Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Stacey sounds serious. Not a rarity at all. Stacey could be serious if needed. 

But Aiah doesn’t understand why a friend’s wedding has Stacey bargaining with Aiah to take the DJ spot so seriously. It’s a week-long commitment. Aiah would have to turn down multiple club DJ sets to accommodate Stacey’s request, all because Stacey wants to enjoy the wedding as a guest rather than be attached to the booth and miss out on all the festivities.

“Eh bakit ba muna isang linggo ‘yung kasal ng friend mo?” Aiah asks, wanting to be on the receiving end of some level of convincing, even though she knows Stacey will most likely dangle a great proposition to get Aiah to agree.

“Kasi mayaman sila? Chinese, eh. Tsaka kasal na sila. Last year pa, sa Australia. ‘Yung pinakita ko sayo na pictures, sila ‘yun.” Stacey explains, stowing her DJ controller away. “Nakumbinsi lang na magpakasal din dito sa Pinas. Tapos ayun lahat na ata ng family members involved na kaya umabot ng limang araw sa Palawan ang ganap.”

Okay, fine, not a full week. Although, with all the traveling, it’s definitely technically a full week.

Aiah does need a vacation. They’ve been putting themselves out there, really trying to land more spots in music festivals, clubs, and snazzy exclusive rooftop bar parties. As much as their job is all about the nightlife, Aiah loves nature and beaches, and Stacey knows it, utilizing that as one of the selling points for her request.

“Syempre ‘di ko maipapangako na walang chismosang tita na baka i-set up ka sa anak nilang single din. Pero all expense paid trip siya. Airfare, accommodations, lahat na. Maganda rin ‘yung rate na binigay.” Stacey lays it all out neatly.

Aiah had seen the email for the contract. It would be a job that pays handsomely on top of everything else. Maybe that’s why Aiah thinks there’s definitely going to be a catch when they get there. Like all the wedding guests would turn out to be the most awful people Aiah has ever met and then Aiah’s trapped in paradise with the most annoying and talkative bunch of Titas and Titos known to man.

“Kasama mo pa ako.” Stacey starts cheerfully before eventually avoiding Aiah’s eyes. “Kahit na… ‘di siguro tayo magka-room sa hotel.” 

“Syempre, kasama si Jhoanna sa Palawan,” Aiah guesses, her eyes landing on Stacey teasingly. 

“Oo na! Kaya please ikaw na mag-DJ. Sabihin mo ano dapat kong gawin para makuha ang oo mo.”

“Parang dapat kay Jhoanna mo sinasabi ‘yan eh.” Aiah rises on her feet once she sees Stacey zip her DJ bag close, reaching for her own and pulling her phone out to book a two drop-off Grab ride for them.

“Ate Aiah naman,” Stacey huffs. “Bilis na.”

Stacey calling her Ate means it is absolutely important to her. She hasn’t been Ate Aiah to her since they started working together, a self-managed team of two with a shared professional email and a Google calendar color coded to perfection. Stacey is pink, Aiah is blue. The calendar had to be the explanation to Jhoanna’s alleged unexplained fit of jealousy.

They had added her in as dark blue later.

“Sure, sure.” Aiah concedes. How can she say no to Stacey’s pleading face? “I won't be a third wheel either, pero may kapalit.”

Stacey looks at her curiously, seemingly considering her options. “Ano?”

Aiah’s screen lights up. A Grab driver accepts their booking. PHP404 for a ride home. What a scam. An inconvenient consequence of their atypical work hours is the lack of accessible commute options.

“Lista mo. May utang ka. 202 pesos para sa Grab.” Aiah starts walking towards the door, thanking the other event staff members they encounter as they make their way out of the building.

“Jusko, ‘yun lang pala kapalit eh? Easy.” Stacey jokes as she shuffles to walk alongside Aiah, greeting the staff members around as well when they walk past.

“Loko loko.” Aiah bumps their shoulders lightly, “Wala pa ako maisip ngayon. But I’m sure there’s something in the future that I might just need.”

“Tangina, scammer ka rin no?”

“Ayaw mo?”

“Sabi ko nga sabihin mo lang ‘pag naisip mo na.”

*

Aiah is tired when the flight to Palawan rolls around.

Aiah regrets saying yes to Stacey’s request when her gig the night before ended later than scheduled, and a handful of party goers had taken notice of her and handed her shots for ‘a job well done’ causing her to deal with a hangover that can’t be reasoned with hydration and meds alone.

And Aiah wants to regret her decision because she’s struck in traffic going to Terminal 3, and the Grab car’s aircon is broken, and the driver definitely smoked in the vehicle before picking her up, and in the backseat she sits in panic because her ID card—a driver’s license she doesn’t use—isn’t in its usual slot in her wallet, and cold sweat is running down her back as she scrambles through her bag… and well, thank God, it’s in one of the pockets.

And Aiah wants to regret more and more as she stands in a long check in line at the airport, and then later when she arrives at the terminal gate cramped with so many people because a small and intimate beach wedding would still probably be around 50 guests, and maybe 20 hired staff, all waiting for the same boarding time. It doesn’t help that the lounge is a good distance away, and the family of the brides don’t look like they’ll be running to the terminal gates for their flight.

Jhoanna and Stacey are already seated. Aiah feels relief spotting her stupid little faces in a crowd of strangers.

“Kinabahan ako sayo. Akala ko ‘di ka na susulpot. Para saan pa ang phone kung ‘di naman nagrereply.” Stacey berates, scooting a little in place to give Aiah space to sit down.

Aiah places her bag on the seat, feeling for her wallet in her pocket. “Sorry na. ‘Di talaga sumagi sa isip ko. Para kasi akong sinusundan ng malas today.”

Jhoanna makes a face, “Bawiin mo ‘yan. Pangit magsabi ng ganyan sa universe baka magkatotoo.”

Aiah wants to argue that it’s already happening, but Jhoanna wouldn’t want that either.

“Magkakape muna ako. Kayo ba?” Aiah says instead.

Stacey raises her own coffee cup, and Jhoanna murmurs something about not drinking coffee and so Aiah braces herself for another long queue, this time to the small coffee kiosk a short walk away from their gate.

Aiah finally checks her phone while she waits in line. There are indeed a handful of frantic messages from Stacey, and a few calmer ones from Jhoanna after. When she puts her phone down, the phone screen of the lady in front of her takes her attention. 

A text thread is in the largest font size Aiah has ever seen on a phone so it definitely grabs her attention.

Where are you? You cannot miss Gwen's wedding this time.

Ikaw lang din ang present from the Lim’s side of the family. 

Angkong was already upset about your parents’ absence.

Do you have a plus one? Ahma will definitely be asking. 

Aiah almost cannot peel her eyes away. Not especially when the reply arrives.

Matagal nang booked yung Europe trip nila. 

It’s non-refundable. Plus, they were present in Australia naman.

Then another.

No plus one, Auntie.

I’m already at the airport. I’m behind you in line actually.

Aiah resists the urge to turn to check who would be the unfortunate soul to bear the misfortune of possibly dealing with being matched with other single people during the wedding. A real possibility for attendees willingly going alone in these sorts of events. 

The lady saves her the trouble as she waves a hand, calling out to the sender of the messages. “Mikha, come here!”

Mikha, who apparently cannot miss the wedding, comes up to greet her Aunt. 

“I checked the guest list. Colet’s invited. You’re not going together?” The aunt asks after they go cheek to cheek in a beso.

“Colet and I have been broken up for two years na, Auntie.” Mikha clarifies, suddenly mindful of the people around them with such a chosen topic of conversation.

Aiah for her part tries to look disinterested. It’s not like she can plug her ears shut either.

“No chance at getting back together?” The aunt switches their place, shoving Mikha to stand in line instead of her.

“Colet’s already happy, Auntie. She’s invited because she’s Sheena’s friend.”

The aunt narrows her eyes at that, but doesn’t comment further. “Okay, if you say so. Do me a favor and get me a hot cappuccino, okay? I’ll go take a seat, masakit na tuhod ko eh.” She turns to Aiah then, and Aiah goes rigid. “I hope you don’t mind, no? She’s not cutting in line. Pamangkin ko naman ‘to.”

“Okay lang po,” Aiah whispers, nodding respectfully before the lady returns to the terminal gate.

“Sorry about that,” Mikha tells her when she catches Aiah’s eyes.

“No worries,” Aiah manages out, trying to imprint in her memory Mikha’s eyes.

Aiah forgets all her regrets for taking on this job and her streak of bad luck coming into the airport when later Mikha mistakenly takes Aiah’s coffee order leaving Aiah no choice but to bring a hand to Mikha’s arm to stop her in her tracks.

“Sorry, parang akin ata ‘yang hawak mo.” Aiah says as Mikha turns around.

Mikha turns one of the coffee cups in her hand. Aiah’s name is indeed on it, incorrectly spelled but unmistakably hers.

“For Mikha!” A barista calls out, just as they resolve the switcheroo.

“Sorry about that.” Mikha hands Aiah her coffee, taking the new coffee cup on the counter before sauntering away.

“No worries,” Aiah says even though Mikha is already gone, and Aiah is left reeling from the feeling of her fingers barely brushing Mikha’s own.

*

Stacey makes space for Aiah when she returns, letting her sit between Jhoanna and her. Aiah gives Stacey a questioning look as she settles in the middle, and Stacey makes a face that seems to indicate ‘No’ or ‘Later,’ meaning they will definitely debrief once they reach their respective rooms in the resort.

“Buti pinayagan ka magleave ng newsroom, Jho.” Aiah comments when Stacey somehow chooses this moment to be quiet.

“Ako magiging laman ng balita kasi papatayin ako ni Sheena kung absent ako sa kasal n’ya.”

“Ah, so umattend ka rin dun sa Australia?”

“Parang immediate family lang kasama ‘dun, kaya siguro napilitan mag-beach wedding para mas marami maka-attend.” Jhoanna’s voice quiets into a whisper when she realizes that they’re probably seated among the brides’ friends and family.

“Kayo lang naman friends ni Sheena,” Aiah mentions, because it’s true. 

Sheena, the most introverted person on Earth, has two of the loudest best friends anyone can ever have. Like the universe’s answer to the way Sheena is shy and unable to deal with strangers is that she would have a Jhoanna and a Stacey to look after her.

Aiah remembers meeting Sheena for the first time, someone who can’t make eye contact with her after a definitely rehearsed greeting. And being delighted at the shift of seeing her with Jhoanna and Stacey, all playful and laughing brightly.

“Hoy, hindi! May iba pa ‘yung kaibigan, no. Si Colet.” Jhoanna defends Sheena even when Aiah had not been at all accusatory. “I’m sure invited din si Colet.”

Stacey visibly tenses after those words were uttered, but Aiah is too far in her own thoughts to really pay her any mind. Colet… who is both Sheena’s friend and Mikha’s ex-girlfriend. Colet, the name that Aiah has heard a lot this morning.

It already feels like it’s going to be a very interesting wedding.

*

Aiah sees Mikha again while they’re in a single file walking through the aisle of the plane bound for Puerto Princesa. Mikha sits three rows behind Aiah. Aiah knows because she counted as she placed her carry on bag in the overhead bin.

Mikha is sitting on the window seat, the seat beside her empty.

Aiah squeezes between Stacey and Jhoanna because Stacey seems set on wedging Aiah between them. So much for offering not to third wheel. 

Aiah cranes her neck to check if she can sneak a look at Mikha through the gaps between the chairs, and to no avail, she’s out of sight.

Oh, well, Aiah will see her when they land.

Chapter Text

Puerto Princesa International Airport is a work of art, but they don’t spare any time to appreciate it further. Mikha takes charge upon their exit, approaching who she thinks is the resort coordinator holding the sign that indicates they're the person in charge for the transport of the wedding guests.

‘Apuli-Catacutan Wedding Guests’, the sign says. If a printed signage could be loud, then that one certainly is. Huge alternating purple and orange text, and a chosen font style that should be a crime against typeface. 

“Good afternoon, Ms. Lim, right? I’m Jefferson Tiu, manager of the Citadel Hotel and Resort. I’ll be helping assist with getting everyone settled in for the wedding.”

Chinese surname, Mikha notes. Of course, they’re booking a hotel owned by a friend of a friend who they’re acquainted with because they migrated from Hainan to the Philippines during the Qing dynasty… or something. Whatever. Mikha snatches the clipboard from his hands.

“It’s a list of which bus people are assigned to.” Jefferson explains. 

What kind of name is Jefferson even? Richardson might make sense. Richard’s son. Who the hell would Jeffer be?

“And you didn’t think to… I don’t know—email this list to disseminate before we got here?”

He looks a little frightened. He should be.

“I’m sure we can bring everything up to speed. I have several hotel staff here to assist.”

Mikha resists rolling her eyes. He’s inefficient. Mikha won’t say incompetent, but she’s saving it for later when he inconveniences her another time. The wedding is for an entire week, she’s sure he’ll do something or not do something that she’ll end up fixing.

Like this list.

The wedding vendors, the planner, the videographer team and the people in charge of the music, the band and the DJ’s are rushing out of the airport exit just as Mikha helps bring the older family members into their assigned bus. 

Why are all the old people with their knee problems and their aging bones in a single bus together? God help Auntie Anita if she can even reach the third row without complaining. 

Mikha is already thinking of re-doing the list for when they leave.

Jefferson, at least, has half the mind to usher the wedding staff into whatever vehicle they can squeeze into. 

The van is supposedly for hotel staff only, but the list is apparently incomplete, with some people unaccounted for, which is how the band and the DJ’s are squeezing in with the hotel staff. 

And Mikha, ironing out all the troubles from Jefferson’s lack of foresight, squeezes her eyes shut the entire 4-hour ride to Bataraza seated next to an electric guitar and a saxophone brought by the band. Their other equipment barely fit into the space at the back.

They’re already off to a rough start. This can’t be good.

No. No. This is fine, everything will be fine, Mikha repeats in her mind like a mantra.

She makes a mental list of everything that went well despite the errors and difficulties. No one is left behind. No one from today’s flight, at least. For the people still coming in tomorrow, they’re no longer her problem. Mikha doesn’t want to deal with more logistic concerns. 

She’s off work, but somehow work follows her. Gwen owes her. What would have happened if she wasn’t here? Fucking Jefferson would have taken two hours just to get everyone in their vehicles, and then they would be late for dinner, and then Angkong would throw a fit because he hates tardiness more than anything.

Mikha forgets she’s supposed to be making a list of everything that went well, and drifts off to sleep.

*

“Miss,” the voice calls out first softly and then more aggressively when even the repeated tapping on Mikha’s shoulder doesn’t get her to budge. “Mikha, nandito na tayo.”

Mikha peels her eyes open. That is her name. But she doesn’t recognize this voice, so how does this person know her? 

Someone opens the back door of the van, and the light inside turns on, illuminating the face of the woman waking her up. Ahh. The girl from the coffee shop. Aya. That was the name on her coffee order. Would it be weird to say her name even if they aren’t formally introduced?

If Mikha could venture a guess, she must be the DJ. She's pretty. The band vocalist is a man, she’s been told, so that’s out of question, but she thinks a face like that would have a voice that can carry a tune, all angelic and light and pretty.

“Nandito na tayo,” Aya repeats since Mikha remains dazed and looking still halfway in dreamland.

“Anong oras na?” Mikha asks, her left arm limp from the lack of blood circulation that she can’t raise an arm to check the time herself.

Aya looks at her wrist watch. “Quarter to six.”

Mikha nods. Good. Still on schedule.

The band has already taken their stuff out the back, so they close the van door, and with it, the light inside the van goes out.

“Tara na. May dinner daw sa 6th floor. Ballroom A.” Aya makes her way out.

Mikha knows. She made the schedule for the non-wedding related events to ease some responsibilities off the wedding planner, who thanked her vehemently. Mikha only really did it for that reason secondarily, which is why Mikha feels bad for being on the receiving end of such gratitude. 

Primarily, she just wanted to be busy, or appear busy. So, that she can selfishly excuse herself out of certain wedding festivities that would corner her into answering when she plans on getting married herself. Never mind that she isn’t seeing anyone currently. The fact that there isn’t half of the marriage wouldn’t deter her Aunts and Uncles from asking.

It doesn’t help her case at all that she and Gwen, one of the brides of this very celebration, are close in age. And the elders are simple minded enough to make that comparison, and Mikha is simply too exhausted to even engage in that line of questioning.

Mikha sighs. She notices that she’s been sighing a lot lately.

When she gets out of the van, Aya is waiting by the lobby. Mikha leaves her luggage by the front desk. And only when she makes her way to the elevators to proceed to Ballroom A, does Aya start moving again.

Huh.

The elevator ride to the sixth floor is quiet.

Mikha makes a mental note to introduce herself properly later.

*

Later, Jefferson approaches Mikha while she’s asking the catering staff if they have any alternate food menus and options. They can’t risk Uncle Richard having a gout flare. He needs to be walking down the aisle no matter what.

“Are you always this particular, Ms. Lim?” He asks.

It’s Mikha’s fault for taking a glance at him and allowing him to think anything of their interactions. Men and their audacity. 

“Some of us have to be.”

He laughs.

Mikha isn’t joking.

By the time he has caught on that Mikha is serious, Mikha is already making a beeline to the open bar, his laughter fading in the background. It becomes an even easier choice when she sees Aya there. Mikha thinks she’s scoping out the wedding guest demographic.

Mikha takes the seat next to her, and Aya is already turned to her direction with a smile.

“Hi,” Aya sounds like she’s already had a few drinks.

