“WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT

          MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL

          WHAT’S THERE INSIDE YOU

          SHINES THROUGH TO ME

          IN YOUR EYES I SEE

          ALL THE LOVE I’LL EVER NEED

          WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT

          MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL TO ME”

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The four of them checked their belongings for the last time before Gerald locked the door of his mom’s house in Gensan.  Their flight would be leaving in two hours and they had to get going if they don’t want to get caught in the crowd when they check in their baggages.

          Gerald climbed up the driver’s seat as Matt tried his best to persuade his friend to let him drive.  But Gerald wouldn’t budge.  Finally, they were all settled with Kim in front and Matt and Rayver at the back.  The two boys exchanged worried glances which escaped the attention of Kim who was listening intently to what Gerald was saying.

          “Dadaan ka pa ba sa Xavierville,” asked Gerald, referring to Kim’s house in QC, “o derecho na tayo sa bahay?”

          Kim smiled, happy at Gerald’s reference to his house as if they share its ownership.  “Hindi na siguro, may mga gamit pa naman ako sa maleta eh.  Susunod naman sina Ate Tata mamayang gabi.  Bakit?”

          “Wala naman.  Naisip ko lang, we’ll be home by 4pm and it’s still a bit early to start preparing for the party.”

          “And?”  Kim prodded. 

          “I was just wondering what we could do to while away the time.”

          Kim playfully hit him in the arm as a small hint of blush appeared on her cheeks.  “Salbahe ka, Geraldo, ano na naman iniisip mo ha?”  She worriedly looked at the back to see if either Matt or Rayver heard what they were talking about.  Seeing that the two were asleep, she pinched Gerald’s side which made him yelp.

          “Aray, Kim, ano ba?  Bakit ka ba nangungurot?  Wala naman akong sinabing masama eh.  Ikaw ‘tong green-minded eh.  Siguro may balak kang masama saken ano?”  Gerald and as usual, she let out some air to contain her annoyance.

          “Sumosobra ka na ha!”

          “Masyado namang pikon ang baby ko.  Wag ka na magalit.  Di na po ako iimik.”  And with that, he clammed up.  The rest of the drive was spent in utter silence.  Soon he was already turning to the entrance of the Park and Fly where they would be leaving his mom’s van.

          In less than an hour, the foursome were already checked in and waiting for their flight to board.  Since they couldn’t disguise themselves anymore, the airport personnel who assisted them took it upon himself to let them use the lounge so there wouldn’t be any crowd control problem especially since the four young celebrities didn’t have any security with them.

          As usual, Kim and Gerald sat beside each other on the plane.  Anyone who didn’t know them as celebrities would probably think they’re either a newly engaged couple who just came from an enjoyable vacation or a newlywed who spent their honeymoon in Gensan.  Once again, they were trapped in a world entirely their own, oblivious to the stares and giggles of people trying to catch a glimpse of the very famous loveteam as the plane soared towards its destination:  home.

          Gerald let Kim sit beside the window so that she wouldn’t be sideswiped everytime a passenger passed by their seats.  “Ok ka lang?  Gusto mo ng pillow?”  He whispered in her ear.

          “Wag na, pag binigyan mo ‘ko ng pillow, wala na ko dahilan para sumandal sa balikat mo,”  she answered coyly.

          “Kimmy, wag dito.  Nang-se-seduce ka na naman ha,”  Gerald , trying to see if she would get annoyed with him.

          “He!  Kaw talaga, kung ayaw mo, wag mo!  Kainis ka!”  And she turned her attention to the window, willing the clouds to make her temper cool down.

          Gerald laughed and s his arms through Kim’s back until he had her waist in an embrace obscurely hidden from the prying eyes of any possible paparazzi.  “Joke lang ‘yun, ano ka ba?  Hanggang ngayon pikon ka pa rin, lika nga dito.”  And he pulled her towards him, guiding her head to his shoulders with his free hand.  Kim obliged and settled her small back contentedly on Gerald’s chest.

          “Babe, ano’ng pinahanda mo para mamaya?”

          “Syempre yung mga favorites ng baby ko,”  Gerald spoke softly in her ears, careful not to let anybody hear their conversation.

          “Wow!  Crispy pata at Siomai?  Ang bait talaga ng baby ko.  Kaya love na love kita eh,”  the last sentence was almost inaudible.

          Gerald just smiled and kissed her on the forehead.  He tightened his embrace, saying nothing, not wanting to break the magic of the moment.  Then a sudden flash of light surprised them.

          “What the ----“  Gerald turned to look at the person who intruded their privacy, ready to punch just about anybody.

          “Gotcha!”  Matt smiled as he sauntered back to his seat beside Rayver.

          “Grabe, akala ko kung sino na ang kumuha ng picture namin eh.  Whew!”

          “Takot ka ‘no!”  Rayver teased from behind him.

          “Di naman, si Kim lang inaalala ko.  Alam nyo na.”  With that, all four of them settled back into their seats, trying to get some shut-eye before they reach Manila.

