He’s wearing a black three-piece suit that clung to his body like second skin. His smile reached his eyes, the entire universe reflected in them. Those eyes spoke of promise and of hope, excitement and eagerness. They made his handsome features more handsome by the sheer happiness that emanated from them. His smile, oh his smile! Like the first time she saw him, it’s sweet and captivating. It spoke of anticipation, bliss, and hope. He’s the perfect groom.
All six feet of him stood at the end of the aisle, waiting. He’s happy, nervous, anxious and giddy all at the same time. His gaze fixed on the person walking towards him. He widened his smile. Tears formed at the corner of his eyes as the space between the two of them decreased.
As Serene looked at Bryan’s bright eyes, she cannot help but feel like she was stepping into one of her dreams many years ago. In her dream, he was waiting for her with a smile stamped upon his face. He looked at her adoringly as she took her time to walk down the aisle. Dressed in white and holding a tiny bouquet, she glided towards the altar, closing the gap between them inch by inch.
Today, he wore the same smile he had in her dreams. It was the smile that melts your heart, makes your knees weak, and makes your heart beat out of your chest. It’s the smile that assures you that from that day forward, nothing else mattered. Everything else is ephemeral and only you and him exist.
She first saw Bryan in one of the fashion events she hosted when she was in college. She would do such part-time jobs after joining and winning a local beauty pageant. He was one of the male models for the fashion event.
Half an hour before the actual show, the event organizers have asked everyone to gather in a small function hall for some last-minute reminders and adjustments. Like everyone else, she went to the function hall. As soon as she opened the door, the frigid air from the air conditioner embraced her. The knee-length red dress she wore did not help her at all. She let out a shiver as goosebumps formed on her exposed arms.
“You must be cold” the deep and warm voice of a young man welcomed her as he reached out to give her his jacket. She was a little surprised by the unexpected gesture, and his warm smile had drawn her to him. It was a toothy smile, almost like from a toothpaste commercial. However, unlike those advertisements, his smile reached the eyes giving off a warm and friendly vibe. It lit up his face and made everything around him fade in a blur.
For a moment, those bright eyes and red lips pulled her. She forgot feeling cold or the room full of people who were busy chatting with each other. Stunned, she just looked at him transfixed in the moment. He shook his hand that held the jacket in front of her, cutting off her thoughts. His friendly and somewhat mischievous smile on his lips.
“Thank you, I did not expect it to be this cold here.” Serene smiled shyly as she accepted his jacket. As soon as it enveloped her shoulders, she immediately felt warm. She smelled faint cologne from it. It smelled clean, refreshing, and masculine, but not overbearingly. The scent was subtle and did not assault the senses.
“I’m Bryan, by the way” he extended his right hand towards her.
“Serene,” she said simply as she took his extended hand and shook it.
And just like that, they went on their respective agenda for the night. He went to his fellow models while she took a quiet spot to sit. As they intently listened to the last-minute changes and reminders from the organizers, she cannot help but throw quick and clandestine glances in his direction.
He looked handsome, even in his profile. He had perfectly curated features — his prominent nose, thick brows, and red lips — they were like an artwork. The more she looked at him, the faster her heart beat.
He probably noticed her gaze because he also turned to look at her. When their eyes met, he smiled at her. Caught red-handed, her cheeks felt hot. She withdrew her gaze and did not look at him again, afraid that he might catch her ogling at him again.
Before being escorted to the stage by the event organizers, she walked up towards him and returned his jacket. She thanked him, then walked away to go about her hosting duties. The event formally began and ended without further interaction between them. She went home feeling tired from the event and a little downtrodden because she could not see him even at the after party.
As she was lying on her bed blankly staring at the ceiling, she cannot help but recall that barely a minute interaction between them. That seemingly negligible interaction became a permanent resident in her memory. She replayed it in her mind repeatedly. Despite feeling a little disappointed, she still slept with a smile on her face and dreamed the sweetest dream she ever had.
