Sunrise

Sunrise is the time when the upper edge of the sun appears on the visible horizon.

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Preceded by: FLIGHT LEVEL Flight 1.55.2 - Morning Mist

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SUMMARY:
A new and happy beginning. That's the usual connotation associated to weddings. And it is no different for the two of them.

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23 January 2025

It had been eighteen hours since the last time that they met, and sixteen hours since the last time they heard from one another. Ever since they had been together, it was the longest time that they did not even reach out to one another, or make a presence be known to the other. Well, except for those times that they were too busy with work, but they still left notes and short messages in between that made it much worse today.

It had been an hour since she received another gift from him. It was one of those expected gifts exchanged between the bride and groom that was staple as part of wedding traditions. Yumi swore that she had been thinking of it for forever—at least, by the time that Nikolai popped the question. But if she were to be honest with herself, she had been stressing herself about all the fantasies of love since they became a couple. Because Nikolai was a man who showered her with everything—things that she never dared to ask but secretly wish for and still given—and who could practically have everything he wanted in a whim with all the wealth he had.

Only until the time that he proposed and informed a selected few of their engagement, that she finally asked them, "What to give someone who has everything?"

Everyone had been supportive. Her closest friends, and even the girls from their batch had been eccentric—unorthodox to the dot. Not to mention that she could have regretted even asking them when they started suggesting things way below the belt. Prudish she might appear, she never shared anything to them concerning their intimacy. It was, and always would be, a private matter that her blushing and embarrassed face was enough to give-away that it was a charm of hers her future husband found alluring even before settling down.

So, when they finally came across the end of their given timetable. Giving one another a chance to flourish on their own for a few years after finishing their flight training—with Nikolai finishing his second degree in the UK as an agreement with his parents to run the company in the future, and her earning more of her flying hours to do one thing she loved doing before having to deal with the consequences of having to marry the most eligible bachelor in the country and one of the wealthiest family's heir—they finally agreed that it was time.

And her wedding gift coincidentally became a bundle for all those years.

To be honest, internally, Yumi was hoping that Nikolai would speak up and tell her that they could have the wedding right immediately at the end of their flight training. He could be a married man studying in college, and she could be a married woman working in the airlines; and then later focus on the future. It was a little off the bat for Yumi just to decide things on her own; so, she agreed for the two of them to withhold the wedding until their goals were oriented.

"If you've told me immediately after the engagement for us to get married four years ago, we would," Nikolai breached the subject first yesterday over lunch after they ticked off the last church requirement of having their confessions before the wedding.

"I've also wanted to do that immediately after," she shyly admitted.

In the end, what held the two of them from having the wedding all those years ago was his intention to give her the freedom of leading their relationship. It was all too late for that, and there were no rooms for regret.

For the past four years, they grew as better persons worthy of one another. They were almost inseparable since the time that they became a couple because of flight training—well, they were initially physically separated for some time because they were keeping their relationship underneath everyone's noses. But by the time that it had been known and until the end of their Airbus training, for them to even be one another's Pilot Flying and Pilot Monitoring, they were practically living together.

They said that only by the time that a couple were living together that they would be seeing all aspects of one another. Aside from the usual shortcomings, Yumi could say that she did not expect anything worse out of Nikolai. The man was head-over-heels that it was much more of her fears that made it a little rocky in the beginning; only for him to soothe all of it down, compensating to the things that she lacked. With the additional pressure that the Airbus training had, it was evident that they were a perfect match.

They also tried to be in a long-distance relationship throughout the time that Nikolai was in the UK for university, and she was in the Philippines for work as an airline pilot. There were very few days that their schedules met for them to be physically together; but it always felt like they were closer then. Longing definitely made the heart grow fonder. She settled nicely, despite his absence, in his condominium in the city; and plans of their future had been evident for those years as they established a foundation of the small steps for their married life. They invested on a house in the city, where most of the businesses were; in the province, where they could escape to; and in Paris, where they have a shared dream of honoring his childhood.

Yumi could not stop herself from smiling when the thought of children crossed her mind. She was always fond of kids and immensely adored them. It was just a little saddening that in the family, her paternal cousin who had a child was in the States, and from her maternal cousins, one had a stepson and an expectant father out of wedlock. Even her older brother was yet to marry. Hence, from her closest relatives, she was the first one to walk down the aisle and think of married life.

It was a conversation that if talked with other people made her embarrassed in shame. Discussing it with Nikolai still made her so red that he laughed at and commented that she looked like a tomato. But in the privacy of her thoughts, it always crossed her mind with wishful thinking. Of just imagining Nikolai with children, much more their own child. A perfect combination of them, and life could not have been any better.

"Should we wait for some time before having children?" inquired Nikolai last month. It was bound to be asked, and Yumi was so blessed that she was not the one to have the embarrassment of bringing the subject first.

But she could be the one bringing up the awkwardness every single time for her to answer, quite too immediately at that time, "No."

It surprised Nikolai, and it surprised her, too.

For every mental health and stress management seminars that she was required to attend for the past years as a flight crew, it was always discussed that to avoid stress, people should take things one at a time. The very reason why most newlyweds also wanted to have a year or two of just being married, without the worries and responsibilities of being a parent. But one could say that Yumi had been impatient, and she was wishing to be married for quite some time already. Hence, when the discussion of children was brought to the table, if possible—which was very possible right at that moment where they were just taking a short rest on the couch while waiting for the dinner to tender—she immediately jumped to the wagon.

