The soft hum of the rain against the window was the only sound that filled the small, dimly lit restaurant. Aiah Arceta sat at the corner booth, her eyes absentmindedly tracing the rim of her coffee cup as she gazed out the window. The warm golden glow of the lights from the street outside filtered in, casting a quiet, almost melancholic aura to the room. The restaurant was cozy, not the fancy kind with expensive chandeliers, but the type where every corner was filled with memories. She hadn’t been back here in years, but tonight, she felt the pull of nostalgia.
She smiled softly as the familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. It was the same place she and Maloi had shared countless quiet nights, lost in conversation, laughing about little things that felt bigger than they really were. It was the place where they had their first kiss, hesitant and sweet, underneath the soft glow of candlelight. The place where, for a short while, it felt like the world stood still and it was just the two of them.
But things changed. Life happened. They drifted apart.
The ache in Aiah’s chest wasn’t something she could shake off. Even after all the time that had passed, even after all the spaces that had formed between them, she still found herself coming back here. The restaurant was a symbol, a reminder of what had been—of what could have been.
Aiah took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of thoughts swirling in her mind. She wasn’t sure why she still came. It had been over a year since Maloi and she had last spoken, but here she was, still hoping, still stuck in that moment when everything had felt right.
“Miss, would you like to order something else?” The waiter’s voice pulled Aiah from her reverie, and she blinked, realizing that she had been staring at the window for far too long.
“Ah, no, thank you,” she said, offering a small smile. The waiter nodded politely before walking away, and Aiah turned her attention back to the empty chair across from her. It had been her seat. It had always been hers.
The thought made her chuckle bitterly. It was silly to hold onto a seat, to hold onto a place that was no longer hers. But that’s what she did. She held on. To the memories. To the love she thought would never fade.
She sighed softly, her fingers lightly tapping against her coffee cup, when the door of the restaurant jingled open.
Aiah didn’t even look up. The sound of footsteps, slow and hesitant, filled the air, but it wasn’t until the familiar voice reached her ears that her heart stopped.
“Aiah,” the voice called softly, like a question, like an invitation to look up.
Aiah’s breath caught in her throat, her head jerking up almost instinctively. And there she was.
Maloi Ricalde.
She stood at the entrance, the soft glow of the lights surrounding her like a halo. The years had changed her, but not in the way Aiah had imagined. Her hair was longer, darker, and her expression more serious, but the familiar warmth in her eyes—the same warmth Aiah had fallen for all those years ago—was still there.
Aiah’s heart beat louder in her chest. Her mouth went dry. For a second, she thought she might be dreaming.
“Maloi…” Aiah whispered her name, almost as if she couldn’t believe it. “Is that really you?”
Maloi’s smile was tentative, almost shy, and her hands fidgeted with the strap of her bag. “I—yeah,” she started, then paused, her gaze flickering to the empty seat across from Aiah. “Can I sit?”
Aiah’s breath caught in her throat, but she nodded quickly, unable to form the words she wanted to say. She shifted aside in the booth, her heart racing. “Of course.”
Maloi slid into the seat across from her, their eyes locking for a moment before both quickly looked away, unsure of what to say next. There was an awkwardness between them now, one that hadn’t been there the last time they were together. The space between them felt heavy, like a million unspoken things hanging in the air.
For a moment, neither of them said anything. The sounds of the restaurant, the soft clinking of silverware, the low murmur of voices, felt distant. It was as if the world had narrowed down to just the two of them, and Aiah could barely catch her breath.
“How have you been?” Maloi asked after a long pause, her voice tentative. It wasn’t the casual tone they used to share, but there was something else in her voice—something that made Aiah’s heart flutter.
“Okay lang,” Aiah answered quietly. “I’ve been okay. You know… life.”
Maloi nodded, her fingers gently tracing the edge of the table. “I’ve missed you, Aiah.”
The words were like a punch to Aiah’s chest. She had never expected Maloi to say that, not after everything. She had convinced herself that the feelings had faded for good, that it was just a matter of time before she moved on. But hearing those words, hearing the sincerity in Maloi’s voice, made everything come rushing back.
“Why… why didn’t you call me? Why didn’t you… come back?” Aiah asked before she could stop herself. The question hung in the air between them, raw and vulnerable.
Maloi’s gaze softened, and she let out a deep breath. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I guess I thought… I thought it would be easier if I just walked away. But it wasn’t. I’ve been stuck, Aiah. Stuck in that place, in that time, when everything felt so perfect. And I couldn’t move on.”
