Epilogue

Our Song

"Wesley!" My eyes widened as I noticed that I was already able to continuously maneuver the bike! "Tingnan mo. Marunong na ako!" I chuckled.

"Marunong ka na nga, Aryanne!" Wesley also sounded happy for me.

Pagkatapos ng matiyagang pagtuturo sa akin ni Wesley na magbisikleta ay natuto na rin ako.

"Magsisimba rin ba uli sina Maxine mamaya?"

Tumango sa akin si Wesley. "Oo. Makikita natin sina Mike mamaya sa simbahan."

"Kung ganoon kakain uli tayo ng mga binibentang pagkain doon sa labas ng simbahan?" Kagaya noong nakaraan.

Wesley smiled at me and then he nodded again. "Oo ba."

I smiled widely. "Sige!"

Ganoon kasi ang ginawa namin noong nakaraang linggo rin.

"Gusto mo pa?" Wesley placed his food in front of me.

Napatingin naman ako sa fishball. Gusto ko pa nga. Naubos ko na kasi iyong akin habang kumakain pa sila nina Maxine at kulang din yata ang nadala kong pera. Napatingin ako sa simbahan kung nasaan nagpaiwan muna sina Mama at Tita Joyce at kausap pa ni tita ang ilan din niyang mga kakilala na nagsimba rin. Kung babalik ako doon at manghihingi ng dagdag na pera kay mama ay pwede naman siguro. Pero baka maistorbo ko rin ang mga nakatatanda. "Paano ka?"

"Busog na ako. Sa 'yo nalang 'to." The boy Wesley gave me a gentle smile.

Napangiti rin ako at unti-unting kinuha sa kaniya ang fishball at kinain. Wesley smiled as he saw me eating the food he gave me.

"Ayos ka lang ba?" Tanong ni Wesley nang makita akong napakamot na sa ulo ko.

"Alam mo ba 'to?" Pinakita ko sa kaniya ang math assignment ko. Tingin ko ay hindi rin talaga ako magaling sa math. Sana pwedeng piliin ko lang ang mga gusto kong subjects sa school at iyon lang ang pag-aaralan ko every school year. At siguradong hindi ko isasama ang Math na subject.

Tiningnan naman iyon ni Wesley. Wala raw siyang gagawin ngayong weekend kaya nandito siya sa bahay namin at pinagmeryenda na rin ni mama. "Hindi ko kasi maintindihan. Ang hirap." sabi ko at gusto ko nang sumuko.

"Ganito lang 'yan." At nagsimula akong turuan ni Wesley sa assignment ko. Bakit kapag siya ang nagturo ay naiintindihan ko naman habang ang teacher namin sa school ay hindi?

"Ah. Sige, nakuha ko na. Salamat!"

"You're welcome. Sige sagutan mo na 'yan lahat. At kung may tanong ka pa sabihin mo lang sa 'kin."

Tumango-tango ako. "Okay!" At tinapos ko na ang assignment ko.

I will always remember Wesley as the gentle boy who became my friend and then later on my best friend since we were young. He was my first friend and my best friend. Who later also became my first love. Sa kaniya ko naramdaman ang unang pagtibok ng puso ko para sa isang tao. He was my first in everything. He made me feel all those feelings for the first time.

May masakit man na parte ang relasyon naming dalawa pero hindi ko maipagkakaila na marami rin ang mga masasayang bahagi ng buhay namin na magkasama. Wesley actually made me feel the best things that I could ever experience in this life. Ganoon naman siguro talaga. Kapag mahal mo siguradong napapasaya ka. Kahit pa sa kabila rin ng mga pasakit minsan.

"Our song is the slamming screen door. Sneakin' out late, tapping on your window. Where we're on the phone and you talk real slow. 'Cause it's late and your mama don't know. Our song is the way you laugh... And when I got home, 'fore I said "Amen". Asking God if he could play it again..." I sang the lyrics as I listen to the song called Our Song by Taylor Swift on my phone and through the earphones. I also closed my eyes to say a silent prayer.

During those times before when I feel like I was missing Wesley so bad, I'd cry and I close my eyes like this and pray to God if only he can bring back the time when me and Wesley were still both young. Gustong gusto ko noon ni ibalik ang dating Aryanne at Wesley na lumaki sa probinsya ng magkasama at halos hindi na mapaghiwalay. I had my own what ifs and regrets back then. Sa kabila ng mga nangyari naiisip ko pa rin kami ni Wesley noon. During the time when everything was simple and we were just happy. It was actually the contents of my most private daydreams back then. Even after all that had happened before. I still wished and prayed so hard that I could go back to those memories of us.

Iyong mga alaala namin ni Wesley na palaging magkasama ay parang kuha sa isang magandang music video. Kung saan kaming dalawa ang nilalaman. Our memories together was like our song. Iyon ang kanta naming dalawa. Ang aming mga alaala mula pagkabata.

"I have so many regrets, Wesley..." I told him this one time as we lay naked in bed after making love, after so many years, and after everything. After all we were again in each other's arms. And our feelings for each other never changed.