"I..." Yumi stammered, trying to correct herself out of the mess she brought herself in. "I mean that, if you—"

Nikolai pressed a tender kiss against her palm. "If I what, Phoe?" He drew her closer for her to straddle his lap. The first time that it was supposed to be an innocent one, he flushed. But since becoming a couple, he had been bold with his actions concerning her while being gentle and respectful of her boundaries. His eyes darkened that made her gulp in hard. "If I wanted us to have children at once, will you allow me? Is your answer of saying no meant that we should not wait after the wedding? Is that it?"

To be fair, if her mother did not ask her to be careful and embarrassingly dragged her immediately to a close family friend obstetrician-gynecologist when she revealed to them that she was dating the one and only Nikolai Xavier Verano, and she was to be diligent on taking the pills, she definitely had already fallen pregnant and a mother to a four-year-old or another by now. As it had been evident that she and Nikolai were faithful and had not been with anyone else prior, there were no questions at all but to be prepared in countering his questionability about other forms of protection. One would even say that they were... well, too eager or too aroused with one another.

So, when that opportunity arose, Yumi then became honest with him. She told him that she was planning to tell him as soon as possible that she had decided to stop taking the pills after finishing the last batch for that month. And well, she dealt with the aftermath willingly, him fervently, and the two of them ending up eating delivery for dinner over the forgotten burnt meat left unattended.

And just a week ago, with a few days delayed, she was fretting on admitting that she was to walk down the aisle with a bun in the oven. But it still came, and thankfully ended before today for her not to worry of having to stain such a beautiful white gown. At the same time, made her smiling like an idiot last night after receiving a screenshot message from Nikolai of their conversation back then when she was suffering menstrual cramps.

Nikolai
That only means that I need to work harder during the honeymoon, Phoe.

She had always been his since the beginning; but Nikolai thought otherwise, as he considered himself fortunate of her allowing him to share everything that life had to offer with. It was a wishful thought in the beginning, to collect words of assurance to him; and in the end became too many, and for her to come up with the perfect wedding gift.

He was the one good with his canvas, brushes and paints. And she was the one good with her papers and pens. His gift to her of blank pages engraved with her new name and a painting of his of how she definitely looked for her when they first met. And her gift to him of an empty canvas for the two of them to fill throughout their married years and the collection of all letters she addressed to him since the beginning of their relationship, until the very last she had written to be penned as "Miss Bonifacio" alone.

Their life together started on their first meeting; today, however, was their first meeting as husband and wife.

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My Nikolai, my Xav, mon amour,

Is it greedy of me to consider you as mine? Since the beginning, you kept insisting that I wasn't. That I was meant to keep you, and that you were blessed to be called mine. But I've always told you that I've and will always be yours, right? Please, even just for the remaining years of our lives, starting today, be greedy and say that I am yours. Be possessive, and take responsibility of marrying me.

Seven years ago, I was just so focus of graduating and was unsure whether I would be able to pursue a flying career. You knew that I've always wanted to, and November of that year, I found myself taking that first step. And who would've thought that you would also be there.

I wasn't searching for romance at that time. I honestly found you ahead of yourself. Later on, you've admitted that you fell in love at first sight that you've laid down the foundation already of introducing yourself to my parents that day because who would have any idea that it would work out all along?

I couldn't take credit that I was the first one to actually fall in love. You definitely made an impression to me for being dramatic on that first meeting. You even hated the idea of having your hair cut, and you dressed impeccably visibly like a wealthy man. So, no, you definitely was an eye catch for everyone.

Until you became too attentive of me. I thought you were just being a gentleman, but it appeared like you were sending me mixed signals that I was foolish to fall in love with. I'm sorry for being awkward, but I did fall too deeply when you haven't even said it first that you like me. I made the assumption, and well, the rest followed. It appeared like we were two fools for everyone. We were desperately and helplessly in love for all to see, and we're the only ones who were yet to address and admit it.

But they say that everyone is a fool when it comes to love. And what happy fools we are, my love.

We basked on the happiness of privacy, a payback to those visible signs. We enjoyed the slow moments of getting to know one another much more and understanding the depths of how much we meant for one another. We shared embarrassments, problems and weaknesses. We marked tears, pains, smiles and laughter. We built memories and the future.

And I want more of it with you. Once again, I am telling you, Xav, I want all of it with you. Us, together, and the tomorrow that we are to make.

How many times did I imagine this day since I was a little kid, and how blessed I was for God to give me the best and perfect man as you to be my husband.

I was smiling like an idiot just writing that word. My husband. Nikolai Xavier Verano, my husband. To add, imagining that you are more than that. You are my best friend, my partner-in-crime, my biggest supporter, my life-long companion, my PM, my life, my love.

Knowing you, you'll be saying that I never need to imagine, because it had been that all along. And today, it would all be no longer just me dreaming.

Xav, I couldn't promise things that I am not confident I'll be able to fulfill—such as being a good wife, or that I'll be able to accompany you in the early hours for your morning exercises routinely, or that I'll ensure a well-organized home.

But I promise to do my best. I promise to be the wife who'll be your biggest supporter, who'll listen and shoulder what troubles you, who'll continue choosing you, loving you, and respecting you no matter the weather. I promise to be healthy and keep up with how health conscious you are, who'll continue looking out for myself because you aspire me to be confident on my own. I promise to nurture and fill our home with love and attention, a place for us to grow and excel, where there are no secrets to keep but be of honesty and openness that we are to build for our family.

Mon amour, a few more hours remain, and we could finally end everyday no longer needing to separate. We're finally going home together. And wherever you'll be, would be my home. You've always been my home, Xav. My home that had always been so familiar since the start, and now, officially mine.

Xav, I account myself the happiest woman in the world, knowing that I am yours until the end.

Your Mrs. Verano, your wife,
Miss Mayumi Phoebe Bonifacio