It was Monday when you first met her.

It was at your favorite restaurant. You wanted to treat yourself for surviving the past hell week on university. You made a reservation at 7 pm but it seemed like the staff misunderstood. So, when you came, there was no vacant tables anymore and your reserved one was occupied by her.

You didn’t want to move to another place, for the desserts - also known as chocolates - there were to die for. You insisted to talk to the manager and she seemed nice. After talking to you, the manager approached her and came back. The manager asked if it was alright with you to share the table with her. At first, you were skeptical about it. You didn’t really like being around with strangers, more so sharing a table with one, in a restaurant where you swore you would eat to your heart’s content and not care about looking like someone who hadn’t eaten for the past ten years.

But the chocolates... were calling you to consume them, to devour them.

So, you looked at the reserved table and there, you saw her for the first time. You saw the most captivating face you’d ever imagined, the most astonishing emerald orbs, the silkiest locks, the softest-looking lips. She was there. She was there, sitting, eating, and enjoying the time with herself. Such a pretty woman.

But no, there was no slow-mo moment. The world didn’t stop. The background never vanished.

Instead, everything went fast-forward. Time seemed to rapidly pass by and the world blurred. Then you saw yourself, with her. You saw your future with her - marriage, family, adulthood.

Then you snapped back when you realized you were staring hard at her and she noticed. She just gave you a small, yet sweet, smile.

And there went your heart, melted with a single simple gesture.

Your face turned beet red and you turned back to the manager. You said you were fine with sharing the table.

The manager led you to the table and once again apologized for the inconvenience before leaving. Was this really an inconvenience for you though? You just got the opportunity to share a table with the most alluring woman you’d ever seen. This was absolutely far from being an inconvenience.

You ordered and ate your food in silence. She too was quietly enjoying her food. It was awkward after all - two complete strangers sharing a table and minding their own businesses. Until you heard her giggle when she noticed that you were staring at her dumbly. God was that giggle adorable! But your melting parfait wasn’t, and your hands were being covered by it! You flushed red as you put your spoon down and started fixing the mess. She insisted to help you with it.

After that, she started talking with you about the most random things. Time passed by and you inevitably parted ways.

You went home with a big dumb smile on your lips. She was fun to converse with. Even though you were always uneasy around strangers, she was different. You could listen to her voice all day and you wouldn’t get tired of it. She was like a goddess that came down on earth and her laughter was music to your ears. She was just so beautiful.

As you close your eyes to sleep, you suddenly remembered something important.

You forgot to ask her name.

You didn’t even give yours too.

You were so enjoying her company that you forgot the most essential thing. You scolded yourself for being so stupid.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. You doubted you’d ever see her again. Just meeting her once already took your lifetime supply of luck.

You grumbled and went to sleep. Who knew, maybe you’d see her again in your dreams?

It was Tuesday when you saw her for the second time.

There was this limited edition chocolate that you absolutely wanted to taste. You were at the supermarket and your eyes lit up when you saw that there are two more remaining bar of chocolates on the shelf.

As you approached it though, some kid took one and walked off. You dashed to the remaining piece with all your might, praying that you could get it.

And you did.

But it seemed like you were not the only one. You noticed that there was one more hand holding the bar and it wasn’t yours. You traced your sight from the hand up to the owner of it. Your eyes widened when you saw the one who was occupying your mind since the moment you first met.

It was her.

Your world seemed to stop, and you were drawn deep inside her orbs.

You snapped out of your trance when you heard that rhythmic laugh that you’d grown to love already.

She was laughing at how stupid you looked again. Your face heated up and you wished that the ground would just eat you up then and there.

You muttered an apology, but she told you it was okay. She said she was enjoying the sight of your cute face.

Once again, you were left speechless.

Did she just say you were cute?

Coming from a lady as beautiful as a goddess, now you’re even more embarrassed.

She noticed your silence and asked if you were fine. You told her you were, and both of your eyes landed on the chocolate bar that you were still holding.