"I had mine, too, Aryanne. But let's just forget about it?" Hinanap niya ang mga mata ko. Tumingin din ako sa magandang pares ng berde niyang mga mata. "It's all in the past now. What's important to me is we're here and we are together after all." I smiled at what he said. Inabot ni Wesley ang noo ko para mahagkan. Humigpit din ang yakap niya sa akin.

"And... I'm thinking... I guess we shouldn't regret it anymore. No matter what happened we're still together. And those experiences, even the painful ones, brought lessons to our lives... anyway. So I really think it's all okay now."

I nodded gently in agreement to what he said. Tama si Wesley. Maaring marami nga akong pinagsisisihan sa nakaraan namin pero siguro nga kailangan ang lahat ng iyon for our love to grow stronger. To prove that the love that we have for each other is real. That it can surpass even the many, many times apart. Dahil babalik at babalik pa rin kami sa isa't isa. Whatever happened.

Wesley and I also talked this time lightly after that. Pinag-usapan namin ang magiging future namin kasama ang aming anak. In the end we decided to stay in our peaceful life in the province. Napagkasunduan naming dito na palalakihin si Riff kung saan din kami pareho lumaki ni Wesley. We also sent invitations to our friends for our wedding. Our friends and especially Riff was very happy about it. We also renovated our home and I remembered how fun it was lalo at halos hands on kami ni Wesley at ginawa na rin naming bonding iyon kasama si Riff na tumulong pa sa pagpipintura ng isang bahagi ng dingding ng bahay namin.

Wesley and I got married in the province. And it was such a lovely day. We celebrated Christmas and New Year together with our son. Finally it's like a happy ending to a still good novel despite the flaws be it with the story plot or the characters. I still consider our story a good one because we just proved that our love endured. It is for me.

But I won't consider this the end. I'll say this is just the beginning to our happy ending. Rainbow after the rain... Tapos na nga ang lahat ng sakit. Although it's inevitable that there would still be minor problems and I guess that's just how life works. Pero alam kong simula ngayon ay magiging masaya na ako sa piling ni Wesley at sa aming sariling binuong pamilya.

"Mama!"

Kahit may suot na earphones ay narinig ko pa rin ang malakas na tawag ng paparating na si Riff. Maingat akong bumangon mula sa pagkakahiga sa picnic mat na pinansapin ko sa damuhan ng munti naming garden. I started tending to this garden since I got pregnant for the second time. Tumigil na muna kasi ako sa pagtuturo at iyon ang hiniling sa akin ni Wesley dahil medyo nahirapan na rin ako sa ikalawang beses na pagbubuntis sa anak namin dahil medyo may edad na rin ako. I was already in my mid 30s. I smiled upon seeing Wesley and our son coming to where I was. Nakita ko ang pagngiti rin ng mag-ama ko.

"Nakabalik na pala kayo." Bumili kasi sila ng pagkain na kinicrave ko. Sobrang sipag talaga ng mag-ama ko lalo na si Wesley pagdating sa pagbubuntis ko ngayon. Sabagay aniya rin ay bumabawi siya dahil wala raw siya noong pinagbubuntis ko pa ang panganay namin.

"Here's your manggang hilaw." Wesley also sat beside me. Riff ay bumalik na sa bike niya matapos lang humalik sa akin.

I smiled. "Thank you." I kissed my husband's cheek.

Wesley smiled contentedly, too. While he look at me. "You're welcome, my wife." And then he touched my protruding stomach and started talking to our baby inside.

Nahiga si Wesley sa malapad na blanket. Sumunod din akong nahiga sa tabi niya habang inaalayan niya. I made his arm my pillow. "What are you listening to?" He also noticed my cell phone with the earphones.

"Ah." Nilagay ko sa isang tainga niya ang earphone. Habang ang isa naman ay nilagay ko rin sa tainga ko so that we can share and listen to the song.

I felt Wesley kissing my temple. I smiled contentedly while I'm in his arms. I closed my eyes and went back to my prayers. This time I only thanked God for everything. Especially for this life with Wesley and our children.

"I love you."

I looked up to Wesley when I heard him through my other ear na walang earphone. I smiled genuinely at my best friend, my love, and my husband. "I love you." I replied to him.

And then inabot pa niya ang labi ko para sandaling mahalikan ng buong puso at pagmamahal. Habang ang isang kamay niya ay nakahawak pa rin sa tiyan ko. Hinanap din ng mga mata namin si Riff pagkatapos. Our son looked like he's enjoying riding his bike that his dad brought for him. Muli kaming nagkatinginan ni Wesley galing sa anak namin at masayang napangiti sa isa't isa.

Our love story may not be perfect but it's still worth to listen to because despite everything it is true and it endured. It is for me.

Author's Note: Hello, readers! Thank you very much for reading until here. Thank you also to my supportive and amazing friend, Jay. I hope you all enjoyed reading Our Song despite the painful part? Hehe. As I also enjoyed writing this. I'm still learning and I'll continue to learn how to write better and I thank you all for giving me the chance to grow and write my thoughts despite the imperfections of my stories. You are great! Thank you again and hope to see you on my next or other stories. Be safe, readers. Love you! And yes I got this story's title from a TS song.