Mikha looks at the bar counter, and finds a half empty glass of highball on a sufficiently moist paper towel doubling as a coaster. Definitely been drinking.

“Are you seeing anyone?” Mikha asks.

Aya’s face takes on a dopey smile, revealing dimples. Cute, Mikha thinks but obviously doesn’t say.

“Why? Are you interested?”

“I’m wondering if anyone would be mad if I asked you to kiss me.”

Aya’s head tilts ever so slightly, like a puppy waiting for a treat. “Are you asking?”

“Not if anyone would be upset.”

“No,” Aya seems to school herself in sounding less eager, “No one would be upset.”

Mikha smirks, leaning forward. “Kiss?”

Aya leans in, only a soft press of their lips together at first. Respectful. Sweet, honestly. At any other time, Mikha would be swooning, satisfied and impressed at such a display of self restraint after an impressive show of eagerness.

Aya pulls away first, searching Mikha’s face for any indication of… something.

One kiss isn’t enough.

“That’s it?” Mikha challenges.

Aya rises up to it, grabbing Mikha’s face with both hands, warm and busy hands eventually settling to wrap around Mikha’s neck. Aya tastes like whiskey and ginger ale, and Mikha would reason that’s why she feels intoxicated by her. 

When Mikha’s hands eventually land on Aya’s thighs, Aya seems to take that as a signal to stop and when she pulls away again, they are both breathless.

They catch their breaths before landing on the feeling that leads them to a disbelieving laughter. It is a bit of a ridiculous situation.

Aya is still chuckling when she introduces herself, offering a hand out. “I’m Aiah. A-I-A-H. The barista misspelled it earlier. Just in case, you wanna look me up on instagram.”

Mikha shouldn’t be charmed, but of course, Aiah (she corrects in her mind) is charming on top of being beautiful, radiant, and nice, so Mikha is powerless to resist the smile that blooms on her face. “Noted. I’m Mikha. The barista spelled it correctly.”

They only exchange names and shake hands after they’ve made out.

And only when Mikha sees a swinging door in her peripheral vision does she remember she specifically asked Aiah for a kiss to get Jefferson out her hair. For possibly the whole duration of their stay. She asked for another kiss to ensure he gets the message. Maybe. Mikha feels less certain of her intentions now that she knows what Aiah tastes like.

Mikha can just ask her because she wants to. Aiah seems to want the same anyway, and she looks happy to be able to help, her line of sight following Mikha’s. Her face forms a scowl at an idea of who had just left.

“That guy’s bothering you?” Aiah asks.

Mikha doesn’t want to talk about him, dropping the subject altogether.

“You’re the hired DJ, right?” Mikha thinks to confirm now.

And Aiah thinks to explain. “Yeah. Well… originally, kay Stacey talaga naka-offer yung trabaho. We work together. I had to be convinced to take the spot kasi ayaw magtrabaho ni Stacey during a friend’s wedding.” 

“Ahh, Sheena’s friend, Stacey.” Mikha muses out loud. “I have heard stories.”

“Like what? Mabait ‘yun si Stacey. They can get a little loud and rowdy but that’s good for parties. You need people to bring the energy up.”

“You think this wedding needs that?”

“Maybe,” Aiah chuckles awkwardly around her answer, “Just a little.”

The attendees’ demographic is skewed to an older age group. Mikha is aware of how this looks. But plenty of them are also sponsoring the wedding, and Gwen says yes to anything that would cut their costs. Typical stingy Chinese-Filipino behavior, of course.

Mikha could also argue that if Gwen is allowed to sneak out and leave early at her own wedding, she would and so the level of enjoyment and energy of the wedding reception is the least of her concerns.

Mikha hums thoughtfully, “You’re right. Tomorrow, there’ll be more ‘young’ people coming in. Then you can tell me if they pass your standards for a fun crowd at a party.”

“Lagi ka bang seryoso?” Aiah asks. It’s definitely a rephrasing of Jefferson’s own chosen opening line earlier. Mikha doesn’t mind it coming from Aiah.

“I could have fun at parties, too.”

Aiah gulps down the rest of her highball, eyeing Mikha as she finishes her drink.

“I don’t doubt it, Mikha.” Aiah says when the tall glass is finally empty, “But as the person in charge of the music, I’ll make sure of it, too.”

Mikha hops off the bar stool.

“I’ll be looking forward to it, Aiah.”

Chapter Text

“Oh, ano ‘to? Lovers’ quarrel?” Aiah says when she arrives at the room only to be greeted by Stacey alone.

The alcohol has definitely loosened Aiah’s tongue.

Jhoanna and Stacey are predictably sharing a room together, but Jhoanna is at Sheena and Gwen’s shared room presently. Stacey as good as shoved Jhoanna away, so she and Aiah can talk. Work wife to work wife, the text message that Stacey sent to Aiah had said. 

Aiah instead wants to know what’s up with all the self imposed social distancing. She thought Stacey would be making steps into progressing her and Jhoanna’s whole friends-to-lovers arc.

Stacey throws daggers at her with her eyes alone. Well, if this isn’t also Aiah’s favorite version of Stacey. Slightly tipsy Aiah definitely likes attitude and bite. Mikha was also devastatingly sharp herself earlier.

Aiah throws herself in one of the beds in their room. Stacey lets her, standing over her like a mother disciplining her child. 

“Manahimik ka. Bakit kahalikan mo na agad ‘yung pinsan ni Gwen? Aiah, wala pa tayong isang buong araw dito.”

Aiah had guessed Mikha would be from Gwen’s side of the invitation list. Cousin makes sense. She had stalked Sheena’s instagram to get to Gwen’s instagram following list and arrived at a locked profile of one Mikha Lim. 

Even in the tiniest display picture of said social media app, Mikha can still look intimidating. It’s a real wonder how Aiah didn’t fall at her feet earlier.

Aiah had sent a follow request, because she’s already kissed her. What’s an instagram follow to a kiss?

“Okay, nawala na siya. Earth to Aiah, ‘di ko ‘yun sinabi para mag reminisce ka diyan. ‘Wag mo naman ako ipahamak sa magiging in-laws ni Sheena, ako nag refer sayo dito.” Stacey shifts back to dealing with her more kindly.

Well, that’s no fun.

“Akala ko ba kasal na? So, in-laws na sila talaga.”

Stacey looks at her like she said the wrong thing.

“Okay, sorry na. Tinulungan ko lang naman. Mukhang type siya nung manager dito eh. It’s just so he leaves her alone.”

“Hiningi niya ba ‘yung tulong mo o ikaw nag-offer?” Stacey asks.

Aiah doesn’t understand why she’s asking this. 

“Grabe ka sa’kin, no? Sabi niya kiss daw, so sino ba naman ako para humindi?”

“Type mo rin eh.”

“Pasensya na may mata ako ah,” Aiah props herself up on bent elbows, raising her hands in surrender, before pointing an accusatory finger at Stacey. “Teka dinidistract mo ako eh. Ikaw at si Jho dapat pinag-uusapan natin dito eh.”

“Wala namang kami ni Jho.” Stacey says evenly.

“Ugh. Tangina. ‘Di ko kayo gets.” Aiah plops back down on the bed, her back hitting the soft mattress at the same time exhaustion has caught up with her.

It is such a shame too that Aiah is distant enough from sobriety that she can’t process Stacey’s words more seriously. From where does Stacey gather the certainty to say something so definitively? The two of them are definitely something. That in-between space between friends and lovers.

They just need to cross a gay rainbow bridge and they’ll get there.

“Oh gago, ‘wag mo ‘ko tulugan tangina,” is the last thing Aiah hears Stacey say before she surrenders to the pull of sleep.

*

Aiah gets the urge to pee in the middle of the night that brings her to wakefulness.

No. It’s actually already 4:32AM, if the time on the nightstand digital clock is correct.

Her eyes flit over to the bed next to hers, and Jhoanna and Stacey are cuddling. They are so confusing. Stacey needs to get it together before Jhoanna’s caught in a web of trying to decipher her wishy-washy behavior. Jhoanna likes clarity and stability. Stacey can provide that.

Aiah pees in their bathroom, thinking she couldn’t hold it in long enough to reach her own room even though it’s only two doors away.

She had been planning to enjoy her roommate-less situation before the new batch of guests arrive and she finds that she’s going to be rooming with a stranger. It’s not an impossibility. But alas, she spent the night third wheeling Stacey and Jhoanna even though she had promised Stacey she wouldn't.

They’re cuddling as a consequence of Aiah’s uninvited presence, so maybe she’s been unintentionally helpful in some ways too. She pads out of their room quietly, and proceeds to her own to brush her teeth and have a change of clothes.

They’ll pop in to invite her to the breakfast buffet, surely. 

Aiah comfortably drifts back to sleep, enjoying the last bit of freedom she’s afforded because of her roommate-less state.

*

True enough, Aiah finds herself seated among good friends during breakfast. 

She finally meets Gwen, who greets her with a “Ahh, ikaw pala ‘yun,” after Aiah introduces herself.

“Oo, siya nga.” Stacey piles on.

Sheena offers a laugh to bring lightness to the conversation, already starting with her cereal while the rest of them decide to shine a spotlight on Mikha who isn’t even in their shared table.

“Na para bang ‘di niya rin crush si Mikha dati,” Jhoanna looks at Stacey.

“Crush ko pa rin siya. Basta ‘wag niya ako kakausapin.” Stacey clarifies.

Aiah relates to the sentiment obviously. Sue her for liking the aura of an intimidating woman. But she doesn’t mind having a conversation with Mikha. There’s something so alluring about how such a steely woman might unravel, how Aiah might just manage to make her laugh and let loose. 

And Aiah did. She wants to do it again.

“Pero ano ba kayo ni Mikha?” Gwen turns to Aiah, after placing her orange juice down.

“Accomplices?” Aiah shrugs. Okay, now maybe she understands Stacey’s difficulty in giving names to relationships. It doesn’t help that Aiah and Mikha aren’t really friends either. “I was just helping her out. ‘Di na rin masama na maganda ‘yung pinsan mo.”

Gwen’s eyes sparkle with intrigue. “So, crush mo rin siya?”

“Parang high school naman,” Aiah remarks, instead of admitting to it.

“Hoy! Nasa kasal ka lang naman ng ultimate high school sweethearts.” Jhoanna announces proudly.

“Ahh,” Aiah has thought about it. Why are they marrying so young? If they’ve been together since high school, then getting married this early makes sense, since they already have so much history together despite their age. “You’re few of the lucky ones then.”

Sheena and Gwen take that as their cue to exchange loving gazes, and hold hands.

“Okay. Nagsimula na naman sila,” Stacey takes that as her cue to get her next helping of food from the buffet.

Aiah joins her at the line for the bread slicer and toaster, and they separate when Aiah proceeds to the fruit section and Stacey to the meat carving station.

Aiah spots Mikha at an adjacent corner, watching the coffee machine fill a coffee cup like the machine could betray her. Aiah shouldn’t be endeared, but she likes seeing Mikha deal with mornings grumpily. A peek at a possible weak spot in her otherwise usually put together order of appearance.

“Good morning,” Aiah greets cheerily as she makes her way towards Mikha.

Mikha takes a few seconds to get her bearings in order to reply, a delayed smile coming into her face. “Good morning, Aiah.”

Cute, is the casual thought that sneaks its way into Aiah’s brain.

“Who are you seated with? I’m with Gwen and Sheena, if you want to join us.”

The coffee machine hisses out the last of its task, a foam of milk sitting on top of the small mug. Mikha takes it, placing it on top of a small saucer provided with the cups.

“I’m with Auntie Risa. The one from the airport. I’m sure you remember. We’re discussing sponsor requests for the reception program.”

“Are you the wedding planner?” Aiah asks as they round the corner. Mikha’s doing a lot of the wedding planning, it looks like.

“No. Just a very concerned cousin of the bride who cares too much about the logistics of things.”

“Gwen’s lucky to have you help with the wedding then.”

“Gwen definitely thinks we’re doing too much.” Mikha sighs.

“It’s a celebration. A celebration for love should be big, and bold, and happy.”

“Gwen’s happy with the quiet and comfortable actually.”

Aiah smiles at that. Gwen’s calm and steady presence would be content with the quiet and comfortable. “She and Sheena are perfect for each other.”

Mikha smiles, too, looking more awake now despite not having any coffee in her system yet. 

“I’m here, how about you?”

Auntie Risa is seated two tables down, scrolling through her phone while she waits for Mikha. If she’s texting someone, chances are that her messages’ huge font size would again bait an unsuspecting stranger to read through their exchanges.

Aiah had also just been a particularly curious individual. Mikha seems to also just bring it out of her more and more.

“I’m on the other side, actually.” Aiah flashes a sheepish smile.

Mikha exhales an incredulous laugh, “I’m sure we’ll find our way back to each other, Aiah. We always seem to do so.”

“Marunong ka rin naman pala bumanat.”

Mikha rolls her eyes at that, “Bumalik ka na sa upuan mo. Malamig na ‘yung tinapay mo.”

“Malamig na ‘yung kape mo,” Aiah racks her brain for a sufficiently witty reply, but Mikha’s already walking away.

On her walk back to the other side of the breakfast buffet, Aiah might as well rip her face from smiling too much. I’m sure we’ll find our way back to each other, Mikha had said, and it replays in Aiah’s mind like a broken record. Sana nga, is her quiet wish to the universe.

*

They’re expecting all the guests that would complete the invitation list to arrive by noon, so Aiah sees Jefferson hover around Mikha again, as Mikha busies herself with making sure everything is perfect for later. Aiah is setting up her space to ensure a smooth run of her set, using an inconsequential lunch to assess what would work best for this crowd.

The live band will play for dinner, like a baton pass of musical offerings for the wedding.

They’re all going to make sure Ballroom A is witness to the best time of the Apuli-Catacutan wedding goers’ life.

Aiah tidies her controller and re-checks the plugs one last time. When she stands upright, Mikha is already stomping over to her quiet corner.

“Kiss?”

Aiah complies with a tentative brush of her lips to Mikha’s. Aiah chances a glance towards the direction of where Jefferson chooses to idle. He definitely took notice.

“I didn’t realize this would be a theme.” Aiah wipes the lip gloss that transfers over Mikha’s mouth.

“He’s persistent.”

Aiah gets it. She's plenty persistent herself.

“You wanna make a less obvious signal? ‘Yung hindi n’ya mahahalata. You know I’ll still come running.”

Saying ‘kiss’ is too on the nose. They can learn to be more subtle.

“I see you’ve thought about this.” Mikha grabs her hand, pulling her towards the exit. “Or have you done something like this before?”

“No!” Aiah squeaks out quickly, in case they arrive at a misunderstanding. Aiah can’t have that happening. “I mean, it’s a pretty unique situation, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I mean, I also wouldn’t usually….”

“Wouldn’t usually be at a loss for words?”

Aiah is only teasing, which is why it becomes all the more surprising when Mikha considers her answer thoughtfully.

“Yes, that, too.” Mikha brings her to the cafe hidden behind the grand piano in the lobby. 

It’s not really a secret location, given there are plenty of hotel guests already seated and eating inside. Still, it isn’t an obvious offering given the lack of proper signage, and the fact that the door to the cafe could be mistaken as just another fixture behind the idling grand piano on display.

“Eat a little before you start working,” Mikha makes her sit down on the first available chair.

Their hands are still joined together.

“Would you join me?”

“I’ll sit with you. I’ll eat with my family. I won’t hear the end of it if they see that I’m not eating later.”

“Okay, boss. Ikaw na muna umupo dito. Order muna ako.” Aiah switches them around, making Mikha sit down on the chair she vacated, and when she removes her hand from Mikha’s grasp, she immediately misses her warmth.

The consideration and care in making sure Aiah eats doesn’t go unnoticed. When the cashier doesn’t accept her payment for her order, saying something along the lines of the payment being billed to Ms. Lim’s tab, Aiah thinks Mikha working silently makes it an even sweeter gesture.

Aiah carries her tray of food over to the table where Mikha is waiting.

“So, unlimited-time offer ba ‘yung libre mo dito?” Aiah jokes, as she sits down and as she starts mixing her bolognese pasta.

The answer comes too effortlessly for Mikha. “Para sa’yo, sige.”

“Ah, hindi ba damay dito ‘yung banda? Hindi mo sila balak pakainin mamaya bago ‘yung set nila?”

“Matanda na sila. I’m sure they can take care of themselves.”

Aiah chuckles, “So, ano ako baby mo?”

“Why not? Gusto mo subuan kita, baby?” Mikha tries to take the fork from Aiah’s hand.

Aiah moves it away from her grasp. “Hoy, ‘wag kang magbiro ng ganyan. Baka seryosohin kita.”

“Ikaw ‘tong nagsabi na lagi akong seryoso.”

Aiah brings a forkful of the pasta in her mouth to save her from saying anything to that. Mikha props her head on her hands, as she watches Aiah eat. Aiah feels blood rush to her ears, and she hears her heart thud loudly in her chest.

Well, fuck.

“Baby should be the signal.” Aiah suggests after she’s done chewing.

“Okay, baby.” Mikha tacks on the pet name like it’s nothing.

“Don’t abuse it. Baka ‘di ko na madiscern kung kailan mo talaga kailangan ng kiss.”

“I doubt it,” Mikha taunts. “I think you already know.”

The thing is Aiah can lean in for a kiss right at this moment, and she’s also pretty sure Mikha wouldn’t mind. And if that’s what she means then Aiah all the more doesn’t know what to do with that knowledge.

