Chapter 20
1501 Words
Monday – 5:23 PM – Campus Grounds, East Lawn
Aira leaned against a tree trunk, her tote bag beside her, untouched notes peeking out. The late afternoon sun painted gold on the pavement, and her mind wandered more than her eyes did.
Calix was on his way, supposedly done with his final class for the day.
She wasn’t sure why her chest felt tight.
Maybe it was the way the wind was whispering.
Maybe it was how still everything felt.
5:41 PM – Calix’s POV – Crossing the Campus Bridge
Calix checked his phone.
Aira:
> Nasa east lawn ako. May gusto akong sabihin. Okay lang ba?
His brows drew together. It wasn’t panic. But it wasn’t usual either.
He quickened his pace.
5:52 PM – East Lawn Bench
Aira looked up the moment she saw him. He walked quietly, sat beside her, but left space—sensing she needed it.
“Hey,” he said gently.
She nodded. “Hey.”
A beat.
“I got a call from my mom last night,” she began. “I didn’t answer.”
Calix waited.
“She texted after. Sinabi niya… umuwi raw si Papa. Out of nowhere.”
Calix blinked. “Akala ko… wala na siya sa picture?”
“I thought so too,” Aira said bitterly. “Pero he’s back. And guess what? He wants to meet daw.”
The sarcasm barely masked the storm underneath.
“Do you want to see him?” Calix asked softly.
“I don’t know,” she said, voice cracking slightly. “He left. Hindi lang basta-basta. He left me. And now, what—he wants lunch like nothing happened?”
Flashback – Aira, 13 Years Old
A plate of adobo sat untouched. Rain hit the tin roof outside.
Her mom wiped her eyes while pretending to wash dishes.
Aira remembered asking, “Ma, hindi na ba siya babalik?”
Her mom didn’t answer for a long time. Then:
“Siguro hindi lahat ng tatay alam pano mahalin ‘yung anak nila nang buo.”
Present – 6:07 PM
“I feel like if I go,” Aira whispered, “I’m letting him think he can just walk back in.”
“And if you don’t?” Calix asked.
“Then maybe I’m the girl who never gives people second chances.”
Calix touched her wrist, light and grounding.
“You can be both,” he said. “You can face him and protect yourself.”
6:29 PM – Aira’s Confession
They walked slowly across the lawn. Aira’s voice broke the quiet.
“I used to think if someone walked away, it was because I wasn’t enough.”
Calix stopped.
“But lately,” she continued, looking down, “I’ve been feeling different. Not perfect. But… lighter.”
He didn’t move.
“And maybe,” she said, voice soft, “it’s because I finally met someone who stayed. Who never made me question if I was too hard to care for.”
She turned to him fully.
“I think I’m falling in love with you, Calix.”
The world stilled.
Calix’s breath hitched—not in fear, but in sheer disbelief that someone like her was choosing someone like him.
Calix’s Response
He didn’t say “I love you” back. Not yet.
Instead, he stepped closer, eyes serious and tender.
“I’ve wanted to hear that from you more than I’ve wanted anything lately.”
Aira held his gaze.
“But I also want to be someone who says it not just because he feels it—but because he’ll show it, even on hard days. Even when it’s not soft.”
She swallowed.
“So you do…?” she asked.
He smiled, hand brushing hers.
“I’m already there, Aira. Been there since the day you made me feel seen just by sitting beside me.”
8:03 PM – Dorm Lobby (Mira’s POV)
Mira watched Aira walk in—eyes a little red, but face relaxed. Lighter.
She didn’t need to ask what happened.
Because Aira was glowing in that quiet, post-confession kind of way.
The kind of glow only truth could give.
Midnight – Aira’s Journal Entry
> “I didn’t expect to say it tonight.
But it felt like something real needed to be said.
Not to prove anything.
Just to remind myself—I’m allowed to love again.
And this time… I think I’m doing it right.”
Tuesday – 10:44 AM – Café in Quezon City
Aira sat in a quiet corner table, fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup. Across from her, her mom looked more tired than usual—but less guarded.
And beside her, sat the man Aira hadn’t seen in years.
Her father.
He looked older. Less put-together than she remembered. And when their eyes met, he looked away first.
“Kumusta ka na?” he asked, voice unsure.
Aira let the question hang before answering. “Okay naman.”
Her mom cleared her throat gently. “Nagulat din ako nang tumawag siya,” she said. “But I thought maybe… it’s time.”
Aira looked down. “Time for what? Closure?”
“Time to know,” her mom replied, “if you want to carry hate forever. Or if you want to be free from it.”
Her father spoke, finally. “Aira, I don’t expect forgiveness. I just wanted to see you—kahit sandali lang.”
Aira nodded slowly. “Then let’s not pretend we’re something we’re not.”
“But,” she added after a beat, “thank you—for not pretending that nothing happened.”
Silence. Then her father’s eyes welled with tears. “I’m proud of you, anak. Kahit hindi ako naging parte ng paglaki mo.”
Aira blinked. She didn’t say anything sentimental in return. But when she stood to leave, she said, “I’m still figuring out how I feel. But thank you for showing up this time.”
It wasn’t closure.
But it was a start.
Wednesday – 5:12 PM – Dorm Lounge
Aira dropped onto the bean bag beside Mira and Nhene, sighing.
“So…” Mira leaned in. “What happened after you told Calix?”
Nhene almost spilled her juice. “Wait—told him what?”
“That she’s falling,” Mira answered for her.
Aira groaned. “Can we not turn it into a teleserye?”
Mira grinned. “No promises.”
Nhene’s eyes widened. “Teka, sinagot ka ba?”
“No,” Aira said, sipping from her drink. “He didn’t say ‘I love you’ back. But he said something better.”
They both leaned in.
“He said he’s already there. That he’s been there.”
Mira let out a dramatic gasp. “Girl, that’s a husband-level reply!”
They all burst into laughter.
Then Aira grew quiet.
“I think that was the first time I said something that honest… and didn’t feel like I’d be punished for it.”
Mira reached over and squeezed her arm.
“That’s because this time, the person you chose is kind and steady.”
6:03 PM – Rooftop Garden (Mira & Aira Only)
They brought snacks, sprawled on the tiled floor with blankets and the fading light around them.
“Seryoso,” Mira said, munching on chips. “How did it feel, confessing like that?”
Aira stared up at the sky.
“Scary,” she admitted. “But also… like I took back a part of myself. The version that stopped believing in love.”
Mira smiled gently. “I think you’re starting to believe again.”
Aira turned to her. “I think I am, too.”
8:47 PM – Calix’s POV – Dorm Balcony
Calix scrolled through his phone, rereading Aira’s messages from the day before.
No grand gestures. No big plans.
Just that quiet “I think I’m falling for you” that shook him in a way nothing else had.
He looked up at the night sky.
> “Maybe love doesn’t knock you off your feet. Maybe it just walks beside you until you realize… you’re no longer scared of standing still.”
10:01 PM – Aira’s Room (Text Thread)
CALIX
> Thought of you today. That moment in the lawn? It’s still playing in my head.
AIRA
> Same. I keep thinking I said too much.
CALIX
> You didn’t. You said enough. And I heard all of it.
AIRA
> Thank you… for making it feel safe to feel.
CALIX
> Always. That’s what this is about, diba? Not being fearless. But feeling anyway.
Midnight – Aira’s Journal Entry
> “I saw the man who left. I faced the fear that I’d always be the one left behind. And then, I looked at the one who stayed—and I told him what I felt. That’s not weakness. That’s growth. And maybe… just maybe… that’s love finding its way to me at last.”
- Writer
