Quite Long hoep everyone would enjoy reading this. thanks

Part 2 - CANNOT BE

"Opo, Tita." She looked around. Not much
has changed in this house. She remembers
spending her college days in this house. She
remembers sinking into Tita Doris' arms
when her mom died. She remembers only
good things about this woman. She can't
remember a time when she had been unkind
to her and yes, she loves her like her own
mother. "Iha, sabihan mo nga yang si Miguel.
Sabihin mo 'wag padalos-dalos
magdesisyon." "Po?" "Mama naman. Let Bea
rest. I'll tell her everything tomorrow." Miguel
interrupted his mother before she can spill
the beans. "Ha? What was that all about?"
Bea was curious. "Bukas na lang." "Okay.
Tita, if it's okay I'll go rest now." She hugged
her, and proceeded to climb the stairs.
Miguel followed her carrying her
luggage. "Alam mo I missed this house. Uy
sino ba si Sugar? Tsaka bakit parang
worried nanay mo sa iyo?" "Bukas na. Sugar
is having lunch here." "Hmmm, intriguing,
pero sige. Bukas na." They were both
standing as the door to the guest
room. "Alam mo, it's really good to be back in
this house. I'll see you tomorrow." Tita Doris'
10:00 am. She woke up, sunlight flooding her
bedroom. She was able to rest. She got up,
arranged the bed sheets and took a nice,
cold shower. Minutes later, she was down at
the garden having brunch with Tita Doris. "Hi!
Tita. Where is Miguel?" "Sinundo si
Sugar." "Sino ba yang Sugar na yan? Nai-
intriga na ako." "Iha, I'll let Miguel tell you who
Sugar is. Promise me something, though.
Whatever happens you'll always be my
daughter, Bea?" She felt scared. Why was
Tita Doris suddenly serious? "Opo
naman." "Anyway, iha. I heard from Miguel
your boyfriend sounded like he was going to
propose a week ago. Did he propose?" Bea
looked at her hands, bare of any
engagement ring. She looked at Tita Doris
and smiled. Before she could answer, Miguel
showed up. With him is a woman she had
not seen before. She was of medium frame,
shoulder length hair and looked very
feminine. "Sugar, the sister I never had, Bea.
Bea, Sugar, my fiance`." It felt as if somebody
had thrown cold water on her. His what?
Blood rushed to her head. She blushed. Her
cheeks felt very warm. She couldn't swallow.
Her heart beating a hundred beats per
minute. "Your what?" She looked at Miguel,
blushing then suddenly white as with
shock. "I'm sorry, Sugar but this is quite a
surprise. Miguel has never mentioned you in
any of his e-mails," she said as she looked
at Sugar with a confused look. She looked at
Tita Doris, she looked back as if she was
consoling her. "Yeah, I got engaged. I'm
keeping my promise. I'm getting married on
Saturday. O di ba you're here so in essence
I've kept my promise." She managed to smile
faintly. She hugged Miguel and congratulated
him. She even managed to tell Sugar "You
got a catch here, girl. Take good care of him
or else I will snatch him under your nose." It
sounded as if she was just joking, turning
over a very important possession to it's next
owner. In the deepest recesses of her
person, she knew she meant it. "He told me
a lot of nice things about you." Sugar said,
smiling at her as if they had been friends for
the longest time. "I'm sure he has." Lunch
was served. All of Bea's favorite Filipino
dishes. She and Sugar spent time chatting
the afternoon away, looking at Bea's and
Miguel's college photos and yearbooks. She
found out that Sugar likes most of the things
she does. They both came from the same
high school. As she tried to get to know
Sugar better during their afternoon chat, she
realized that not only was she perfect for
Miguel, she also seemed like the best gal
pal Bea could find. They talked about the
wedding details, the dress, the ring, the
shoes, the tiara. They like almost the same
places, the same styles, the same shops.
She told Sugar they should do shopping
marathon together. Had it been another day,
she would be telling herself that this is really
a great opportunity to find someone who
understands her shopping needs.

Except that this is not one of those days?
Except that this woman, this perfect, feminine
girlfriend was Miguel's fiance`. Bea's phone
rings. The name Boyfriend flashes. "You
should really get that" Sugar told Bea. "Yeah,
I guess I should. Hello? Yes? I'm good. I'm
here at Miguel's. Oh I have in front of me
Sugar, Miguel's fiance`." The words almost
got stuck in her throat, but she still managed
to give Sugar a smile. "Listen, I'll call you
later. I have very good news for you." Miguel
sat down beside Bea. Sugar was looking at
them and asked "So tell me? Was there
never a time the two of you were more than
Platonic?" Bea and Miguel looked at each
other then looked at their own hands.
Miguel's gaze turned to Sugar. He
answered "Of course not. Bea and I were
never like that." "As in?" Sugar inquired. "LOL,
oo naman. She was a handful. Too much to
handle for me. I can't keep up with her. She's
never stands still." Miguel looked at Bea and
smiled, his eyes turning into slits as his
dimples gloriously show. "I guess that's the
way for you. But not for Edward." Bea replied,
with a little hint of disappointment. "Okay lang
yun. Edward is tough enough." Miguel was
still smiling. "Wait, speaking of Edward. I
need to call him." Bea left the garden and
went up to her room to call Edward. "Hello?
Edward. Here goes. Yes. The answer is
Yes." ********* The wedding went well. It was
one of the most elegant weddings she had
seen. Sugar had everything covered and she
was a very beautiful, blushing bride. "I,
Miguel, take you, Sugar, as my friend and
love, beside me and apart from me, in
laughter and in tears, in conflict and
tranquility, asking that you be no other than
yourself, love what I know of you, trusting
what I do not know yet, in all the ways that life
may find us." Bea felt a stab of pain hitting
her heart. She slowly got up, walked away
from the spectators. Tears streaming down
her flushed cheeks. ********** Bea is once
again on her way to the airport. Miguel is
driving for her, this time with a wedding ring
on his left finger. "Hay, here we go again. I'm
driving you to the airport. Kailan na naman
kaya tayo magkikita?" "Ewan ko. Tell me
something," her tone all too serious. "What
was it that you love about Sugar? How did
you know she was the one?" Miguel just
smiled. "Dali na ano? Malay mo I need to
decide in a couple of days diba?" "You know
what I love about her? The same things I
loved about you before. The only difference is
that she's not as ambitious as you are. When
you left for New York two years ago, I knew I
don't have a place in the life you've chosen. I
don't blame you for that. You're good in your
field and I thought to myself that it's your right
to move on without me. Moving away was a
decision you made for yourself. I know this
sounds silly and you might nag me about it
but I found the better version of you in Sugar.
She's so much like you in so many ways but
the only difference is she loves me more
than you do." She wanted to cry the tears she
had kept as he witnessed him say his vows,
but kept her composure. She just chuckled a
laugh. How could he move on without her?
Why was it easy for him and not for her? As
she got off the car, she gave Miguel one last
hug. This time she felt her heart heavy. "I
guess this is goodbye?" she told
Miguel. "Wait, I'm not letting you out until you
answer question. Did Edward propose?" Bea
showed Miguel her left hand. In it was a one
carat diamond solitaire ring set in
platinum. "Yes." Miguel let out a sigh and
congratulated her. As Miguel turned his gaze
from the steering wheel to Bea's face, he
saw a single tear fall from her right eye and
then she said, "If it gives any consolation.
Edward was the best version of you that I can
find in New York."