ever since i met donna and started going out with her, things really brightened up for me. i was smiling more, and even with less hours of sleep because of going out with her before i head to work, i still have that extra adrenalin rush at the office. my agents and colleagues noticed that i have been upbeat lately and have also been noticing a change in my pace of work. though i don’t need to tell them why, they know that it’s someone special. if only they knew how much more it is.

the tagaytay trip nailed it. it was sheer happiness being with someone you know in your heart that that’s the person you have fallen for. it was no mistake–i really have fallen in love with this woman. my cousins welcomed her with open arms when i brought her at my place that night. she felt at home easily and had no problem mingling with my aunts and uncles. it came to me as a sign that she could be it. all the pieces are falling together at the right place. and we ended the night together by a passionate kiss which couldn’t mean anything less than a mutual attraction to one another. we continued to talk about the trip the following day and how we miss being with each other and looking forward to the next trip we’ll take. i was feeling on top of the world and for the first time in 9 years of being single, i could say that i was happy.

a few more days after the trip, we met again, this time i had to bring my sister to get a medical clearance from a doctor and she tagged along since she had a friend’s graduation party to go to. she opted not to go, if not for her friend’s persuasion for her to be there. so while waiting for my sister to finish, we drove around, went to another friend’s house and chatted away. as usual, when driving we still acted like we were in tagaytay. and after bringing her to the party, i offered to pick her up when she wanted to go home and that i could get out of work if needed. she obliged and after an hour in the office, she sent me a message that she wanted to go home. i made up an excuse that i had an emergency that i needed to leave the office and take the rest of the day off. my boss permitted me to go and i fetched her and took her home. i went home as well to take extra sleep.

the next night, we again went out, this time with three of her friends. as usual, we had a really good time joking around and laughing about anything and everything. i thought that she was going to ride with me as usual when i bring her home before i go to work but she opted to go with her friends. this kinda surprised me and since i really miss being with her alone, i felt down driving to work that night. when i arrived at work, i tried calling her multiple times and sending her messages, but she didn’t reply. now i was worried. before that, she told me that that was the last time she’ll ask me to go with her friends because i end up spending for them, which was naturally okay with me. she stopped communication that night, and i couldn’t get my head straight and work properly. it was a long night that would end up one of the worst nights at work i could ever have.

just as the shift was about to end, i received a call from a friend who i haven’t talked to in a while. sensing the need to pour out my frustrations and feelings, i asked him if we could meet for coffee that morning. he agreed and we met shortly after i got off work. i told him everything about her and how i really felt. he listened as i went through every little detail, nearly coming to tears about what transpired that night, thinking that i might be starting to lose her. he told me to tell her how i really felt to clear things out. i took his advice and drove home after spending a couple of hours with that friend of mine. when i got home, my sister told me that donna had already called once. my heart was pounding in anxiety when i heard the phone rang again…