"So your dad was in prison the entire time? He didn't abandon you and your mom after all?"

"No wonder Mama remained faithful to him. No wonder Mama's always not around whenever it's papa's birthday. She kept visiting him in secret. Inis na inis ako kasi wala man lang akong kaalam-alam."

"Bakit kaya nila ginawa 'yon?"

"Papa thought it would've been better for me to grow up believing I came from a broken family, rather than being a convict's daughter. He thought people would be cruel to me if they find out the truth about him kaya nakiusap siya kay Mama na magsinungaling na lang sa akin at sa lahat ng taong nakapaligid sa amin. Gusto kong mangatwiran at ipamukha sa kanyang mali ang desisyon niyang itago ang lahat sa akin, pero sa huli, inintindi ko na lang siya. Nakakapanlumo man, pero alam kong may punto rin siya. People can be so cruel and prejudiced after all . . . o, ba't natahimik ka bigla?"

"W-Wala . . . "

"Wait, don't tell me you're judging me now after finding out I'm a convict's daughter?"

"Hindi! Hindi! May naalala lang talaga ako. Nga pala, paano nahanap ni Blueberry—"

"Bryan. I'm the only person allowed to call him that."

"Paano nahanap ni Bryan ang papa mo? 'Di ba kahit ikaw wala ring kaalam-alam kung nasaan siya?"

"Blueberry asked my friend from the orphanage—the nun who used to be my nanny. 'Yon pala ang dahilan bakit niya ako pinapapunta roon. He was trying to figure out the secret about my life that I even had no idea about."

"So that was his gift from you?"

"Gift for?"

"His last gift to you before saying goodbye."

✦ ✦ ✦

It was hard to process how I truly felt about my father. I was happy that he didn't abandon me, I was sad that he had to lie to protect me, but I also was angry over the fact that he got involved in some swindling scheme that landed him in jail. With how difficult everything was for me, I was just grateful that I wasn't alone to make sense of everything. My mother, Blueberry, Carri, and even the twins . . . they were all there for me.

"Kumusta ang muling pagbisita mo sa papa mo?" bungad agad na tanong sa akin ni Blueberry pagpasok ko sa kuwarto niya.

I shrugged and just smiled. "It's not easy, but I think we're slowly patching things up."

"Mabuti naman." Blueberry flashed his warm smile and raised his one arm for me.

He didn't have to say anything. Like magnet, I ran up to him and hugged him tightly. His warmth had me closing my eyes and smiling fondly. 

"You're doing good, Tree. Keep it up okay?" he whispered, kissing me in the forehead at gently patting the side of my waist. 

"I love you," I whispered and looked up, planting a kiss on his cheek. "You know that right."

He nodded and smiled. "Sa araw-araw mo ba namang pagpapaalala sa akin, alam na alam ko talaga."

I didn't want him to see my tear up again, so I lowered my head and buried my face on his chest. 

If only we could stop the time. If only we could just stay together until the end. If only . . .

***

"Salamat, na-solo na rin kita," biro ko kay Blueberry habang naglalakad kami papasok ng university gate. Bumuti-buti ang kalagayan niya kaya naman kinaya na naming makapunta ulit sa kung saan nang kami-kami lang. Sa kabila nito, patuloy pa rin ang pag-alalay ko sa kanya.

We were days away from Blueberry's flight. Knowing time wasn't in our favor, all of us wanted to be by Blueberry's side kaya medyo nagkaroon din ng kompetisyon sa pagitan namin ng kambal. Kaso kahit magsapakan pa kaming tatlo, pare-pareho naming alam na mas deserve ni Braylee na makasama ang kuya niya kaya naman pasimple kaming nagbibigay ng daan para makapag-hang out sila nang mas matagal. 

Pabirong bumuntonghininga si Blueberry at ngumisi. "Hay, ang hirap talagang maging isang hearthrob na laging pinag-aagawan."

Pareho kaming napatingin sa isa't isa at nagtawanan.

"Seriously, anong ginagawa natin dito?" tanong niya at saka inilibot ang paningin sa naglalakihang mga punong nakapaligid sa daanang na nilalakaran namin.

On normal days, the pathway was filled with laughter and chatter from all the students heading in and out of the university. But since we were there on a Sunday, the entire place felt so peaceful and we could even hear the birds up the trees and the branches being blown by the wind.

I shrugged. "Sometimes, I couldn't help but think . . .  what if we met before you needed my help to say goodbye? What if we had more years together? What if—"

"Alam ko naisip ko rin 'yan . . . " Blueberry looked at me with a smile, and then looked up at the sky above our path. "When I first heard about The Goodbye Girl, I was really curious about her . . . about you. When I found out that one of my friends got his heart broken by his girlfriend through you, I got so angry that I left you a bad review and a comment."

