TIME passes quickly like leaves that gradually fall during the autumn season.
The long-awaited wedding of William and Amelia has come.
"William, you and Amelia will be married next month."
"Yes, Henry, and I am a little nervous."
"Of course, you will be a father after a year or two of being married to Amelia?"
"Yes, Henry, and for me to fulfill the happiness you're saying, I will totally forget all the past in my life, especially my feelings for Helena."
"You are right, William," said Henry. "Amelia, I just want to congratulate you and William at your wedding."
"Thank you, Henry, by the way, Vicky has told you something."
"What is that?"
"She said, 'how are you' that's what she was saying when William and I went shopping yesterday at the mall."
"Well, handsome guys like me are the target of women," Henry joked.
"You're crazy," said William, and they laughed at the same time.
"I really like Vicky and I've felt for her but until now she doesn't lose her being composure."
"Ha! ha! ha! You said that! I'll let Vicky know what you have said," Amelia said.
"Amelia, I remember, have you listed already our guests at our wedding?" asked William.
"Yes, and the first on the list was Helena," Amelia said smiling with meaning.
"Are you jealous?"
"Who? Me? I'm not jealous, why should I when I already have William's heart."
"That's true, Henry, what Amelia said. As the time of our wedding approaching, I could see and feel in my heart that Amelia and I are destined to each other. Do you remember what we talked about then, regarding our destiny?"
"What is that?" Amelia asked.
"It's nothing, Amelia, William, and I are the only ones who understand," Henry said and they laughed.
"You two, always keeping secret from me."
****
On William and Amelia's wedding day.
"Long live the newlywed! Long live!" shouted the guests.
"William, Amelia, I wish you all the best and I hope you will be happy for the rest of your life," Helena said with a smile.
"Thank you, Helena. Why aren't you with your boyfriend, Arnold?" William asked.
"Arnold is not my boyfriend, we are just friends. He was the one who helped me when I had an accident. By the way, William, Amelia, Henry, I will take this opportunity to say goodbye to all of you. I'm going to Spain next month and maybe to stay there for a long period of time.."
"Just be careful, Helena."
"Thank you, William, and one thing that I will never forget all of you, especially for what you did to Harry."
That was the last time William saw Helena, and as she left she goes with her the fondest memories of his life with Helena.
The following year it was Henry and Vicky's wedding. They were happy on their wedding day.
****
After two years of marriage, William and Amelia got a healthy baby girl who gave them complete happiness.
"Amelia, look at our baby girl, she looks like me."
"What are you? Why don't you look closely and I look like her," Amelia said laughing.
The two became happy because of their baby girl, happiness as if there was no end.
Ever since Amelia gave birth to their child, she has often felt a headache. At first, Amelia ignored it but as time went on the pain she felt intensified.
"Amelia, what's wrong? What hurts you?"
"I have a headache."
"I'll take you to the hospital."
"Don't, William, I'll just take medicine and I'll get well."
"All right, after you took the medicine, get rest."
The headache that Amelia has, was getting worse, so William referred her to a specialist.
"We should confine your wife so that she can be examined carefully," the doctor said.
"Okay, doctor, just do what is best for her."
"William, whatever my illness is, do not neglect our baby."
"Don't say that Amelia, nothing bad will happen to you."
Amelia was confined in the hospital for one week and based on the diagnostic of Amelia, she has brain cancer, and was on stage four that no possibilities to cure her disease.
When the doctor informed William about the condition of Amelia, he became depressed. He felt so sad, even thinking that their child was still young.
As William watched Amelia, who is sleeping due to the dosage of medicine given to her, William burst into tears of pity for her.
When Amelia woke up, William was immediately asked what her illness was.
"William, what did the doctor say about my illness?"
It took William time to answer because he did not want to let his wife know about her real illness.
"The doctor said that you did not have any serious illness, so he just gave you medicine for your headache. We can go home now, I'll just pay the hospital bill."
The doctor sent Amelia home so that she could continue to recover at home. The doctor prescribed medications that Amelia was taking to reduce headaches and vomiting.
But it seems that the fate of Amelia and William was cruel to them. After six months of medications, Amelia's body was gradually collapsed until she could hardly eat meals.
"William, I'm so weak, I feel like I'm leaving you soon. Take good care of our baby girl."
"Amelia, don't say that you will be healed of your illness."
"Do you still remember, William, when you once danced with me? And as you hugged me tightly then I felt the warmth of your body truly loving me. Now, William, at the last moment of my breath I want you to dance with me again, play our favorite song, please."
William almost gave in to his wife's request and did nothing but follow her wishes. He played their favorite music Save the Last Dance for Me.
William lifted Amelia and hugged her tightly and danced. He did not know that was the last hug he could make with Amelia.
