The area around the fancy condominium is well lit and there are a few people walking around. Some are just having a late-night jog and some are just leaving the shops that are already closing. The two of them stood next to each other in an area surrounded by bushes in that mini-park.
She found herself staring at the ball of orange light above. She then looked to her side to find Aidan just silently looking ahead. She had just finished telling him some parts about her family and he seemed to be still taking it all in.
"I wanted to break free from the gilded cage that was fortified through what could have been the best years of my life. That is why the hurt I felt towards you was sealed into anger. I just felt like you just hooked another lock in that gilded cage that has been trapping me for so long."
That was the last thing that she said and that brought them to the current situation of silence.
"I know that it was just business and that I should not get mad at you for it. I just… I am just desperate to have someone to take my side. I was so uncertain about what you felt about me. I wanted confirmation of any kind. I remember you saying that being just happy together is enough, but it is not enough for me. I am starving for affection. I wanted someone to love me so much that they could not live without me. I am so selfish and I understand that now. I wanted so much and expected a lot from you and when my expectations were not met, I just ran away. I want someone to like me so badly when I can't even like myself. If we continue, then I will just keep asking more and more and everything will just be a mess for both of us."
"Ena, why are you only blaming yourself? I made you feel that way. If I was just more careful about your feelings, if we had talked about it before, things would have been different. I just decided things at my own convenience, thinking that it was the best. I'm sorry. From now on, we can turn things around."
She shook her head.
"I was able to think clearly before. At the time when I wanted to be the one standing next to you at the Anniversary party so everyone would know that you are mine and that Jake would just stop bothering me, I realized that I was just hiding from the real problem. Once people know about us, could I take it? I found those streams of hate messages and I filed for my immediate resignation. Yes, it is not the only reason why I wanted to leave your company but it was still a part of it. I am so scared to face criticism and I will continue to face them everywhere that I go. If that happens and I am like this, what then?"
"Don't put this all on you Ena because you know that you are not at fault for everything."
"I know but then I still share responsibility for all the things that are happening to me. Aidan, I understand now that you did all those things for me. You understood me more than I could understand myself. You gave me space and freedom and I don't want you to walk on eggshells whenever you are with me."
"Is that the answer that you have found? That we should say goodbye and forget?"
"You know that I can never forget you."
"Then what is it you want from me?!"
Aidan's face was now contorted with pain and she felt like embracing him but stopped herself.
"I will not ask you to wait. I will not do that to you. But if by chance, even a little, if we meet again, and I am ready to hold on to you. Please don't let go."
One year later.
"Wow, these pieces can effectively kill my business," Will said as he stared at one of the pieces that she created for her Neon Night series.
Her Neon Night series includes eight diorama pieces of a girl with bright neon hair appearing in normal places like the veranda of a high-rise condominium, busy streets, and a park. The places are surrounded by colorful neon lights and lavender fog.
"This hair kind of reminded me of when I first saw you last year," Will said.
She looked at her hair which is now straightened and black in color.
"That was actually hard to maintain."
"Oh yeah, I remember that you had to rush to the salon when it turned into a massive hairball because you had not combed it for a month."
"Yeah. That was- why would you even bring that up?"
Will laughed as he walked over to the next display. They were at a private art gallery where she would hold her first exhibit. Will was friends with the owner and they invited a lot of people to come that night. They were just there that afternoon to have a final check.
"Thank you, Will. I could not have done this without your help."
"Save it after each one of them is sold. I want an expensive bottle of tequila."
He put emphasis on the word tequila and she laughed.
Evening came and people started coming in. She felt nervous as she saw the appraiser go around her artwork.
"Just relax," Will said and handed her a glass of champagne.
She nodded and took a sip. Will saw some friends and went to talk to them. She also walked around looking for someone.
Just a week prior to the exhibit, she contemplated whether she should send an invitation to him. It's been a year and things definitely have changed and that could include his feelings. Still, her heart hoped. She clicked send and closed her eyes.
It was time for her to give a little speech about her artwork. She did not have good memories of speaking in public since she gets so nervous easily, but then she thought about her hard work and how proud she is of her creations and so she stood in front of them with a smile on her face.
"Thank you for coming tonight. This is my first ever exhibit and I am not saying that to ask you to cut me some slack, but because I really want to brag about what I have accomplished so far." She laughed nervously and heard laughs and cheers from some of the people around. Her eyes went past them and saw Aidan at the far back. He could not take his eyes off of one of her pieces and she could tell that it was the lady standing on the veranda of a high-rise condo. It was one of her favorites.
Will cleared his throat and she realized that she was keeping them waiting.
"My inspiration for my Neon Night series was a dream. It may sound cliché but it is true and I swear by it. It was a dream when I felt free. I felt free to love and I showed it with every fiber of my being and my dream reciprocated my feelings with the same amount of intensity. My dream showed me what I truly wanted and that was to be equal with someone. And so, you can see the lady from the point of view of someone who also believes that she is the equivalent of his own dreams. Brightly surrounded with lavender smoke. Wildly running through the neon night. "
They clapped at the end of her speech and she looked past them but Aidan was no longer there. She excused herself and looked around and found him standing in front of another piece. His eyes were completely focused on it and his expression was indescribable. He looked like he had finally found something that he had been looking for for a long time.
"Aidan?"
He finally looked at her.
"I... I... haah. I..."
It was her first time seeing him at a loss of what to say.
"You said it was from a dream. Was it me in that dream?"
"Yes, it was you."
There was a pause and then he looked at the artwork again. She waited as he looked completely in a daze. He suddenly turned to her again.
"I found you in my dreams and now you are here with me and I can't thank you enough for that. I just can't believe that you will put me in this state right now. I am already losing my mind but I know that I will lose my mind more if you will not be mine so, please Ena. Tell me you love me because I... I love you. I love you and only you. So please... please..."
He looked so desperate and her heart ached to see him in that way even though she was also confused about the other things that he said. She decided to leave out the confusing parts and focused on his confession. Her heart felt full and about to burst from how he confessed his feelings and she felt that their feelings were now equal to each other. At that moment, that was more than anything she could ask for.
"Are we finally equals now?" She asked with tears overflowing from her eyes.
"Yes, you are my equal and no one else."
Their foreheads touched and they both smiled because all through their differences, finally, with some unknown blessing, they were brought to be in the line between dreams and reality and, as they stood there, their feelings were shown.