#ILoveYou #YouLoveHer

#ItsGoodToBeBackNot

Tia

Just like old times...Nate following Mich around like a puppy, always offering to pay for meals, movies and whatever else she wanted at the moment, always giving her rides home. Always there for her. Even though she called him her wallet, behind his back.

"What is it like?" I asked Mich.

She looked up, waiting for me to continue.

"To live somewhere where no one knows you and you don't know anyone," I finished.

She thought for a while, and replied, "Kind of fun, actually." She paused and continued, "Sometimes kind of lonely. But then you learn to be by yourself, to depend only on yourself, and like you don't need anyone, and I don't know... It made me feel a little empowered."

I nodded.

"I felt that I lived in a bubble all my life. And my world was so small... so contained, and we were all expected to be a certain way, and only do things that we were supposed to... And moving away, felt like the bubble burst and I can do anything I want and be whoever I want to be," she explained.

Our parents, our friends they all expect of us... get a good education, find a stable job, be active in church, well-to-do husband, quit your job, be a loving housewife, be a caring mother... Rinse repeat.

Michelle

It's funny being back.

I'm not really sure if I'm happy or sad or angry about it.

I always thought that coming back would be more dramatic. Flashier.

But it wasn't.

I came back for work. Because my company is starting a company here, and I wanted to be part of it.

I kept hoping that things will still be the same. So it'll be just like old times. And it will be like I never left.Nate and Tia did make an effort to pretend that things are still the same.

Tia

There are times that I thought about leaving too. If Mich can do it, why can't I?

Oh, my parents. My dad's a pastor and my mom's a housewife. They worked hard to put me through school, and now that I'm working, I can't even dream about leaving them. I owe it to them.

I don't have the same luxury as Mich. She worked here for a whole year here when we graduated, and even though her salary was higher than average (mine included), she still got an allowance from her parents. And I don't think her parents will ever cut her off, even though she's technically an adult with the means to support herself. She's just biding her time until she takes over her family's company.

My family doesn't have a company that they want me to run. But they expect me to always be there, youth fellowships, bible studies, Sunday service, retreats, praise and worship band...

And they expect me to find someone who is devout, God-fearing and... studying to be a pastor.

I don't think I'm going anywhere.