"Okay po... I'll just get my things."

Binaba ko ang phone pagkatapos ng call namin ni Tita Erin. She was just asking if it would be okay for me to stay in the mansion since Elyse would be left alone and we could have time to hang out with each other. May natitira pa akong exam na kailangan i-take kaya balak kong mag-aral lang. 

Nilagay ko sa bag ang mga libro at ibang gamit na kailangan ko bago nag-drive papuntang mansion. When I went inside, it was so quiet like there was no one there. Wala ang mga helpers. I was guessing that it was their day off. 

Umakyat ako sa kwarto ni Elyse at kumatok. "Elyse?"

I heard some footsteps inside. I waited a few more seconds before she opened the door. She looked so shocked to see me. Tita Erin didn't tell her?

"Kuya!" She flashed an awkward smile. "Nandito ka pala! What brings you here?"

"Are you okay?" She was sweating. Hindi naman mainit. "Your mom informed me that you're going to be left alone in the house, so I'm staying here until tomorrow. I'll leave around five A.M, though. I need to go to school."

"What?!" She didn't look so happy with that.

"I'll just study in the living room. I'll call you when dinner's ready." I closed the door and went downstairs. Baka may ginagawa siya. I didn't want to disturb her anymore. 

I put my things on the coffee table and sat on the floor so I could start studying. While I was busy highlighting and putting some sticky notes on the book, I saw Elyse trying to open the back door. Napalingon ako sa kaniya.

She was really acting weird... but I needed to focus on my exam more, so I went back to studying. She will be fine. 

I searched for some sample cases online and had to print them, so I went upstairs. The printer was inside Alfred's office, and I still had to connect my laptop. When I passed by Elyse's room, I heard something. 

My jaw dropped when I heard a man's voice. Lumapit pa ako at nilagay ang tainga ko sa pintuan para marinig nang maayos. Did I hear that right? Or baka naman nagkamali lang ako? 

But what if... it was a man? I immediately stepped back until I was against the opposite wall. I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from making noise. 

Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko. I started walking back and forth while thinking about what to do. Should I knock again? Should I intervene? Should I make sure that it was a man, or was I just hearing things? 

No... Elyse wouldn't lie to me like that. 

I decided to just print the cases first. After that, I went downstairs and sat on the floor, thinking. Nakatulala lang ako sa mga libro ko. Kuya Roel even arrived with paper bags for Elyse. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang laman noon. 

Hindi ko alam kung gaano katagal na akong nagbabasa pero walang pumapasok sa utak ko. I massaged my head in frustration. 

I was startled when Elyse placed a glass of water on the table and gave me some chocolates. I looked at her and forced a smile. 

"Study well, Attorney." She sounded so happy before going upstairs with a lot of snacks. Narinig ko pa ang lock niya ng pinto, which made me overthink more. 

I was going crazy that I started making excuses for my sister. "Maybe that's just her friend..."

I was eating alone while studying. I even prepared coffee so I could stay up until I was done reading. Nakatulog din ako nang hindi ko na kinaya ang antok, then my alarm went off around five. I immediately fixed my things to go home. May exam pa ako. 

I was doing well at ignoring Miguel's presence. Hindi rin niya ako ginugulo at mukhang nagfo-focus siya sa exams. I wanted to ask Kalix what he knew about Miguel last time, but I thought it was not his story. 

Kierra would tell it if she wanted me to know. I didn't think she was ready for me to know the whole story, so I didn't ask Kalix anymore. I wanted to be more patient. 

After my finals, I finally had the chance to tell Kierra that I wanted to spend Christmas with her family. She was so happy about it. I packed my things and went to their house para makasabay ako sa kanila papuntang Bataan. 

I didn't expect that their house would be huge. They had a large wooden gate, then I had to walk through the garden to reach their front door. They even had a fountain at the center of the garden. I could also see the indoor pool they had at the side, covered with glasses in each corner. They didn't have a guard, but the outside of their house was surrounded by CCTV cameras. 

Kierra opened the front door when I rang the doorbell. "Buti nakaabot ka! Pasok ka! Pababa na sina Mommy!" 

I had a bouquet of flowers for her mom and a bottle of wine for her dad that I placed on the floor since I was holding the flowers. 

"Oh, hello!" her mom greeted. She looked young. Kierra got her features. 

