Special Chapter

November 16, 2009

Baguio City, Philippines

“Sir, can we just turn the lights off?”

The silence prevailed for a short moment among the two of them. Thera bit her lower lip realizing that what she just said could literally have two separate meanings. She wanted to hit her head for her foolishness. Thera saw how the corner of his lips smirked in a most mischievous way. It was a first, and she couldn't help but swoon over it. It was a wonderful sight to see.

“W-what I'm trying to say is—”

“Get change. You’re dripping wet,” he told her before he walked into the office.

Thera clutched her chest, her heart was beating too fast. Sean would be the death of her. Whenever he's near, she felt like she had to hold her breath for a short while just so she could contain her emotions.

Taking the paper bag with her, she rushed towards the comfort room to clean herself and get dressed. She then placed the school shoes on top of the storage shelf after washing it manually. Unfortunately, it had finally succumbed after overusing them. It was already no-go judging by how torn it was.

Thera took a glance at the table only to see the cup of coffee she prepared for Sean a little while ago. She had forgotten to bring it to him. She grabbed it and decided to take it into his office before it got cold.

She knocked three times before twisting the doorknob and slightly peeking her head inside. Sean was sitting at his desk. He raised a face when he saw her. Thera swung the door open and hurried inside with a cup of coffee in hand. Then, she saw the comforter and pillow placed on top of the center table. They look almost identical so she could not tell which is which.

It was unbeknownst to her that Sean actually had sleeping gears kept in his office. Or maybe it's because it was her first time coming into his room. Well, she should not be surprised. Sean tends to stay late in his office to finish the desk work.

Wait. Does it really mean that he usually spent the rest of the night in the office? Thera couldn't help but feel excited. One part of her brain is telling her to stop flirting with him. The weather condition in Baguio was not good, the temperature dropped, and the only one that was left in the office with her was Sean.

Was she not worried about her own safety? He's a man. And she's a lady who knows zero self-defense. Anything could happen. But was he really capable of doing nasty things? What can a gentle man like him possibly do to her anyway? Steal her a kiss?

She must be really out of her mind, but Thera liked the idea. Who knows, she might even be the one doing the first move to him. She gave herself an inward fit of giggles.

Thera snapped back to her senses when she heared Sean cleared his throat. She tried to collect herself, trying to hide her blushing cheeks from him. Sean just caught her smiling like an idiot. She was literally dreaming with her eyes wide open. Good thing her throat was dry or else she'll drool right before him. That would be embarrassing.

“I brought your coffee, sir,” Thera said in dead malice. She came forward and placed the cup on his desk.

Immediately, she spun around so she could leave the room to himself. She was about to when he spoke to her all of a sudden.

“How long had he been mistreating you?”

Thera stood surprised. Then, slowly turned to look over her shoulders to face Sean. They held gazes for a moment. Just like that, Thera could feel her heart pounding like crazy.

“I'm talking about your cousin,” he continued.

She wasn't sure if her mind's tricking her but she saw how Sean clenched his jaws. She was sure he was referring to her cousin Joshua.

“I-I live with them so. . .” she managed to say. How did he know about him, anyway?

“In case your cousin throws you out again, you can stay here. I’ll let Miguel know.”

Thera was lost for words. She was rather touched by his gesture. Should she jump to conclusions? Or maybe Sean is generally kind to everyone, especially to his employees.

Nevertheless, she couldn't help but feel shy and reluctant. She was rather floored by his kind gesture and she wasn't used to it. As much as possible, what happens within the family stays in the family.

“Thank you, Sir. Maybe it was just a coincidence. They treated me well all the time so don't worry much about it. B-but I appreciate your kindness. I really do.”

There was a long silence that tensed Thera. She was about to open her mouth and say something but Sean preceded her before she could say a word.

“The more you sacrifice and consider other people more than yourself, the more you will lose everything.”

The following day, Thera woke up and looked around for a while. She realized that Sean had already left in the Tea Caf. However, his office remained unlocked.