"William, thank you for giving your heart to me and I am truly happy to be with you. I will just wait for you in the next life."
After Amelia said those words, she lost her breath and passed away to the tune of their favorite song while William still hugged her.
William cries as he hugs the lifeless Amelia. He does not release his wife until the song Save the Last Dance for Me ends. He just sat down holding Amelia in his arms as he continued to cry.
"Amelia, why when I loved you more then you left me, why?" said William sadly and crying.
At Amelia's funeral, only William and Henry were left.
"Henry, why Amelia and I so unlucky?"
"Just take care of yourself, William, for the sake of your child. Take everything willingly, face it, what fate has been given to you because what happens to us whether good or bad, remember that the Creator has a plan for us."
"Thank you, Henry, for your advice which really lightens me."
****
Days passed and William took care of his child with the help of his mother, especially when he went to his shop.
While William was arranging the stocks of his shop, he noticed the things of Helena she left in the unfinished painting of his shop for her exhibit.
"How is Helena? Maybe she has already a family," William thought.
It has been a year now since Amelia died and William's vigor is returning to develop his business successfully. He has already bought a car that he used in purchasing stocks for the shop.
William did not expect Henry and Vicky to come to his shop. Henry was surprised by the success of William's business.
"William, your business seems to be successful," said Henry.
"Henry, Vicky, how are you? It's good that you visited my shop. We don't talk much and meet anymore, like before."
"Yeah, we're both busy now being a family man."
"William, did you know that Vicky and I were able to visit you because you forgot that tomorrow is your child's birthday."
"Ha! ha! ha! I'm not only getting older but also getting forgetful," said William that everybody laughed.
"So, tomorrow, we'll see you and I will bring some wine to celebrate, okay?"
"Yes, we're going to celebrate."
****
"Let's have another round, Henry, and it's only once in a while that we get together unlike before when the group is complete."
"You're right, William, even if we are happy today it seems like something is missing, not complete."
"Yes, Henry, Amelia is missing," William said, sadly speaking."
"Amelia is happy where she was now, don't worry about her anymore."
"That's what I think so I don't always feel sad because she's gone."
"By the way, William, have you heard from Helena?"
"I haven't, why did you ask that?"
"Nothing, It's just because Helena is our friend also and as a friend, we sometimes think of her, right?"
"Of course"
"Even Harry, I also remember him because of him we met Helena."
As their drinking lasts, so does their conversations about the past.
"Just for example William, Helena is not married yet and she showed up to us again and your feelings returned to her, what are you going to do?"
"That is a good question you asked, so, I still don't know what could happen if our path meets again."
"Just in case, William, that you used to tell me that if Helena was your destiny what would I say, wasn't that what you asked me before?"
"Yes, but the situation is different now. I felt then like I wanted Helena to be mine even though it's impossible to happen because Harry was still alive then, right?"
"Anyway, here's my question to you now and I'd like your answer coming straight from your heart, William, will you still love her again I mean do you still love her?"
William could not answer Henry's question because Vicky asked him to go home.
Although William drank a lot, his mind was still clear on Henry's question. It puzzled William that if Helena was still single, there was no obstacle for the two of them to restore their secret love for each other. Honestly speaking, Helena is not completely lost in William's heart. What William just doesn't know is if Helena still loves him.
As William fell asleep, though his eyes were closed his mind was awakened to the various things that were entering his mind until he finally fell asleep and dreamed about Helena.
"Helena, do you know that I look forward to seeing you today?"
"I do the same, but I am no longer free to love. When you and Amelia got married I forced myself to go abroad to forget. And when I came back Arnold kept waiting for me so we got married. It was too late when I found out that Amelia died a year ago and since I was married to Arnold sorry I can do nothing."
In the intensity of William of William's dream he awake.
"How terrible my dream was, it seems real," said William.
Because William was confused about his dream, he wants to know if Helena was still single or not he visits her at her house.
It was Helena's mother who he talked to and found out that Helena is still single and she was in Spain and no specific date for her return to the country.
In the first place knowing that Helena was still single gives happiness to William but he did not know yet if she already had a boyfriend.
"Please, tell Helena that I came, her friend William," William told Helena's mother.
William also told Helena's mother that his wife, Amelia, had died of cancer a year ago.
****
On the other hand, where Helena is.
"How are William and Amelia, I hope their marriage was happy," Helena said to herself.
The truth was, William still remain in Helena's heart.
"Helena, are you really decided to get back?" her friend Nina asked.
"Yes, my mother is old already and she needs me so I can take care of her."
"It's good you have a parent to take care of. I might just stay here to find my destiny in love, but it seems no one has hinted yet," said Nina sadly.
"You, Nina, I don't seem to know that you like that American guy just ten years older than you," Helena said.
"Yes, Helena, I think that's better than nothing," said Nina laughing.