Chapter Text

Colet and Maloi’s arrival mark the completion of the attendance of the entire guest list. Maloi couldn’t skip out on a prior engagement, singing at an engagement party at that, so she and Colet had ended up on a different flight. 

“How was your flight?” Mikha’s already acting like she’s part of the welcoming committee as the two of them cross the entry way of the hotel. Lunch has already started. She had specifically waited for them to arrive. And she’ll bring them to their seats for lunch, and then later assist them in getting their key cards.

Colet puts a hand on her shoulder, “Kahit ba naman dito, punong abala ka.”

Mikha doesn’t know what that means.

Maloi reaches out to her for a hug, so Mikha peels away from Colet’s grasp. 

“The flight was okay. Ikaw, kamusta ka? I missed you, Mikhs.” 

Maloi is ever so warm and kind as always.

“I missed you, too,” Mikha replies, hugging her closer, helpless to resist her genuine affection.

“Ako? ‘Di ba ako damay diyan?” Colet watches them separate.

“Selosa pala jowa mo,” Mikha sends a meaningful glance towards Maloi.

“Like you wouldn’t know.” Maloi laughs.

“Ano ba nakita natin diyan?” Mikha jokes. 

They know not to entertain that question with an answer. 

Mikha asks the front desk to keep Colet and Maloi’s luggage for the meantime, while they make their arrival known to the family. 

Auntie Risa has always liked Colet. She’ll be delighted to see her. And Maloi is an expert charmer. They’ll find their rhythm with the other wedding attendees soon enough. She leads them to Ballroom A, where lunch is already well underway.

Colet immediately spots Sheena. Sheena and Gwen are hand-in-hand while looking at the dessert table. Colet introduces Maloi, and the four of them exchange pleasantries and hugs.

Mikha, the punong abala or whatever it is that Colet had said to describe her, scopes out the rest of the attendees, many of whom with food still on their plates and chitchatting amongst themselves.

The music thrums quietly in the background. If Mikha hadn’t been paying attention, it could almost be near dismissible. Just a mellow choice of a song with a title she can’t quite place respectfully weaving itself in the atmosphere so that people can still share conversation easily.

Because Aiah is in charge of the music, Mikha cannot not pay attention.

Her eyes inevitably land on Aiah’s corner, and Aiah is already looking at her. Mikha flashes a smile, before she gets pulled along to join Colet and Maloi in Gwen and Sheena’s side of the long table.

Auntie Risa’s eyes make a pass between her and Colet when they walk past her, and Mikha looks at Maloi pointedly hoping Auntie Risa would get what she’s trying to say. Her aunt’s line of sight shifts towards Maloi appraisingly, scanning her from head to toe. Mikha is close to sighing, but manages to stop herself when she finally takes her seat.

Gwen proposes an offer to Maloi. “Kakanta ka sa kasal, ‘di ba?”

Maloi gives a mischievous smile that makes it look like she needs convincing, “Ano ba theme song n’yo?”

Sheena seems to ponder that, too. “Parang wala naman.”

“One song,” Maloi agrees, “Pero dapat ‘yung theme song n’yo ha. May live band dito ‘di ba? Bigyan n’yo rin kami ng oras mag-practice man lang.”

“Wala pala tayong theme song, bebe.” Gwen looks at Sheena, still with a smile on her face.

“Balikan ka namin ha.” Sheena says.

Mikha wonders if that’s such a common requirement for couples. She and Colet didn’t have one, given it was a very short lived romantic relationship between them. They’ve always been better off as friends. They just didn’t know better before.

But maybe Maloi and Colet do, it would make the most sense as to why Maloi is asking.

The cheery opening notes to the Carpenters ‘Top Of The World’ cuts through the ending notes of the previous song, and the oldies in the ballroom are like lions being roused from sleep, roaring into life at the recognition.

Mikha chances a glance at Aiah, who also looks pleased with her work.

A spoonful of rice and buttered salmon hasn’t even reached Mikha’s mouth, when Colet turns to her with a question.

“Wala kang date na dala dito?”

Colet with her awful timing, as always. Mikha brings the food to her mouth, looking at Colet as she chews and swallows. She takes a sip of water, as well, seeing Colet patiently waiting for her reply.

“Wala,” is the short answer.

“Eh anong nangyari dun sa—”

Mikha cuts her question short, “Wala rin.”

Mikha had tried an online dating app. 

It had been an awful 48-hours of sifting through options, swiping left and right and trying to ignite a spark that just can’t get started because online chats are very rarely reflective of real life conversations. 

And Mikha had tried really hard to put herself out there. She had gone on one lunch date with a girl named Maxine who went by Max, who was pretty, charming, and nice, but who also had just seemed still nostalgic and hung up on her ex. 

Even with that small pool of data, Mikha had ultimately decided online dating wasn’t for her.

“Malay mo dito ka makahanap ng ka-date.” Colet muses out loud.

Karen Carpenter’s voice cuts through the pause of their conversation, singing ‘And the reason is clear, it’s because you are here. You’re the nearest thing to heaven that I’ve seen.’

Mikha glances towards Aiah’s direction, and their eyes meet because Aiah is already—or still?—looking at her.

The lunch had come and gone without further incident that Mikha needed to fix.

*

Like a plague of some kind, Jefferson’s incompetence… well, plagues even the room assignments.

Mikha, no matter how hard she tries, cannot stop the scowl that forms on her face when the poor lady behind the front desk informs them of some sort of system mix up, leaving Colet and Maloi in separate rooms.

“Okay,” Colet is approaching the situation calmly, at least. “Sino ba nakalista diyan na kasama ko sa room?”

“Ms. Vergara is listed with Ms. Lim po.”

Mikha could venture a guess that Auntie Risa is the possible mastermind to all of this, if not for the fact that Jefferson’s incompetence alone could indeed cause such an inconvenience to Mikha’s day. He’s been nothing but a cause of headache for her.

“And who would Ms. Ricalde be with?” Maloi asks, seemingly already accepting the situation without the need to fix it.

“Ms. Ricalde is listed with—”

“Ms. Ricalde will be with Ms. Vergara.” Mikha intervenes strongly. Someone here has to. “Book them a new room. Then please, for the love of God, double check your booking system so this doesn’t happen again.”

“We’re fully booked for the wedding, so we have no other available rooms to squeeze guests in at the last minute.” Her voice shakes as she explains, and her hands fidget over the keyboard.

Mikha glances at her nametag.

“Andrea,” Mikha starts, “Then, whoever Ms. Ricalde is originally listed with, get your manager to bring them the unfortunate news of being transferred to room with Ms. Lim.”

Andrea’s pupils shake under Mikha’s gaze.

Jefferson has to suffer, too, for all these mishaps Mikha is fixing for him.

“Yes. Yes, we’ll do that.” Andrea jots something down, before ironing out the rest of the mix up. “For the meantime, Ms. Ricalde and Ms. Vergara can enjoy complimentary drinks from our cafe while we get their room ready.”

“How nice!” Maloi remarks as Andrea hands her some coupon-looking thing.

Maloi is too nice. 

And at least Andrea is proficient enough in customer service that Mikha wouldn’t also have to be the one to think of what Colet and Maloi can do while they wait for everything to be settled.

Mikha sighs. After volunteering to make the room assignments, so that she’s not sharing with anybody, not especially a stranger, of course, this is what happens. Mikha points Colet and Maloi to the direction of the cafe at the hotel ground floor, before proceeding to her room to bring all her things to her chosen side.

Mikha naps after, left with no other choice but to accept it will be the last time she enjoys sleep undisturbed by an unwanted roommate.

*

The doorbell sounds rouse Mikha from sleep. Ordinarily, such a faint noise wouldn’t really get her to any level of wakefulness. But it seems like her brain had also chosen not to slip in too deep of a sleep in order to welcome her roommate properly.

She makes her way to open the door, uncaring to check who is behind it through the peep hole. It could also just be the housekeeping, if anything.

The door swings open revealing Aiah on the other side.

“Oh.”

Aiah crosses the threshold, kicking her shoes off before fully entering the carpeted bedroom. “Judging on the look on your face, ‘di mo man lang inalam kung sino makakasama mo sa kwarto.”

Mikha closes the door behind her, still kind of in disbelief at the turn out of events.

“That’s the first thing I asked nung pinapalayas nila ako sa kwarto. Tapos nung sabi na si Ms. Lim daw, naisip ko grabe naman si Mikha Lim.” Aiah eyes the empty bed in a kind of question. This one is mine? Her eyes seem to ask.

Mikha nods.

Aiah sits down on the edge of the bed, rolling her luggage to the space beside the nightstand so that it isn’t blocking anyone’s path. “You’re the type to always get what you want, no?” She asks.

“Is that a bad thing?” Mikha sits next to her, keeping her hands to herself.

Aiah grabs her hand, “I never said that.”

“You don’t want this?” Mikha goes for something a little more straightforward.

“I didn’t say that either.” Aiah meets her eyes.

“You were so good earlier.” Mikha chooses to comment after a momentary lull in their conversation, in case a different thought invades her brain later and she forgets to tell Aiah. It’s important she tells her this. “Full disclosure. I usually wouldn’t care about the music selection. But because it’s you… I guess I was paying attention.”

A triumphant smile makes its way to Aiah’s face. “Wait ‘til the actual ceremony. I bet I can impress you more.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it, baby.” 

Aiah looks surprised, “Talaga ba?”

Mikha stands up, “Okay lang kung ayaw mo.”

Aiah pulls her back down, kissing her like she’s making sure she’s sufficiently rewarded for making them roommates albeit only accidentally.

*

They go to Ballroom A hand-in-hand, so it really is Mikha’s fault that Colet sees them in that kind of state.

Colet doesn’t even try to hide her curiosity. She certainly doesn’t shy away from asking Mikha directly.

“Akala ko ba wala kang date?” Colet shuffles towards her when Aiah joins her friends at their table.

Mikha’s double-checking the slideshow that the wedding planner would be presenting to the Apuli-Catacutan wedding guests and staff. Just the general itinerary and timelines for the next three days, which would be the ceremony proper, and the remaining two days, with a less strict schedule, like a cool down from all the festivities.

“No. You asked if may dala ba akong date. I didn’t bring her. We technically met at the airport. It just sort of happened.”

Colet takes that in, uttering her next words slowly as though the thought is such a difficult thing to process. “You let it happen.”

“Should I have been fighting it?”

“You’re not the type to just let things happen.”

Mikha turns to Colet then, already done reviewing the slides. “Maybe I’ve changed.”

“I can see that.”

“How’s your room? Okay naman? Does Maloi like it?” Mikha returns to her satisfactory scale, running this wedding like some sort of business conference.

“Yeah,” Colet answers just as she comes into another realization, “Oh. Siya kasama mo sa room, no?”

“I didn’t plan it. It just happened.”

Colet looks like she’s fighting an internal battle, before landing on a simple question. “What’s her name and what’s her role here? Parang ‘di naman siya kamag-anak ni Sheena.”

Mikha spots Maloi enter Ballroom A, and she decides to walk towards her just so she can cut her and Colet’s conversation short. “Aiah Arceta. She’s the DJ. Works with Stacey. Kilala mo ‘yun. Friend ni Sheena.”

“Of course I know Stacey.” Colet follows in step, “In fact, nakasalubong ko na sila kanina. We’re on the same floor.”

“Sino?” Maloi asks, saving Mikha from any further interrogation by Colet.

“Sina Stacey at Jho.” Colet answers, accepting the glass of iced tea Maloi is offering her.

“Ahh, the lovebirds.” Maloi says.

“That don’t know they’re lovebirds.” Colet supplements.

“Kailangan lang nila ng salamin, para makita nila kung ano talaga sila.”

“It’s no use kung sila mismo bulag-bulagan pa rin.”

Mikha takes all of that in. How interesting.

“Nandito nga rin daw si Aiah eh.” Maloi says, as though it would be brand new information to either Mikha or Colet. “Sobrang small world. We were all in the same festival gig sa Albay last year.”

Colet looks at Mikha, then back to Maloi. “Small world nga.”

Mikha offers Colet a smile, echoing the same sentiment as one would when they can’t add anything new to the conversation. “Small world.”

Chapter Text

The wedding rehearsals do not require a soundtrack, so Aiah and the band are mostly sitting out of the scheduled events for the day.

The wedding vendors, and photographers are put to work though.

The wedding planner, coordinator, and Mikha are both holding a clipboard each as they carefully arrange the sponsors and family and friends forming a line of two’s as they practice walking down the aisle made up of a flowy white carpet of sorts, secured in place by short pillars of floral arrangements of soft blue and pink hydrangeas in intervals on the sandy beach side.

Gian stands next to Aiah, as they watch it all unfold from a distance. She’s nursing a sparkling lychee mocktail from one of the wedding vendors on the overhead deck of the hotel with a good vantage point to the stretch of beach where the wedding would be held.

“Ang intense ng jowa mo.” Gian remarks, definitely as a consequence of being briefed intensely on their positions for the big day tomorrow.

The band had received an earful of corrections, before Mikha was fully satisfied and convinced that they understood her instructions precisely as she meant them.

“Don’t let her hear you say that.” Aiah doesn’t bother correcting his assumptions. What can she say anyway? She and Mikha kiss and hold each other’s hands. Denying the very obvious optics of whatever relationship they have is futile and unnecessary.

“Pero mabait siya kung tutuusin.” He turns around, less interested with the ongoing wedding rehearsals, eventually resting his elbows on the railing. “‘Di rin siguro ako magpapabayad sa pinsan ko kung kunin nila kami sa kasal. But she’s doing a lot here. Parang ang stressful ng ginagawa n’ya.”

Aiah agrees. Some of it is definitely self imposed, too. Mikha’s set standards for herself alone are pretty high.

“Nag-meet the family na rin ba kayo? Since nandito ka na rin. Tibag na naman ata Great Wall sa pamilya nila. Gwen is already married to a non-Chinese after all.”

The thing is… Mikha looked like she had considered it last night.

“I’ve met some Aunts and Uncles.” Aiah says, hoping that would get Gian to drop it. It’s truly just one Aunt and one Uncle.

Auntie Risa had cornered them last night after the presentation, suggesting a text blast as a reminder to the older guests because they definitely would need it. Mikha had said they already have the front desk call specific rooms for the morning and evening reminders, not trusting them with checking their phones either. Aiah had all the more been impressed with her level of foresight.

Auntie Risa had introduced Aiah to Uncle Richard, who had only happened to pass by.

“Ahhh,” He had hummed in a way that sounded like Aiah’s been a recent topic of conversation among the family. It had been exceedingly made clearer that such is the case when Uncle Richard had sprung a suggestion of: “You should go meet Angkong and Ahma.”

Angkong and Ahma had just left Ballroom A then.

“Maybe another time,” Auntie Risa had saved Aiah with a wink.

After they had gone up to their room, Mikha had seemed intent on teaching Aiah exactly how to go about meeting the family’s head matriarch and patriarch.

“Wala pa ‘yun. Final boss ‘yung mga lolo’t lola syempre.” Gian brings her back to the present, which does nothing to quell Aiah’s growing worries about how that might go.

The wedding rehearsals are finally done with the entrance blocking, and only the brides and their entourage are still standing in their respective places. Stacey and Jhoanna are standing next to Sheena as her bridesmaids, and Mikha is beside Gwen.

Uncle Richard officiates, because of course, the flamboyant gay uncle would lead a homosexual beach wedding.

Gian turns in place again, probably curious at the sudden eruption of noise from the beach side. The elders are making their way back to the hotel.

“They’re cool though. I can’t say there’s many other families that would celebrate a gay wedding this seriously and extravagantly. Much less, approve of it. More than half of the attendees are boomers at that.” Gian comments freely since no one would overhear their gossiping.

“Technically, they’re already married in Australia where it actually counts.” Aiah seems to have fallen into Stacey and Jhoanna’s infectious near constant correction that Sheena and Gwen are already married.

“I know same sex marriage isn’t legal in the Philippines, Aiah.” Gian states the obvious. “You have to admit this level of quiet acceptance is pretty amazing. Na para bang footnote lang na dalawang babae ikakasal bukas. Kahit walang legal implications ‘yung ceremony.”

“Maybe the families just love to host a party. It’s a good excuse to celebrate and bring everyone together. ‘Yun naman talaga ata purpose nito.”

Gian raises an eyebrow at her, “What I’m saying is, you don’t have to worry to be accepted here.”

No Great Wall. No homophobia. It’s an ideal situation, really.

“Yeah.” Aiah nods, “I think that’s why I worry more actually.”

No Great Wall, and no homophobia, so if something goes wrong, then it all rests on Aiah alone. 

Gian nods slowly, arriving in understanding then, “Okay, fair.”

Aiah focuses on Mikha, on her intense eyes as she ensures the rehearsals go well. 

And later on the way, she holds a sleeping flower girl in her arms when they return to the hotel. On the gentle way Mikha transfers the child securely over to her mother’s embrace. On the way her eyes sparkle as she makes a small bouquet of flowers materialize from behind her when she approaches Aiah at the couch in the hotel lobby.

Aiah receives it with both hands, “Ano ‘to? Ninakaw mo sa wedding rehearsals?”

It’s evidently a different type of flower from the decorative pieces earlier. Mikha’s giving her lilies.

“Hindi ah. I bought that.” Mikha only looks jokingly offended.

Aiah stands up, dropping a kiss on Mikha’s cheek. “Thank you. I love them.”

“If you have a favorite flower, you can tell me and I can get them for you.”

Aiah looks at Mikha suspiciously, “Do you have a deal of some kind with the flower arrangers? Parang wala namang flower shop dito.”