"Mom, this is Ciandrei Lopez. Shan, this is my mom. Nasa taas pa si Daddy."

I knew she would ask about my mom the moment she heard my name. I was shocked when she suddenly hugged me. My mother's warmth was almost the same as I felt with her. 

"You were just a kid..." she whispered. "You grew up so well." 

That comforted me because I was thinking that my mom would say that too. Hiro's mom also told me that I grew up well, but it felt different coming from my mom's close friend. 

I also met Kierra's dad. He was busy putting their things inside the car when I approached him. "Good morning, Sir. I'm Shan," pagpapakilala ko sa sarili ko sabay abot ng box of wine. "Here's a small gift for you. Thank you for letting me stay with your family for Christmas."

"Oh, Shan!" He gave me a smile similar to Kierra's. "Nice to meet you, and thank you for this!" Nakipagkamay siya sa akin. 

"I'm glad to meet you, Sir," formal na sagot ko. "I heard you were a painter... I looked up your works. They were so great. I loved them."

Kierra's dad was so talented. Ang gaganda ng mga gawa niya. They were so expensive too. "Wow, thank you, Shan. Do you want to see some of them in person? I have them in the art room. May time pa naman bago bumyahe."

It was nice seeing Kierra's old works. Mas nakilala ko siya roon, knowing what her imagination was like as a kid. She loved colorful stuff like unicorns and rainbows. She was always so full of colors. 

Her dad was a great father too. He was so different from my father. When I was young, I thought everything my dad was doing was normal... that every other child was also treated like how I was treated by my dad... until I saw how gentle and caring Hiro's dad was. 

I felt comfortable with Kierra's parents. They were kind and genuine like Kierra. Alam ko na kung saan nakuha ni Kierra 'yon. 

I liked taking care of Kierra. Doing things for her made me happy. Hindi ko rin alam... but the joy I was seeing in her face, the way she cutely said "thank you" with a smile every time I did things for her, made me feel good too. Seeing her happy made me feel at ease. 

"Do you want to take pictures tomorrow? I can take pictures of you," I offered.

"Hindi naman ako photogenic. I look ugly in pictures. I don't like my face."

Kierra was conscious of her appearance, which probably resulted from what happened to her, so every compliment counted. I wanted to help her start feeling good and confident about herself again... because she really deserved every good thing in this harsh world. 

I loved everything about Kierra. Her skin, her eyes, her face, her hair... It was like heaven really took its precious time creating someone like her. She was always so bright and colorful. 

She was already showing me different sides of her... but the Kierra with her family was my favorite one. She just looked so happy being with her family. She looked so carefree. Everyone was treating her so well. Everyone was taking good care of her. 

"Are you Ate Ayi's boyfriend?" Kierra's younger cousin asked. 

Oh, how I wish to be your Ate Ayi's boyfriend...

"Oh, no, I'm not..." I laughed. "Why are you asking?"

"Because I like Kuya Shan! You're nice! Sama ka po palagi sa Bataan!"

Having a good impression from her family was very important to me. Mahalaga sa kaniya ang pamilya niya kaya mahalaga na rin sila sa akin. I wanted to get along with them. I wanted them to accept me... and I wanted them to know that I was... different from her past. 

"Merry Christmas!" When Kierra smiled at me, my heart skipped a beat. 

"Merry Christmas." I smiled. I had the urge to kiss her, but I stopped myself. "Thanks for bringing me here."

We stayed on the balcony to talk about a lot of things since both of us couldn't sleep. Kung saan-saan na napunta ang usapan namin. She was already yawning when I asked again. "If... there comes a moment when I feel like I want to kiss you... Would you be okay with that?"

Natigilan siya at napalingon sa akin. I saw how her cheeks turned red as she looked away again. "We already kissed before..." pagpapaalala niya sa akin, nahihiya. She looked cute. 

"But that was... different." I didn't know how to explain it. I just kissed her before for the purpose of giving pleasure. It was so different from now. Every time I was overflowing with feelings and emotions, I would get the urge to kiss her just to let her know what I was feeling. Magkaiba 'yon. 

"Uhm... Okay..." mahinang sabi niya, nakaiwas pa rin ng tingin. "Okay lang naman sa 'kin..." She was blushing when she looked at me again. 

