"Love, I know that our real story was about to begin, being with you here was beyond my expectation. You are my best mate, my monkey hanging on the tree. I remember when I said yes to you when you ask me to be your girlfriend? That’s the best thing that I ever did but you did just bribe me with food” I chuckled when she say that, “What’s mine is yours but not my chicken skin”  we both laugh and everyone in the church. “I can’t wait to smile with you every day and I can’t wait to make you do our laundry and our dishes”  she laughs “God knows that I have endured enough so He gave me you so I can’t be alone anymore. They say that ‘till death do us part’ but for me maybe death can separate our physical presence but not our love. So love, you have me always as your partner, as your wife, and as your angel.”  I wipe my tears as she said that, then she look to my eyes—the most beautiful eyes that I’ve seen,

“I love you always” 

            she smiled at me and I smiled back. 

I sighed heavily, it’s my turn now.

“Love, you know my dreams right?”  she nodded in response “We achieved our dreams together you know that but now I achieved the best the dream that I could ever wish. I could gave up everything for you, sacrificing for you will always be worth it. Your happiness is what matter most, your laugh was the most beautiful music that I ever heard. So, I intend to make you happy from this day, I intend to hold your hand forever. I promise that I’ll be there in every moment of your life. You can claim everything from me even my chicken skin.”  We both chuckled. 

“And?”  she said intriguing tone 

“My ATM also” and every one of us laughed.

Then I look into her eyes “I love you”. Then we sealed our marriage together with our love with a kiss in front of our friends, relatives and the most, is in front of our Creator.

Being a married man was the toughest thing but seeing your wife happy can ease all of that hardship. It’s been more than a year since our wedding and I live the best days of my life there are days that we have an argument but I would never ever let us sleep without talking to each other. We agreed that not to have child for now, we need to be stable emotionally and monetarily first before the parent responsibilities.

I’m living the best days of my life with my wife but the day has come,

“You are needed to Australia, Khal”  my dad said.

“I’m not going” I firmly said

“But why!? The company needed you Khal”  my father begged

I love this company my parents worked hard for this and I can’t let this go in vane but,

“I cannot leave my wife”  I said and I don’t have a plan to 

“Then bring her with you”

I shook my head “She won’t come. Her life are here in the Philippines”

“Do something, Khal”  and then he left 

I was at the patio of our house when someone tapped my shoulders—my wife. 

“Somethings bothering you, what is it?”  she said  

I smile, she really does know me 

“Dad, wants me to go Australia, our company is in chaos right now and I was needed there.”

“Then go"  she said

“I can’t leave you here” 

“I’ll be okay, Khal”

“It will take years, Haile”

She smiled at me

“I can visit you there, if I have time” 

“We are just starting our marriage—"

“Our love was not shallow, Khal”  she cut me off  " I trust our love, I trust you. Distance is just distance. I know that you love that company, you treasured it, so as your wife I am supporting you.”

After our conversation, I decided to leave.

First year in long distance was bearable, we always called each other, video chatting and sometimes when she has a time she goes here for a week.

So, I convinced myself that it will be okay, that we will be okay not until the 2 year of long distance, we both became busy in our careers we called each other like we used but she doesn’t now have a time to go here and that where Stephanie go in. 

She entertains me when I feel bored, we always hang out after work time with our friends and sometimes I forgot that I have a wife.

After 3 years I decided to go home for at least 2 month, in that to months my wife and I spent our days with each other, I am happy to see her again but not as before.

When I got back at Australia, Stephanie and I makes our relationship clearer. I promised her that when I got back at the Philippines I’ll process our annulment. I cut off all of my communication in Philippines, I change my phone and ignored all of the messages from the Philippines, it’s like I started a new life here.

More than a year had passed my relationship with Stephanie were going smooth

“My deepest condolences” Stephanie said to Ariel’s mom, one of our friend here in Australia

“Condolence, Mam"  I said, then she smiled at me

“Take a seat, I’ll just get you a coffee”  Ariel’s mom said

“Condolence bro”  

He just smile

“How’s Tita coping up?”  Stephanie ask

“She said, she is okay”  Ariel said

“Is she not sad?” 

“I am not sad hija”  It’s Ariel’s mom 

She placed the coffees in the table and look at us with a smile.