Aiah’s heart skipped a beat. It was like a weight had been lifted from her chest. She hadn’t realized how much she had been waiting for these words, for Maloi to finally say them out loud.
“I’ve been stuck here too,” Aiah whispered. “In this place. In this moment. I couldn’t move on either. It felt like I was still waiting for you.”
Maloi’s eyes softened, and she reached across the table, her hand resting gently over Aiah’s. The contact was electric, as though the years of distance between them had never existed.
“I’m sorry,” Maloi said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I never meant to hurt you. I just… I didn’t know how to fix things. I didn’t know how to come back to you.”
Aiah squeezed her hand gently, her chest tight with emotion. “But you did. You came back.”
For a moment, they just sat there, holding each other’s gaze, the weight of their shared history between them. There was no need for words. Everything they had been through, all the pain, the uncertainty, the heartbreak—it was all there, but so was the love. The love that had never truly gone away.
“I’m glad I stayed,” Aiah whispered, the words slipping from her lips before she could think about them. “I’m glad I didn’t leave. Because if I had, I never would have found this. I never would have found this new love.”
Maloi’s lips curled into a soft smile, her eyes glistening. “Me too,” she said softly. “Me too.”
The rain outside had stopped, and the restaurant felt warmer now, as though the air had shifted between them. The waiter came to their table, offering them dessert menus, but Aiah hardly noticed. She only had eyes for Maloi, for the woman who had come back into her life, and for the love that was still alive, waiting to be rekindled.
“Can we just sit here for a while?” Maloi asked, her voice gentle, almost shy.
Aiah nodded, her heart full. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
They spent the rest of the evening lost in each other’s company, talking about everything and nothing. They shared stories of their time apart, the people they had met, the places they had gone, but in the end, it all came back to them. To the two of them. The love that had never truly faded.
As the night wore on, Aiah felt something shift. Something that had been missing, something she had longed for without even realizing it. She wasn’t stuck anymore. She was moving forward, with Maloi by her side. And for the first time in a long time, Aiah knew that everything would be okay.
The soft sound of their laughter filled the cozy restaurant, a stark contrast to the silence that had settled over them when they first sat down. The awkwardness was slowly melting away, replaced by a sense of familiarity that Aiah hadn’t realized she missed so much. It was like a puzzle piece clicking back into place, the gap they’d left between them finally closing.
Aiah found herself leaning back into her seat, her eyes resting on Maloi with a soft, fond gaze. There were things she had wanted to say for so long—things that she had bottled up, pushed aside, because the fear of rejection had always been louder than her own heart. But now, with Maloi sitting across from her, so close and yet still so distant, she didn’t feel that fear anymore. Not with her.
“So, how have you been?” Aiah asked softly, a gentle smile playing at the corners of her lips. It was the same question she had asked earlier, but now, it felt different. It wasn’t just an attempt to break the silence. It was an invitation to share, to be honest, to let the walls fall down.
Maloi’s eyes softened, and she leaned in a little, her voice quieter now, as though she were sharing a secret. “I’ve been… trying to figure things out,” she admitted, her gaze flickering away for a moment, like she was searching for the right words. “I moved to the city, started a new job, met new people… but it didn’t feel like home, you know?” Her eyes met Aiah’s again, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “None of it felt right without you.”
Aiah’s heart skipped. Maloi had always been the one to hide her vulnerability behind a tough exterior, always so self-assured. But now, with the years that had passed, the time apart, Aiah saw a softer side of Maloi—one that she hadn’t seen in a long time. The woman sitting in front of her now wasn’t just the confident, sometimes aloof person she had known. She was… different. Softer. More open.
“You could’ve called me, you know,” Aiah said softly, her fingers curling around her coffee cup as she watched Maloi’s face closely.
Maloi let out a quiet laugh, but it was tinged with sadness. “I thought about it. A lot, actually.” She shifted in her seat, her hands fidgeting nervously. “But I… I didn’t know if you’d still want me in your life. After everything that happened. I didn’t know if I was still welcome.”
The words hit Aiah like a wave, her chest tightening at the rawness of what Maloi had just confessed. They had never really talked about why they ended things, why they had fallen apart. There was never a clear reason, just the slow and inevitable drift. But hearing Maloi admit that she had been uncertain—that she had thought she wasn’t welcome in Aiah’s life—brought back the pain of their separation, the emptiness that had lingered ever since.