By the way, Helena, I will also go home for a vacation in our province in Pangasinan. I'll just send a message so that you can also come for a vacation. I'm sure you'll love the beauty of our province for the beautiful sceneries and places."
"Really?"
"Yes, Helena, let's just meet there."
"Okay, you know I also want to go on a vacation in a province like yours to have relaxation. When I come home I'll definitely think again about my past problems that will give me stress like the death of my boyfriend, Harry, and about my second love.
"Second love? What do you mean? It seems you did not mention it to me."
"Ha! ha! ha! It's a long story and if I were to tell you I would have come home already but it'snot over yet," Helena said with a laugh.
****
Helena had already returned to the country and even a week after she arrived, Helenaemed sad that her mother noticed her.
"Helena, it's good that you are here again and we are together. You know I am old already and I need someone to help me," said Helena's mother.
"Do not worry mammy I will not go abroad anymore because when I was away from you I always miss you but now we will be together."
"Why do you look so sad and stunned, do you have any bad feelings, Helena?" asked her mother worried about Helena.
"It's nothing mommy, I just remember the past of my life before I went abroad."
"By the way, Helena, William came here and asked about you and he also said that I should tell you that Amelia, his wife, was already dead of cancer."
"What?!" Helena just said in shock.
"Yes, Helena, and the way I look at William he is very lonely."
"Mom, I am sad about the death of Amelia. She is young and very kind and I can not believe she would leave William."
"Life is really like that, we don't know how far our lives go, only the Creator knows that thing."
"Yes, mommy and I hope William could handle the situation and loneliness he has now."
"Before I forget, for your information, not only William came here but Arnold as well, who also asked about you."
At what Helena's mother told her, Helena was saddened by Amelia's death. But she also thought that maybe such an incident was allowed to give her a chance to love William again which she did not do before because she did not want to hurt Amelia who loved William so much.
"William is free now and he visits me, which means I'm still in his heart, otherwise he wouldn't come to me," Helena whispered to herself.
Helena did not expect Arnold to come and when Arnold saw Helena, there was a trace of the great joy he felt in his heart.
"Helena, how are you? I miss you so much," Arnold said.
"Arnold, you're still the same, how are you?"
"I'm here always waiting for you," Arnold replied.
If Helena hadn't known about William, she might have accepted Arnold's love because of his perseverance in waiting for her.
"Arnold, I know how much you love me but I don't want you to wait for nothing. The truth, Arnold, is that someone already owns my heart, and I hope you understand me."
That was the only thing Helena and Arnold talked about when Arnold conventionally accepted his failure with Helena's love.
One day, Helena received a message from Nina that she had arrived in her province and she invited Helena to come for a vacation.
"Mommy, I am going to Pangasinan, to the province of my friend Nina. She said when she arrived from Spain she will message me to go on vacation because there are so many beautiful sights and places that I can include in my collection of paintings."
"All rights, but when are you going there?"
"In a week, mommy, I still have to buy some painting materials I need to bring.
****
As soon as the bus entered the entrance of Pangasinan where Helena was riding, Helena was happy to see the beautiful scenery they were passing through.
"You're right, Helena, we'll take you to great places. Look at this list of beautiful sceneries we'll be going to visit like Hundred Islands, one of the popular tourist spots; Sky Plaza, a public park and view deck; Pater Beach, dubbed as the Boracay of Pangasinan; Sunflower Maze, first-ever sunflower maze in the Philippines by Allied Botanical Corp; Mt. Balungao Hilltop Adventure Resort, this is the sports adventure site; Death Pool, it's a natural swimming pool that forms near the beach; Enchanted Cave, one of the must-visit attractions in Bolinao; and other beautiful places here in Pangasinan."
"Wow, Nina, with that list of beautiful places we are going to visit, it seems I will enjoy myself and I will be sure to paint a lot of sceneries for my gallery."
"By the way, Nina, how is your American boyfriend?"
"Oh, yeah, my American boyfriend wants to come with me here, so I just told him that I won't stay long and I'll be back after two or three days."
"Were you really boyfriends?"
"Yes, because he doesn't want to stop flirting I accepted his proposal," said Nina laughing.
"He doesn't want to stop or have you really fallen in love with him?" said Helena.
"Well, it looks like that too," Nina laughed.
"When do you plan to get married?"
"He really wants to get married right away but I told him to wait at least for another six months before we get married."
"Is that so? I just wish you all the best."
"Helena, I will expect you on our wedding day."
"Of course, I will be there,"
"You promise that, Helena."
"Yes, of course, it's a promise."
"It is nice to dream especially when you will get married, isn't it Helena?"
Helena becomes stunned at Nina's last words because she also has a dream to have a family, a happy family with children, but fate seems to deprive her.