Hindi ko napigilang matawa nang maalalang iyon nga pala ang unang interaction namin. "Muntik ko nang makalimutan, basher nga pala kita noon."

Bahagyang natawa si Blueberry. "But look how the tables turned the moment I needed something from you?"

Unti-unti akong huminto sa paglalakad at ganoon din naman siya. I took a deep breath and smiled as I turned to face him. "It kills me knowing all these years we were walking on this same path everyday, but we only met when it was time to say goodbye."

Blueberry smiled as he let go of my hand and slowly reached up to my face. With his trembling hands, he lightly caressed my cheek with nothing but affection in his eyes. "Nakakapanghinayang pero nagpapasalamat pa rin ako dahil nakilala kita at nakaramdam ako ng ibang klaseng pagmamahal mula sa 'yo."

Napangiti ako at kasabay nito ang paglabo ng mga mata kong luhaan na naman. 

***

With the entire university in our own, Blueberry and I did what we couldn't all these years—explore the entire university as a couple.

Blueberry may have been using his cane but didn't lessen his enthusiasm as he took me to all his previous classrooms when he was in high schools and the places he used to hang out within the campus. Pare-pareho kaming namangha nang mapagtantong ilang beses pala kaming nagkaroon ng parehong building at teacher, pero ni minsan ay hindi kami naging magkaklase. There were even times when we had classes in rooms next to each other. 

Nakakapanghinayang sa tuwing naiisip ko ang pagkakataong nagkrus ang mga landas namin sa nakaraan, pero para kay Blueberry, pinipilit ko na lamang na tratuhin itong isang nakakamanghang bagay. 

The last place we visited was the gymnasium, where the most dazzling moments of Blueberry's life happened. It was sad that I never got to witness it because of my own prejudiced thoughts. 

"Oh, ba't nakanguso ka na naman?" Natatawang tanong ni Blueberry.

I shrugged. "If I wasn't too judgmental, siguro nakita kitang maglaro noon."

Blueberry chuckled, but before he could say anything, I beamed at the thought that crossed my mind.

"Tree?" Natatawa man, nagkaroon ng bahid ng kalituhan sa kanyang mukha.

"You think you can still shoot one?" panghahamon ko sa kanya.

Agad tumaas ang kilay niya. "Grant me a wish if I make it?"

***

"Go, Bryan Emanuel!" I cheered at the top of my lungs as I sat alone in the bleachers, my full attention was centered on Blueberry who was standing in the court while holding up a basketball.

Blueberry was smiling from ear to ear and he laughed every time I screamed erratically. His face was all red from blushing so hard, which made him look even more adorable.

"I can't hear you!" pabiro niyang sigaw sabay turo sa tenga niya.

"I love you, Blueberry!" sumigaw ako nang pagkalakas-lakas with matching kaway-kaway pa na parang nasa isang rollercoaster. 

As I continued to cheer, Blueberry began dribbling with just his one hand. The way his hand moved swiftly and the way his face glowed, it was clear that this was where he has always belonged. And when the ball made it through the basket, it felt like Blueberry was back in his glory days once again, and this time, I was there to witness it.

"N-Nagawa ko?!" Nanlalaki ang mga matang napalingon sa akin si Blueberry, may hindi makapaniwalang ngiti sa mukha. "Tree, nagawa ko!"

Sa sobrang saya ko, umiiyak akong napatakip sa bibig ko't napatango-tango. Walang pagsidlan ang saya ko para sa kanya.

Sa isang iglap, umalingawngaw ang sigawan at palakpakan. Gulat na gulat kami ni Blueberry, lalo nang biglang lumabas sina Jasper at Janus mula sa kung saan. The twins were cheering and running proudly like they just witnessed their team won a championship game.

"Saan kayo galing?! Ba't din kayo nandito?! Hoy—" Sa huli, tawang-tawa na lang si Blueberry nang tulong-tulong siyang inakay ng mga ito at inangat-angat sa ere habang sumisigaw sa saya.

Napatingin sa akin si Blueberry, litong-lito man, bakas ang saya sa kanyang mukha.

I nodded and smiled, clapping as I continued to cheer for him with all my heart.

✦ ✦ ✦

"Ah shit. . . I'm so sorry. I'm n-not a crybaby, but this is just really—"

"It was a beautiful moment  . . . but later on Blueberry told me, at that very moment in that basketball court, he was saying goodbye to the person he used to be."

//