Prologue

***
POV: Maria Amor ‘Mia’ Salazar

I had been dreaming of my perfect wedding. I had already sketched out my glamorous dream wedding gown. I had already planned the theme, the motif, the invitations, and what the venue would be like.

I was so excited and happy, and I was planning to surprise my dearest best friend with it.

Surely, my baker friend would be as ecstatic as me.

I giggled at that thought as I looked at my phone to check if I had received any messages from her.

However, I received one from someone else instead.

Boyfriend – I read with a smile pasted on my lips.

My heart instantly fluttered as I opened it up to read the message, but my mind was drifting somewhere else.

Boyfriend?

My smile grew wider as I thought of that word – as if I had thought of some silly things inside my mind… I slightly shook my head.

~ Thank you for this day, Love. I’m so happy. I love you so much. ~

I bit my lower lip as I tried to swallow my excitement. I wanted to shout because of the anticipation and giddiness I was feeling right now. Then, I clicked the reply button and typed:

~ Me, too. Text me when you get home. Drive safely. I love you too. ~

I felt so thrilled. I felt like I was being transported back to my teenage years – talking about crushes and stuff like that. I still couldn’t believe that I was already getting…

“Whoa, look at that smile… should I wear some sunglasses, eh? God, those sparkles!” I heard a very familiar voice that made my smile grow wider – and pulled me back to reality.

I put my phone back inside my bag as my attention was focused on my best friend, who was grinning from ear to ear.

Sheena Alonzo, my best friend, instantly sat in front of me with a teasing smile – now, plastered on her lips.

I already knew that kind of look, and I couldn’t stop myself from slightly shaking my head.

Sheena was sometimes annoyingly playful, like she was doing now, but I loved this girl. She is my sister, not by blood, but by heart, and soul.

“So, what’s up? What is the news all about that you cannot wait ‘til tomorrow and you need to visit me here at my café?” She playfully teased me after asking her employee to get us some snacks.

Yes.

The cozy and sophisticated bakeshop and café were hers. She was truly a successful businesswoman and a baker.

I just gave her a wide smile, not thinking about what was going on inside Sheena’s little pretty head.

Well, I just wanted to test her temper. I chuckled mentally as I saw her left brow rose as she was waiting for my answer.

But I wasn’t taunted – even a bit – although she could be this intimidating. Instead, my smile just turned into a playful smirk – as I tried to annoy her more – which was certainly an effective one.

“Hey! Are we going to have a chit-chat or are we just going to look at each other ‘til dawn?” Sheena impatiently asked me.

I let out a hearty chuckle. I was undeniably right. I really knew my best friend – like the back of my hand.

Well, I could really be naughty sometimes for ruining her poise and dragging her patience down.

However, the truth behind my silence wasn’t just to annoy my best friend, but because I didn’t know how to tell her the good news. I didn’t know how to tell her that my plans and dreams about my wedding would finally be coming true. And that I would be spending the rest of my life with the kindest and most handsome guy I had ever met.

“Maria Amor Salazar, are you going to spill it, or will this end our friendship?” Sheena pretended to get mad at me, and I just knew that act of hers.

I bit her lower lip to stop myself from laughing hard again at her reaction when the waiter gave us our orders. Of course, our favorite blueberry cheesecake and chocolate java chip shake were served.

I acted like I was so indulged with the salivating snack in front of us – and that was half the truth, aside from, of course, annoying my best friend more.

It’s just once in a blue moon that I could have a chance to annoy her like this. It always goes the other way around anyway.

So, now, I must use this chance very well.

I mentally giggled at my own thoughts as I maintained a straight face.

“Let’s eat first.” I shrugged my shoulders and gave Sheena a small smile.

Sheena just raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms. I knew that kind of look – and it was telling me that I was hitting the end of her patience now and that I was already running out of luck. I needed to spill the news or else…

Well, I just giggled and raised my hand.

No words came out of my mouth.

Well, that’ll work because: first, I wasn’t much of a talker; second, I couldn’t find the right word to describe how I truly felt right now; and third, everything says it all already.

So there!

Just action and nothing else to explain.

I burst out laughing when I saw her epic reaction after seeing the simple diamond ring on my ring finger.

Sheena’s eyes bulged widely, and her mouth went ajar.

I wanted to take a picture of her and post it online, but I just knew how my sweet best friend could turn into a hideous monster if I did that, so I wouldn’t try my luck this time.

