Champorado

29

JIYA and Migo move in their place after the NMAT results. Nakapasa sila both ni Inggo.

They do it after manlibre nilang dalawang tutuloy sa med school sa mga kaibigan nila sa bar sa BGC. Van wants to take a rest year to travel before she starts working as a copy editor. Addie is working now as a news writer, Cas is starting as a chemical engineer in a research facility, si Anton ay clinical scientist sa hospital, tapos si Isco ay nasa childcare work.

Si Jiya naman, sa isang malaking publishing company siya nagwo-work as an editorial assistant. Not Theo & Brom.

Gusto muna niyang makita if she'd be okay working in a company na wala si Gelo para at ease si Migo.

And so far, okay naman.

"Migo!" she squeals, laughing when he picks her up bridal style, dropping the boxes in his hands, and crosses the threshold. He's grinning so wide, abot ang smile niya sa tenga niya. "Ang corny mo talaga."

"This is something husbands should do to their wives," he mutters, gripping her chin to kiss her.

Jiya's toes curl. Magt-three years na sila, ganito pa rin siya around Migo.

May housewarming party sila this Friday, but this is the first time Jiya sees the apartment in whole. Ayaw niya kasi makita nang wala si Migo, and it's big and expensive—flooring, tiles, wallpaper, lights, countertops. The kitchen is huge, and there's a fireplace sa may flat screen, and stairs that lead up to the three rooms.

He whistles lowly behind her, rubbing his hands up and down his arms. "Tito didn't hold back."

"Is it okay with you?" she asks worriedly, biting her lip. "We can change the furniture or anything you don't like—"

"I love it," he whispers, kissing her temple. "For a temporary thing, while I'm still in school. It's perfect."

He loves saying that this is temporary. Jiya doesn't forget it, either.

When they're secure, they'll buy their own place using their own money. Ayaw nila na mag-depend on Jiya's parents.

But for now, this is nice.

Migo dumps the last of his box in front of the sofa, alongside the other boxes, and dusts off his hands. He looks at Jiya. "Ano gusto mo unahin, christening or wine? You choose one, we'll do the other afterwards."

She laughs out loud. Her chest fills with unexplainable warmth seeing Migo standing on a floor that's theirs—well, binili 'to ng dad niya for her...but still, it's something that they share now. A space for them both to sleep, to eat, to relax.

She walks towards him and loops her arms around his neck. "Christening," she whispers.

Migo's eyes shine. "First floor muna."

Their giggles and moans and gasps, the whispers and screams of their names, the pained and sincere 'I love you', the clumsy footsteps across the flooring when Migo forces her to slow dance with him and his loud and off-tune singing of "Isayaw mo ako, sa gitna ng ulan, mahal ko...kapalit man nito'y buhay ko..."—they echo all around the house, loud and vibrating.

Migo's laugh is her favorite. She wants to fill the house with it.

*

The first morning on their bed, Jiya wakes up first.

She strokes Migo's face with her fingers—eyes, lashes, nose, cheeks, lips.

Every time she wakes up before him, she tries to memorize his face, etch it into memory, imagine what it'll look like when there's wrinkles all over smooth skin, when the black of his hair gets washed out with gray and the strands start to fall from its roots like apples on a tree—and he'll still smile at her like the same Migo, and he'll still have eyes that admire her like the same Migo. He'll still have lips that kiss her like the same Migo.