I arrived home late in the afternoon, bags heavy in my hands, shoes sore from three days of events, pero magaan ang puso. The door closed quietly behind me and for the first time in weeks, tahimik ang paligid. Walang mall crowd, walang photographers, wala ring monitor na paulit ulit na pinapatugtog ang trailer namin. It was only my breathing and the soft hum of the refrigerator somewhere in the kitchen.
I left my luggage near the console table and inhaled slowly. There was a trace of perfume in the air, mine from this morning, faint but familiar. I turned on a single lamp. Warm light filled the living room and suddenly the silence felt less empty. Pero hindi rin iyon sapat para mawala ang pulso sa dibdib ko na hindi bumababa kahit pagod ako.
I checked my phone, as if I needed proof na to