Wanting to impress and be kind to her, you resisted the urge to take it and told her she could have it.

But she saw through the desire in your eyes and insisted that you should have it. She said she just wanted to try the new flavor, but you looked like you really wanted to eat it.

For the nth time, you blushed hard. Just how embarrassing would this day be?

But you guessed it’s fine as long as you could talk to her.

You still insisted though, that she should take it. God were you stubborn.

Then an idea seemed to come into her mind as she turned to you with a grin.

She suggested that you two should share it just like how you did with the table when you first met.

Not wanting to let this opportunity slip by, you hesitantly agreed but with the condition that you would be the one to pay for it.

And so, you shared the chocolate bar. She even teased you by attempting to feed it to you by mouth. You nearly died. Your heart did though. She was just so cute. The look on her face when she tasted the chocolate said happiness. But yours screamed bliss.

After finishing the chocolate, you learned that she would be going to the local library to do some research. Another opportunity to grab presented itself. You volunteered to accompany her there since you knew the librarian and they could help you. She didn’t see any reason why not, so she accepted.

As boring as libraries could be, this one time was different. You enjoyed the comfortable silence that was enveloping you while watching her read and write intently. She was focused on her work that you found it endearing.

After, you suggested that you would walk her to the train station since the way there was yours to take also. She didn’t mind and let you lead the way. You talked nonstop while walking until you had to part ways. You agreed to meet at the library again. She thanked and smiled at you before going inside the train. She waved her hand before the train took off.

You went home yourself but couldn’t take away the feeling that you were forgetting something. You shrugged it off, thinking about how great your day had been and how much fun you had.

It was Wednesday when she confessed her love to you.

You were once again at the library, helping her on her research. You sat across her, reading some book about her topic - human behavior. The place was relatively quiet. The only thing you could hear was the scratching of her pen on the paper.

The sound stopped, and you looked up to her. She just smiled and gave her paper to you. You thought it was for you to check the contents of her study but when you read the title, your eyebrows raised.

Three Words for You, it said.

The piece looked like a poem. You turned back to her and gave her a questioning look. She just nodded, cuing you to continue reading.

Meeting you was chance

But I knew it in a glance

A part of my life, you would be

And together we’d be happy

Every moment we spend

I wish would never end

From dawn to noon

Until we see the moon

You bring joy to my life

Your smile is like a knife

That pierces through my heart

That’s why I fell hard

You are like a walking sunshine

I wish our hearts would intertwine

So I hope my message gets through

Three words, I love you

You didn’t know when or why your tears started to fall but it did. Maybe since the first stanza, maybe on the last line, maybe because you were surprised, maybe because you couldn’t believe it, or maybe all of those at the same time. You didn’t know. All you knew was that this was all you wanted. She was what you wanted.

You clutched the paper and its sides crumpled. You looked at her. You were in a loss for words. The beauty that once clouded your dreams was expressing her love to you.

Overwhelmed, you didn’t know what to say. You were absolutely speechless. Your mind was blank, but full and chaotic at the same time.

You didn’t know what to do. Your anxiety was kicking in. You were panicking.

You ran away.

It was Thursday when you told her you loved her too.

You were sitting on your now usual place in the library. It was still so early in the morning, two hours before you would meet her.

You weren’t sure if you’d really meet her though. Not after what happened the last time you met. You still couldn’t believe on how dumb you acted then. Like, seriously? The goddess of your dreams confessed her love to you and you ran away? You ran away? Stupid.

You wondered if she’d show up. Well, you had agreed to meet today too, but that was before you ran away from your feelings.

You slumped your face on the table, sighing exasperatedly. The librarian, slash your friend, shushed you and now you’re even more annoyed. You mumbled an apology and went back into your own world.