I just gave her a smile. "Let's go to sleep? I think you're already sleepy." I knew she got embarrassed and wanted to hide.

"Yes, inaantok na rin ako." She yawned again before waving her hand. "Good night, Shan."

"Good night, Ayi..."

***

"Ayi, you're back already? Kumusta?"

Hindi kami magkatinginan ni Shan nang makabalik kami sa villa. The others were still having fun, lalo na sina Mommy. 'Yong mga bata kong pinsan ay nakatulog na siguro dahil hindi ko na sila nakita.

"Opo, Tita... Inaantok na ako, eh. Pasok na po ako sa loob. Happy new year!" bati ko ulit sa kanila bago pumasok sa villa. Narinig kong nagpaalam din si Shan sa kanila bago sumunod sa akin.

Pagkatapos kong hubarin ang sapatos ko, dali-dali akong tumakbo pataas at pumasok sa kwarto, damang-dama pa ang bilis ng tibok ng puso ko. "He... He loves me?" bulong ko sa sarili ko habang naghuhubad ng scarf. Hiyang-hiya ako sa nangyari kaya inaya ko na kaagad siyang bumalik!

Halos mapatalon ako nang pumasok siya sa kwarto at dumeretso sa cabinet para kuhanin ang twalya niya. Pagkatapos, hinubad na rin niya ang jacket niya at sinabit doon sa gilid. Umiwas ako ng tingin, hindi makapagsalita. 

"Are you cold?" he suddenly asked, then went to the mini-monitor attached to the wall. He adjusted the heat until I wasn't cold anymore. 

"Ang lamig pa rin," sabi ko sa kaniya. "Magsha-shower na siguro muna ako."

Umiwas ako sa kaniya at lumabas ng kwarto para pumuntang shower. Inunahan ko na siya kahit may twalya na siyang hawak. Mayroon pa namang shower sa first floor kaya roon na lang siya. Nang makapasok sa bathroom ay nakahinga ako nang maluwag. Pinaypayan ko ang sarili ko at tiningnan ang sarili sa salamin. Namumula ang pisngi ko! 

"Sus, dahil sa lamig lang 'yan..." pangungumbinsi ko pa sa sarili. "Hindi ka kinikilig, Ke. Hindi ganoon 'yon! Kiss lang naman 'yon, eh! Ano namang nakakakilig doon, ha?" Tinuro ko pa ang sarili ko, sinisita. 

Noong nag-play ulit sa utak ko ang nangyari, nanghina ang tuhod ko at napakapit sa may pinto. "But he kissed me!" Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko. "And... and... sabi niya nahuhulog na siya sa akin. Omg..." bulong ko ulit. "No, pero hindi niya naman sinabing mahal niya ako." 

Napailing ako sa sarili at nag-shower na lang. Ang tagal kong nag-hot shower para mabawasan ang lamig sa katawan. Pagkatapos, nagsuot ako ng pajama, heat tech sa pantaas, at pinatungan ko pa iyon ng makapal na sweater. Pagkabalik ko sa kwarto ay wala pa si Shan kaya pinatuyo ko muna ang buhok ko gamit ang blowdryer. 

Nang tapos na at paupo na ako sa kama, bigla siyang pumasok. Nakasuot din siya ng sweater at sweatpants. Mabuti na lang at uminit na sa kwarto gawa noong heater. "Saan ka galing?" tanong ko sa kaniya.

"Oh, I went to the kitchen to get some lemon tea." Pinakita niya sa akin ang cup na dala. He went to the small sofa and placed the cup on the coffee table pagkasara ng pinto. "Are you going to sleep already?" 

"Oo." Humiga kaagad ako sa kama at nagtalukbong ng comforter. Narinig ko siyang tumayo at sa isang iglap, patay na ang ilaw at ang lamp shade na lang ang bukas. Akala niya talaga ay matutulog na ako pero gising na gising pa ang utak ko. 

Katahimikan ang bumalot sa aming dalawa. Naririnig ko lang 'yong pag-inom niya sa cup, at 'yong pagbalik niya noon sa lamesa. Nakadilat lang ako at nakatitig sa may pintuan ng balcony, hindi makatulog. 

"Can't sleep?" Napaupo ako bigla sa kama nang magtanong siya. Nasa sofa pa rin siya at pinagmamasdan ako. Paano niya nalaman?! 