Thera put the sleeping gears back in his office. She took her time exploring around the big-spaced room. Thern her eyes fixed on the couch. The comforter was folded neatly on top of it. An unknowing smile etched across her lips as she placed the sleeping gears over it.

On the other corner of the room, she noticed the trophies and certificates displayed on the shelves. She wasn't able to check them out properly last night. She stepped forward and scanned each. Thera was in awe as she read the awards and titles individually. They were all named after Sean. It was a remarkable achievement for such a young age.

Thera heaved out a sigh with a smile painted in her face. Her admiration towards him added up. Blessed is the woman he's going to marry. Sean was every woman’s dream man. Intelligent, rich and a fine bachelor. Well, as long as he stayed single, she still had a chance. Who knows, heaven will grant him to her.

Thera swayed her way out of the office. The Tea Caf will open soon so she needed to prepare. She went to the ladies' room to get dressed. She put on her uniform when she remembered about her shoes. It was no longer there. She was sure as hell that she left them on top of the shelf before she went to bed. She did everything to scan every corner of the room. She continued looking it up at the receiving area but to no avail.

Did Sean take them out and put them in the trash can? Did he even know that the word repair and recycle exist? She was planning to glue them back together so she could use them again. But knowing she could not find her shoes anywhere and thinking about the possibilities that Sean threw them away, she began to feel helpless. What must she do now? She could not serve the customers barefooted.

Thera looked for her phone and texted Kisses, asking if she could come to work earlier and to bring extra shoes she could use. After a few moments, she received no reply. Unable to put up with constant waiting, she decided to ring Kisses instead. But after ringing her many times, she still was not answering her phone. She stared at the wall clock. It was still early. Perhaps, she was still sleeping.

Thera kept pacing back and forth thinking how she could handle it later. The cafe's peak hour starts at eight until ten. However, considering the cold weather temperature in the city, she'd expect that it'd be more than the expected peak hours.

Twelve minutes before the cafe opening hour, Kisses finally rang her phone. The sliding door burst open, revealing Sean. Immediately, she hung up, not hearing Kisses's constant "hello" from the other line.

Thera's eyes were fixed at the man who was approaching her direction. Her eyes blinked as he stopped right before her. Without a word, he slid the paper bag over into her palm.

Confused, Thera took the bag and checked what was inside. White sneakers, black sandals, and two-inch high-heeled closed shoes. All branded and in good condition.

She stared at him with a confused look on the face. The guy was staring keenly at her still.

“They're my mom's. The mall was still closed so I was not able to buy you a pair of shoes. Your size is exactly the same size as mom’s. Size six,” explained Sean, reading her mind.

Thera stood speechless. How did he know about her size?

“M-my shoes—”

“I get rid of them,” he confirmed.

“What—”

She was not able to finish her sentence when Sean lifted his hand to show another pouch he carried in his hand. A take-out meal from a fancy diner nearby Camp John Hay.

“First things first. Save the questions for later. I’m cold and I bet you’re starving. We only have a few minutes left to spare before Tea Caf opens.”

Thera couldn't believe her eyes. Still lost in her thoughts, she shut her mouth and followed Sean towards the pantry. Slowly, a sparky smile formed her lips. How she wished if this happened all the time, she wouldn't mind if Joshua kicked him out again of the house every freaking night.

A FEW months had passed and until now, there's still a hint of joy sparkling Thera's eyes. The band 98 Degrees' I do play in the background as she took her time walking through the aisle. She wore a timeless and elegant dress designed by a famous couturier in France. It was an open-back V-neck mermaid wedding dress crafted in lace with a sensational tattoo effect on its sleeves. She gripped the bouquet of white roses tightly. Kisses, her maid of honor, was guiding her from the back towards the altar. The bridesmaid and flower girls marching early on were holding jam jars with white rose petals in them.