You thought back to her love confession. You asked yourself if you should accept it. Sure, you enjoyed her company so much and you found her so beautiful and endearing. She was fun to converse with, and you felt like there’s a mutual understanding between you two. But then, you weren’t really sure of what you feel. You didn’t really understand romantic love, for you had no experience in it. You weren’t sure if you could handle this kind of relationship. But then again, you thought, you wouldn’t know for sure if you wouldn’t try. Also, you two could explore this kind of matter together as a couple. You would be together in every step of the way. You would know each other better and you would grow to love the other so much more. Accepting her confession would be the first step to your everlasting relationship and happiness. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance and you would not be stupid enough to let it slip by.

Now that you had your resolve, you realized it was still so early. Your mind would short-circuit by overthinking if she’d show up. Two hours was too long.

To pass time and prevent yourself from thinking too much, you decided to read some books that would help her in her research. As someone who was not a Psychology major, you learned a lot of new things and was even amazed at some of them.

Almost two hours passed and there was still no one in the library aside from the librarian and yourself. Your anxieties were once again kicking in and you were starting to feel awful.

Ten minutes passed by and it was already your meeting time. She was still not there.

Twenty minutes after your meeting time, you’re still alone.

Thirty minutes, there’s already a pile of books on your table. You had read almost all of the books about her topic.

Forty, your head was feeling heavy and you were feeling like crying.

One hour had passed since your agreed time. She still hadn’t shown up. You slumped back on the table. Maybe she wouldn’t come after all. Maybe she already hated you for running away just like that. Maybe you already lost the chance of being happy with her.

But that tiny little voice of hope in your mind was telling you to keep still and wait. Thirty more minutes of waiting wouldn’t hurt, right? You didn’t have anything to do all day after all. You canceled all your appointments, just so you could meet her.

So after twenty more minutes, you heard the door open and there she was, breathing heavily. You stood up and she approached you. She was apologizing but you stopped her and told her to sit and catch her breath first.

When she relaxed, she explained why she was late. She slept and woke up late, thinking about you and her confession. She was flustered and so were you. You mustered your courage and told her how you felt too. You told her you were sorry for running away like that. You explained why, and she understood. You told her you loved her very much. You told her how she’d been the only one in your mind ever since you met. You told her how happy she made you and that it would be wonderful if you could spend your life with her. Her face lit up and she was so happy to hear that because she thought she made things awkward between the two of you. She thought that was an act of rejection. So when you told her what you felt, she immediately stood up and embraced you. You returned the embrace and relished the warm and joyful feeling that resonated between the two of you.

Friday was a day full of love.

Once again, the two of you met, not in the library to study, but in a park where you would spend your date. You spent the afternoon playing with children. The twinkle in her eyes while innocently playing with them made your heart flutter. It was like the both of you were kids again, not minding the negativities in the world, the responsibilities of being adults. You didn’t even mind that you two were not alone on your date. You were just there, enjoying the time with the one that you loved.

After that, she insisted that you should pray together at the local shrine where she sometimes helped. You agreed. You prayed for everlasting happiness with her. You prayed for courage to face every obstacle that you would be facing. You prayed for her. You thanked the gods for giving you the opportunity to be with and be loved by a wonderful woman like her.

Then you decided to walk around the park, savoring the fresh air that the trees gave. The breeze was engulfing the both of you, kissing your skins. You held her hand ever so gently, feeling the warmth that you shared, not wanting to let go. It seemed like too good to be true, you felt somewhat anxious. She squeezed, seeming to assure you that she’s there, with you, seeing and experiencing the same scenery that laid in front of you. The sun was slowly setting into the horizon. Beautiful hues were presenting themselves. You thought you were so lucky to witness this breathtaking scenery with the love of your life.

The day was so fulfilling and refreshing. Your fears all vanished when she assured you that she’s there and that your love was true. It may seem like too good, too blissful, to be true, but yes, it was all real. She was real. You were real, and you two being a together was real. You couldn’t ask for more. You were having the best time of your life. You thought nothing could break you and pull you apart from each other. You felt complete. You found comfort in her for you knew she appreciated you so much. She was so affectionate towards you. She was so honest and understanding about your flaws that she noticed. You trusted her with your life and you knew she trusted you too. Appreciation, honesty, understanding, trust - all the things that no one bothered to give you, even your family. You felt like you could be your true self whenever you were with her. You were committed to her, but you were free.

