Page 85 of A Match Made in Lipa
She realized Santi was giving her a look, and she slipped her phone back into her pocket. “Not that I don’t trust that your website works! I’m just...making sure. You’ve rubbed off some of that Virgo-ness on me.”
“Hey, Trike Express works, and you know it.” Santi shrugged, because of course the man who realized he could use local tricycle drivers to make deliveries in Lipa for a profit share had earned that. “And I wouldn’t be mad if you admitted that you’ve become a bit of a workaholic.”
“Only alittle,” she conceded. But hello, it was a pandemic, and she was allowed to celebrate that her business was still afloat. A lot of the stores on the Laneways had relied on the rent holiday they offered, even after all of the Luzes’ plans for the year had been scrapped.
It was a struggle, but they had no other choice but to take things day by day. Surprisingly, Gemini found a whole new market in selling chocolate to local home bakers, both casual and enterprising. Stress baking did wonders for your mental health, and only god would get in the way of a Bantangueño when they decided to open a home baking business.
“So,” Kira said, confirmation received and all. “We just made a whole new set of promises to each other. How do you feel about it?”
And with the lights of the fireworks, and her phone officially telling her it was midnight, Kira’s new husband pulled her in close, and brushed the side of his nose against hers. Then he kissed her.
And in that kiss, Kira found herself asking the universe, praying to God and to any star that would listen, for hope. Hope that they would stay together, that they would get through this, that things will be okay.
She had to keep believing in that.
“Like the universe said, ‘yes,’” Santi said, grinning. “Finally.”
