Sa ikatlong taon namin sa college, naging mas naging busy kami pareho. I became active sa debate club ng department ko, Rylie then became the team captain of the school's basketball team.
Xandro was one of the choices, pero mas grabe kasi si Ry magpursige. Honestly, without my relationship with my boyfriend, if I were to choose, baka gaya ng coach nila mahirapan ako. Rylie's good but so is Xandro.
Ang sabi pa nga si Troy din, he's okay, too. Pero mas magaling 'yong mag pinsan na kumag.
"Tired?" smiling purely, that's how he welcomed me, gulat nga akong naabutan ko siya sa condo ko. He's wearing my apron, nagluluto.
Haltingly, I walked to him. Hugged him, burying my face on his chest. Home.
"Yeah," it was not even audible. Ang hina nang pagkasabi ko. Ramdam ko ang paghalik niya sa tuktok ng ulo ko.
"Kawawa naman 'yong baby," biro niya. I looked up, pouted my lips, his smile grew wider.
"Kiss," I pouted my lips more. He granted me with shallow kisses. I was smiling, though tired, it felt lighter at some point.
Umikot ako, naupo sa bar stool. For our dinner, he cooked tinola. My stomach growled when I smelled it.
"How's your day?" tanong ko habang nakatitig sa kanya.
"Okay naman, wala kaming practice, so I thought a home-cooked dinner for my lovely girlfriend would at least compensate for me for being an absentee dinnermate?"
I smirked, hiding my grin. But it hurriedly exploded, a smile plastered on my face.
"Hindi naman ako nagtatampo," ngumuso ako.
He arched his brow. "Talaga? Kasi ako nagtatampo akong hindi mo na ata ako hinahanap, tulog ka na bago ako makauwi sa iyo..."
"Hmm, lately ang antukin ko nga," sabi ko. "Well, the debate club was kinda stressful..."
"Nag-eenjoy ka ba?"
I shrugged. "I should, right? But I don't know, lately, it feels too much..."
Halos hindi ko namalayan na nakapagluto na siya, nasa harapan ko na ang mga niluto niya. He even made a mango float dessert.
"You can quit if it's too much to handle," he said. "Pero okay sana 'yan, babe. I mean sa law school, sanay ka na n'yan. But if it is draining your energy already, pause for a while. Think. Think of now, and in the long run..."
"Pag-isipan ko pa," sabi ko. "Ikaw? Kaya mo pa ba? Full-load ka, may practice ka pa. Dapat nga hindi ka na nagluto, hinintay mo na lang ako, or we could have just ordered."
He rubbed my back, smiling faintly. "Okay pa naman. Kaya pa. Kinakaya."
"Okay," simple lang ang pagtango ko. "Kain na tayo..."
Sa exam week, doon ko siya halos nakakasama sa condo ko. Minsan mas gusto ko na 'yon, I support him fully with his baskeball career, pero minsan gusto ko din na nasa tabi ko siya.
Sometimes, I want to selfishly hide him, isang text ko lang naman madalas darating siya, may iutos ako gagawin niya, but moments like this.
I missed this, staring at him. Watching him study. Namiss kong titigan siyang seryoso siya, and even the idle times, 'yong tapos na 'yong gagawin niya at siya naman 'tong nakatunganga at tinitigan ako.