“I may or may have not asked them for a favor.” Mikha grabs Aiah’s free hand, interlocking their fingers together before walking towards the elevators.

Aiah clicks her tongue, decidedly smitten with the surprise gesture. “You’re too sweet.”

 Mikha pays the compliments no mind. “So, your favorite flower?”

“I don’t think I have one. I love all flowers.”

“Okay. I better not hear any complaints when I give you a Venus flytrap.”

“Are Venus flytraps flowers?” Aiah asks as the elevator door opens.

The two of them wait for the hotel staff to alight the elevator before entering, and Mikha pushes the button for their floor. “Yes, they are.”

“Okay, nerd.” Aiah teases.

Mikha laughs. They share a kiss until they reach their floor.

*

“Do you know how to play mahjong?” Mikha asks, after being on her phone for a while.

It had sounded serious—something about the sponsors again tampering with the reception program flow, and Aiah didn’t really want to pry too much, so she had plugged her headphones in to be able to give Mikha a semblance of privacy even in their shared room. 

It had ended up being a productive time for Aiah since she managed to finish an alternate deck for the reception tomorrow. She’s learning from Mikha to be prepared for any possible outcome.

“No.” Aiah answers.

Mikha frowns, “I guess you can sit still and look pretty.”

“Are you playing mahjong?” Aiah asks.

“Ahma invited me.” Mikha purses her lips, “Well, actually, Ahma invited you.”

Okay, maybe she doesn’t have Mikha’s level of foresight yet.

“I can learn, I guess. May mahjong for dummies ba?” Aiah scrambles upright, looking for her iPad and finding herself pacing in their room for no reason other than that she can’t contain her nervous energy.

Mikha, at least, finds the situation humorous enough to scoff out a laugh before managing to halt Aiah in her steps, holding her hands to steadily ground her back to reality. Even when reality is precisely what scares Aiah.

“It won’t be a good look to have you compete with those expert Mahjong players with decades of experience. Matatalo ka lang. Ahma doesn’t like losers.”

Aiah gasps, “Oh no. Ayaw talaga niya sa’kin in the first place.”

Mikha shakes her head, “You show up, and she’ll take one look at you and fall in love.”

Aiah hears the implication behind those words, melting into a smile.

Mikha rolls her eyes at the dopey smile on Aiah’s face. “‘Yan na ba isusuot mo?”

Aiah gasps, “Should I change? Do we have time? Anong oras ba ‘yung mahjong?”

“We have 30 minutes.”

Aiah disappears to the bathroom for a change of clothes.

*

When they arrive at Ballroom A, and Sheena is already playing mahjong with the Ahma, Auntie Risa, and Uncle Richard, wearing the correct shade of red at that, Aiah already knows there is a lot to learn to integrate herself properly in this family.

Mikha pulls her along to greet Angkong, who is quietly sipping tea away from the intense mahjong players.

“Good afternoon, Angkong,” Mikha takes his hand for a mano.

Aiah has been told he doesn’t offer his hand out, and that Aiah has to be the one to reach for it in greeting.

Mikha steps away to reveal Aiah to him.

“Good afternoon, Angkong,” Aiah says, reaching for his hand that remains mid-air from Mikha’s greeting. “I’m Aiah po.”

“Ahh, this must be the girl.” He adjusts the glasses resting on the bridge of his nose to take a better look at Aiah. Looking at her face then her hands appraisingly. “Hmm. Very well. At least, this one wears gold.”

“Aiah, Angkong.” Mikha is quick to remind him.

His face softens at that, like also being reminded to take it easy on the girl. “You will take good care of our Mikhaela, won’t you, Aiah?”

Before Aiah could answer, Mikha is already speaking, “I’m not a child that needs taking care of.”

Angkong turns to Mikha more coldly, “It is precisely that kind of thinking that leads me to believe you require it.”

“Which I can easily provide,” Aiah eases her way into their conversation, hoping it’s the correct thing to say. “And Mikha will take care of me as well.” She adds, hoping it’s what Mikha wants to hear.

Mikha softens at that. Aiah glimpses the resemblance between her and her grandfather then. Mikha’s eyes land on her affectionately and her hand reaches for Aiah’s with the ease of someone who undoubtedly will absolutely do just that—take care of Aiah, allow to be taken care of, take care of each other.

Sheena groans loudly from the mahjong table, breaking out into a loud bellowing laughter as Ahma asks her to lean forward, whispering something into her ear.

“Okay. Go and meet Ahma.” Angkong says, before going back to his tea.

Gwen arrives with a cup of tea of her own, taking a seat next to Angkong. Mikha and Gwen exchange meaningful glances before Mikha looks like she’s bracing herself for a storm of possibilities before approaching Ahma.

“Good afternoon, Ahma.” Mikha greets her, taking her hand for a mano, while Uncle Richard fixes the mahjong tiles for another game, definitely eavesdropping at their exchange.

Ahma waves her away, “Show me the girl.”

“Good afternoon, Ahma.” Aiah greets, when Ahma stands so they are face-to-face. She offers her hand out willingly. Aiah takes it and brings the back of her hand to her forehead. “I’m Aiah po.”

“You’re tall.” Ahma comments, her eyes going from Aiah’s head to her toes.

It feels strangely like going through immigration, with Ahma as the immigration officer.

“Can you smile?” Ahma asks.

Aiah complies, although she’s sure she’s smiling really awkwardly. Sheena’s reaction behind Ahma tells her everything she needs to know.

“Good face. I like you.” Ahma taps Aiah’s cheek twice, before turning to Mikha. “Mikha, join us for a game. Sheena join your wife. We will interrogate Mikha further.”

Sheena stands up and pats Mikha’s back. Mikha sits down willingly, taking the game for what it truly is. Ahma herself doesn’t shy away from calling it an interrogation. Sheena links her arms with Aiah’s as they make their way back to Angkong’s table.

“Ano sabi ni Ahma?” Gwen asks curiously.

Angkong takes a sideway glance at the three of them.

“Good face.” Sheena repeats.

Aiah has never been more thankful to her parents for giving her this face.

“Sabi ko na eh. Dimples talaga basehan ni Ahma.” Gwen squeezes Sheena’s face with one hand.

Sheena smiles, showing off her dimples to prove a point.

“Lamang ka lang sa tangkad, Aiah. Pero kailangan mo pa rin matuto maglaro ng mahjong if you want to stay in Ahma’s good graces.” Sheena says, spoken like someone who has learned the know-hows to getting liked by their family.

“What else do I need to learn?” Aiah asks, desperately.

“Magluto ng pork asado.” Sheena answers.

“Mamigay ng angpao.” Gwen answers.

“Kumuha ng Feng Shui expert.” Sheena adds on.

“Makinig sa Feng Shui expert.” Gwen emphasizes.

“Oo nga,” Sheena agrees, a conspiratory glint in her eyes before Gwen moves them past the subject.

“So, siguro naman may label na kayo ngayon for her to subject you to the torture of meeting our grandparents like this.” Gwen whispers ‘the torture’ part, in case Angkong is still listening in to their conversation. 

He doesn’t look like it. He now appears focused intently on solving the newspaper crossword puzzle, pencil in hand.

“It’s a pretty unique situation, don’t you agree?” Aiah knows it already sounds like a weak excuse. 

Gwen and Sheena exchange looks like they can’t believe what they’re hearing.

“Wala naman commitment phobia si Mikhs as far as I know.” Sheena muses aloud.

“Busy lang din siguro sa wedding prep.” Gwen reframes the situation, despite being the very instigator to why they reached this subject matter.

Aiah looks at Mikha from a distance.

Maybe the two of them are indeed just getting swept by the novelty of this situation, and once they’re back home, it’ll dissolve into nothing but a few fun days at a beach wedding. Aiah doesn’t even know Mikha outside of being unofficially in charge of her cousin’s wedding, outside of being the woman with intense eyes and soft lips, outside of being the person who does romance in quiet small gestures.

Angkong speaks up, “8 letter word. A charade, an act or a sham.”

“Pretense.” Aiah answers.

Angkong jots it down, delighted. “You’re right. Thank you.”

Chapter Text

Colet’s call comes at the same time Mikha has thought to approach Aiah about what had transpired earlier.

Aiah is strangely quiet after meeting Ahma and Angkong, but Mikha can’t seem to catch a break for her to focus on what truly matters—in her heart of hearts, at least.

“Hello?” Mikha answers, careful not to drop any names around Aiah. 

She must have overheard her and Aunt Risa’s conversation about Colet in the airport. In hindsight, it truly feels like fate is playing with her. And Mikha isn’t even one to believe in destiny.

“Nawawala raw ‘yung brides.” Colet drops this bombshell of information so casually that it lands even more like a gut punch.

“What?!” Mikha’s delivery startles even Aiah while she’s laying on the bed.

“Nakita raw sila ni Maloi na umalis ng hotel. We asked to double check the CCTV, and they did leave pretty early. ‘Di pa rin sila bumabalik. I tried calling Sheena. Cannot be reached ‘yung number n’ya.”

Mikha moves her phone away from her face to check the time. Her wrist watch is already stowed away. It’s already 9:16PM. In Palawan, that’s equivalent to Metro Manila’s midnight. Mikha sighs, closing her eyes, and pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. 

What in the world could those two be up to the night before their wedding?

“I’ll try to see if I can reach Gwen. If wala talaga, I guess we can alert a few more people then we can start a search and rescue.”

Aiah’s ears perk up at that, sitting up on her bed.

“I’m sure ‘di naman ‘yun sila lalayo.” Colet says, perhaps to ease Mikha’s worries.

“You’re sure or you wish? Magkaiba ‘yun.”

“I forgot you could be like this. The past few days, there was a version of you that seemed lighter and happier, you know.” Colet thinks to bring to light an irrelevant detail at a moment where it isn’t needed.

“Okay na ba? I’ll end the call. Tawagan ko pa si Gwen.”

“Sige, text mo na lang ako kung may update. I’ll do the same.”

Mikha doesn’t wait for the end tone.

“What’s happening?” Aiah asks, eyes wide.

“We have a case of runaway brides.” Mikha starts dialing Gwen’s number.

Gwen’s phone doesn’t even ring. Probably purposefully turned off.

Aiah reaches for her own phone, putting it to her ear and then down, frowning at her screen. “Stacey can’t be reached either.”

“Try Jhoanna.” Mikha suggests.

Mikha had been filled in on the whole Stacey and Jhoanna situation since being hotel roommates with Aiah, who suffers the most from their whole game of will-they-won’t-they. The conclusion being the two of them are just acting purposefully obtuse in order to protect their friendship. Which Mikha thinks is a valid enough reason, if not for the fact that anyone with eyes can see the two of them are pining after the other person. 

So, from an outsider’s perspective, it just looks a little silly.

“Wala rin.” Aiah says after attempting exactly that.

Mikha huffs. If all four of them are in on it, then it can’t be that bad. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to inform Mikha of their shenanigans. Then maybe she could’ve prevented Maloi and Colet from alerting the hotel staff by asking them to check the CCTV footage.

Mikha types a message to Colet.

Stacey and Jhoanna might be involved.

Best not to alert the others of the situation.

Let’s meet in the lobby.

Colet replies soon enough.

Gotcha. We’re already on our way.

Aiah’s already wearing her shoes, while Mikha wishes they had more time to themselves alone.

*

They split into two. Aiah with Mikha, and Colet with Maloi, each pair going to one of the two directions of the only road accessible from the hotel. Maloi says she saw them leave by foot, so they also search for them by foot. The four of them might just be walking back to the hotel, too. In which case, Mikha is ready and armed with plenty of masasamang words to come their way.

Aiah is walking ahead of her, walking considerably faster. Mikha thinks Aiah’s avoiding her. 

They walk a long distance away from the hotel, with only a patch of green and vegetation on sight.

When Aiah stops by a hut lined with a string of lights, and a red overhead sign doubling as a Coca Cola advertisement over the name Julie’s Eatery, Mikha hears the confirmation of their presence before she sees them.

Jhoanna is, honest to God, belting out ‘Bang Bang’. Stacey is ripping through the rap verses. And Sheena is harmonizing really well actually.

Mikha stops next to Aiah, who has a fond smile on her face.

Mikha dials Colet’s number.

“Col, okay na, nahanap na namin sila. Balik na kayo.”

The smile slips from Aiah’s face momentarily. It is immediately back when she finally turns to face Mikha. “Dapat kasi binigyan mo ng bridal shower ‘yung dalawa bago ang kasal.”

“Friends usually nag-aasikaso nun.” Mikha points out.

“And look how this turned out.”

Gwen is the first one to spot them outside since she stands up to return their beer bottles. Gwen doesn’t drink. Gwen most likely informs the rest of the group of their sundo, which is how Jhoanna ends up announcing their names using the microphone, asking them to come inside the hut.

Julie’s eatery’s closest neighbor is probably a good 100-meters away. Thank God.

Also, definitely why they can use the karaoke machine at this hour.

“Pasok na mga suki.” Jhoanna will definitely regret getting to this point of drunkenness. “Aiah, isang kanta naman diyan. Para sa mga bagong kasal.”

Sheena hollers. “Let’s go, Aiah!”

Stacey hands Aiah the song book.

Gwen finds her place beside Mikha, “Sorry. Alam mo naman na ‘di ko sila kayang pigilan. Sabi nila malapit lang, saglit lang. Babalik din kami agad dapat.”

The karaoke screen indicates ‘tila tala’ by syd hartha as Aiah's chosen song. A bright and colorful K-Pop Music Video is playing in the background as the texts appear on the screen.

“Okay lang. Nahanap naman namin kayo agad,” Mikha shushes her so she can focus on Aiah’s singing.

[🎶 Kapag nahulog na tuluyan aking damdamin,

Nariyan ka ba para ako’y saluhin, mukhang malabo 🎶]

Mikha isn’t familiar with the song, so maybe that’s why she focuses on the lyrics. Although, it doesn’t escape her notice how Aiah’s angelic singing voice really lends well to the melody. Of course, she sings well. 

Gwen knows where Mikha has shifted her focus. She and Sheena exchange knowing glances at the completely unsubtle display of their feelings. Aiah might as well wear her heart on her sleeves.

The pre-chorus kicks in.

[🎶 Bakit ganito?

Sa lahat ng tao, ikaw pa ang napiling isigaw ng puso

Sino ba naman ako para piliin mo? 🎶]

Then when the chorus finally talks about the stars revealing the reason for the song title, Stacey bursts in to sing together with Aiah in a duet.

[🎶 Tila tala sa kalangitan

Kaakit-akit subalit ako’y hanggang tingin lang

Kahit na anong pilit na ika’y abutin,

Hindi ka kailanman magiging para sa akin 🎶]

When the bridge, a repetition of the lyrics Malabong malabong malabo seems to go on forever, Aiah puts a forced stop to the song. Mikha would give her an 85, if she could guess karaoke machine scoring systems.

“Okay, uwian na.” Aiah stands up, leaves the hut in a huff, and seems to catch her breath when she steps out the road as she waits for the rest of the girls to settle their payment. 

Mikha pays. Gwen looks at her apologetically because the wallet she had ended up bringing doesn’t at all have any cash in it.

Aiah and Stacey support Jhoanna in walking back to the hotel because Jhoanna needs it.

Sheena is bright red, and possibly warm all over, but she can walk in a straight line, so Gwen holds her hand not for support but because they can.

Mikha walks behind the group, with watchful eyes like she always does. Mikha is aware of the role she plays, and the spaces she can fit into. She’s the dutiful daughter, she’s the one to call when things need fixing. If they needed someone to say the hard truths, Mikha’s the person to do it.

So, it’s a real wonder how Mikha can’t get to that place with Aiah. 

“Ihatid mo sina Gwen and Sheena. Ako na bahala dito sa dalawa,” Aiah says when they reach the elevator.

Gwen and Sheena are on the topmost floor. Mikha holds the elevator door open to make sure that she sees the three of them reach and enter Jhoanna and Stacey’s shared bedroom, before proceeding with getting Gwen and Sheena to theirs.

“Sorry, Mikhs.” Gwen brings her in a hug in front of their room.

Then Sheena. “Sorry, Mikhs.” 

“Sorry talaga.” Gwen repeats.

“Go to sleep. I have some meds with me in case you need it tomorrow.” Mikha looks at Sheena specifically.

She waits until their door is closed before walking back to the elevator to get back to her own room. Their room. Aiah and hers.

Aiah is already under the covers when Mikha arrives.

“What a night,” is all Mikha manages to say.

“So, ‘yun pala si Colet.” Aiah covers her face with the blanket.

Mikha sits on the edge of her bed, facing Aiah even though Aiah can’t see her. “And that’s Maloi, Colet’s girlfriend.”

“You’re friends with your ex.” Aiah sounds like she’s pouting.

It’s honestly adorable.

“We were friends before we were anything. It’s just…. not many of us can have a Gwen and Sheena success story. There are no hard feelings between us, so we remain friends after.”

“She’s pretty.” Aiah says after a long pause.

“You’re pretty, too.”

“She’s reliable.”

“You’re reliable, too.”

Aiah’s head pops out of the duvet. She sits up properly, studying Mikha like she’s a puzzle to be assembled.

“In love ka ba sa’kin?”

That gets Mikha to laugh.

“Oo.”

“Walang bawian ‘yan ha.”

“I’m a woman of my word, Aiah.”

“Dapat lang. Sobrang kabado ko kanina, no. Bakit ba kasi nauna ‘yung meet the family before ‘yung label? Sabi lang ni Gwen, busy ka raw siguro. Which… gets naman. Pero hello, we share a room, ‘di naman mahirap mag-usap, ‘di ba? I like you, you like me back. It’s not complicated at all.”

