Epilogue

Thera slid her hands into the pocket of her maxi dress that barely protected her skin from the cold. She got too excited to see the sunrise that she forgot to bring her scarf. She stood in the gazebo, the one that was facing across the ridges of Baguio where the sun usually emanated the very first thing in the morning. The temperature went down to ten degrees last night— enough to make their teeth chatter.

Today was the twenty-fourth of December 2023. The De Marcos would gather tonight to celebrate not only Christmas but also her birthday. Their maids and cooks were all busy preparing for the party later tonight. She’d might as well help later since she had nothing to do in particular anyway.

It was three years ago when she left to find solitude and to recollect her broken soul. Now, she finally came back after regaining herself fully. Sean still managed The Palace Mall and Hotel pretty well over the years. On the other hand, Miguel was still managing the Tea Caf with the help of her husband. While there she was, contemplating whether or not to accept the board members' offer to her. She had been receiving promising proposals ever since she got back in the Philippines.

Sean promised to support whatever decisions she was going to make. She might be working again soon, but not at the particular moment yet. She had yet to enjoy nurturing the large-scale garden that Sean had landscaped just for her.

Thera's phone chimed all of a sudden. She grabbed the phone from her pocket and tapped open her phone screen. A smile etched across her lips as she received Yumi's text via messenger that says "Merry Christmas". Along with the text message was a group photo linked to it— Yumi was doing a peace sign, and the ones flashing the widest smile next to her were Laida and Top. She missed them a lot.

Thera couldn't be any happier hearing about the news; Yumi had finally found the right man for her. And she was thankful it was Top. She knew how reliable the man actually was. Knowing how sincere he was to her friend, what more could she ask for?

She was about to slide her phone back into her pocket when something came across her mind. For a moment, she stared at the name registered in her phone. After contemplating for a few seconds, she pressed the call button. It was ringing. But nobody picked up the call. She had been calling the same number but just like the previous result a few years ago, no one's answering them.

Thera heaved out a sigh, about to cut her attempt when finally the ringing had stopped. The person she had been trying to contact was finally picking up her call. She brought the phone to her ear almost immediately, waiting for the other person on the other line to speak up. But all she could hear was a weak sigh.

“Hi…” she greeted, breaking the awkward silence that was about to deafen her.

“Why do you have to call me every year? You aren’t getting tired of trying, are you?” the attitude from the other line sounded mean.

“I’m glad that between us, you were the first one to give up.” Thera smiled a little. A tiny bit of hope sparked into her.

“Don’t call anymore,” she told her, still carrying a mean attitude in her voice.

“Why?” she asked, her voice weak.

Another moment of silence swept them over.

The woman from the other line cleared her throat. “It’s not that I don’t want you to call… I’m just… I’ll be leaving soon.”

She stood speechless.

“Why?” Kisses added, spitting out a tone of irritation. “Do you think I can’t? You're not the only one who can afford overseas travel.”

“Kisses…”

Kisses exhaled deeply. “I know… I idolized you, for that matter. I am going to find myself, too. Who knows, when I come back, I already found the love of my life.”

Thera chuckled, but she couldn't help but shed a tear. “I’ll be cheering on you.”

There was an awkward silence again.

“Alright. I need to go. I still have to finish packing my things. Take care of yourself. Merry Christmas…”

There was a smile formed on her lips in between tears when Kisses hung up the call. She let out a heavy sigh. Then, she tilted her head forward as the sun slowly crept from the east side. She was in awe as the sky performed its grand entry of color transitions over the horizon.

After everything went south, Thera somehow felt glad how things ended. She wasted many years hating and blaming everybody, excluding herself. She thought she’d be more empowered if she would give herself permission not to forgive. Even so, forgiveness turned out to be the only key to seek out one's personal sense of purpose.

Forgiving someone seemed so hard, especially those who wronged you didn't intend to ask for it. But she was glad she found reasons to forgive Kisses. Not only to give her friend peace of mind, but also to give herself a sense of euphoria. The peace of mind she’d been praying so hard for so long was already within her reach.

