15: "Perfect Time"

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"Hey, Jake?" bati ko pagka-sagot ko ng phone ko. Inayos ko ang pagkakasabit ng bag ko sa balikat ko at naglakad papunta sa parking lot.

{ Baby Chan! Where are you? } sabi naman ni Jake sa kabilang linya kaya natawa ako. I'm already 26 pero talaga 'baby' padin ang tawag niya sa'kin. The endearment never died down.

I unlocked my car. "Nasa lot na ako, e. Bakit mo natanong?" usisa ko at pumasok ng kotse ko.

Saglit na natahimik sa kabilang linya. { Nasa labas ka padin? Late na! }

I chuckled. "Well, yeah. I'm a Physician's Assistant and maraming admissions kanina. Hindi ko naman p'wedeng iwan si Doctora," paliwanag ko at nilagay sa speaker ang tawag. I started the engine.

{ Okay. Be careful, then. I'll see you at your place in twenty. } aniya at kumunot ang noo ko sa pagtataka.

"My place? What? Nasa California ka and you didn't tell me?!" singhap ko sa gulat.

Jake laughed. { Baby Chan, surprise sana. Pero andito na ako sa harap ng apartment niyo ni Christy. Hurry up so we can celebrate! }

Napasimangot ako. "Celebrate what?" tanong ko at nagsimula nang magmaneho para maka-uwi na ako. I can't believe Jake is here.

{ Celebrate your engagement! }

Muntik na akong mapa-preno sa sinabi niya. Buti nalang at late na kaya wala nang masyadong tao sa daan. Napatitig ako sa phone ko. "Engaged ako?" gulat na tanong ko at pinagpatuloy ang pagmamaneho. Napapailing nalang ako sa kabaliwan ni Jake.

{ Yup! So hurry up so we can party till we drop! No alcohol, I promise. Puro pagkain lang kaya bilis-bilisan mo na. But be careful. Don't get into an accident. } paalala niya. Napangiti naman ako sa sinabi niya.

"Okay. I'll see you," sabi ko nalang at pinatay ang tawag. Nung tahimik na, napasimangot ako sa sinabi ni Jake. Last time I checked, I was single. Paanong engaged na ako? And to who? Aegeus is the only man I love and he is miles away from me. Imposible namang ibang lalaki dahil baka mas piliin ko pang mapukulan ng ulo. I snickered at my cheesiness at pinilig ko ang ulo ko.

Only one way to find out..

=•=

Will you marry me, Chanelle?

'Yan ang bumungad sa'kin pagbukas ko ng apartment and standing beside that banner was Aegeus holding a bouquet of red and white roses. Napamaang ako sa gulat at hindi ako agad nakagalaw sa kinatatayuan ko habang impit na tumitili naman si Christy at si Jemma na nasa tabi. Jake was laughing with his arms around Christy. Nagulat pa ako when I saw Xenylia there with Brax, then ate Denise with my mom. Hindi talaga ako nakaimik.

"Hey! Move already!" inis na sigaw ni Jemma kaya naman napakurap ako at unti-unti kong naramdaman ang pag-iinit ng mata ko.

"W-what... Pa-paanong..." Hindi ako makabuo ng sentence kaya naman nagsitawanan sila. Napasimangot ako at napa-padyak. "Hindi ako prepared!"

Lumapit sa'kin si mama. "Anak, surprise nga kasi ito!" sambit niya at niyakap ako sabay bulong ng, "Um-oo ka kundi kukurutin ko singit mo!"

Nanlaki naman ang mata ko. "Mama!" nae-eskandalong ani ko habang siya naman ay natatawang bumitaw at lumapit kay Xenylia na nakangisi. Namumulang umiwas ako ng tingin at napunta ang mata ko kay Aegeus na nakatayo padin doon, smiling unsurely. Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay at nagpamewang ako. "At ano naman itong ginagawa mo, hm? You're supposed to be in the Philippines!"

Tumawa siya at nagkibit-balikat. "I wanted to make a move. Kabang-kaba na ako ngayon kaya h'wag mo nang palalain, parang awa mo na. Ang corny na ng ginagawa ko kaya h'wag mo din akong tatawanan dahil inasar na ako ni Jake kanina pa," dire-diretsong sambit niya ay napatiim-labi ako para pigilan ang ngiting gustong sumikay sa labi ko.