The following day was a Monday. Despite not having her usual eight-hour sleep, Serene got up from bed and prepared herself for school. Opting for her usual jeans and white-collared shirt, paired with clean white sneakers, she went on her way to the University. With her hair pulled up in a neat ponytail, and her face kept bare save for her lip balm, she looked energetic and younger than her actual age.Today, Serene felt it was sunnier than usual. Everything seemed bright. She did not complain when she got stuck in traffic on her way to the University. The crowded bus did not make her feel inconvenienced. She squeezed herself onto the tightly packed bus, feeling like a sardine. There was no available seat for her anymore. Left with no choice, she stood along the isle and crushed between other passengers.As soon as she entered the university’s gate, her best friend Mary excitedly hugged her. Mary is a dazzling ball of energy.“So, how was the fa
“Oh, he’s the one who lent you a jacket?” Mary meaningfully elbowed Serene, who cannot help but blush from the implication that she and Mary had been talking about him.Serene rolled her eyes at Mary. She also secretly pinched her to quiet her. She loved Mary, but at that moment she wanted to strangle her.He was a complete gentleman and did not bite Mary’s cue to tease her. They ate their lunch smoothly, which was unexpected. Serene thought that she would embarrass herself by being ditzy, however the three of them had an enjoyable lunch sharing food and stories. She le
While she felt relieved after she said it, she also wished for the earth to open and swallow her whole. As an introvert, she was not used to expressing her emotions openly, so much more to somebody she was crushing on.Ever the gentleman, Bryan did not tease her any further and just smoothly opened a new topic. They talked over the phone until close to midnight. Bryan had reluctantly ended the call and said that she should go to sleep since she had class the following day.How can she immediately go to sleep when she is on cloud nine? Serene relished all the events of that day that involved hi
They were happy in love. For as long as they were together, nothing seemed to matter. Serene held Bryan in her heart from the very first day she saw him and each day of the years they’ve been together. They met as youngsters in love and matured together as a couple. She loved him in all the ways she knew how. She supported him in his endeavors. Encouraged him when he felt weak, hugged him when he fell down, held his hands when he felt alone. From time to time she would write him prose, poems or letters, especially when she would coax him after they quarrel.Bryan’s voice cut off her walk back in memory lane. He spoke his vows. His deep, melodious voice reverberated throughout the whole chapel.
The minister’s voice resounded in her like thunder. It vibrated to her core, shaking her. Her shoulders shook as her quiet sobs stopped being quiet. She was catching her breath with every sob she made. The people in front of her looked back and threw glances in her direction. Some of them curious, some of them contemptuous, others irritated.“This is a wedding, not a funeral, why is she crying so much?” she heard from one guest.She just steeled herself, took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes with her hand. From out of the blue, somebody extended a white handkerchief
Bryan suddenly sat up and turned his head towards the door. His eyes wide with surprise as he looked at her. Slowly, he stood up and walked towards her. He stood in front of her. They looked at each other, not saying anything. Tears overflowed in one man's eyes, while the other had a pale face. He recovered first.“Serene…” He reached out to her shoulder and called her name. The sound of his voice was unfamiliar to her. Serene looked at him, then to the man in the room, who had his back against them and was putting on his jeans. Then she looked back to him. Words which used to come to her mind fluidly suddenly were elusive. She just looked back and forth to both men, disbelief written in her face. Silently, she praye
If there was any blessing she can consider in her life now, it was her new job. She poured all her energy in her job that she would go home completely exhausted and would immediately fall asleep as soon as her back touched the bed. Exhausted, she had no time to think about anything, much more to feel about anything. She switched phone numbers and did not let her friends know about what happened, not even Mary. The pain she has was too much. She did not want to interact with anybody. Disconnecting from everyone saved her from having to tell another soul what happened that day, something she did not have energy for. Her heart felt so much pain and recalling the events will just reopen her wounds.A new lease of life is what she wan
In the blink of an eye, two years had already passed. After starting as a staff in the Customer Experience Department, now she got promoted to a Manager. In those two years, she dedicated herself to her work. She made sure she learned what needed to be learned and to deliver more the expectations. In the brief span of time, she also earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues and superiors. Everyone felt happy about her promotion.After work, she and her colleagues went to a KTV bar to celebrate her promotion. Food and drinks poured out. Serene gamely sang a couple of songs and drank her fair share of the alcohol. She has forgotten the last time she had this much fun.