We made the decision to jam together because today is the second to final day of our adventure in Baguio. I started a bonfire to provide light on this tenebrious night. We could see our shadows brilliantly thanks to the bonfire. I sat next to Aris, rested my elbow on her shoulder, and used the flame as our light source to take a picture of our shadows.

After that, I pick up my guitar and begin strumming, hoping to create a lovely melody for the song I created for her.

"I am reminded of you by each lovely dandelion,

You are falling elegantly as you glide through the wind wherever it may take you.

You, who bloom in my lonely heart,

Why does time need to tear us apart? ~"

"I met you in my bad days

You met me in your tiring days

We bloom together in our better days

Why does time need to tear us apart? ~"

"Even time won't let us go transcend

I still choose to be with you every day

I'm hoping that time won't take you away from me

But the flowers in the spring started to wither

Time took my lovely flower away from me~"

"Even time won't let us go transcend

I still choose to be with you every day

I'm hoping that time won't take you away from me

But the flowers in the spring started to wither

Time took my lovely flower away from me~"

"This is my flower song to you

Different seasons are coming soon

In your own time,

My beautiful flower will soon bloom~"

When I observed that Aris was pointing her cell phone at me, I turned to face her. When she saw that I was gazing at her phone, she abruptly put it down.

I snickered upon seeing her reaction; perhaps she thought that I wouldn't notice what she was doing, capturing me or taking a video of me while I am singing the song, I made for her.

"Gwapo ba ko diyan?" I asked her.

He raised an eyebrow at me before looking at her cell phone to see my face there.

"Medyo." Tumatangong sagot niya tila sumasang-ayon sa aking sinabi.

"Oo at hindi lang, Aris," reklamo ko sa kanya.

I heard her snickered after what I said.

"I am not finish with my sentence, and the audacity to cut me off, Colin?" She looked at me with disbelief that can be seen through her eyes.

"What's with the 'medyo' then?" I questioned her.

"Medyo para sa'kin ka sana," bulong niya na hindi ko naman narinig.

She beamed while looking at me after saying those words I didn't clearly hear. However, her smiles did not reach her eyes, indicating that whatever she said recently is the reason she's giving me that look right now.

No one was talking, as if we should just let the night embrace us into a peaceful silence. The silent night with the stars and moon above knew how we both felt on the inside. Each of us was aware of the silent screams of our torn hearts, but we don't want to talk about how those heartaches we felt hurt us.

"Your voice is too good for my ears, Tongco, I will never get tired of hearing it over and over again," she suddenly murmured in the middle of the silence that are caging us.

The peaceful night with the stars, and moon, which witnessed how I suddenly stole something from the woman I love.

A kiss in her forehead.

Aris was taken aback by what I did, and who wouldn't be? I am even surprised by what I just did.

"I am sorry . . ." I apologized to her for what I did, but I know deep down that it wasn't just about the kiss I stole; I have countless reasons to be sorry for her—for the plans we chose to abandon and for the promises that we can only glimpse.

I didn't hear anything from her; I don't know if she's mad or something because of what I did. A minute had passed with no response from her; that's when I realized there was something wrong. I check my watch—11:59 p.m. There's only one minute left . . . I grin as I realize something—perhaps she thought I forgot her special day.

Thirty seconds.

Twenty seconds.

Ten

Nine

Eight

Seven

Six

Five

Four

Three

Two

One

I pick my guitar, and I sang again the song that I made for her, and after that I sing a birthday song for her.

Under the glistening stars, and moonlight, I vowed that I will never find another woman to marry unless it is Aris—my beautiful flower.

***

"Happy birthday, my fiore," I greeted her.

We are now sitting outside and waiting for the sunset to show up. I prepared something for her today, hoping that through this she remembered something beautiful in her birthday. I stood up and offer my had to her.

"Can I have this dance?" I asked. She nodded without any hesitation and received my hand. "You may not experience having an 18th roses on your birthday, but I want you to feel at this moment, that I am one of those."

"Ikaw ang una't huling pag-ibig ng buhay ko
Kay tagal mang naghintay
Nandito ka na, aking habang-buhay~"

We are dancing along with the music, and if it's not you whom I'll end up with, I want her to remember that she'll always be my first and last love. Christia, her sister, cannot be considered my first love. The love I had for Christia was too different from the love I had with Aris. Christia love for me gave me lessons, gave me realization on something.

Aris is different; my love for her is something worth risking without any assurance, a love that I don't regret having, a love that is full of sacrifices, a love that no matter how many decades pass, I know in myself that I will always yearn for that love of her.

She is worth the risk, worth hoping for, and always worth the wait.

"Happy birthday, won't this day last please?" I begged, but I know in myself, and I truly understand that I only begged for nothing.

"Thank you so much, Colin," she thanked me.

"Singlinaw ng langit na bughaw
Hanggang sa dulo, ako at ikaw
Iginuhit na ng tadhana
Na tayong dalawa ay maging isa~"

I looked at her with my eyes full of determination before speaking, "tell me if you want to terminate your birthday wish. I'm willing to defy with them for you, Aris . . . Sasabihin ko sa kanila na ikaw lang, lagi't-lagi ikaw lang, mahal. I just want to be with you. You know my principles, Aris." And I pulled her into a tight, painful, and long embrace.

The embrace that I don't want to last. I am hoping that time will exceed for us, but I hope for something that isn't existing.

"No, don't, Colin. It's time to break your principle so you can finally heal . . ." She's also hugging me tight, I don't know if she meant to tell those words to me, because it feels like I had been stabbed by those sharp knives nonstop. "You are healing together with me, but you can't finally heal with me. You need to heal yourself; your breakthrough was with her."

I hugged her tighter than lately. I still don't want to let go. Every word she uttered pierce my heart painfully, I want to hold badly into her, but her decision is made already. I am the only one who's hoping and holding into nothing, I am the only one who's willing to fight for us. Why she's too selfless? Why can't she choose her happiness instead for letting others took it?

"Sunsets are here already . . ." she said between her sobs while we are still embracing each other as if the both of us don't want to let go. "The sunset is beautiful, isn't it?" She may not be looking at me, but the way she told those words I know that she's beaming amidst the heartaches that painted through our heart.

Little by little her embrace loosened.

"Thank you, Colin. No next life, but if it's God's will that we are for each other. We will meet again at same place. Where it all started." It was her last word to me, the most painful words, yet lit a little hope on my heart that is aching.

As the sun steadily dipped below the horizon, I realized that not just the day was coming to an end, but I and her also. The breathtaking view in front of us did not lessen the heartache that the sunset was inflicting. The sunset was like a magnificent fire, bursting into brilliant hues yet generating no warmth, it vividly glowing with reds and oranges, but here I am still hoping for the day not to end.

Every step she takes torn my heart apart, I don't want her to leave without hearing my final words, so with all the courage I decided to tell her the words I'd been keeping by myself.

"Reach your dreams, love. I will reach mine too separately, and we will bloom in our own flowers of time."