"Hindi pa ako inaantok," sagot ko sa kaniya at sumandal na lang sa headboard ng kama. 

"Do you want me to get you some milk or hot chocolate?" offer niya ulit pero umiling ako sa kaniya. I just stared at him while he was drinking tea. "Quit staring, Ke..." pansin niya. 

Umiwas tuloy ako ng tingin at napaayos ng upo. Narinig ko ang maikling tawa niya dahil sa reaksyon ko. 

"Still thinking of what happened earlier?" tanong niya na parang nababasa niya ang iniisip ko. "Did you feel uncomfortable?" 

"No!" tanggi ko kaagad. I didn't want him to think like that. We were already getting used to each other. I didn't want him to think that we were back to zero. "Hindi ganoon..."

Natahimik kaming dalawa nang ilang minuto hanggang sa magtanong siya ulit. "What do you think love feels like?" 

My lips parted, thinking of the right answer, but also realized that there was no correct way of describing what love felt like. It was something personal to me. I remembered something my dad told me... that made me want to feel love.

"I can't speak for myself... but my dad told me... that he tried painting my mom once...but he stopped because he said he could never give justice to how lovely she was... that the existing colors just couldn't reflect the way he saw her... and he would never be satisfied with his work because no canvas was enough to fit all the good qualities my mom had. He said... loving someone meant going beyond what you were already capable of doing, feeling, and seeing." 

"That is beautiful..." It was almost a whisper. 

"But it was also important for him to let me know that going beyond... should make you feel full. When it makes you exhausted, parang pakiramdam mo nauubos ka, then you are sacrificing what you already have to go beyond, and that should not be the case. That's not what love should feel like. That just means you aren't going beyond... but behind. It will tire you out and eventually hurt you... That's what I felt with my past relationship." 

"Do you think you would want to love again?" 

My lips formed a smile. "It's such a beautiful thing to see my parents in love... and despite everything that happened, I am still hoping to feel that kind of love. I still want to believe that I still have another chance. That it wasn't over for me yet..." 

"It's not. At some point, I also believed that it was already over for me. I didn't witness my parents being in love, and I thought, if they were not capable of feeling love, then how could I? I didn't have an idea of what love was because I never saw it at home, and so I believed that anything related to love outside my home was not true. The love in the movies and books was fake. Falling in love with a person was just a concept. If you asked me before what love was, I would say that it was just a series of complex chemical reactions between the brain and the body..."

"But now?" I stared at his eyes, hopeful. 

"I'm..." He looked up and covered his face. "I'm in love with you... and I'm going beyond." 

I bit my lower lip to stop myself from smiling. Napaiwas ako ng tingin sa kaniya at natahimik kaming dalawa. I couldn't say it... but I was silently wishing that this was the second chance the universe gave me from above... and that they would be kind to me, and I to them. 

"You don't have to say it back. I just want to let you know what I'm feeling-" He suddenly stopped talking when he noticed that I was crying. "Kierra... I'm sorry. Were you hurt?" 

I immediately wiped my tears while laughing. "I'm not hurt... I'm just... happy and hopeful." I smiled more while wiping my tears. Sunod-sunod lang silang tumulo sa pisngi ko. "And scared... not for myself, but for you... because you're loving someone like me." 

"Someone as lovely as you, as sweet as you, and someone with a beautiful soul like you."

I cried more but my chest did not feel heavy. If any, it felt lighter, knowing that I was still capable of being loved by another person. 

"I can't say it yet... If I say it, I want to say it like I one hundred percent mean it," I told him, still crying. "Dahil gusto kong maging patas sa 'yo..."

He stood up and sat beside me on the bed, staring into my eyes before hugging me. "Before me, you should first tell it to yourself. Okay?" Hinaplos niya ang buhok ko. "Because you deserve to be loved... by your family, by your friends, by me, and by yourself." 

I nodded and hid my face on his chest. I already stopped crying, but he was still hugging me, humming a familiar song while caressing my hair. I was just holding onto his waist, resting my head on his chest. 

"Are you feeling better?" tanong niya nang humiwalay ako sa kaniya. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."

I laughed and covered his mouth with my hand. "It's not because of you. I was just feeling a lot of emotions. I was overwhelmed. I needed time to address them," I explained.

