Chapter 11: Somewhere Between Maybe and Yes
394 Words
“May gala tayo bukas, ha?” Ria reminded Hannaia while packing her things in the nursing lab. “Wag ka nang mag-back out. Sabi mo, you need fresh air.”
“I know,” Hannaia sighed. “Sige na nga. Kailangan ko rin ng konting... life.”
Ria smirked. “At baka may konting inspiration din?”
“Hoy,” Hannaia warned, but she couldn’t help the blush creeping up her neck.
The next day, they ended up in a small town café two blocks from campus. Quiet, rustic, with wooden tables and hanging vines. Zac was there too—invited secretly by Ria, who “accidentally” forgot to mention it to Hannaia.
Zac looked surprised but happy to see her.
“Hey,” he said, standing up slightly as she approached.
“Hey,” she replied, awkward at first, but smiling.
The others got busy with card games and karaoke inside. Somehow, Zac and Hannaia found themselves outside, near the vines, where the air was cooler and their words came easier.
“Thank you for not giving up,” she said, softly.
Zac looked at her for a second longer before responding. “You make it hard to.”
They laughed quietly, then settled into a more comfortable silence.
“I used to think everything in life had to be perfect before something good could happen,” Hannaia began. “Na kailangan ko munang ayusin ang buhay ko bago ko i-open up sa iba.”
Zac nodded. “Same. Akala ko dapat sure muna ako sa lahat bago ako pwedeng magmahal. Pero... wala naman palang gano’n.”
“Wala,” she agreed. “Kasi even on your worst days, someone might still choose to stay.”
He turned to her fully. “Can I choose you?”
She blinked. “What?”
“I mean... I know hindi tayo sure kung anong meron. Hindi rin tayo perfect. Pero... I want to try. Even if it’s slow. Even if it’s messy.”
Hannaia’s chest felt tight—in a good way. In a way that told her this was something real.
“I’d like that,” she whispered.
And in that little café, under the hanging vines, they smiled—not because everything was finally figured out.
But because something was finally beginning.
Somewhere between maybe and yes.
They found each other.
- Writer