Mikha grins teasingly, “Well, not you with that dramatic ass song earlier.”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Make me.”

Aiah kisses her with a fiery passion of someone who has finally allowed herself to. Mikha realizes Aiah’s been holding back the previous days. Aiah is a DJ, so predictably she’s good with her hands. Mikha gets firsthand confirmation.

Mikha always gives as good as she gets, repaying with her mouth.

They forget that they haven’t really confirmed any labels, only mutual feelings. 

If Mikha were less taken by Aiah, that would’ve been the first thing on her agenda. There’ll be a list of reasonable and chronological events to tick off. The same way she maneuvered through her previous relationship with Colet. With timelines, schedules, and data.

But instead, Mikha has fallen for Aiah beyond reason. 

Ahma had mentioned her approval of Aiah a little too casually during their game of mahjong. “I think she is good for you,” she had said in such a way that clung to Mikha’s chest warmly, because that was coming from a woman who had consulted a Feng Shui expert to dictate the auspicious date for this wedding, and had looked into Gwen and Sheena’s compatibility based on their zodiac signs, determined by the stars and the planets during their date and time of birth.

Ahma had taken one good look at Aiah, and said “I like you,” the same easy way Mikha’s heart stuttered while they were in the same line at the coffee shop in the airport terminal. 

Fine, so maybe Mikha purposefully took Aiah’s coffee order to get her name. It’s not like there were any better options at the time. Get her name directly? Mikha’s not brave and foolish enough to do that.

“We should go to sleep,” Aiah pulls away, ragged breaths following her words.

“One more,” Mikha trails after her mouth.

“Don’t you need to be well rested for the wedding?”

“Who the hell cares about the wedding?”

“You.”

“It’ll be at noon.” Mikha laps at her throat, since Aiah seems intent on speaking.

“You’ll take pictures.”

“There’s make up.”

“I’ll still be here tomorrow.” Aiah says.

Mikha pops up, eyes searching Aiah’s face.

“I mean, I’ll be with you.” Aiah thinks to clarify. “We don’t have to be in any hurry.”

“You think we’re going too fast?”

“We could definitely go slower.”

It’s an undeniably soft request.

“Okay,” Mikha punctuates the agreement with a kiss, “Yeah. We can do that.”

They fall asleep, with Aiah’s front to Mikha’s back, and their hands joined together in Mikha’s middle.

Chapter Text

Stacey looks serious. Not a rarity at all. Stacey could be serious if needed.

Especially since Aiah cannot deny that she’s the reason Mikha is late to her seat at the hair and makeup room. They are already 30 minutes behind schedule. A fact that Mikha would have been kicking a fuss over, if she isn’t the exact person to cause it.

Mikha only gives an apologetic smile when she arrives.

Stacey knows to look for Aiah instead, pulling her out of the room and in the hallway.

The rollers in Stacey’s hair makes it hard for Aiah to take her seriously though.

“I just know ikaw may kasalanan bakit late si Little Miss Bossy.”

Aiah frowns. Mikha isn’t bossy at all. She’s assertive. She knows how to get things done well. “Don’t call her little, she could get really defensive about that.”

“So, ikaw nga.”

Honestly, Aiah hadn’t been the one to suggest showering together. It was Mikha. They were doing their part. For water conservation. Aiah merely agrees with the cause. For mother nature.

“Hinatid ko na nga para ‘di pa siya lalong maging cause of delay.”

Stacey rolls her eyes. “Please tell me na seryoso kayong dalawa. I cannot deal with the idea that Sheena’s wedding would be a casualty to a possible incident caused by your little games with your fuck buddy.”

“Hoy, grabe ka naman. We’re serious. What do you mean fuck buddies? I’m offended.”

Aiah knows herself well enough, and respects herself well enough not to dabble into fuck buddy territory ever. Stacey’s assumption is loud and wrong.

Stacey steps back in the room and takes a concealer from one of the available vanities, dabbing some on Aiah’s neck. Aiah puffs her cheeks out, shame creeping up her back a little, reminded that yes, this is also one of the reasons why she made her way to the makeup room. She forgot to pack a concealer, and well… she needs it.

“Sure?” Stacey asks to confirm again, blending the concealer well.

“I’m serious. Mikha couldn’t be less serious even if she tried.”

“Okay. Good. That makes some of us, at least.”

Aiah huffs, “Kornerin mo na lang si Jhoanna. Talk like adults.”

“I’m scared.” Stacey admits.

“Obviously. Because Jhoanna matters. If you wait for the time na ‘di ka na takot, isa lang ibig sabihin nun. ‘Di na importante si Jhoanna sa’yo. And I highly doubt that such a time will come.”

“I hate that you’re right. Sino ka? Kailan ka pa naging love guru?” Stacey shakes her head. “No. Don’t answer that.”

Aiah flashes a smug grin, “But don’t do it today. Today is Gwen and Sheena’s special day.”

“Tanga. Alam ko ‘yun.” Stacey flicks a finger on Aiah’s forehead before returning to the room to get her hair done completely. 

*

Aiah’s done with lunch and finalizing her set up when Gian arrives with the rest of the band. The florists and the planner are adding the decorations missing from yesterday’s rehearsals. There’s an entire arc made of pink hydrangeas now. And the videographers are taking footage of the floral arc, and the scenery, and whatever else they can use to fill the same-day-edit video to show at the reception later.

“Oh, bakit ang aga mo?” Gian asks.

“Syempre para maabutan niya ‘yung photoshoot ng bridesmaids.” CJ answers for her.

Aiah nods, walking backwards and shooting finger guns at the guys. “Bantayan n’yo DJ board ko, please.”

“‘Di ka naman masyado kailangan ngayon. Mamayang gabi ka pa talaga magtratrabaho eh.” Gian waves her away.

“Thank you, boys!” Aiah runs towards the hotel garden.

He’s right though. Who even has a DJ during the wedding ceremony proper? She assumes she is just strategically placed at her spot so that Mikha can have someone to ogle at. Aiah can provide eye candy, too. She doesn’t mind.

Especially since Mikha herself is also a sight to behold.

She’s in a soft pink flowy gown, bare shoulders in full display.

Aiah crosses her arms, as she watches the bridesmaids stand in a line, holding their bouquet of flowers, and getting asked to laugh for the photographs.

Aiah has her eyes fixed on Mikha the entire time, no offense to the beautiful brides in white, they’re absolutely gorgeous too, but Aiah just really likes Mikha so she’s got Aiah’s full attention, so much so that Aiah doesn’t realize Angkong has found a spot next to her.

“Aiah, dear, won’t you help me with the crossword puzzle again?” He speaks.

Aiah manages to mask her surprise only by a smidge. “Yes po, Angkong.”

“I made a note. Let’s see.” He takes his phone out. “8 letter word. Slang for unplanned, or haphazard manner.”

Aiah considers her answer for a moment. The newspaper crossword puzzles these days are getting more and more difficult. She needs to read more if she wants to keep up with Angkong.

“Willy-nilly.” She answers.

“Hm.” Angkong hums thoughtfully, typing it down. “I think you’re right. I’ll see if it fits later. Thank you, Aiah.”

“You’re welcome po.”

The photographer calls for the family of the brides. The bridesmaids disperse away from in front of the camera, and Angkong gets pulled into getting their photo taken. 

Mikha finds Aiah soon enough, or has already spotted her while their photos were being taken.

“What were you and Angkong talking about?” She asks, stomping over to where Aiah is, handing Aiah her bouquet of flowers.

Aiah accepts it, inspecting and sniffing the blue and pink hydrangeas. “Crossword puzzle. Parang may surprise quiz ako lagi sa lolo mo. Buti na lang scramble master din ako nung high school.”

“That’s hot.”

“Ew. You’re talking about a high schooler.” Aiah jokes.

“Baliw. I’m talking about you.”

Aiah manages a laugh, before moving on to more important things. “You’re so pretty, baby. I’d kiss you if I’m allowed to ruin your makeup.”

“Who says you’re not allowed?” Mikha straightens the collar of her button down.

“Later,” Aiah steals a quick kiss despite her words, “Mapapagalitan ako ulit ni Stacey ‘pag naging MIA ka bigla.”

“Kiss me here.” Mikha suggests.

“How I want to have my way with you is definitely not family friendly.” Aiah whispers, when Mikha circles an arm around her shoulder, her high heels putting them at the same height.

“It’s dangerous to build expectations, you know.” Mikha says while eyeing her in a challenge.

“Don’t I always exceed expectations?”

Mikha gives her a playful tap on her shoulder. “Yabang ah.”

“That’s not a no, Mikha Lim.”

“I’ll give my full assessment when it’s done.”

“Anong evaluation scale ba nag-eexist para diyan?”

Mikha peels away from Aiah, predicting a turn for the pictures once again. “Secret. Ako lang may alam.”

“Okay lang. Ako lang naman favorite mo.”

“Yabang,” Mikha says as she plucks the bouquet of flowers from Aiah’s hands.

“That’s not a no, Mikha Lim.”

Mikha is already walking away. When Mikha’s smiles are evidently brighter for the next set of photographs, Aiah can proudly claim herself as the sole reason for the change.

*

Feng Shui couldn’t account for the rain, of course.

Dark clouds are overcast over the beach side for the first time since their arrival. It’s actually still sunny, but Aiah could see Mikha worrying from where she’s standing. Mikha frantically gives Uncle Richard subtle signals to go about the ceremony quickly, or quicker than he already is going about it.

It’s a gay beach wedding. There aren't any bible readings from a priest, or altar boys entering before the entourage, so anything goes, Aiah supposes. Still, Uncle Richard mostly sticks to the script. Who else would love a spectacle more?

Gwen and Sheena look radiant, like they don’t mind the rain thrashing their important day.

“The two have already exchanged rings. So, we won’t ask them to do that again. Sheena and Gwen would rather have their fingers cut off than take the rings off just to wear them again.” Uncle Richard has the gall to take the time to joke.

Thunder rumbles quietly in the background. It sounds far, but still, it does nothing to bring Mikha’s knitted eyebrows down.

Aiah watches her, hoping Mikha would have half the brain to look in her direction. After a few seconds of that very thought, Mikha glances her way. Aiah smiles at her, a reassuring nod her way, as well.

Mikha finally manages a smile, her face relaxing.

“Let’s hear the wives exchange vows.” Uncle Richard passes the microphone to Sheena.

Sheena receives a small sheet of paper from behind Stacey’s bouquet. She unfolds it, and starts her vows with a shaky exhale.

“Gwen and I started dating when she was 15 and I was 14, an entire grade level separating us. At the time, it was scandalous for students from different grade levels to be dating. A one-year age gap is just a bit too much for teenagers to handle.” 

That earns a laugh from the attendees.

“I miss when that was the only cause of our hardships. That we were against each other during intramurals, with the teams arranged by year levels, which was definitely unfair for the younger batches. Or that we didn’t have the same dismissal time, or that Gwen was a classroom cleaner for Thursday, which was also club day and I was part of the dance troupe and couldn’t make time for her on Thursdays, leaving us with only 4 days of the school week.”

Mikha’s eyes never leave Aiah’s.

“But I loved growing and getting older with you.” Sheena sounds like she’s fighting tears, addressing Gwen more directly now, “Despite our eyes getting opened to the cruelty of the world, to the unacceptance, to the supposed shame that comes with loving each other, you made it bearable, Gwen. Your steady support makes it easy. Present tense. For that, I promise to always be a pillar of strength when you need it. And I know you don’t always need it, but I'll always be here to offer it nonetheless.”

Aiah feels her eyes water.

“I vow to always buy you the bread that you like, with the name I always forget. I vow to help you bake cupcakes when you’re in your baking moods. I vow to ensure that our cats are fed and happy. And I can’t make a vow that I won’t be a cause of your sadness or concern, because I know once we reach old age with our sickness and frailty, it will happen. But I promise, we will be together through it all.”

Gwen is sniffling when the microphone is handed to her.

Mikha hands her several sheets of tissue paper.

Gwen blots it under her eyes before starting. “I’ll keep mine short. Since everyone here thinks of me as a woman of few words, at dahil uulan na.”

That earns a laugh from the attendees.

Maybe no one really minds getting caught in the rain with such a beautiful display of love between two of the best people in the world.

Gwen addresses Sheena directly from the start.

“Bebe, when other people also began referring to you as bebe, I remember you asking me if it made me jealous. I remember that conversation vividly because I hadn’t considered that at all. I thought at that time maybe I just didn’t have that kind of possessive bone in my body. Of course, we eventually find out that that’s not true.”

Gwen and Sheena find laughter in a private moment that Gwen doesn’t elaborate on.

“I really don’t mind other people calling you bebe. Because eventually I became bebe, as well. I love that we were sharing your name even before we were actually sharing names. If you’re bebe and I’m bebe, then it just makes sense that my heart is your heart, and that my life and your life are intertwined. I vow to keep our names, our hearts, our lives safe and warm and happy. I love you, bebe.”

Sheena is a tearful mess by the end of it.

Uncle Richard continues with his script. The band accompanies the closing of the ceremony with a rearrangement of The Beatles ‘I Will’.

“Let’s give the wives a round of applause.” Uncle Richard announces. “You may now kiss the bride.”

Gwen and Sheena have chosen to do away with the veils. Veils are an archaic symbol of a bride being a gift to the groom, Mikha had explained earlier. And while they are indeed a precious gift to each other, the two of them do not need to ‘unwrap’ their wives in order to properly close the ceremony with a kiss.

They kiss because they want to. And because they love each other fully, and well.

They don’t sign anything, not even a mock contract. They don’t need it.

After the guests, the sponsors, the entourage and the brides have filtered out of the beach side following the official end of the wedding, the rain finally comes down. The band, the florist, the planner, coordinator, the videographers, and some wedding vendors rush to take their equipment and things inside the hotel.

Aiah and Mikha are hand-in-hand, laughing, as they cross towards the canopy of the entrance of the hotel. The other wedding guests also shield themselves from the downpour.

Aiah’s DJ bag slips out of her shoulder, and she catches it with a flexed elbow before it reaches solid ground.

Mikha takes out sheets of tissue paper from her bouquet once again, wiping down moisture from Aiah’s hair.

“I love you,” Aiah says when their eyes finally meet.

“I thought we’re not in a hurry.” Mikha is smiling at her, at least.

“My bad. I’m quickly realizing that falling in love with you is only one speed setting pala.”

“Maybe it’s all the emotions from the wedding. I’ll confirm with you again later, if you still feel the same once the rush has come off.”

“Methodical and systemic, as expected. This makes me love you more if anything.” Aiah kisses Mikha’s cheek, as she fixes her bag back on her shoulder.

“I’ll input it in your dedicated spreadsheet.”

“Ano excel file name ko?” Aiah plays along, even though she’s well aware that Mikha indeed has a dedicated spreadsheet for the wedding. That was what Mikha had busied herself with—when Aiah was literally right there—on the first night of their shared room situation.

“Baby ko.” Mikha humors her with an answer.

Aiah likes to think Baby_ko.xlsx does exist. Aiah likes to imagine that Mikha edits and reads it extensively. Little mundane pieces of information about Aiah, collated and updated thoroughly by one meticulous Mikha Lim.

“Okay, asawa ko.” Aiah kisses her again.

“Okay. Tama na. May reception ka ‘pang tratrabahuhin.”

The band walks towards their direction, irritated expressions on their face as they lug their instruments and equipment in hand, reiterating the same sentiment. “Mamaya na ‘yan. May trabaho pa tayo dito oh.” Gian is the one to say, but Aiah hears the fondness more than the annoyance in his voice. 

Chapter Text

“Obviously, the rainbow’s going to make an appearance at your wedding,” Uncle Richard brings a hand to his chest dramatically, as though it’s a blessing brought to their important day bestowed upon by him, their self proclaimed most homosexual fairy godparent.

Gwen and Sheena are scarfing food down and couldn’t care less. They’re eating as much as they can before the reception officially begins, and they’re forced to be the center of attention again.

“Kapre kayo, no?” Stacey comments offhandedly, after helping bring the brides their glasses of water. “Maaraw tapos umulan. Tapos kinakasal kayo.”

Mikha enjoys the way Uncle Richard’s face twists into a mixture of delighted disgust and then awe before finally landing on agreement. Stacey’s mind is a fortress of wonder, for sure.

The band, the DJ, and the multimedia and production team are setting up. While the wedding vendors and photographers are already up to their assigned tasks.

Stacey slips away from their group to ‘practice her speech’ with Jhoanna, so she says. Mikha thinks she just wants to see her.

Uncle Richard watches her walk away in fascination.

“Don’t you have to practice your speech, as well?” He looks towards Aiah’s way as he asks Mikha. Of course, a gay man understands coded language.

Gwen and Sheena manage to already be a picture of domestic bliss. Years and years of history would do that, Mikha guesses, as she sees Gwen feed Sheena, living in their own happy bubble.

Mikha and Gwen, despite being cousins and close in age, surprisingly weren’t put to be against each other. While Mikha is competitive, Gwen isn’t. And Gwen is brilliant in all the ways Mikha isn’t, and doesn’t particularly aim to be. So, any point of comparison between them doesn’t land in any particular way. 

Mikha glimpses a future she would like for herself through her, so, maybe for the first time in her life, Mikha is envious of Gwen. 

“Or am I mistaken? Are you and the DJ not a thing?” He asks, taking Mikha’s silence as a non-answer.

“Her name’s Aiah, Uncle.” Mikha reminds him. “And you’re right. We are.”

