. But she nodded, to answer Janelle's second question.

Pinaghahampas siya nito sa braso.

"How was it?" she pried.

"Basta."

Janelle snorted. "Naman, e. Ano nga?"

"Secret."

"Ang daya! Ito na lang: nai-enjoy mo ba?" Janelle wiggled her eyebrows. "At least 'yan, sagutin mo."

Napasapo siya.

"Ja..."

"'Yan lang ang itatanong ko. Promise!"

Bumuntong-hininga siya, saka tumango. Her face broke into a smile when Janelle squealed. Kagaya ng ipinangako nito, iyon lamang ang itinanong nito sa kanya. Pero pinag-ayos siya nito ng sarili, para raw mukha syang fresh paglabas nila.

Two women then entered the powder room, talking animatedly about the guy waiting outside. Nagkatinginan sila ni Janelle.

"Grabe. Ang clingy talaga ni Kelvin!"

"Sure ka bang sya 'yon?"

"Gwapo raw, e."

"Sya lang ba ang gwapo rito?"

"Pustahan tayo?" Janelle challenged her.

Hindi siya sumagot. May pakiramdam din kasi siyang si Kelvin iyon. Hindi naman na bago sa kanya na pinag-uusapan si Kelvin ng mga babaeng nakakakita rito. Normal na 'yon sa kanya. Pero iyong pagsi-selos niya, nandoon pa rin. Ayaw mawala. Siguro ay dahil bago pa lamang sila.

Alam naman niyang hindi papatol si Kelvin sa iba. Naiirita lamang siya sa mga babaeng haling na haling sa lalaking taken na.

Pagkatapos nilang mag-ayos, lumabas na sila roon, only to find Kelvin standing outside, playing with his phone.

"Sabi sa 'yo, e!"

Kelvin frowned. "What?"

"Wala," sagot niya. "Bakit nandito ka?"

"Nag-CR din ako." Itinabi nito ang phone saka siya inakbayan. "And I missed you."

Janelle rolled her eyes. "Napaka-clingy. Kainis!"

Sobrang clingy nga ni Kelvin. Kahit sino sa mga kaibigan nila, iyon ang sinasabi. Kapag magkasama silang dalawa, palagi itong nakadikit sa kanya. Palaging nakaakbay, nakayakap o nakahawak sa kamay niya. Tapos kapag hindi sila magkasama, palagi itong may text o tawag.

She doesn't mind though. Gustong-gusto niya ng ganoon. Kapag gusto kasi niya ang isang tao, gusto niyang nasa paligid lang ito palagi. In touch, kumbaga. The clingier, the better. It's just nice to have someone who's afraid to lose her.

Nagbangayan pa ang dalawa roon kaya naabutan pa sila sa labas noong dalawang babaeng pumasok sa CR kanina. Kitang-kita ang inggit sa mukha ng mga ito nang makitang nakaakbay sa kanya si Kelvin. Who wouldn't feel envious? Even in his navy blue shorts and simple yellow and white striped shirt, he's still a walking perfection.

"Ingatan mo 'yan, baka mauntog 'yan," Janelle commented.

Alam naman niyang siya ang sinasabihan ng kaibigan, pero si Kelvin ang sumagot. Ipinatong nito ang kamay sa ulo niya saka sinabing, "Oo nga, e. Ingat na ingat ko nga. Mahirap na..."

She turned to look at him, only to find him smiling down on her. Kung wala lang sila sa pampublikong lugar, baka nahalikan na niya ito.

--

It's the weekend before their monthsary when Yuan invited them again to watch his gig. Yuan introduced Gaile to the owner of the place. Kaya ilang araw na ring kumakanta roon si Gaile. Gaile's the opening number for that night. She sang Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran. Then, Yuan sang next. Tapos sa pangatlo, nag-duet ang dalawa.

"Bagay sila, 'no?" tanong niya kay Kelvin.

"Yeah."

Bukambibig ni Yuan si Gaile sa trabaho. Madalas kasing gumala ang dalawa. One time, they went to Maguinhawa. The other time, sa Intramuros naman. Ang sabi nito sa kanya, madalas daw mag-aya si Gaile dahil parehong nocturnal ang mga ito at madalas na tulog lang sa umaga.

When she told him that Gaile might be interested in him, he didn't believe her.

"Ang dense mo!" she remembered saying.

"Wow. Sa 'yo pa talaga nanggaling 'yan, ha?" pambabara naman nito.

But maybe Yuan thought about what she said. Maybe. Umaasa rin siya, para maging masaya sila pare-pareho. Although mukha namang masaya ang dalawa kahit single, tingin niya'y mas sasaya ang mga ito kung magkaka-love life. Or maybe it's just her. Baka ganoon lamang siyang mag-isip kasi may boyfriend na siya.

