Chapter 55
“Until Forever”
Arushi POV
It’s been a few months now.
Living together with Celest and Celestial in our house—yes, house ko ‘to, design ko ‘to, gawa ng mga kamay ko bilang architect, syempre. Every corner of this place may meaning, may heart, may soul… kasi alam kong dito magsisimula ‘yung forever naming tatlo.
Celest and I? We’re no longer just lovers in dreams. We’re building our reality.
And Celestial—our little snowball, our sunshine wrapped in kulit and sparkles?
She’s not like either of us sa ugali. Actually, mas kamukha niya si Celest physically, pero personality-wise?
Diyos ko, anak ni Citrine ‘yun. Confirmed.
Energetic, talkative, adventurous, pero smart.
‘Yung tipong kahit pa-cute, may ambag sa conversation.
Palaban. May sariling utak. Grabe, nagmana talaga sa auntie niya.
Pero today? Today is the day.
The day.
Our wedding day.
I still can’t believe I proposed to her last month. Hindi ko nga rin maintindihan kung saan ko hinugot ‘yung tapang, pero all I know is… I wanted her to be mine in all ways possible.
It was epic. Romantic. Literal na parang fairy tale—pero may twist, kasi I proposed while we were just chilling sa rooftop ng bahay, watching the stars.
I built this little corner with lights, soft pillows, at biglang lumuhod ako.
She cried. I cried. Celestial clapped and asked kung pwede na siyang kumain ng cake.
At ngayon, heto na ako. Standing in front of the altar, heart beating like crazy. Nakangiti ako pero nanginginig ang kamay ko. Nervous, excited, halo-halo. Kasi in a few moments, she will walk down the aisle.
And then... the music starts.
I turned my head.
And there she was.
Celest.
Walking slowly, gracefully down the aisle, wearing the most elegant white gown. Her hair softly curled, her eyes shining, lips in a gentle smile.
She looked like an angel.
But I know her story.
She was once the faceless girl in my dreams.
She was once cold and untouchable.
She was once not even human.
But she became one.
For me.
She became real, just so she could love and be loved.
And now, she’s walking toward me—no longer a dream, no longer an illusion—but a promise.
A promise of a forever I never thought I’d have.
When she reached me, I took her hand.
She smiled.
I mouthed, “You’re beautiful.”
She replied, “I know.”
We both laughed.
The ceremony was perfect.
The vows? Sobrang heartfelt, kahit may halong tawa dahil sa unexpected comment ni Celestial from the audience:
“Dada! Don’t cry! Mommy’s here na!”
The whole place laughed, and honestly? That moment made everything feel so us—imperfect, spontaneous, but full of love.
After the “I do,” after the kiss that sealed our love, we moved to the reception.
It was cozy but elegant—exactly what we wanted. May garden lights, long tables filled with good food, wine, soft music playing in the background.
Lahat ng mahal namin sa buhay… nandito. Kasama namin.
We were laughing, chatting, eating, taking pictures. Everyone looked happy. Even my parents—Mommy Auburn and Mama Primo—were glowing.
Then there we were. Ako, Raegan, Forest, Min-Jae, and Citrine. Nakatayo kami sa gilid, holding wine glasses, staring at the coldest table in the event.
Sino ang nasa table na ‘yon?
Mommy Auburn, of course. Celest. Auntie Kwon Ruby. Auntie Amber. Auntie Choi Ji-woo. And of course, si Celestial, nakaupo sa lap ni Mommy Auburn habang kumakain ng cake na walang paalam.
Raegan sipped her wine and said, “Wow. Nag-sama-sama yung mga malalamig na parang yelo.”
Forest laughed. “Grabe. Parang elite circle of emotionally unavailable women.”
Min-Jae added, “Kung may club ‘yan, ayaw ko nang pumasok. Baka mapaiyak lang ako.”
Tumatawa na kaming lahat. Raegan was about to take a sneaky picture nang bigla siyang siniko ni Citrine.
I gasped. “Hoy, rude!”
Celestial, being the little traitor she is, sumigaw ng, “Tita Citrineeee!!!” tapos agad-agad lumipat ng kandungan. Anak ko pa ba ‘to?
Naghalakhakan kaming lahat. Even Celest turned her head and rolled her eyes at me playfully. She mouthed, “You married me, remember?”
I winked at her.
Then I felt a soft hand touch my back. It was Mama Primo, holding a glass of wine, smiling at me with that rare, genuine, heartfelt smile.
Na-teary eyed ako.
But I smiled back. “Thank you, Mama. I love you too.”
Later that night, habang nagsasayawan na ang lahat, habang umiikot si Celestial sa dancefloor, habang nag-uusap si Celest at Mommy Auburn about kung anong school ang balak nila for Celestial next year… I stood under the fairy lights, holding my wine, just watching them.
This family.
This life.
This love.
It’s everything I ever dreamed of.
And even if it all started in dreams, in illusions, in the space between sleep and wakefulness…
This ending?
This is as real as it gets.
And it’s only the beginning of our forever.
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The End.