“Well, you kids these days make it hard to tell what is and isn’t.”

Kids, he says. Are they truly still kids in their eyes? They’re at Gwen's wedding for goodness’ sake.

“Well, I like her, if my opinion counts for anything.”

“I like her a lot, too.” Mikha looks towards Aiah’s way, knowing full well that she doesn’t really need anyone else’s validation. She also feels Gwen and Sheena’s eyes on her as she says it.

“So, go. You don’t need feeble excuses to go see the love of your life.” Uncle Richard says, ever the dramatic one.

“Stacey’s the one that needs that advice.”

“I don’t know,” He shrugs, insightful and knowledgeable on all pining desperate homosexual activities. “She looks like the type to torture herself with romance. I’m sure she’ll figure out what needs to be done by the end of this week.”

“By tonight.” Mikha replies.

“Magdilang anghel ka sana,” is the first thing Sheena says after a while.

“I’ll go check on Aiah,” is what Mikha says, when the brides already look to be done eating.

Uncle Richard shakes his head, asking Gwen now. “Can you believe your cousin?”

Gwen doesn’t answer but when Mikha glances back at her as she makes her way to the makeshift DJ booth at a corner of Ballroom A, Gwen gives her a fond smile and a thumbs up.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you gave cues to dictate the weather.” Aiah says in greeting, her focus on her cables mostly unperturbed by Mikha’s arrival.

Mikha thinks it’s sexy how focused she can be.

“If I did, then I’d save the rain for the day after the ceremony.” Mikha would have liked to keep Aiah in their room without arousing questions or suspicion. The rain would have provided a good excuse.

“Don’t the Chinese believe that rain is a blessing, too?”

“They encourage all the crying, and what is the rain but exactly that.”

“‘Di ka naman umiyak.” Aiah glances at her, “Pero ikaw pa ‘yung may dalang tissue.”

“I know Gwen will cry.” Mikha answers, “Gwen cries when she’s overwhelmed.”

“And when do you cry?”

“When I’m really happy.”

“That’s cute.” That brings a smile to Aiah’s face. “So, that’s the goal then. Paiyakan ka.”

“You do make me happy. Maybe not to the point of tears, but I want you to know that… you do make me happy, Aiah.”

Aiah hops off the platform, where she’ll be working for the rest of the evening. A sheet of paper with the program flow, and production cues marked with a red pen is in her hand. She leans in to kiss Mikha, a hand resting on her shoulder comfortably after.

“I’ll be working. So, enjoy tonight even without me, okay?”

“You exist with the music, Aiah.”

Aiah kisses her again, “How is it that you always know the right thing to say?”

“I’m lucky that my truth is also the very thing you want to hear.”

Aiah kisses her again, “Ganyan ka eh. Alam mo even if you haven’t said it back, alam kong mahal mo rin ako eh.”

“I’ll get back to you on that tomorrow.” Mikha is intent on giving Aiah time to process everything, to consider what a relationship between them means, maybe not completely outside of a celebration, but some good distance away. Tomorrow, the wedding proper is finally over. Mikha believes in not making long term decisions when she’s happy. She wouldn’t subject Aiah to that either.

“Okay, Ms. Lim. May secretary ka ba? Should I schedule an appointment?”

“I’ll pencil you in for 2PM.”

“Ang late naman. May iba ka pa ka-meeting?”

“No. But I predict we’ll stay in bed until noon.” Mikha sees the wedding coordinator behind Aiah hesitate to approach her. “Mahirap ka rin gisingin eh.”

Aiah brings a hand up, “Guilty as charged, Your honor.”

Mikha nods towards the direction behind Aiah. The wedding coordinator is talking into a walkie talkie as Aiah keeps talking with Mikha. She glances at her watch. “We’re starting in 20.”

“Don’t tell me floor director ka rin dito?”

“No. Just someone who has the schedule memorized. I’ll have fun at the reception, don’t worry.”

“Okay. I’ll see you after.” Aiah reaches for her hand to give it a squeeze before finally approaching the coordinator.

Mikha proceeds to the overhead deck where the wedding vendors are situated to keep the idling guests occupied as they make final preparations for the reception.

Stacey and Jhoanna are right at the doorway where the guest book is placed. Mikha scans the area for another spot where it can be re-located. They can’t risk having the guests bottleneck the exit and entry paths. Given they’re still in the clear as plenty of the guests are busy with the finger food selections, Gwen insists on having both street food and a charcuterie board options, for whatever the guests would be in the mood for.

Mikha sees Jefferson approach her at the corner of her eye, and she turns to him when he doesn’t say anything. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Uhm,” He starts eloquently.

“Can you move this dedication book away from the doors? Do you know if there’s space between the vendors?”

“There’s an extra table next to the photobooth,” He informs her.

“Good. The guests can write on it while they wait for their turn.” Mikha steps away, and when he follows her, Mikha halts in step immediately. “What can I do for you that would get you to stop hovering?”

“Later, my father might come to you with a proposal. Let me preface this by saying that I have told him not to go along with it.”

“A business proposal?”

“No.”

“I see,” Mikha scans the rest of the guests, already sure of how she might approach meeting Jefferson’s father, possibly named Jeffer. “What’s your father’s name?”

“Jerick. Jerick Tiu.”

Mikha is disappointed. Not Jeffer’s son, but Jerick’s son.

“I see.” Mikha spares him a smile, “I’ll listen to his proposal since he assumes it would be appealing to me.”

Jefferson makes a face that seems to indicate otherwise.

“Will you move the guest book or shall I do it?” Mikha asks, since his mind seems set on other things.

“I’ll do it.”

“Thank you,” And because Mikha is still a respectful individual, she adds: “And Jefferson, thank you for the heads up.”

“No problem,” He retrieves the guest book after Stacey and Jhoanna have finished their turn with it.

The two have an easy choice on who to shift their attention to after, each hooking their arm with Mikha’s own, flanking her from both sides.

“It’s good to see you’re doing well after the events of last night, Jhoanna.” Mikha says as she gets manhandled to a mostly empty corner of the roof deck, her feet following where the two are leading her.

Stacey and Jhoanna stand in front of her when her back hits the railing, their arms folded across their chest in interrogation.

“This isn’t about me,” Jhoanna starts. “Tungkol ‘to kay Aiah.”

“You know Aiah deserves the best, right?” Stacey follows it up quickly.

Mikha’s eyes volley between the two of them, certain there’s more to this than just demanding the best for their friend.

“Taga-saan ka?” Stacey asks.

“I live in QC.” Mikha answers. Aiah and her haven’t even discussed these kinds of things.

“Aiah’s condo is in BGC.” Jhoanna informs her, “May kotse ka ba?”

“Yes.”

Stacey gives an approving nod, before springing another question. “Do you play any sports?”

“I used to play volleyball in high school.”

“Eh ngayon?” Jhoanna asks.

“I’m not opposed to participating in athletic activities.”

“Running, wall climbing, surfing, hiking, indoor golf. How does any of that sound to you?” Jhoanna asks further.

“Those are perfectly respectable physical activities.”

Stacey breathes a sigh of relief. “Oh my god. Finally, ‘di na ako ang kukulitin ni Aiah na samahan siya.”

“What’s your favorite food?” Jhoanna is undeterred.

“Laing,” Mikha gauges their reaction to that.

Stacey frowns, “‘Di kumakain si Aiah ng gulay.”

“At her big age?”

“Oo nga eh.” Jhoanna agrees. “You can try to change her mind.”

“Isabay mo ako minsan kung susunduin mo si Aiah ha. Taga-QC rin ako.” Stacey avoids her eyes as she makes that request.

That feels like an approval. 

“Sige.” Mikha says with a smile.

“I’ll reserve my judgment on this situation until bumalik tayo sa Manila.” Jhoanna speaks with less finality, and definitely less agreeable than Stacey.

“Calling it a situation is a bit…” Mikha begins, and is just as quickly interrupted by Jhoanna again. Mikha doesn’t know what to follow that with either, Jhoanna saves her the trouble.

“Hangga’t kayo mismo ‘di nagsasabi kung ano kayo, ‘yun at ‘yun pa rin itatawag ko sa kung ano kayong dalawa.”

Mikha looks at how Stacey takes that, as well. Stacey visibly swallows, composing herself in such a way that appears like she’s holding herself more steadily. Jhoanna looks like she’s hesitating to even glance at her. 

“Right,” Mikha says, “You’re right. I agree.”

“Okay. Good. Madali ka naman pala kausap eh.” Jhoanna turns away, bringing Stacey with her, leaving Mikha to settle with the dust of their quickly overlapping similar situations. 

Mikha shakes her head. Situations. She’s learning to hate that word more and more. Stacey looks like she does, as well.

Maloi had said it a few days back. What the lovebirds need is a mirror to recognize what they truly are, in order to finally give it a name. Mikha is happy to provide a mirror reflection of Jhoanna and Stacey’s own situation to them with her and Aiah’s own.

Mikha thinks she and Aiah can move past it with more ease. All they need to do is actually talk.

Jhoanna and Stacey need to move past the bigger hurdle of their own self made fears.

*

The reception is starting right on time. The guests are asked to finally go to their assigned tables in Ballroom A. Mikha takes her seat next to Auntie Risa, craning her neck to check Jhoanna, Stacey, Maloi and Colet’s table. 

They’re already all seated.

Then, she checks the list of food being served tonight, a 5-course meal with alternates for the main listed on a scented cardboard on top of their plates, all duly approved by Auntie Melanie, and cross-checked with the guests’ allergies and the sponsors’ food preferences.

The music fills the room with ease like a figure skater gliding on ice, gracefully and with practiced precision. Mikha makes a mental note to ask Aiah on her interest in ice skating, given the extensive list of the physical activities she apparently takes part in.

More guests filter into the room, and the lights fade a little to eventually shine a spotlight on the brides that make their entrance with the chorus to ‘I’m Coming Out’ that gets layered with the beats to ‘Get This Party Started’, a remix that serves both generations of the reception goers.

Mikha gives Aiah a satisfied smile when their eyes meet.

Angkong and Ahma are the ones to accompany Gwen and Sheena as they make their entrance in Ballroom A, the carpeted middle of the ballroom becoming witness to the heads of family try to dance along to the music. 

Mikha brings her phone out to take a video. This might never happen again.

Uncle Richard, and one of their cousins, Shirley, are the masters of the ceremony. Their booming voice calling for applause takes over the speakers as Gwen and Sheena take the stage for a fully rehearsed dance number, having already changed into sneakers.

When did the two of them have the time to practice?

Mikha is quickly realizing this reception might prove to be more surprising than anything she ever braced herself for.

Chapter Text

A waiter is sneakily giving her an entree, a Vietnamese rice paper roll, when the band takes charge for the couples’ first dance. A practiced handing off of the music that has Gian sending her a pleased smile when they’ve managed to execute it perfectly with the help of the MC’s cue.

Would this be their first dance? Second, maybe? Since this is also their second wedding ceremony. 

The dinner service is given an adequate enough amount of time with consideration of the guest demographic. Aiah knows Mikha made sure of it. Aiah is just about done with her Vietnamese roll when a plate of pasta and a glass of iced tea are passed to her with a wink. The waiter looks over towards Mikha’s direction to inform Aiah of who precisely is the mastermind to getting her fed.

Mikha is preoccupied, taking a photo or a video of the couples’ dance.

At some point, other couples are asked to join the brides on the dance floor.

Colet and Maloi joining are less surprising than seeing Jhoanna and Stacey, with Stacey holding Jhoanna’s waist as Jhoanna rests her hands on Stacey’s shoulders.

Aiah and Mikha snap into each other’s focus when they both notice the same thing, exchanging a ‘Are you seeing what I’m seeing’ look between them, and sharing fond laughter at noticing the same thing at the same time.

Auntie Risa leans back to steal Mikha’s attention, and Aiah returns her gaze to the dance floor, thinking that observing Jhoanna and Stacey further might just clue her into what could have led them to be tangled in each other suddenly.

Or not suddenly at all. They had been building up to this for a while now.

What’s actually sudden is her and Mikha.

Aiah isn’t sure if that’s entirely a bad thing. They’re definitely in a time constraint here. Could she let her go that easily given where they found themselves at? But Aiah thinks back to what Mikha had said earlier. Is it truly just the novelty of the situation? Mikha herself is a novelty. 

Had they met through an entirely different circumstance, Aiah would have just harbored a… keen interest. Girls like Mikha tend to do that. Beautiful, mysterious, alluring. Captivating in such a way that anyone would want to get to know her more, dissect her every word and promise, only to have her slip away.

Except… between the two of them, had they met through an entirely different circumstance, maybe it is Aiah who would slip away first. Even now, Mikha is giving her an out, isn’t she? 

A three-tier cake gets wheeled into the corner, a cue for the band to mellow down into just the chords to ‘Time After Time’, Gian taking a break to re-check his cue sheet.

“If we could ask the guests to return to their seats in order for the brides to begin the cake cutting ceremony,” Shirley announces, which effectively disperses the people back to their respective tables.

The cake gets brought to the middle, the shining spotlight producing a glare over the cake slicer. A slice is cut, and Gwen feeds Sheena and Sheena feeds Gwen. 

Mikha starts the cue for a kiss, clinking her wine glass with a fork repeatedly. The rest of Ballroom A follows suit. Sheena and Gwen share a kiss, as the guests’ glasses are poured with wine. Jhoanna, Stacey and Mikha stand at the side for the wine toasting.

Mikha goes first.

“Good evening, I’m Mikha. Gwen’s cousin and second favorite person in the world. Second obviously to her wife Sheena. A place that I won’t compete for, for obvious reasons.” Mikha sends a smile towards the couples’ direction before continuing.

“Sheena and I met through Gwen, in university. We were from the same campus and so through that, I saw Gwen a lot more than I should have, even though Gwen studied at a completely different school 5 LRT stations away. That’s a 4.1-kilometer distance or 23 minutes if one got on a train immediately while stepping on the platform.”

Aiah finds herself smiling at that, endeared. Mikha would put units of measurements in her wine toasting speech.

“Earlier they were talking about their beginnings, allow me to tell a story from the in-between, during the 4.1 kilometers or the 4.5 years of college that separated them. Sheena and I ended up in the same Introduction to Philosophy class with a professor notorious for essay type examinations made to fail students. After our midterm exam, Sheena waited for me to finish and approached me with a singular intention to ask me for help for their anniversary date.”

Mikha raises her glass towards Sheena.

“Sheena ended that term with the highest grade from Ms. Chavez, and she also managed to salvage her relationship with reassurance since Gwen was scared that the distance was leading to their falling out. Instead, the distance proved that their love can survive. It did. All 4.1 kilometers, and 4.5 years of it. It continues to do so. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your story. Cheers to the lovely couple who I am assured will continue to survive through even tough times, and persist through it all with love, always.”

Mikha brings her glass to her lips for a sip.

Stacey takes the microphone from her, and cues the DJ with, “DJ, music please.”

Mikha turns to Aiah, and Aiah gives her a slow nod as she starts the music.

“We know Mikha will provide a sincere and serious speech. But we’re just as shocked as you are that Mikha didn’t have a powerpoint presentation.” Stacey begins, and Jhoanna continues with, “We are happy to cover for her misstep.”

A powerpoint gets projected on the wall, with an opening slide with the title: DOES FOREVER EXISTS?

“‘Di naman responsibilidad nina Gwen at Sheena na patunayan na mayroong forever.” Jhoanna has a clicker in hand, going into the next slide.

“But we have enough reason to believe they will love each other for a long time.” Stacey says.

Jhoanna clicks to the next slide. A photo of the two of them in high school seated next to each other on the beach side. “Shoutout kay Denise Tan, an archivist who cares about the preservation of our history, who still had their high school photos in her Facebook Albums. Without you, this wouldn’t be possible.”

A table hollers at the mention of a name. Denise Tan’s table probably.

Jhoanna clicks to the next slide, a slideshow of more photos of the two through the years.

Aiah brings the chorus of ‘Through The Years’ in the background as per Jhoanna and Stacey’s demands. A post-it is stuck to her cue sheet in big bold red letters threatening to hold Mikha hostage if she doesn’t do as she tells them to just because they forgot to add music to their video.

Mikha has found a way to be near Aiah, facing her, smiling and not at all bothering to show any interest in Stacey and Jhoanna’s presentation.

Aiah cuts the song short once the slideshow ends.

“Now, we’d like to ask the guests for a show of hands if you ended up with your first love.” Stacey has the audience participate in their speech.

There are a few hands that shoot up among the guests.

“Gwen and Sheena themselves are only 1 of 3 remaining couples from the original 11 that survived the high school romance curse. And oo, curse na siya ngayon. Because in the eyes of a lot of people, sometimes being only with one person and sticking with them is an interesting and unusual choice.”

“Kami rin dati.” Jhoanna looks at Stacey.

“Especially since we saw firsthand how they aren’t perfect for each other. They’re both too introverted. And they’re both too softhearted.” Stacey lists down, as Jhoanna clicks to a slide of a venn diagram that converges into one circle.

“They both put their families first. They both miss each other terribly when the other person isn’t around, so much that they’ve become inseparable.” Jhoanna adds.

The two manage to start a role play situation.

“Oy, Shee, bakit mag-isa ka? Nasan si Gwen?” Stacey says, in a tone that is supposed to indicate familiarity and routine use facing Jhoanna who Aiah supposes is a stand-in for Sheena in their short role play scenario.