“Oh my gosh! Oh, my gosh! I-Is this… Is this for real? Or am I just seeing things? Oh, my gosh! Mia!” She frantically said while she fanned her face with her own hands.

I knew that she was also thrilled with the news.

We were both really ecstatic and hyperventilating!

“You’re getting married?!” Sheena shouted happily – stating the obvious.

I couldn’t even utter a word because of so much happiness, so I just nodded my head at her. We lost care of the other people who were still inside my best friend’s café. All that was in my mind was the feeling – the happiness that melted my heart at that very moment.

Finally, I would be tying up the knots with a man I dearly loved. And I was truly happy that I was able to share it with my best friend.

“Tell me everything.” Sheena smilingly stated – using her demanding voice.

I couldn’t deny the fact that Sheena was already too excited about how I was engaged now. I also couldn’t wait to share it with her – it was one of the happiest days of my life.

***
I firmly closed my eyes as I remembered those memories. I tightly held the bunch of white roses in my hands – ignoring the thorns that weren’t removed, causing my palms to get pricked by them.

A streak of blood flowed into my hand, but I didn’t care less as I bit her lower lip to stop it from quivering.

Because the pain in my wounded hands couldn’t ever be compared to the pain that I was feeling inside my heart right now. It was like being beaten but too exhausted – it was beating amidst its brokenness. It was deep… excruciating… almost unbearable… hanging in a thin line.

I gritted my teeth and opened my cobalt blue hooded eyes.

The glimmering sparkles that used to be glistening in it were already gone – and all that’s left is sorrow and grief reflecting deeply on my very soul.

How could this thing have happened to me?

Why would this happen to me?

When I decided to spend the rest of my life with someone I truly loved, and I had been hoping for – this happened?

Why would he have been taken away from me?

All of those thoughts kept on lingering inside my head… thug inside my heart. I couldn’t find the answer but was still hoping for one.

I took a harsh breath – trying to stifle the sobs that wanted to escape from my mouth. I clenched my jaw as I tried to calm my raging nerves.

I closed her eyes firmly – I bet it was already bloodshot red and swollen. It was also a bit painful now because of the unending tears I shed.

‘Why?’ I mentally thought.

And that instead of a wedding march, I heard an emotional instrumental song that I only heard when my parents left me all alone ten years ago.

I just felt the nostalgia all over again – like it was just yesterday that it all happened. And it was swallowing up every happy memory I had built up since then… slowly… painfully.

I felt my body weaken as I took a step – one after the other – in front of that huge rectangular wooden casket – which I still couldn’t believe that I was seeing in front of me.

The way the music intensified its pitch – it resonated in my head down to my heart.

The pitch escalated as it made my breathing hitch, followed by the lump in my throat, blurring my vision, and quivering my very soul.

Almost everyone felt the same way as me.

But no one could ever compare how I felt that day.

I felt my body tremble as I thought of the past few days.

His smiles, his laughter, his voice.

Him – just all of him.

And it was making my heart heavier and heavier with those steps I was taking towards that ground being shoveled with almost the same size as the casket.

It was breaking my heart; no, it’s more than that, and I didn’t know what the exact words were to even describe it.

It was making me feel so dizzy all of a sudden. It was like I just wanted to run away.

It was like I wanted to wake up – thinking that it was just a dream… no, a nightmare… That I wanted to just wake up, and everything about it was all untrue.

But I knew that it wasn’t the case.

I knew that this was reality – my reality.

My sad and torturous reality.

Instead of the bright pink motif, which I planned as a theme for that day, everyone was wearing a combination of white and black – a sign of mourning.

Instead of smiling from ear to ear… tears of joy… joyous laughter… to celebrate our wedding day, everyone’s eyes were full of tears… sorrowful tears.

Like what I was now – and I couldn’t even comprehend that I was already crying, silently and painfully.

Instead of spilling out my wedding vows… with warmth and joy… I was hardly telling the eulogy that I had never intended to say that soon.

Instead of throwing my bouquet of flowers at the bridesmaids that were so close to me, I was throwing it in the casket with my heart filled with pure anguish, as if I just wanted to be there, too.

And instead of the visitors giving us blessings and congratulations – it was all painful condolences that I had been hearing.

Because that day that was supposed to-be the happiest day of my life turned out to be the loneliest and most painful day that I could ever spend and think of… for the rest of my life.

Because that very day that was supposed-to-be my wedding day, became the day where I had to spend it in that place with my supposed-to-be groom’s name written in one of the cold marbled tombs… lying in that very solemn place… silently… peacefully.