This was the music of love, and your hearts were singing in harmony.

It was Saturday when a misunderstanding arose.

You were with her, in your house. You planned to introduce her to your family, especially to your little sister. She was so looking forward to meeting them that she skipped school. At first, you were against it since she didn’t have to sacrifice a day’s worth of studying just to see your family. But then, your family was rarely complete at home, and this was one of those rare times. She said she didn’t really mind skipping school that day. So after a while of insistence, you finally gave in and agreed on what she wanted.

You met with her in the library and from there you walked to your house. You were tense, you were nervous. What if your family disapproved her? What if she’s not comfortable with them?

On your way there, someone sent a text message to her. It seemed like her classmate. As the respectful partner that you were, you didn’t pry on what was in it. She didn’t tell you either and just gave you a smile, so you figured maybe it wasn’t that important.

You arrived at your house and noticed that the door was locked. It was unusual, why would they lock the door in broad daylight and they’re inside?

You opened the door with your key and saw that the lights were all off. You found it strange. They assured you they would be here to meet her. They said they didn’t have anything scheduled for today.

You called out, but no one answered.

You turned the lights on and told her to sit on the couch in the living room while you’re searching for them. She did as told and waited for you patiently.

As you arrived in the kitchen, you noticed that there’s a sticky note on the refrigerator’s door. You approached it and read what’s written.

It was from your sister. She said your parents got a call for an emergency meeting just after you left. They didn’t have a choice, so they immediately went to their office. She also stated that she suddenly got a call from a classmate saying they needed to revise something on their research paper, so she had to leave too. Although, she assured you that they should be back around dinner time. Your sister apologized for breaking her promise to you that she’d meet the girl that you loved.

At that moment, you wished that the ground would just swallow you up. You felt like tearing up, from shame, from anger. You didn’t know if being angry towards your family was right. It wasn’t your parents’ fault that there’s an emergency meeting. It wasn’t your sister’s fault that they needed to revise their thesis. It wasn’t their fault that they had to go. Nevertheless, it didn’t erase the fact that they promised you and they just broke it.

What would she say if she found out that she came there for nothing after she sacrificed a day from school? What if she thought you were just making an excuse to be alone with her and do indecent things to her?

There were tears already forming in your eyes. You stayed still, unable to move, not knowing what to do.

She noticed that you were taking so long and called out to you. Her voice took you out of your trance and you returned to the living room. You were still silent. You didn’t know how to say it. You felt so guilty. She asked you what’s wrong.

You breathed deeply. In. Out. In. Out.

You told her the truth; the truth that despite promising you that they’d be home to meet her, they still went out. You looked at the ground and apologized over and over. You didn’t want to see the disappointment on her face.

A moment passed and the both of you were still silent.

You hesitantly looked up, bracing yourself for a well-deserved slap.

But no slap came.

Instead, she just sat back on the couch. You looked at her questioningly. She just shrugged, saying it couldn’t be helped. She already missed her class, so she might as well stay there with you. She could just stay there while waiting for your family to come home and meet her. You didn’t know if you should be relieved that she wasn’t angry or be worried that she said it so expressionlessly. For the nth time that day, you inhaled and exhaled deeply.

You resisted the urge to ask her again if it’s really alright with her. As the anxious banana of a person you were, you wanted to be reassured that everything’s okay, but you really didn’t want to bother her more. So you just sat beside her in silence.

You spent the day together. She prepared lunch for the both of you. You engaged in a movie marathon with her in your room.

It was fun for you, but you didn’t know if it was for her. She said she was happy to be with you the whole day, but you still couldn’t help but worry about the school day that she missed. She told you her exams were coming up, so you thought lazing around with you shouldn’t be on her to-do list.

