one night

The room was quiet even with our slow rhythmic breathing, and the silence was only broken when the sheets rustled as I turned to my side to face him. A soft stream of moonlight spilled through the window and illumined his form – arms up behind the head, eyes closed; his chest rose and fell in a steady beat. I watched until he spoke.

"Tell me something."

"What about," I asked.

"What will you miss most about this?" He said. "About me?'

"I can't believe you're asking me that." I said feigning disbelief.

"No, no." He turned to face me. His right hand reached for my arm. The fingers brushed against my skin. I looked into his eyes. It shone with a certain warm radiance. His lips curved to a gentle smile as he said, "Just humor me, please?"

"Does it have to be just one?"

"No, but don't give it much thought. Just say what's on the top of your head." He said as I felt his hand at the side of my face. "Here, let me go first," he added. "I will miss the way you say 'I know'." He grinned as he leaned forward. "Ang arte-arte kasi."

"I know!" I said as I laughed.

"See." He smiled.

"Right, but that's it? That's all that you're going to miss?"

"Of course not. I'll miss a lot of things. I'll miss your voice. You know how much I love hearing it. Salita ka nga."

"Ewan ko sa'yo!"

We both laughed.

"You know, I might even miss you." He grinned, delighted at his teasing. "But I won't. We don't have to miss each other."

"We don't?" But what about...

"We don't." He whispered as he held me in his arms, and as he closed the space in between, I tried to hold my heart in mine.