“Yes, na para bang combo deal sila.” Jhoanna faces forward, as she clicks to the next slide. The circles are animated to return to their venn diagram form. “Pwede pa rin naman umorder ng ala carte. Although, feeling ko mas mahirap na mangyari ‘yun ngayon.”

Stacey raises her glass, “To our favorite combo deal, the venn diagram will eventually look like a lemniscate.” Jhoanna barges in to add: “To the common people, that’s the mathematical term for an infinity sign.” With Stacey continuing with: “And while we know that’s overdone, there really is no other way to put it. Mathematically, forever already existed.” Jhoanna finishes it with: “Maybe forever existed way before we ever came to know it. In other forms. In the love that shaped the celebrants of today’s ceremony to laugh even with the threat of a thunderstorm.”

Stacey is choking up when they get to say their well wishes for the brides. “Forever is a long time, so I wish you two will be blessed to be happy for the majority of it. And if hardships and sadness come your way, may it pass quickly.” 

In contrast, Jhoanna musters a proud smile. “Forever is a short time, too. So, cherish each other for as long as you can. Congratulations to our bebes!”

Stacey nods to Aiah, her cue to start the next song.

When Gwen and Sheena, and majority of the guests have placed their wine glasses down, with Shirley’s voice comes a request.

“If we could ask the people who raised their hands earlier and those particularly with their first loves in attendance tonight to share a dance before we proceed to the next part of the program.”

Aiah turns the volume knob up, and Mikha gets whisked away by Colet, plucking the wine glass from Mikha’s hand to place next to Aiah’s growing stack of plates given by the busy waiter somehow assigned to feed her.

“Pahiram muna ako ah. Following instructions lang.” Colet had whispered in Aiah’s ear before the grand show of bringing Mikha to the middle of the dance floor.

Aiah’s eyes follow them until Mikha and Colet are holding each other, Colet leaning considerably close in order to whisper to Mikha’s ear. She sees Colet’s mouth move and settle into a smile. Aiah looks towards where she remembers Maloi’s seat to be. 

Maloi deals with it better than Aiah, for sure. She’s even taking photos of the two of them.

Aiah would turn off the music if that’s allowed. (It isn’t.) So, she watches until the hot rod of jealousy straightens her back so much that it hurts. 

Mikha hasn’t even looked her way once.

The videographer team gives cues to cut the music so that they can play the same-day edit on the projector. Stacey takes over the job when Aiah hasn’t moved an inch in her spot since. Stacey follows her line of sight, Aiah’s eyes tracking Mikha as she returns to her seat.

“Selosa ka pala.” Stacey sticks her tongue out playfully when Aiah turns to her with a frown.

“No.”

“Tapos na yun eh.” Stacey nods towards Mikha’s direction.

Aiah turns to see Mikha looking at their corner.

The same-day edit of the wedding plays.

It had captured all the happy, silly, and sentimental moments of the day, but it is Aiah that has Mikha’s undivided attention, only looking up at the video when the ending plays – a rainbow taking form in the sky as the guests run towards the hotel canopy entrance, the unmistakable silhouette of Aiah and Mikha barely caught in the frame as they lean in for a kiss.

The video fades to black, and the guests erupt in cheers.

Mikha sends her a wink and a flying kiss.

Later, Aiah reads from Mikha’s moving mouth.

Aiah nods, signalling an okay with her hand both as a response and as the reception goes into its next segment, with the sponsors honoring the wives’ marriage with extravagant gifts.

Chapter Text

The after party pulses in a different way. 

The sponsors have had their fun with the gift giving. They’ve made good use of the ballroom space for some cha cha and a line dance that some of Gwen and Sheena’s high school friends had been coerced into joining. 

Gone are the sponsors, so gone are the old songs from the DJ’s setlist. 

The remaining people making use of Ballroom A are forming smaller circles, either on the dance floor where the music thrums wildly, or the open bar where the drinks are free flowing.

Mikha is in neither circle, remaining seated with Maloi, finding the party less exciting in her Aiah-less state. It dawns on her that this might be how she would be spending her evenings if Aiah is DJ-ing, bored out of her mind, waiting for the party, any party, to end.

Gwen and Sheena are having fun, at least. Dancing among friends while holding their flutes of champagne. That’s good. This party is about them, for them. 

Colet is sliding a glass of highball towards Mikha, when she says: “Galing sa jowa mo.”

“Eh ako? Wala bang special delivery galing sa jowa ko?” Maloi turns to Colet excitedly.

Colet laughs, before dropping a kiss to Maloi’s smiling mouth. “Inunahan mo naman ako eh.”

Mikha pays their tooth rotting antics no mind, looking towards Aiah’s work space. Still busy. A certain clique of Gwen’s college friends have taken a liking to Aiah, requesting several songs in order to hover near her corner. It doesn’t upset Mikha. Aiah is an attractive woman, who also happens to be very good at her job. People can be interested in Aiah. Aiah is interesting.

Later, when Mikha reminds Aiah who it is exactly that she should be paying attention to, then it is neither here nor there.

“I finally got confirmation na ikaw nga first love ni Colet.” Maloi is the one to strike up a conversation. Colet would be happy with silence, and Mikha is preoccupied with other things to be thinking of engaging in one.

“Why? Kinakahiya ba ni Colet na ako first girlfriend niya?” Mikha looks at Colet then.

Maloi turns to Colet in haste, too, assuring her. “Okay lang naman kasi na ikaw ang first love ko, pero hindi ako ang first love mo.”

“Uy, ‘di kita kinakahiya ah! Sinayaw pa nga kita kanina. Ikaw ‘tong kailangan pa pilitin.” Colet turns to Mikha defensively, swinging an arm over the back of Maloi’s chair. An eventual soft gaze from Colet landing on Maloi’s face is so distinctly different from the scowl she sends to Mikha.

Because of Aiah. Mikha hesitated to dance with Colet because who knows what Aiah would think of it. They haven’t even gone into discussing each other’s romantic histories. But now that Mikha thinks about it, she’s not particularly curious about Aiah’s dating history. People fawning adoration over Aiah already has her blood boiling. What more knowing who and when and for how long? 

It’s silly to even contemplate, but to entirely avoid that whole ordeal is only possible if they had been each other’s first. Mikha needs to bend time and space for that to happen, and it is simply illogical to even consider. 

It’s also unfair to erase Colet from her already short list of one romantic relationship. The two of them were good when they were good, and bad when they were bad, and some relationships naturally go through that. The two of them just weren’t right for the kind of relationship they themselves chose to be in.

“You two are definitely better off as friends,” Maloi offers to iron out the creases in their conversation when Mikha doesn’t have any witty comeback to offer. “And I’m not saying that because Colet and I are together. Masyado kayong parehas. Funny pa na kaya n’yong magclash kahit same naman kayo ng opinion.”

Maloi’s talking about the infamous Sheena birthday incident in Singapore a year ago. Mikha doesn’t even remember the origins of that quarrel all that well. Something about boxed water, dehydration, and the unforgiving heat wave. The only part that Mikha does remember is that it had ended with her and Colet upset at each other. 

They only made up at the flight back, seated next to each other with nowhere else to go.

The two of them are stubborn when they think they’re right. That’s the only reason Mikha thinks they lasted for as long as they did.

“Yun na nga sabi ko kanina.” Colet is turned to Maloi in adoration, “Pero syempre ikaw mas papakinggan n’yan.”

“Hoy, that’s not what you said.” Mikha takes offense in that, “You said dapat nag stick to tropa na lang tayong dalawa.”

“Oo nga. Same lang ‘di ba?”

“No. Stick to tropa sounded a lot like you wanted not to have been in a relationship with me at all. Tropa lang. Which by the way, number one, offensive. And number two, first love mo ba talaga ako, if that’s the case?”

“First heartbreak pa nga eh. Kaya sana ‘di ko na sinagad.”

“Oh.” Mikha manages, “That’s exactly Stacey and Jhoanna’s predicament right now.”

“Kaya ‘wag mo sila madaliin.” Colet cautions.

Mikha searches Ballroom A for the two giant whirlwinds of slowly building tension in question. They already seem to have made themselves scarce, which at a party while the night is still young and pulsing with vibrant energy, is pretty telling.

“They already seemed to have sneaked away pretty quickly though.” Mikha states as she scans every corner of the room.

Colet also looks around. “Hanep.”

“Hayaan n’yo ‘yung dalawa. If it leads to heartbreak then so be it. ‘Di naman nun mabubura ‘yung love.” Maloi gazes back and forth between the two of them in less than subtle implication.

Mikha scoffs out a laugh, and Colet does the same. They exchange a look. It is a simple enough equation. Mikha can’t erase Colet from her already short list of one romantic relationship. What they had was precious, too, in its own way.

Gian approaches their table, whispering something to Maloi that has her nodding and giving Gian a thoughtful look as he backs away. He holds up three fingers, and taps to his wrist watch before finally running back to his spot with the band.

“Ano ‘yun?” Mikha asks, in full acceptance now that she is blindsided by everything in this reception. They’re sticking to the timetables, at least.

“Theme song.” Maloi stands up.

The music mellows down considerably, no more thumping bassline and electronic beats. Mikha looks towards Aiah’s direction, and sees Stacey in her spot instead. The switcheroo has her eyebrows rising and her head swinging. Aiah better not have been swayed by those hovering fools earlier.

A static sound from the microphone comes on the speakers before Maloi’s sweet voice echoes in Ballroom A. Mikha turns her attention to what might be announced.

“Good evening, sorry to interrupt your party mood. We only have an hour before the hotel staff will be kicking us out of here.” Maloi pauses when Jefferson visibly panics at the side. “Joke, walang ganun.” Maloi recovers quickly enough. “But because we care about you, we’ll mediate some sort of cool down. I’m Maloi, I’ll sing to answer the brides’ requested song tonight. No one minds a love song this evening, yes? We are in a wedding after all.”

The band starts playing.

Some of the evidently drunk guests take a seat. The waiters serve them water. Gwen and Sheena are in front of Maloi as she takes the stage.

“Maraming kantang ‘Ikaw At Ako’ ang title. It’s a versatile placeholder. When Gwen and Sheena mentioned that they don’t have a theme song, this is the first one that came to mind. My pick for the lovely couple. I can wish you both a love like those that people sing love songs about, but you already have it.”

‘Ikaw at Ako’ by Johnoy Danao is Maloi’s chosen song for the two.

Gwen and Sheena have obviously already accepted the amount of dancing they will be doing tonight by changing into more comfortable shoes, so they sway along to the soft chords and Maloi’s melodic voice. Some less tipsy friends join them.

[🎶Ikaw At Ako, pinagtagpo

 Nag-usap ang ating puso

Nagkasundong magsama habang buhay 🎶]

An open hand swings out from Mikha’s left, a held out invitation. Mikha looks up to see Aiah smiling at her.

“Pwede ba kita isayaw?” Aiah asks, and Mikha takes her hand, allowing her to be pulled into Aiah’s orbit.

Aiah pulls her close, their cheeks touching as they sway along to the music.

“What threat did you pull on Stacey para makipag palit siya sa’yo?” Mikha asks, wrapping her arm around Aiah’s waist, and if Gwen’s college friends see then it’s good they have eyes.

“I didn’t have to threaten her. She owes me a favor for taking the wedding DJ spot.”

“Don’t you owe her a favor then? Would we have met kung ‘di mo kinuha ‘yung trabaho?”

Aiah considers how to respond to that question seriously, their usually well-oiled banter given a lull. Maloi’s song cuts through the pause of their conversation.

[🎶Sana'y 'di magmaliw ang pagtingin

Kay daling sabihin, kay hirap gawin

Sa mundong walang katiyakan

Sabay natin gawing kahapon ang bukas🎶]

“I would hope so.” Aiah answers eventually, “Wasn’t it you who said that we always somehow find our way to each other?”

“Actually, feeling ko possible nga na nag-DJ ka in one or two events I’ve attended.”

“You’re a party girl, I see.”

“Well, with a DJ for a girlfriend, I feel like that's a basic requirement.”

The g word startles Aiah so much so that she backs away, checking Mikha’s face for any sense of doubt after the declaration.

“No?” Mikha tilts her head at the still confused look on Aiah’s face.

A stupid smile makes its way to Aiah’s face soon enough. “Yes to the girlfriend part. The partying bit we can open for discussion.”

“A DJ with an aversion to partying.” Mikha says playfully, “Surely that makes it harder for you to land jobs.”

Aiah rolls her eyes. “I like parties just fine. It’s you at the center of it that has me worried.”

Mikha frowns disbelievingly at that. “Why?”

“Mikha, you…. You must know the power you have over other people.” Aiah brings them cheek to cheek once again, a sudden vulnerable turn to their exchange that she can’t have herself looking at Mikha straight in the eye for.

Mikha chuckles out a hollow laugh, perfectly relating to Aiah’s own sentiment. Aiah herself must know the effect she has on other people, too.

“Good for you, I don’t care about other people.”

The song reaches its final verse. Aiah doesn’t say anything in response, so Mikha listens to the music, to Maloi’s voice that carries the emotions that could easily land the gut punch of possibly the most romantic woes put in melody and verses.

[🎶 'Di ko alam ang gagawin kung mawala ka

Buhay ko'y may kahulugan tuwing ako'y iyong hagkan

Umabot man sa'ting huling hantungan

Kapit-puso kitang hahayaan, ngayon at kailanman

Ikaw at ako 🎶]

“Do you think going back to Manila would change us?” Aiah asks once the song is finally over.

Mikha knows it will. Geography always plays a part. In anything. Civilization. Language. Society at large. Births, and deaths. Survival. Why and how do migratory birds know where to go? Geography dictates the way a person sees the world, and navigates it.

“Hopefully for the better,” is Mikha’s uncharacteristically optimistic answer.

Aiah reaches for her hand then, pulling her out of Ballroom A to go back to their room in a hurry. Mikha assumes Stacey owes Aiah a lot to cover for her until the very end of the reception, never mind that the band seems to take charge of the program while Maloi takes another song request from another wedding guest. Bless her sweet and kind heart.

Mikha and Aiah’s mouths connect before the door fully shuts closed.

“I miss you,” Aiah rasps out.

Geography changes them, the difference in Aiah’s voice behind closed doors should be enough proof.

“Nakakain ka naman nang maayos, no?”

Aiah whines, “Wala bang I miss you too diyan?”

Mikha grins, endeared. “First, tell me if you were fed well.”

“Oo, kulang na lang subuan ako nung waiter kapag busy pa ako at ‘di ko makuha ‘yung inaabot n’ya.”

“Aba, ‘di ‘yun kasama sa instructions ko.” Mikha squares up.

Aiah pulls her back in place, “Thank you for always looking out for me, pero ‘di mo talaga ako miss?”

“Of course, I miss you. I was bored out of my mind waiting for the party to end so your set could end.”

“You were with Colet.” Aiah pouts. Aiah is so cute.

Mikha corrects her instantly, “Colet and Maloi. We were talking about Jhoanna and Stacey.”

Aiah tsks. “Sus, ‘yung dalawang ‘yun. Kung alam mo lang.”

The thing is Mikha would like to know the rundown of what those two were up to, but Aiah also promised her a less than family friendly time together. So, it’s a no-brainer which Mikha prefers at this particular time.

“Tell me tomorrow.” Mikha starts unbuttoning.

“I forgot I’m dating Ms. Schedule and Timetables.” Aiah sounds amused.

And so? Mikha likes structure, and schedules, and fulfilled promises most of all. Has Aiah already forgotten her own words from just this morning?

Mikha’s hands stop in their downward trek. “Would that be a problem?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Good.” Mikha leans forward, “Kiss?”

“I thought binago na natin.”

“You’re right. Sorry, baby.”

They kiss. Fireworks color the night sky, red and green spilling into their room in the aftermath of its explosion. The wedding is finally officially over.

Chapter Text

In hindsight, Aiah didn’t stand a chance.

Not when Mikha is soft, warm, and sweet. Something she might vehemently deny. No, she is rigid structure, grace under pressure, precise moving parts that help move a bigger, more precise apparatus. When Aiah had asked Gwen what Mikha does for the family business, Gwen had no job title to give as a response, just a wildly gesticulating hand in the air as she had gone on to explain about internal logistics and merger deals. 

Aiah had understood that Mikha is a mouthpiece.

And well… Aiah knows firsthand how good Mikha is with her mouth. Not with negotiating. Mikha never negotiates with Aiah. She always concedes, says yes, not always immediately, but says yes mostly. Always well-meaning.

Aiah shakes her head, returning to the present and focusing on the woman in front of her. Soft, warm, and sweet. A dessert in human form. Mikha would detest that comparison not because it is untrue but because she would rather be known for order. Desserts could be child-like, and messy.

“What are you thinking about?” Mikha’s morning voice is raspier and deeper than usual, and well, Aiah is just a simple girl with simple likes.

“Ice cream.” Aiah answers as she watches Mikha reach around for her phone which is definitely still in the clutch she carried around yesterday.

“Isn’t it too early for ice cream?” Mikha hops off the bed, reaching for said clutch that had somehow landed on the floor.

“Not to eat.” Aiah explains, “Just as… a passing thought.”

Mikha frowns at that, unable to comprehend the idea. And then frowning at her phone screen once she unlocks it. Her mouth twists in contemplation before gazing down at Aiah still lying comfortably in their bed. 

“My scheduled Do Not Disturb ended. I’ll make a few phone calls to the office. Wait for me? Let’s have lunch together.”

Aiah nods, stretching her arms above her head as her eyes follow Mikha as she makes her way to the bathroom, belatedly realizing this is going to be their last full day in Bataraza, nevermind that it’s already noon. She glances towards the window. They had half the mind to draw the curtains close last night, so the room isn’t as bright as it would typically be.