“It may sound odd but I am not sad, my time with my husband are well spent. I have enough memories of my husband, those hardships and enjoyments I have with him. He spent his last moments with me and we exchanges ‘I love you’ before he take his last breath and that was enough for me to set him in peace. I let go of him with no regrets and what if’s”

And that moment after more than a year I remembered my wife,

Remembering all our hardship, the laughter together, all the moments with her are filling my minds her smile, her angelic voice, and every time that she sings for me it feels like angels singing for me , the hugs that feels like heaven I miss her.

I directly go in my office after I drop Stephanie home; after hour of working I drop my head to the desk to take a nap minutes had passed I heard someone’s knocking.

“Come in”  I said 

“It’s getting late, still working?”

I froze when I heard that familiar voice. I look at up and saw the beautiful face of my wife.

“H-Haile, w-what are you doing here?”

Her brows furrowed

“Am I not allowed?”  she ask with a sad tone

(Author's note it would be nice if you read the next page with "Can't help falling in love" song love u)

“It doesn’t matter now, are you busy? Can you accompany me? I want to stroll here in Australia”  she said in a joyful tone 

“S-sure” I said then she grab me outside

It’s already night so some shops are now closed, so we just went to the central park

“Woah, so beautiful” she looked amaze by the street lights around park. I chuckled because she looked like a child roaming around.

She pouted when she notice me chuckling

“Hmp, now I’m regretting why I didn’t go with you here” she suddenly said that made me stilled with that thought

What would we be now if she came with me? What would our lives be like now if I stayed with her and never left?

I just got back to my reverie when she squall. 

“Oh my gosh! It’s our wedding song” pertaining to the music that played in the park

I held her hand and place it to my neck then I encircled my arms around her waist and we start dancing slowly.

“Wise men say’s only fools rush in” she sing along “But I can’t help falling in love with you”

“Shall I stay? Wouldn’t be a sin?”  I sing along too “If I can’t help falling in love with you” 

Then I stared to her eyes “I miss you” I said, then she just smiled.

She was hopping like a kid when we take a stroll, she’s jumping like a kid then turned and when our eyes met she will smile. Then after a while she stop, then faced me and smile.

“I Love You Always”  then she patted my head. “Take care Chaila for me”

Brows furrowed, ‘who is Chaila?’

Before I could ask she walk at my back then I just followed her.

“Where are you going?” I said but she just walked away

“Haile!”  I shouted her name then she looked at me once again and wave her hand like goodbye.

Then I woke up, I was in my office. It’s just a dream.

I go straight in my unit and got a shower, my dream was still clear to me as if it really happened. When I couldn’t sleep I got up and get the box under my bed, all of my things concerned with my wife are here. 

My tears suddenly fell when I saw her picture, I really miss her; then I saw our wedding picture it was broken so I got it. . I bitterly smile when I saw it, the frame was broken. Lastly, I picked up my old phone and opened it, I widely smile when I saw who the wallpaper is the most angelic person I’ve ever met my wife.

As I opened it there are lot of messages that’s coming in, some are from my friends and family but most of it from her.

First, I opened the messages from my family concerning where I am, next I opened the messages from my friends some are curses and saying that they loathed me for what I’ve done with Haile

I hope ur happy bro, u better not regret that happiness.

It’s a message from my best friend then lastly I open her messages to me.

Are you okay?

Is there something wrong?

You’re not replying

All of them are asking what I am up to but my tears fell when I read her last message to me few months after her last message before this.

I love you always

My heart was hurting and my tears won’t stop, I miss my wife so much.

After weeks, I decided to go home. Stephanie reminded me the annulment before I left that made me felt annoyed for some reason.

“Finally! You are home after more than a year without contacting us!”  my mom scolded me when I got home

“I’m sorry, mom I won’t do that again” then I hug her.

She sighed sighed “Okay fine, I’m not mad anymore. Anyway, I’ll just asked some housemaid to clean your room because you got home unannounced.” 

“There’s no need for that, I just passed by, I’ll go home anyway”  I said

“Ahm, son. I think you still don’t know yet. Haile has not been at your house for several months.”  She said hesitantly 

I stilled, “what?”

“Several months ago someone noticed that Haile was not going home anymore, so it reported to me. I tried to tell you but you never contacted us.”

My heart was beating violently, “Where is my wife, mom?”  

She looked away, “I don’t know, son. I tried to find her but none, it was like she disappear just like that”

My knees suddenly weakened. I felt I was like a lost child. 

I immediately go to our house only to find out it was empty, like there’s no one been here in long time.

“I-I n-need to find her”  I said