Epilogue

Elliot's Point of View

"Sometimes, you meet someone just once, and they never really leave."

I was seven years old when my mom died.

It was raining. That kind of cold, steady rain that made everything feel heavier. I remember sitting by the window of our living room, watching water slide down the glass, trying to make sense of the silence in our house.

My dad held me tightly that night. But even his warmth didn't reach the part of me that was missing. I hated the rain from then on.

A year passed. I was eight when we went to this fancy party my dad insisted I attend. I didn't care about the people, or the food, or the music. It was raining again.

And like before, I sat alone — away from everyone, in a quiet corner.

I didn't want to talk. I just wanted the day to end.

Then, someone approached. A girl who's about my age — holding a small umbrella, hair slightly damp, looking unsure but gentle.

"Bakit nandiyan ka?" she asked softly.

I didn't answer right away. Then I muttered, "I hate rain."

"Bakit naman?" she asked.

I hugged my coat tighter. "Feel ko malungkot ako. Namatay kasi ang mom ko habang umuulan... last year."

Her expression softened. She didn't walk away. She didn't say sorry like everyone else did. She just... sat beside me.

Quietly. No questions. No small talk.

Just presence.

That was the first time I felt okay again, even just a little.

So, I gave her something.

A silver necklace with a raindrop pendant. My mom gave it to me years ago, said to give it to someone who made me smile when I thought I couldn't anymore.

"Salamat, dinamayan mo ako," I told her. "You're nice."

She blinked in surprise. "Sure ka bang sa 'kin na 'to?"

I nodded. "Yeah. You look cute with it."

Her cheeks flushed pink. Then she smiled.

That smile burned itself into my memory.

I didn't know her name. I never saw her again.

But I never forgot her.

It was raining when I noticed Avery's necklace.

We were sitting under the café roof on our usual spot, the same one we always came to after meeting sessions or on lazy Sunday mornings. She reached up to scratch her neck, and something silver peeked out from beneath her collar.

A tiny raindrop pendant.

My heart skipped.

I leaned in slightly. "Hey... that necklace. Where'd you get it?"

Avery blinked, confused at first. She touched the charm, smiled faintly. "Oh... this? A boy gave it to me when I was eight. At some party. It was raining. He looked so sad, sitting alone."

I sat back, stunned. "Wait. The party was in the middle of a storm?"

"Yeah," she nodded slowly, brows furrowing like she was starting to piece something together. "He said his mom died during the rain the year before. I just sat beside him. I didn't even know his name."

My voice caught in my throat. "T-That was me."

She froze.

"You—" Her eyes widened. "Wait. What?"

"I was seven when my mom died. It rained that day. Then a year later, I was at a party. I remember someone sitting beside me. A girl. You didn't say much, but... you stayed."

Avery covered her mouth, the necklace gently swinging with the movement.

"I always kept this," she whispered. "I thought it was from a stranger I'd never see again."

A quiet laugh escaped my lips. "Turns out I proposed to that stranger years later."

She blinked fast, eyes glassy. "You remembered?"

"I never forgot," I said. "I just didn't know... it was you."

She leaned forward, resting her forehead against mine. "You have no idea how much that moment meant to me. I didn't even understand it back then. I just knew I wanted you to feel less alone."

I smiled. "You did."

The rain outside softened, the world hazy behind the café windows but she was clear, solid, and glowing in front of me.

The girl who once sat beside me in silence...

Now also wore my ring.

Still wore the necklace.

And had always worn my heart.

It's raining. Lightly. Softly. Like a blessing.

Nasa loob kami ng isang maliit pero eleganteng garden venue, glass-roofed, kaya tanaw ang ulan sa labas. Everything smells like fresh earth and new beginnings.

I still hate the rain. Pero ngayong araw, iba na siya.

I'm standing at the altar. Kinakabahan. My hands are slightly shaking. My tie's crooked, as usual — Edward fixed it earlier with this proud, dramatic flair. "Dapat magmukha kang groom, hindi teenager sa prom," he teased.

Tyron's off to the side, arms crossed but smiling like a proud kuya. Tyler gave me a wink and a thumbs up right before walking with the entourage. Ang kulit pa rin. Same old Tyler.

And then...

I see her.

Avery.

In white long wedding gown, she personally picked.

Hair soft in loose waves, a delicate veil draping behind her. But what catches my eye — what always catches my eye is the silver raindrop pendant on her neck.

The one I gave her when we were eight.

My chest tightens. Memories rush in like the rain: the wake, the boy who hated the storm, the girl who sat beside him. The necklace. The kindness. The warmth.

She's always been the light in the storm.

As she reaches me, I whisper, barely breathing.

"You still have it."

Her smile is gentle, eyes shimmering. "I told you. I hoped you'd remember me."

And I did.

Not just the moment. Not just the necklace. But her.

I remember everything.

The minister begins, voice calm and warm: "We are gathered here today to witness not just a union, but a completion of a circle. One that started, unknowingly, on a rainy day years ago."

We turn to each other. It's time for our vows.

Avery takes my hands. Hers are steady. Warm. Sure. Then she started her vow.

"Elliot... noong walong taong gulang ako, I sat beside a sad boy who hated the rain. Hindi kita kilala, pero alam kong kailangan mo ng kasama. I didn't know your name, but I never forgot your face — or how you made me feel safe in silence.

I wore this necklace ever since. Kasi somehow, I knew... you'd come back to me.

And now that you did, I promise...

To always sit beside you — through the storms, the silence, and the sunshine.

To listen when words fail.

To hold your hand when you're scared.

To remind you of the light when you forget it's there.

I love you, Elliot. With everything. Rain or shine."

She's crying now, smiling through her tears.

My turn. I take a deep breath.

"Avery... I was seven when my mom died. And ever since then, I hated the rain.

But when I was eight, you came to me. You didn't try to fix me. You just sat beside me. And in that small, quiet act, you gave me something I'd been missing — hope.

I didn't know your name either. But I gave you my necklace. Kasi that was the only thing I had that reminded me of her — and I trusted you with it.

Now, years later, I realize... I gave you my heart that day, too.

So, I promise...

To love you gently, fiercely, and without conditions.

To remind you every day how grateful I am na ikaw 'yung lumapit.

To choose you — even on hard days, especially on hard days.

And to never forget the boy who hated rain... because he led me to you."

We're both teary now. Even the guests are sniffling.

The minister smiles. "You may now seal your promises with a kiss."

And when our lips meet, the rain outside falls a little stronger — like it's celebrating with us.

Our friends are clapping. Edward is loudly sobbing. Tyron's recording with his phone. Tyler yells, "About time!"

We turn to face them, hands entwined.

I look at our circle. Complete. Whole. The same people who watched us grow — who carried pieces of our broken selves — now cheering us on as we step into forever.

The rain is no longer my enemy.

It's our witness. Our friend.

Because the boy who once hated the rain...

Is now married to the girl who taught him how to dance in it.

I used to carry a lot of things I didn't talk about.

Grief.

Fear.

The weight of losing her too soon.

The guilt of smiling again.

The hatred for something as simple as the rain.

But then Avery came into my life. First in silence, then in laughter, then in love.

And slowly, she helped me let go of what poisoned my heart.

She helped me detoxify.

From the ache.

From the anger.

From the loneliness.

She didn't erase the past, but she helped me heal from it.

And now, I'm standing here, in front of everyone I love, in front of the rain I once feared, beside the woman who changed everything...

Saying I'm no longer the boy who hated the world.

Because love... Real love — detoxifies.

And I've never felt cleaner. Freer. Happier.

So, here's to healing.

Here's to letting go.

And here's to choosing each other, every day.

The End.