Tinanggal niya ang kamay ko na nakatakip sa bibig niya. "I know, and that's good. Whenever you feel like you need to take a step back, just communicate it to me and I'll give you space and silence to sort out your emotions." 

"Okay..." Tumango ako at humawak sa sleeve ng sweater niya. Tumaas ang kilay niya, naghihintay ng sasabihin ko. "Gusto ko na noong hot choco na ino-offer mo kanina..." mahinang sabi ko.

He let out a short laugh before standing up to get me a cup of hot chocolate. Nilalamig na naman ulit ako. Tumayo ako at in-adjust ulit ang heater. Pagkarating ni Shan, nakaupo na ako sa sofa, hinihintay ang dala niyang inumin. 

"I even got you marshmallows," sabi niya sa akin pagkalapag ng plato at mug. 

"Thank you!" I said in my usual happy tone whenever I thanked him. He sat beside me as I grabbed the mug with both of my hands so I would feel its warmth. 

Nakasandal lang ang ulo ni Shan sa may head rest at nakapikit, mukhang inaantok na o kaya naman ay nag-iisip. "Careful, Ke. It's hot," paalala niya sa akin nang dinilat ang isang mata at nakitang sisimsim na ako sa hot choco. 

Hinipan-hipan ko muna bago ko sinubukang inumin. "Aw!" Binaba ko kaagad ang mug at hinawakan ang labi ko. Hindi pa pala okay inumin!

"Are you okay?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Shan. I faced him and pouted my lips, faking a cry. "Aw, baby, does it hurt?" 

Tinuro ko ang napaso kong labi para tanungin kung dumudugo ba o namumula pero mukhang hindi niya naintindihan nang maayos. 

"Do you want a kiss?" naguguluhang tanong niya sa akin. 

"Hindi, ah!" mabilis na tanggi ko at umayos na lang ng upo. Ako na ang tumingin gamit ang front camera ng phone ko. Okay naman. Kinuha ko na lang ulit ang mug at hinipan-hipan. 

Pumikit na lang ulit siya habang nakakrus ang braso sa dibdib. Sinawsaw ko ang marshmallows sa hot choco at kumagat doon. Nang maubos, niligpit ko na ang plato at mug, saka bumaba para hugasan 'yon. Nag-toothbrush na rin ulit ako bago bumalik sa kwarto. Kakalabas lang din ni Shan sa bathroom nang umakyat ako, mukhang naghanda na ring matulog. 

"Good night, Ke," sabi niya nang humiga na ako sa kama ko. 

"Good night." I gave him a small smile before turning off the lamp. 

Kinabukasan, maaga kaming gumising para bumisita sa isang park na maraming flowers. I was wearing a black turtle-neck sweater, black trench coat, and black pants. Nagulat ako nang ganoon din ang suot ni Shan. Talagang gusto niya parehas kami. 

"Oh, matchy!" umakto siyang gulat nang makita ang suot naming dalawa. Napairap ako at natawa. Dala-dala niya ang camera nang makasakay na kami sa sasakyan. 

Nang makarating kami roon, sumisikat na ang araw. Manghang-mangha ako habang naglalakad kami ni Shan paikot at nangunguha ng litrato ng mga bulaklak. Nagtatawanan kami ni Shan habang naglalakad dahil kinukulit niya ako. Noong may tumugtog pang Korean music ay sumayaw-sayaw kami habang naglalakad. We probably looked dumb but it made both of us laugh. 

Pagkatapos noon ay pumunta kami sa Jeju Love land. It was a sex-themed park. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pinili nina Mommy pumunta roon pero todo pa-picture naman sila nina Daddy. 

"Wow..." Shan exclaimed while looking at different statues with different sex positions. "There's a park like this?" 

Naglalakad lang ako paikot habang nakasunod siya sa akin. Inaya niya akong magpa-picture doon sa may bench na may heart sa likod dahil nagpapa-picture doon sina Mommy. Naiinggit daw siya. 

"Heart tayo, Ke," aya niya sa akin, nakataas ang braso, forming a half heart. "The people here kept on doing this." 

"Ang dami mong alam," natatawang sabi ko pero tinaas ko rin ang braso ko para makompleto ang heart. 