"Pal, hurry up! Lalamig na 'yung handa!" singit naman ni Jake kaya natawa ang mga andun. Even Christy laughed while Jemma frowned.

Umirap si Aegeus. "Let me talk!" he hissed kaya naman napahagikhik ako. Huminga siya ng malalim bago bumaling sa'kin at ibigay ang dala niyang bouquet. Tinanggap ko naman 'yun at napangiti ako ng maluwag. He is so cute. "Chanelle Rueles. Mahal na mahal kita at--"

"English, please!" sabay na sigaw ni Christy at Jemma kaya natawa kami.

Napakamot ng batok si Aegeus at tumango bago tumikhim. "Okay, okay. Here it goes: Chanelle Rueles. I love you very much and I just want you to know that. But I don't want you to know that just now. If you give me a chance, I would very much like to let you know that every day for the rest of our lives. I want to be with you till my last breath," aniya at ramdam ko ang pamamasa ng mga mata ko. I am so touched. "I lived a messed up life when you left me and I never want to live that way ever again. You changed me, Beauty, and I will be forever thankful that my phone died on that day when I asked you what time it was. I never thought that the worst day of my life could end up being the my most cherished one. And that's because of you.

"This is long and tacky, but I just want to put my heart on my sleeve and am trusting you enough that you won't break it. I'm sorry for all my short-comings and all that I lacked to do but I swear on my life that I will make it up to you. Mahal kita, Chanelle. And a life without you is a life not worth living."

At this point, sirang-sira na ang mascara ko dahil sa patuloy na pagdaloy ng mga luha ko. I looked at Aegeus as he wiped his tears and knelt down on one knee in front of me. Tinakpan ko ang mukha ko gamit ang bouquet at napahikbi ako. I am just so happy right now. This is really happening.

"Chanelle.." tawag niya sa'kin at binaba ko ang bouquet. I looked at him and bit my lip to stifle my cry. Ngumiti siya sa'kin at nilabas ang isang Kay Jewelries box. He opened it at bumuhos na talaga ang luha ko when I saw the ring there. Aegeus sniffed. "I promised you before you left that I will fix my life so when I offer myself to you, I could give you my all. Well, five months was all it took to mend everything. I don't want to waste a second more because every second counts. You mean the galaxy to me, Chanelle. So please, I beg you, marry me and be my wife."

Napahikbi na talaga ako at napatakip ng mukha. There were so many inhibitions on my head right now pero lahat ng 'yun 'di ko pinansin. We shouldn't waste a second, he's right. And I've been dreaming of this moment ever since I was a kid. Hindi pa ako 28--which is the team I planned to get married--pero the moment is happening now.

So, without second thoughts, I kissed him on the lips and murmured my approval as the people around us cheered and congratulated us.

The moment was perfect.

Everyone yearns for the kind of love worth fighting for. Lahat ng tao gustong mahanap 'yung pagmamahal na out-of-the-ordinary. The kind of love that will make you feel your emotions to the extremes. The kind of love that you are ready to cry for. The kind of love that you are unprepared for.

This is that kind of love.

Simula pagkabata, na-plano ko na ang buhay ko. Naniniwala ako na may panahon para sa lahat and that everything will go as planned. Pero napagtanto ko na hindi mo matatalo ang tadhana. Life happens.

I was afraid to love before. Lalo na kay Aegeus. Dahil paano kung hindi pa siya? Paano kung masyado pang maaga? Paano kung hindi kami ang end game?

But then I realized, through the years, that there really is no perfect time for love because love happens when it happens. Hindi mo 'yun mapipigilan at isang pagkakamali ko na hindi ko pinaglaban ang nararamdaman ko para sakanya noon.

Kung mahal mo, ipaglaban mo.

Because in love, you have to fight to get the upper-hand. You have to fight for your happy ending.

And you have to keep fighting till the end.

Love has no reasons because love is the reason.

It is the reason why you're still going forward even after the pain. It's the reason why you're fighting even with all the wounds. It's the reason why you're still hoping even with all the broken promises.

Love should be the reason why you still live.

And right now, with all the people I love present around me, p'wede ko nang sabihin na I really am deeply and madly in love. Because I'm still here, standing amidst them.

I can finally say the words I've been dying to say all throughout my life:

And we lived happily ever after.