Within three years, she crossed paths with Kisses which happened twice in a row. And for two consecutive times, Thera tried to initiate a discussion with her but she kept her distance persistently. Thera thought she'll forever be stonehearted to her.

She was pulled back to her senses when she felt something heavy on her shoulders. She then looked over her shoulder only to see Sean covering her shoulders with a multi-plaid coat. His tender smile warmed her eyes and heart. He pulled her closer and embraced her from behind. With a smile, a sigh of relief escaped from Thera's mouth. A familiar smell of his aftershave danced through her nostrils. He just had a shower, his early morning routine.

She held Sean's hands, his arms wrapped around her waist. But he caught her hands and interlaced their fingers.

“It's cold out here…” he whispered in her ears.

“It’s warm now that you’re here…”

“You’re watching the sunrise again. Don’t you like the sunset?”

“Someone I know once said that sunsets are equivalent to the word ‘good-bye’ while sunrises symbolize hope and new beginnings. She hated goodbyes so she preferred sunrises. I didn't get it at first but somehow, her stance rubbed off on me.”

“And who said that?”

She gave a shrug. “You know her.”

Sean nodded and no longer bothered to ask further questions. After a while, she felt him heaving out a sigh.

“Why? What are you thinking?” she asked him.

“Nothing. I just could not believe that it isn't a dream nor an illusion. You know, there were times when I thought that everything that's happening right now was only a figment of my imagination. Whenever I drift off to bed, there's this kind of fear that's consuming me. Fear of losing you whenever I open my eyes in the morning.”

“I’m not going to leave you again,” she smiled, giving him a sense of assurance.

“I know. And I’m thankful for the second chance, Thera.”

She felt Sean's hug tightened but she released from the hug, and slowly, she spun around to face him. She stretched out a smile and lovingly stared at him— his glimmering eyes filled with love. His emotions were as clear as her reflection while staring into his eyes. Sean had been faithful to his words. Over the years, he showed and gave nothing but assurance and pure love towards her. There's nothing more she could ask for.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Thera smiled. “Destiny wasn’t ready for us then. And even if it’s not yet ready for us now, I would still take the risk.”

That was the reason why Sean couldn't thank her enough. Thera knew they couldn't guarantee what lies ahead, however, choosing him was the right decision she ever made her whole life. There's no way she'd let go of his hand ever again.

Sean took Thera's hand before taking her in his arms. Then, he gave her a peck on the cheek.

“I love you with no boundaries, Thera. Life after life. Forever,” he whispered.

She smiled, nodding her head. “I know,” she whispered back before returning the gesture he gave her.

“Mama!”

They both looked over their shoulders. Then, they exchanged smiles as they let go of each others' hug. Their eyes were focused on their two-year-old twins. Genuine smiles were painted on their faces as they ran towards their direction; their babysitter followed them, chasing.

She carried Jassy Mikaela while Lucah Gabrielle went to Sean's arms. Sean kissed the two little girls on the cheeks before putting his arms on Thera's shoulders. They all turned their eyes across the ridges, waiting for the sun to fully come into view.

At last, after everything they’d been through, they could now see the world through an exciting new lens. The storms of life had finally calmed down. Though it was a disaster at first, their love for each other prevailed at the end of the day.

It was true that one should not allow rage to fully control oneself. Making a conscious effort to keep eyes open was significant. The more we open our hearts to forgiveness, the more it frees us from guilt. Sometimes, we needed to surrender everything behind us to find ourselves again.

Thera learned that empowered women create themselves by shifting and diverting their pains and adversity into strength and wisdom.

They may have lost their first angel but God had blessed them with two pretty baby girls. Thera was more than thrilled to share the things she experienced and learned in the past with them sooner or later. With Sean by her side, she was confident she could swing freely like a colorful butterfly. She couldn’t get any luckier establishing a family with Sean— the one who never stopped giving the love she deserved and vowed to keep on loving her by all means necessary.

End