Thera barely recognized the sea of faces attending the wedding. They're all staring at her. There was a mixture of admiration, happiness, jealousy, and whatever they call it shown in their eyes. Her eyes were fixed at the end of the aisle as she walked on the thick red carpet trailed with white rose petals. She knew that a man was waiting for her at the end of the hall. Sean. And yes, she was about to say “I do” to happily ever after with that very man.

Sean looked dignified and stylish in his custom-made black tuxedo. He had always been good-looking but for Thera no man can ever match him. She caught a glimpse of him a few minutes ago while his best man Tan got out of the car. She came unexpectedly earlier than her groom even though they had left at the reception earlier.

Thera’s heart hammered against her chest when their eyes locked to each other. Finally, she reached the altar and she stood right before him. A small smile graced his lips. Maybe just like her, her groom was a bit overwhelmed and nervous. Just like her, he was trying to hide those visible emotions.

Uncle Jaime's smile was as formal and as thin as Sean's. He was standing in front They drew closer to her for a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. While Sean shook hands with his uncle.

Sean finally took her hand to finally present her to the altar. Her breath was heavy. Just when the ceremony had begun, she felt on edge.

Thera felt him slightly squeezing her hand. She returned him a sweet smile. Standing next to him still feels overwhelming but he was the only person right now who's capable of removing all her worries. His sharp stare, even though she was having a hard time understanding what lies behind those eyes, it gave her an assurance that no matter what happened, he will never forsake her.

The wedding ceremony finally began. Thera stole a few glances at her groom. His eyes were focused in front and he was listening intently to the priest. A few moments from now, Thera would be exchanging marriage vows with her first love. The reality was better than her dreams, indeed.

A precious smile formed her lips as the cute ring bearer walked towards them. Sean glanced at her, taking her hand gently.

“I, Sean De Marco, take you, Thera Baguio, to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner, and my love from this day forward. In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow.”

Then, his gazes shifted from her hand to her face. They held gazes.

Thera could not help but swallow hard. She knew that his vows had continuation since it was the same wedding vow that the coordinator gave them. It was done that way since they both refused to give their own vows for each other.

She was not so certain but there was something in Sean’s gaze that caused her heart to briefly ache. As if there was a sense of sadness behind those words as he uttered them.

When Sean slipped the ring on her finger, he broke the eye contact. His eyes now focus on her hand. “I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.”

Thera tried to broaden her smile as soon as Sean let go of her hand. Now, it's her turn to take the wedding ring and just like him, she began to say her vow.

“… I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.”

Thera was not expecting a groom shedding a few tears but she felt a slight pinch from her chest while she expressed her vow. Sean didn't even look at her in her eyes. The pain slowly swept her over. After a few moments, she shook her head almost quickly. Perhaps, Sean was just tired. For the past two nights, all he did was to attend to the guests from Manila who he invited in for the wedding. The pressure must have exhausted him.

“The vows you have just taken, pledging love, mean far more than mere words ever can. May their gentle spirit move in you. May your years fulfill the beauty of the feelings expressed today. And may you always put these vows above the things that make life smaller.

“Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warm to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years. May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth.”

There was a heavy breath yanked out from her chest as she listened to the closing remarks of the priest. And she engraved them in her heart with sincerity.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride.”

They both turned and faced each other. She gave a sheepish smile while Sean stared keenly at her this time. Her smile grew wide when she finally saw love and something more in his eyes. Sean crossed the distance between their faces— pulled her in for a kiss. Sean’s feathery, soft grasp of her neck and caress of her jawline completely set Thera’s heart aflutter. The guests were all clapping their hands in delight before he finally broke the kiss.

It rained with white rose petals and plenty of applause as Thera and Sean made their exit down the aisle. It didn’t get more real. She just promised to spend the rest of her life with the man of her dreams.

Her parents once told her; be good and heaven will grant one’s wish thereupon. Just like what her parents reinforced to them, Thera also believed in karma. And for her, Sean was her karma; good and handsome karma for that matter.

Sean bowed his head to lean against hers. Her eyes twinkled. Her smile was sweet and full of certainty. She would not give up on him come what may.

Never.

Ever.