Funny how one's perspective changes when they're in love.

"Love..."

"Hmm?"

"I need your help with something," Kelvin told her.

"Saan?"

"I'll redecorate my condo tomorrow."

"O? Hindi mo kayang mag-isa?"

"Gusto ko kasama ka."

Her eyebrow arched. "Bakit?"

"Because I want you to have a say on how I decorate my condo."

There she was, thinking about all the indecent things that he was planning on doing. Nahiya tuloy siya bigla. He always says the right words to make her feel mushy and warm. Maybe when it rained perfection, Kelvin hogged all the raindrops.

"So?"

"Okay," she readily answered.

--

Kinabukasan, bandang hapon ng Linggo, sinundo si Celine ni Kelvin mula sa boarding house. Pinabalik pa siya nito sa kwarto niya para pakuhain ng extrang damit. He filed a leave on Monday so he could spend the whole day with her because apparently, it's such a big deal to him.

"Ganyan ka rin ba sa past relationships mo?" she couldn't help but ask.

"No."

"Bakit?"

"I don't know," he said with a shrug. "Maybe because I don't see myself in it for a long run?"

Pagdating nila sa condo nito, may tatlong boxes na nasa sala. They were all open, foam peanuts all over the floor. May mga potted cacti sa isang tabi. May mga bonsai trees. Ang daming kalat. Sa isang pader, may nakalagay na mga glass shelves.Tapos may isang malaking itim na garbage bag na nang tingnan niya ay puno ng mga action figures.

Well, at least he's telling the truth. He really is redecorating.

"Bakit naman naisipan mo biglang mag-redecorate?"

Maganda pa naman ang condo nito nang nakaraang weekdays. Malinis at maayos pa.

"Well, I got my action figures back," he answered, pointing at the garbage bag. And I have a few things that I want to put on my wall."

"Kailangan pa talaga ng tulong ko?"

Nilapitan siya nito at niyakap. "Are you still dense? That's my indirect way of saying that I want to spend some time with you."

"Ah. E, kasi naman, parang hindi naman tayo araw-araw na magkasama nyan."

"Kung pwede nga lang na hindi na tayo maghiwalay, e."

She hugged him back. "Mas masahol pa sa koala ang pagka-clingy mo."

She felt him kiss her temple. "You know I don't ever want you out of my sight. Pakasal na kaya tayo?"

Kinurot niya ito sa tagiliran. "Saka na."

"So you want to?"

"Oo naman." Kumawala siya rito saka lumapit sa mga boxes. "Ano ba 'tong mga 'to?" she asked, changing the topic.

"See for yourself."

He sat down on the couch and watched her as she took something out of a box full of foam peanuts. She found herself staring at their picture; the one Jake took while she and Kelvin are dancing. Naka-frame iyon.

Hinalungkat pa niya ang laman ng isang box. Ilang picture frames ang nakita niya. Puro picture nilang dalawa. 'Yong iba, noong two years ago pa. May ilan naman na recently lang kinuha.

"Para sa'n 'to?"

"Just some things to remind me of my good times with you," he answered with a smile. "Come on. Let's put them here."

Tumayo ito at lumapit sa pader na may glass shelves. She followed with the picture frames on hand. Kinuha nito ang mga iyon sa kanya at tinanong siya nito kung saan niya gustong ilagay ang aling picture. They did the same with the other two boxes.

Then, they placed all his toys in the empty shelves next to his books. Mahigit isang daan yata iyon.

Pagkatapos nilang ayusin ang mga laruan, inayos pa nila ang ilang gamit sa sala, then they replaced the curtains, the pillow cases and the bed sheets. They ordered food after and watched a movie.

But they weren't really watching. Nagkikwentuhan lang sila. Light lang ang usapan noong una. Nang mabanggit lang ang Chicago, do'n na medyo naging gloomy ang atmosphere.

"Do you really have to go?"

She shook her head. "Pero gusto ko do'n," sagot niya. "Bakit? Ayaw mo?"

"Syempre naman."

"Pipigilan mo 'ko?"

"I won't stop you, if that is really what you want. If that will make you happy..." He made her lean on him. "But you can't stop me from coming over either. I'd go there whenever I want."

"So planado mo na 'to lahat?"

"I've thought about it a few times," he admitted. "I don't want you to go, but I don't want to tie you here if you want to be somewhere else."

"Pa'no 'yon? LDR tayo?"

He heaved a sigh. "I guess so."

"Kaya mo?"

"Nahintay nga kita ng two years, di ba?"