Aiah puts on a light green sundress she packed and saved for this particular day—her paid rest day after working tirelessly for the wedding. It had been written in the job contract without needing to demand it. Aiah herself hadn’t thought about it. 

But she was more than pleased to accept the offer after having seen the words: paid rest day. At that time, it had just felt like an unexpected perk to the job. 

Eventually, of course, the unexpected perk ended up being Mikha herself.

Mikha comes out of the bathroom dressed very similarly to her, wearing a light green flowy dress in a different texture.

Mikha sucks in a breath, “I’m going to change.”

“You don’t wanna be twinning?” Aiah teases when Mikha looks annoyed by the unplanned matching situation.

“We’re girlfriends. Not twins.” Mikha announces before rummaging through her clothes. Aiah still can’t believe she’s somehow landed herself into the role. Girlfriend with a capital g. 

“Now that you have your notifications back, can you accept my IG follow request?” Aiah plops down on the bed face down, scooting closer to the edge to sneak a look at what Mikha is looking for while she’s bent down over her luggage on the floor.

Mikha glances up at her even as her hands are busy, seemingly already having a particular outfit in mind. “Check your phone. I confirmed it just now.”

Aiah goes to her instagram to check. An access to Mikha Lim’s private instagram account feels like an entry into her world in a way. Mikha is only following 294 people, and she even has less people following her. It makes sense though, given she only has 11 posts, and not one instagram story from the recently concluded wedding celebration. Definitely not one for quick life updates.

Mikha’s most recent post is that of a cat, playful music carefully chosen to accompany several photographs with the caption of only an emoji of a bed.

“You have a cat?” Aiah asks, looking up and seeing that Mikha has already changed into a navy blue loose top, and white shorts.

“Two cats. Haru and Nezu. My best friend Rajo is looking after them while I’m away.”

“Cute. Mukha ka ngang cat person.”

“My family has dogs, too. But I’ve been told my cats are just me split into my two distinct personalities.”

“Cute.” Aiah scrolls through Mikha’s tagged photos, showing even older posts from her university days. Aiah turns in place, lying on her back. “Aren’t cats agents of chaos though? You like order and peace.”

“Chaos isn’t unwelcome. Haru and Nezu love boxes, and paper bags. So, you know… containers. I’m not opposed to atypical methods of enjoyment if it is what sparks joy… for them.” Mikha takes Aiah’s phone away, standing over her.

“For your cats?” Aiah asks, despite being perfectly capable of reading between the lines.

“Yes.”

Mikha leans down. Aiah covers her mouth with her hands.

“I’ll brush my teeth.”

“I don’t mind.”

“I do.”

Mikha straightens up, and Aiah goes to the bathroom. Mikha hovers by the open door.

“We should also exchange phone numbers.” Mikha suggests.

Aiah, still brushing her teeth, holds a hand up. Wait.

Mikha doesn’t show any impatience on her person. She lingers and waits, just as she is told.

“Ano pa ba mga slam book questions? Let’s get that out of the way, too.” Aiah, teeth newly brushed and mouth freshly gargled with mouth wash, leans for a kiss.

Mikha smiles into their kiss. “May slam book pa ba?” 

“Bakit naman mawawala? I bet I can google one right now. Let’s make it an interview of sorts. Gawin natin while having lunch.”

Mikha brings their hands together. “Okay. Then let’s get you your ice cream after.”

A wide grin takes over Aiah’s face. “Dirty ice cream sa tinapay?”

“If that’s what you want.”

Mikha is sweet, soft and warm so Aiah doesn’t stand a chance. Not even for a second.

*

They find their way back to Julie’s Eatery, which apparently during day time is just a regular carinderia with an unused karaoke machine at a corner. The old lady (the store namesake?) behind the counter offering a wide variety of ulam welcomes them with a glint of familiarity and ever present hospitality.

Aiah gets sinigang (reliable, predictable, and carinderias rarely ever get sinigang wrong) and Mikha gets laing (her favorite). Aiah looks on with disgust as Mikha pays for their meal, asking for sabaw from the one in charge of payments when Aiah knows Mikha should have asked before they got to this point in the line.

Thank goodness the lunch hour is dying down, and the common customers of the establishment—the construction workers, and tricycle drivers are making their way out, leaving them with plenty of available tables to choose from. 

Somehow—or maybe intentionally on Mikha’s part—they take a seat at the exact spot from when they were last here during the eve of the wedding ceremony, when Aiah had been strung along to sing her heart out, and as a consequence to that when Mikha had admitted to being in love with her so casually that Aiah’s heart had stuttered in her chest.

Maybe they’re always meant to be easy. 

When Mikha places her phone face down on their table, its incessant vibration from the numerous notifications flooding her phone doesn’t exactly deter or distract from their ongoing slam book questions, but Mikha’s eyes flicker to it enough that Aiah knows it must be important.

“You can check your phone.” Aiah gives Mikha permission which Aiah doesn’t know how to interrogate in the realm of their relationship. That she gives Mikha permission, or even simply that Mikha needs it from her.

“5 minutes.” Mikha puts her utensils down, reaching for her phone and then eventually placing her hand on top of Aiah’s, like a reminder that she’s still with her even though work demands her presence, too.

Mikha struggles typing with one hand, but she doesn’t seem to want the convenience of using both hands over the alternative of letting go of Aiah.

Aiah learns a lot about Mikha purely from observation. Mikha seems to keep to herself, her slambook answers short and straight to the point, except for a few topics here and there (if it concerns her cats, and her favorite books like the nerd that she is). 

She’s someone people have to watch to understand. Aiah would put her under a magnifying glass if she can, so she can zoom in on all the little details of her person.

Aiah has long suspected that Mikha is younger than she is. Everyone around her is, so that comes as less of a shock. 

Enormous responsibility ages people in a different way though. Mikha with all the weight that falls on her shoulders might as well be older than Aiah considering the biggest challenge to Aiah’s job is if she should bring the house music to a stop so that the kids can take a bit of a breather during their night out.

Mikha puts her phone down, smiling at Aiah ruefully. “Sorry about that. Kinulang pa rin pala ako ng reminders.”

“Manila’s already asking for you back.” Aiah voices her concerns out loud, and even to her own ears, it sounds so fucking sad. God.

Mikha looks down, seemingly unable to face Aiah head on. Where’s Mikha the problem solver now that Aiah needs her?

“Why do you live in the atrocious Bonifacio Global City?”

Aiah laughs. Stacey definitely told her. “Dati marami akong gigs around that area. It was just convenient. If you want to know, I’m just waiting for my lease to end.”

“Move to QC.”

“And what? Live with you?”

“Yes.” Mikha answers easily once again.

“And what would I do? Be your housewife while you close deals with your family business?”

Mikha frowns. “No. Do your own thing. Just live under the same roof as me.”

“My parents are in Cebu. Will you make time to visit and introduce yourself?”

“I’ll even learn Bisaya.”

Aiah rolls her eyes. “Now that’s just you showing off.”

“What? You’ll learn mahjong, and I’ll learn Bisaya.”

“Do you even have the time to do that? Ang dami ko na nga agad kahati sa oras mo.”

“I’m not always this busy. May dimsum delivery situation lang. Ewan. Basta may sirang tulay, and the delivery trucks are stuck. Syempre ano naman magagawa ng ‘Perishable Goods: Do Not Delay’ na sign sa nasirang tulay. I do not have superpowers to have a magic fix for that level of cause of delay.”

“May hakaw ba kayo?” Aiah asks, relieved that it’s a unique enough situation and not a common occurrence.

“Lagi meron sa condo ko.”

“Oo na. Lilipat na ako sa QC.”

“Para sa hakaw?”

“Why not? Unless ‘di pala masarap hakaw n’yo?”

“Hoy! Masarap lahat ng products namin.” Mikha’s voice takes on a defensiveness. Over hakaw? Absolutely.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how you will be in the Manila air, Mikha Lim.” Aiah declares proudly, sipping the last of her sinigang.

“Manila pollution,” Mikha corrects.

“I look forward to that less.”

“Well, we have to go back. To the traffic, to the pollution, to our day jobs.”

“Or night jobs.” Aiah corrects this time.

“I’m a night owl, you know.”

“I could tell.” Aiah replies, after having the experience of rooming with her. “But I’d never ask you to stay up and wait for me.”

“Has it occurred to you that maybe I’ve been waiting for you all along?”

“Bolera ka rin, no?”

Internally, Aiah almost feels the words spill out of her without permission. I love you. It is just so easy. Here, in paradise, outside of their regular day-to-day, her traitorous mind supplies… and well, that’s the thing, maybe Aiah doesn’t mind it when it inevitably becomes difficult either.

I love you. I love you. I love you. She refuses to say again because the last time she did, Mikha had asked her to consider it more thoughtfully. Aiah has, is the other thing. But she wants to give it space to grow. Both the love and the trust Mikha entrusts in her.

But even though Mikha doesn’t say it, and Aiah predicts that might be a common occurrence—Mikha not saying it outright—everything she does is loving most of all, so what now? Aiah isn’t and won’t be blind to the affection and adoration wrapped in an undeniably and uniquely Mikha way.

“How did you know you were in love with Colet?” Aiah asks, a tricycle ride later, when they finally reach a tourist spot in Bataraza. A huge pineapple monument at the town’s center. She asks, not out of jealousy or anything, just mere curiosity.

Mikha inspects her face for any hint of anything that could lead them to an awful conclusion to this conversation and Aiah doesn’t mean to school her face into neutrality, she really is just curious—still, it must come off with a tinge of bitterness with the way Mikha chooses her words carefully.

“Because she wound me up quicker and tighter than anyone else. She was just as intense as I was. I never knew anyone like that. I figured I loved her because I thought I needed someone like that to balance me out.”

“Did she?” Aiah chances a glance at Mikha, previously only eyeing the green leaves of the pineapple monument sticking out from a distance. “Balance you out?”

“Yeah. Then like two spinning tops, there was spark when we collided, and then we wobbled before we ultimately toppled down. Game over.”

“It can’t entirely be that bad.”

“It can’t be a regretful thing that I was loved, or that I loved a lot.”

“I agree.”

“Ikaw ba? Hindi ba maganda experience mo with your first love?” Mikha sounds like she’s ready to fight whoever it was that gave Aiah a difficult time.

Laughter ripples out of her at that. At the image of Mikha fighting herself, or specifically what Aiah imagines is Mikha throwing punches towards her own reflection in a full body mirror.

“May assessment tool ka bang alam for that?”

“No.” Mikha exhales, “All first loves are hard. Across the board. Alam mo ba? First love ni Maloi si Colet. Sometimes I still think I was this huge roadblock to Maloi’s happiness.”

It’s not completely contradictory to her earlier statement. One can not regret a relationship and still find certain aspects of it regretful. 

“‘Di naman first love ni Jhoanna at Stacey ang isa’t isa, and it’s still difficult for them.” Aiah means to say love is difficult no matter what. That’s all the more why the ease in how the two of them started is unnerving.

Mikha takes it to mean something along the lines of: “Well, those two are purposefully being difficult. Iba ‘yun.”

“They defy definition, I think. They’ve been each other’s everything.” Aiah tries to list it down, “Enemies at first. Nung una, Stacey thought Jhoanna was pretentious, and akala ni Jhoanna mataray si Stacey.”

Mikha chuckles. “That tracks.”

“But somehow they still became friends.”

“Somehow.” Mikha repeats.

“And now they’re straddling the line to cross over the lovers category.”

“Straddling the line is crossing it.”

“Yun nga rin sabi ko.”

They stand in front of the huge pineapple monument with an ‘I love Bataraza’ sign at the bottom. Mikha asks a random passerby to take a photo of her and Aiah, handing them her phone as the two of them each stand on one side of the signage, eventually doing random poses at the person’s urging.

When Mikha gets her phone back, she swipes at the pictures and thanks the stranger.

The unmistakable bell of the ice cream vendor reaches their spot, and the sound has Mikha’s head swinging to find the source. 

“Ayan na ‘yung ice cream.” Mikha points to the direction of the approaching ice cream vendor.

Aiah takes Mikha’s hand, pulling her towards where the ice cream vendor has chosen to idle.

Children eventually circle the ice cream vendor after Aiah has gotten her keso ice cream in tinapay, while Mikha settles for a mix of mango and avocado ice cream in a cup.

Mikha stabs her ice cream with the flat wooden spatula when Aiah yelps as a streak of melted ice cream escapes her mouth, lining down her chin.

“Dungis naman,” Mikha laughs, offering the sleeve of her shirt up.

Aiah dabs at her mouth gently just to remove the stickiness, looking at the small part of the offered cotton sleeve if her mess had transferred so obviously on Mikha’s clothes. Thank goodness, it didn’t. Why hadn’t they asked for tissue? Why doesn’t Mikha have tissues now? She had so many of them prepared yesterday.

“Are you happy?” Mikha asks. A question usually posed to a child who has gotten what she sought out to have. 

“Absolutely,” Aiah answers, even though it seems obvious enough, smothering Mikha’s cheek with kisses, her ice cream further melting into the soggy bread now forgotten.

“I’m glad.”

Aiah is glad, too.

Later, they learn more about each other in more mundane ways. Their childhoods, their family, their friends. They ask each other random questions, like if they prefer washing the laundry or folding clothes (Laundry for Mikha, and folding for Aiah), or what their favorite colors are (red, predictably, for Mikha, and black for Aiah), or what the finished in school (Business Management for Mikha, and Tourism for Aiah which eventually got them talking about how exactly that led her to going into DJ-ing).

“Not everyone manages to go into what they planned doing,” Aiah goes on to say, her hands reaching for the brown paper bag of empanada they got from a bakery they happened to pass by heading back to the hotel.

Mikha’s already in front of her laptop. An item that Aiah hadn’t realized she brought along for the trip. She hasn’t seen it at all before this moment. It seems the delivery delay is on its last barely upright leg, and requires Mikha’s immediate attention.

Aiah goes to the bed, settling under the covers, holding an empanada with her mouth as she fluffs a second pillow on top of hers in order to sit comfortably, and then she feels around for her phone.

Mikha turns to her suddenly, apparently not yet finished with the topic. “But you do like DJ-ing, right?”

Aiah waits until she’s done chewing before answering. “Yeah. Mahirap lang i-explain sa mga kaibigan ng nanay ko kung bakit hindi ako naging flight attendant. At kung ano ba talaga ginagawa ng mga DJ.”

“You would have made a pretty good flight attendant, too.”

“Nasabi na rin sakin ‘yan ng Papa ko.”

“So, magkakasundo pala kami.”

Aiah hopes so, too.

Mikha stands up, sitting on the edge of the bed and wiping away the crumbs from Aiah’s mouth.

“I love you.” She says with a fond smile once her eyes have travelled across Aiah’s face.

“You sure you’re not rushing?” Aiah checks in with her after a strangled beat. There it is, the confirmation. Mikha loves her. Aiah can barely contain her joy.

“We are.” Mikha doesn’t deny it, “But maybe we’ll slow down in fast paced Metro Manila, who knows.”

“Paano ‘pag hindi?” Aiah poses a different outcome to their situation.

“Aiah, falling in love with you is only one speed setting after all.” Mikha echoes Aiah’s exact words back to her.

“How unoriginal, Ms. Lim.” Aiah says with a playful expression on her face, clearly enjoying the attention of her words being worth remembering.

“Allow me to borrow from the artistic half of this relationship, please.” Mikha leans down for a kiss.

Aiah pushes her forehead away, “Permission denied.”

Mikha looks like a puppy denied a walk to the park. She could be puppy-like, too, albeit unintentionally. Cat hardware in puppy software, a fox basically.

“I’ll allow it if the strategic half of this relationship will let me plan our first date back in Manila.”

Mikha visibly brightens, then raises a speculative eyebrow at her words, “Manila City ba? Like where? Binondo? How unoriginal, Ms. Arceta.”

“Sawa ka na ba sa Binondo?”

Mikha pauses, considering her answer deeply. “Maybe you’ll change Binondo for me, the same way Palawan will always be this special place for me because of you.”

Aiah likes that. Mikha never seems to intend to say the correct thing but somehow as her voice forms the words it envelops them in an atmosphere that leads Aiah to recognize it as the right response. Just somehow, as it lands in her heart, she already knows it to be true.

Palawan will always be special for them. The same way Mikha will be, even outside of Palawan.

“I love you,” Aiah says as a response, because what more is there to say?

Mikha leans in for a kiss, Aiah meets her halfway.

Aiah knows there’s still plenty more to say, to discuss, to consider but Aiah sees, too, the time they both can give their relationship. The chance, they’re both willing to take. It feels enough for now.

Mikha returns to her seat, and Aiah starts scrolling mindlessly on her phone until she finds herself watching Jhoanna’s viral TikTok of the wedding. She is loath to open any comment section on the app lately, but she’s curious enough this particular time that it overpowers any future irritation she might feel at reading the comments under it.

Aiah had been worried for nothing, all the comments are celebrating the ‘gay as fuck’ (the commenters’ words) wedding. She sees her and Mikha dancing at the corner in one of the clips, and delights once again at being immortalized in memory like this: joyously.

It’s a rare thing. 

Aiah glances at Mikha’s seated figure, catching her sighing deeply before going over her keyboard to type what sounds to be a long message, only the sound of the clickity clack of her keyboard filling their shared room. 

It’s a mundane moment. But, it is becoming exceedingly common though, to Aiah at least, the joy in tandem with anything related to one Mikhaela Lim.