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          Later that afternoon, after dropping Matt and Rayver off at the former’s house, Joven pulled up in front of Gerald’s house 30 minutes earlier than the time Gerald has projected.  He looked for the package he was waiting for the other day and as he saw it at the far end of his lawn, partly hidden from view, he led Kim straight into the foyer, leaving Joven behind to tend to their luggage.

          “Joven, si Ali dumating na?”

          “Oo, nasa likod, inaayos yung mga inorder mong fireworks para mamaya.”

          “Eh si mommy, asan na?”

          “Mamaya pa daw sya, pero yung mga pagkain, ide-deliver na lang daw ng caterer mga 6 or 7.  9 pa daw naman ang start ng party eh.”

          “Sige, may pupuntahan lang kami ni Kim.”  Kim was surprised by Gerald’s announcement but did not say anything.  She just looked at him curiously.  “Gusto mo muna mag-freshen up?”

          “Sure.  Give me 10 minutes.”  With that, Kim started to open the door when she remembered the banners she put up while Gerald was still in Missouri.

“Uhm, Joven, wala kayong inalis sa loob?”  She asked hesitantly, looking at Gerald who stopped in his tracks.

“Wala po.”  And Joven gave her the biggest smile ever.

“Ano ‘yon?”  Gerald asked Kim.

“Halika, gusto ko mauna kang pumasok sa loob.”  And she took his hand as she opened the door.

Gerald took three steps forward before stopping as he noticed the “welcome home” decorations.  “Wow!  Baby, you did all these?”

Kim could only nod her head, not trusting herself to speak.  Gerald held her by the waist and ushered her in so she stood beside him as he took in all the results of her hardwork.  He took her hand to his lips and kissed it.  “Thank you.  It feels good to be home.  I just wish I can already say it feels great to go home to you.”

“Ha?  Ano yun?”  Kim was puzzled by Gerald’s pronouncement.

“Wala.  I’m just happy to be here with you.  Sige na, go freshen up.  I’ll meet you here in 10 minutes.”

“Ok,” and she bounced up the stairs towards Gerald’s bedroom.

          Kim took a shower in record time.  She took out from Gerald’s closet a blue and yellow jersey shirt which was a size smaller than most of his shirts and put it on.  Then she slipped into her maong Capri pants.  Thinking Gerald might want to change into something more comfortable, she also took out a muscle shirt he usually wear on weekends while playing basketball and the white shorts he wore during the Wowowee olympics.  After applying a spray of her favorite scent, some powder blush and lip gloss, she placed her bag on top of Gerald’s bedside table, and went out.

          Gerald was half-lying on the gray sofa in the living room, waiting for her when she came down the stairs.  “Baby, bihis ka muna para comfortable ka.  Eto o, kinuha na kita ng damit,”  and handed the clothes to Gerald.

          “Thanks, baby.  Ang y mo naman sa shirt ko.  Wag na kaya tayo lumabas?”

          “Ayan ka na naman.  Sige na, excited na ‘ko sa pupuntahan natin eh.”

          “Bakit, alam mo na?  Naku, Joven, lagot ka saken!”  Gerald berated as he assumed the culprit was really his PA.

          “Hoy, ano ka ba?  Walang sinabi si Joven.  Di ba sabi mo may pupuntahan tayo?  Yun lang yun.  Kaw naman o.  Sige na, magbihis ka na para makaalis na tayo.”

          “Yes, Ma’am!”  He gave her a salute before going inside the bathroom next to the kitchen.

          A few minutes later, Gerald came out wearing the muscle shirt and shorts Kim handed to him earlier.  “Let’s go?”

          “Saan?”

          “Magba-bike lang tayo dito sa loob ng village.”

          “Eh wala naman akong bike eh.”

          “Ayun o!”  Gerald pointed towards the pink bike now parked beside his own .

          Kim shrieked in delight as she saw the bike.  Running towards Gerald, she embraced him and gave him a couple of smacks on the cheeks.  “Thank you!  The best talaga ang baby ko!  Teka, akin ba talaga ‘yan?”

          “Oo naman, eh kanino pa?  May nakita ka bang ibang tao rito?  Wala naman di ba?”  And gently gave her a slight push.

          Gerald took the pink bike from the rack and let Kim lead it out of the garage while he took his bike.  He also grabbed the two helmets sitting on top of his huge toolbox.  He closed the gate behind him, walked over to where Kim was, put on her the matching pink and white helmet with the letter K monogram at the back, and got on his bike.  He put on his blue and yellow helmet with a letter G monogram at the back, an exact copy of Kim’s except for the colors, the letter and the size.

          Taking Kim’s right hand with his left, they rode alongside each other.

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          Several hours later, Kim and Gerald stood beside each other in front of the buffet table, checking out the food while waiting for their family and friends.  The set up was at the veranda where they once had dinner and watched a fireworks display.  It thrilled Kim to think that Gerald was actually thinking of her when he ordered the food for tonight. But somehow, she wanted to be a part of it so she asked if she could make some of the choices and he agreed. She actually felt like a wife preparing for a Christmas dinner in their own home.