After taking photos, we went to a coffee shop para makapag-relax. Shan was going around, kinikilatis ang bawat sulok ng coffee shop para makakuha ng inspiration. "What did they put in this drink?" he wondered after tasting it. "It's good. Hmm... What did they use..." Iyon ang pinagkaabalahan niya habang naroon. 

He liked the coffee shop. Akala ko nga ay tatanungin niya talaga ang ingredients doon sa barista. I took photos of him while he was seated in front of me and drinking his coffee. Naka-side view siya, emphasizing his jawline. 

Noong makabalik malapit sa beach, napagpasyahan naming maglakad-lakad doon kahit malamig at mahangin. The kids started playing a game. Naghahabulan sila kaya nakisali na rin kami ni Shan. 

Sumigaw-sigaw ako habang tumatakbo dahil hinahabol niya ako. I laughed so hard when he carried me on his shoulder and walked back to where my cousins were standing. They were all laughing. 

"Hiningal ako sa 'yo," reklamo niya pagkababa niya sa akin. His hands were on his hips while his brows were furrowed. Mabigat ang paghinga niya, napagod kakahabol sa akin. 

Ako na 'yong taya kaya hinabol ko ang mga pinsan ko. Naawa ako sa mga bata kaya si Shan na lang ulit ang tinarget ko. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya at biglang tumakbo palayo sa akin kahit nagpapahinga pa lang siya. "Why is it me again?!" reklamo niya habang hinahabol ko siya. 

Huminto ako saglit para habulin ang hininga ko habang tumatawa. Huminto rin siya at naglakad palapit sa akin nang mapansing pagod na ako kakatakbo.

"Fine, fine. I'll just go to you. I give up. I'm at your mercy." Tinaas niya ang dalawang kamay niya. Huminto siya sa harapan ko kaya hinawakan ko siya sa dibdib para siya na ang taya. 

Lumuhod siya sa harapan ko at sumakay naman ako sa likod niya. Buhat-buhat niya ako nang bumalik kami sa kung nasaan ang mga pinsan ko. Napagod din ang mga bata kaya umupo na lang kami sa buhanginan. 

Nang magkaroon na ulit ng energy, naisipan kong maglakad-lakad. Sumunod naman sa akin si Shan. Malayo na ang narating namin habang naglalakad sa tabing-dagat. Hindi na rin namin matanaw sina Mommy. 

"Kierra," tawag niya.

Huminto ako sa paglalakad at lumingon sa kaniya. Nasa loob ng coat ko ang mga kamay ko na may suot ng gloves dahil sa lamig. Hinahangin din ang buhok naming dalawa. 

He held my wrist and smoothly slid a bracelet through my hand. It was a natural stone crystal bracelet. Iba-iba ang kulay ng stone. Mayroong pink, light yellow, light orange, grey, light purple, and white. Iba-iba ring size 'yong bilog. 

"I bought it earlier," sambit niya sa akin. "I felt like it would suit you... and it does." 

"This is so pretty!" tuwang-tuwang sabi ko habang tinitingnan ang palapulsuhan ko. "Thank you so much!" I tiptoed and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

His eyes widened when I did that. I was about to walk away, laughing, when he held my wrist and pulled me back. I thought he was going to kiss me on my lips but he put his hand on my cheek and gave me a soft kiss on the forehead instead. I closed my eyes and held onto his coat. 

"What's your New Year's wish?" tanong ko sa kaniya. 

"I didn't wish for anything," sagot naman niya. "It wasn't my birthday." 

"But... if ever you were given a chance to wish for something, ano ang wish mo?" pamimilit ko naman. 

"Ikaw muna," sagot niya pabalik. 

Tumawa ako at inayos ang buhok ko dahil hinahangin. "Hmm, ako... It is impossible to not feel fear, or to not feel pain anymore... so I will just wish for the universe to start being kind to me. Ikaw?" 

"Me..." Tumingin siya sa malayo. "I wish to have more yesterdays with you." 

"Not tomorrows?" nagtatakang tanong ko. "Past na ang yesterday."

"Because that is the only one I'm certain to have." Binalik niya ang tingin sa akin at binigyan ako ng tipid na ngiti. 

"Why? Because tomorrow is never promised, right? We never know what could happen the next day," pag-intindi ko.

He held my hand and kissed it. "I may not promise you my tomorrow... but I will certainly promise you my yesterday. Forever and beyond." 

________________________________________________________________________________

:)