Nevertheless, you genuinely enjoyed her company and wished that this wouldn’t end.

It had to, though.

Evening came, and it was almost time for dinner. Your parents and sister still weren’t back home, and it was making you worry.

You looked at her, as if asking if she’s still alright and not mad at you. She just showed you that practiced smile of hers. You felt like your stomach just turned upside down. You didn’t know what was up. She’s showing you that kindness of hers and you should be relieved from that right? Then why did it feel like the more she smiled at you, the more the uneasiness in your heart grew?

Once again, you apologized to her. She told you it’s fine. She said you couldn’t really do anything about it so it’s alright.

You sighed - an attempt to calm yourself down.

It was starting to get late, so you decided to prepare and eat dinner without your family.

The dinner was nice. The two of you talked about all sorts of things and you enjoyed every minute of it.

It was after washing the dishes when you received a text message from your sister.

She told you that she wouldn’t be able to come home that night, as well as your parents. The deadline of their paper was moved to the day after, so they had to pull an all-nighter to finish everything. As for your parents, they would be visiting some relatives from abroad who came home that day. She apologized once more and hoped that you and your love would forgive her.

That was it.

A single tear dropped from your eye as you thought that maybe she would leave you after this.

Your heart was thumping heavily as you approached her. When you did, you told her the news and asked for apology for the nth time.

Again, she told you it was fine. She understood everything, and you were not the one at fault. She also suggested that she’d stay the night, so you’d have someone with you. She knew your fear of the dark and said that she couldn’t leave her love alone.

You were so happy that you embraced her. You thanked her so much for understanding you.

It was already late in the evening when you decided to call it a day and rest. For some reasons, you felt nervous when she jumped into your bed. The thought of sharing a bed with her freaked you out. She seemed to notice your uneasiness and told you it wasn’t really weird for partners to share the same bed. It was only normal, she said.

And so, with a little hesitance, you tucked yourself in your bed with her.

The two of you were under thick blankets. She wrapped an arm around your waist and settled her head on your chest. You put an arm under her head for support as you held her too. You said your good nights and you closed your eyes. You were still feeling nervous and prayed that she wouldn’t notice your thumping heart.

The thumping of your heart got harder and faster when she suddenly gave your body a squeeze. Her, moving her head closer to your neck, totally didn’t help the situation.

You gulped, and you could now feel the warmth of her breath near your ear.

You froze when you heard her call your name softly.

Suddenly, you could feel a hand creeping up to your body, finding its way inside your shirt.

You once again felt her breath on your neck.

Your face heated up and you couldn’t take it anymore.

You took her hand away and stood up.

She sat up and looked at you in disbelief and annoyance. You apologized to her, but she suddenly snapped at you. She asked you why you couldn’t at least let her do what she wanted with you after all that happened earlier with your family not showing up.

You didn’t know what to do and you teared up.

She suddenly calmed down and told you that you both should just sleep. You apologized again and went back on the bed beside her. This time, however, there was that awkward space between the two of you and you faced opposite sides.

You silently wished her a good night, but it went unanswered as she drifted off to sleep.

You were worried, you were silently crying. What should you do?

Many thoughts clouded your mind and you soon fell asleep.

And when Sunday came, she left you.

You woke up with an empty space beside you. She was nowhere in sight. You looked around your house, but you didn’t find her. There were no traces of her nor her things. There wasn’t even a note from her.

That was it.

You were once again alone with no one to lean unto. With no one to be there for you. No one to appreciate you. No one to listen to you. No one to understand you. No one to trust you. No one to love you. No one. No one. No one.

Different feelings and emotions clashed inside you.

Loneliness.

Sadness.

Sorrow.

Misery.

Despair.

That was how life had always been, wasn't it?

As fast as she came into your life, as fast as she left.

You slept with her by your side, but she’s gone the moment you woke up.