Wishing she could impress everybody, especially her special someone, she took great care in choosing the rest of the menu for tonight’s dinner.  She ordered Pommodoro soup and Waldorf salad for starters.  For the main dishes, she chose Chicken cutlets with Pears and Tarragon, Adobo Rolls with Hoisin paste, Roast Beef Tenderloin, and Tuna Teriyaki to be added to the Crispy Pata and Siomai that Gerald ordered.  For dessert, she ordered cheesecake brownies and ice cream.

Kim was wearing a haltered, plum dress that drops to just about 2 inches above her knees with matching black, 3-inch gladiators.  She was also wearing a pair of princess-cut diamond earrings Gerald gave her 2 valentines ago, and matched with a simple, wide silver bangle.  She looked as elegant as ever.  And Gerald, whose arms always find their way to Kim’s waist, stood as handsome beside her.  He sported a Penguin shirt in a dark lilac hue, tucked neatly in his black, plaid Calvin Klein shorts, matched with a black leather belt and black Tod loafers.  He was wearing the watch Kim gave him on the night of the Starmagic Ball last year.

          Soon enough, the guests arrived, and looking like a real couple, Kim and Gerald greeted them as they came.  The first ones were their bestfriends Melissa and Matt, with Rayver and Shaina in tow.  Maja came with Enchong.  Their handlers, Nhila and Portia, came together.  Gerald’s mom and dad came 15 minutes later, just as Kim’s sisters, Lakam and Twinkle, were also arriving.  They led everybody up to the veranda where they had a great time catching up on each other’s activities while feasting on the sumptuous dinner.  Gerald’s brother, Ken, arrived halfway through dinner.  At 11:30, Gerald asked Ali and Joven to check on the fireworks.  And the countdown began.

          10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!  Gerald held Kim’s hand as they watched the fireworks lit up the sky.  2009 was slowly fading in the background as 2010 was ushered in.  Kim squeezed Gerald’s hand as she caught her breath when the last of the fireworks were lit.  It spelled out the words, “I love you, Kim” and everybody clapped their hands in delight.

          “Happy new year, baby!  Thank you so much.”  Kim was already teary-eyed as she kissed Gerald lightly on the lips, oblivious to their friends and family who were watching their sweet moment.

          “Happy new year din!  I love you so much.”  And he embraced her like it was the last day of his life.  As his medical condition came to mind, he couldn’t help but shed a tear.  Kim felt the hot liquid roll down her back.  She held Gerald away from her and seeing him in tears nearly broke her heart.

          “Baby, what’s wrong? May nasabi ba akong di mo nagustuhan? What?  Say something, please?”  Kim asked persistently, suddenly afraid this might be turning into another nightmare just like the night Gerald told her he was spending Christmas in Missouri.

          “Nothing, babe.  I just feel so overwhelmed each time you’re with me.  And I thank God for giving me such a wonderful person to love.  It made me cry to even think I wouldn’t be given the chance to show you enough just how much I really, really love you. Kaya nga I tell the whole world how much I do each time I get the opportunity kahit alam kong naiinis ka kung minsan sa pagiging very vocal ko.”

          “You know I love you, Ge.  Pero alam mo rin na hindi natin pwedeng ipakita ang lahat-lahat na meron tayo kasi baka sirain lang nila tayo.  Di ko kakayanin kung mawawala ka saken.  Sana maintindihan mo.”

          “Alam ko naman yun.  And I understand perfectly.  Sana lang, bigyan ako ng enough time to love you the way you deserve to be loved.”

          “Bakit ka ba ganyan?  Para ka namang laging maggu-goodbye na eh.  Iiwan mo ba ako?”

          “Not if I can help it.  Ito ang tandaan mo, kahit pa mamatay ako, my love will always be with you.  Even in the after-life, ikaw pa rin ang mamahalin ko.”

          “Baby, you’re freaking me out.  Halika na, kunin natin yung gift ko sa’yo.  Pasensya ka na, it’s not as original as your gift pero pinaghirapan ko naman talaga ‘yun.”

          And she led him to his bedroom where she took out her gift from her bag.  It was a Louis Vuitton two-fold wallet with a money clip engraved with her name.  On one side of the wallet, a picture of the two of them taken last year when they went to New Jersey was on top of several pictures of Kim and two more of the two of them together.

          “Wow!  Tinotoo mo talaga ha.  Sabi ko naman sa’yo ok lang yung wallet ko eh.”

          “Hindi, gusto ko lang talaga, matching wallets tayo, hahaha.”  And she took out her LV wallet which looked very much the same as Gerald’s, except that it was tri-fold.  It also holds exact copies of the pictures inside Gerald’s wallet.

          “Kaw talaga…Sige, lipat mo yung laman ng old wallet ko.”  And he handed her his torn wallet.