“I was waiting for you,” Aiah whispered, her voice quiet but firm. She couldn’t stop herself. The words had been sitting on her tongue for so long, and now that they were out in the open, it felt like a weight had been lifted. “I was waiting for you to come back. But I never thought I would hear you say that.”
Maloi’s eyes widened, and she leaned forward, her hand reaching across the table, her fingers brushing against Aiah’s in a tentative gesture. “You were waiting for me?”
Aiah nodded, her heart racing as she looked at Maloi, the feelings that had been buried for so long bubbling to the surface. “I never stopped thinking about you, Maloi. I never stopped loving you.”
Maloi’s hand tightened around Aiah’s, and for a moment, they just sat there, the weight of their emotions hanging between them. The world outside seemed to fade away, and the restaurant, with its soft lighting and the lingering smell of coffee, became a sanctuary—a place where they could finally let go of the walls they had built around themselves.
“You don’t know how much that means to me,” Maloi said softly, her voice shaking ever so slightly. “I thought… I thought you had moved on. That I wasn’t enough.”
Aiah’s eyes softened, and she squeezed Maloi’s hand gently. “You were always enough, Maloi. Always. I never stopped hoping we’d find our way back to each other.”
Maloi’s lips parted in surprise, her eyes filled with something that Aiah couldn’t quite place—relief, hope, and perhaps a little fear. “I’ve missed you so much,” Maloi confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t know how to fix things. I didn’t know if you would even want me anymore after everything.”
Aiah’s heart swelled with tenderness, and she reached across the table, cupping Maloi’s face gently in her hands. “I never stopped wanting you,” she said softly, her gaze steady as she held Maloi’s eyes. “I never stopped loving you. And I never will.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The words hung in the air between them, heavy with emotion. Aiah felt the heat of Maloi’s gaze, the quiet intensity of the moment, and she realized—this was it. This was the moment she had been waiting for. This was the love she had never truly let go of, the love that had never left her heart.
Maloi’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and she leaned forward, pressing her forehead gently against Aiah’s. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice full of raw emotion. “I’m so sorry for everything.”
Aiah closed her eyes, her thumb gently brushing across Maloi’s cheek, and she let out a soft sigh. “You don’t have to apologize,” she murmured. “We’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
And in that moment, time seemed to stop. The world outside—the rain, the passing cars, the people walking by—felt distant. The only thing that existed in that small, quiet space was them. Two women, sitting across from each other, their hands intertwined, their hearts open, ready to begin again.
“I’m glad I stayed,” Aiah whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m glad I didn’t leave.”
Maloi smiled, a soft, tender smile that made Aiah’s heart flutter. “Me too,” she said, her voice full of affection. “I’m glad you didn’t leave either.”
They stayed like that for a while—silent, but not uncomfortable. Just two people who had been through so much, who had loved and lost, and who were finally finding their way back to each other.
The waiter came by to clear their empty cups, but neither of them noticed. They were too wrapped up in each other, in the quiet joy of rediscovering what they had lost.
And as the night wore on, Aiah realized that this was what she had been waiting for all along. Not the perfect moment, not the grand gesture, but the simple act of showing up. Of being present. Of being there for each other, no matter the past, no matter the time that had passed.
“I’ve missed this,” Aiah said softly, her voice quiet but sincere. “I’ve missed being with you.”
Maloi’s smile was warm, her eyes filled with a softness that made Aiah’s heart swell. “I’ve missed it too,” she said. “And I’m never going to let it go again.”
They spent the rest of the evening talking about everything and nothing—about the silly things that had happened during their time apart, about the dreams they still held onto, about the lives they had built without each other. But through it all, the unspoken truth was clear: they were no longer apart. They were together, in the here and now, and that was all that mattered.
As they stood up to leave, Maloi took Aiah’s hand gently in hers, and together, they walked out of the restaurant into the cool night air, the soft glow of the streetlights guiding their way.
And as they stepped into the world beyond, hand in hand, Aiah knew one thing for certain—she wasn’t waiting anymore. She wasn’t stuck. She was moving forward, with Maloi by her side. And for the first time in a long time, everything felt right.
“Let’s never let go,” Maloi murmured as they walked, her voice soft but determined.
Aiah squeezed her hand, smiling up at her. “Never.”
And with that, they stepped forward into the future, ready to embrace whatever came next—together.