It’s exactly a week before school starts again. Wala na din work si Winter because she also needs to rest and prepare before school starts again. Hindi ko alam kung paano ginawa ni Winter yung pag work sa summer. Nakakahanga. Wala pa kasi akong experience working anywhere at all and it was nice to see my girlfriend do big girl things. It looked tiring pero Winter looked like she enjoyed it naman. Hindi ko alam kung paano niya ginawa yun because I’m not mentally prepared to work pa. My mind is still set on studying. In a way, parang naging role model ko ang girlfriend ko. Because I’d be doing it soon, too. May OJT na ako this year at hindi ko alam if kakayanin ko. 

That’s why my girlfriend is pretty cool for handling their business all throughout summer. 

Maraming nangyari this summer at kahit na nagwowork si Winter, we still had time to hang out. Kahit na naging busy si Winter, she made time to see me kahit saglit lang. Kaya nga palagi siyang nags-sleepover sa bahay namin. One, because it was convenient for her dahil malapit lang sa amin ang laundromat and two, wala din akong kasama most of the time. 

Si Daddy pa nga ang nagsasabi kay Winter na samahan ako sa bahay whenever my girlfriend was over and my parents were home. It’s nice that my parents like Winter a lot. Si Ate Irene din. She’d dote on Winter whenever she visited. 

I can’t fault them. Winter is super cute and likable. 

Sometimes I really do want to just pocket her. 

Like kanina. Nasa NB kami to buy stuff for school and she was pouting the whole time looking for her favourite pen. And (I’m never going to get tired of saying this) she really looked like a puppy when one of the staff found it for her. So adorable! 

Sabi niya kasi she’s very particular about her pens and it helps her study better kapag maganda ang sulat niya. Nanotice ko nga yan before when we would study together in the library. Her notes were really clean. Unlike sa akin na minsan hindi ko na rin mabasa ang sulat ko. Basta I have notes and as long as I can decipher what I wrote, I’m good. 

I guess since Winter does a lot of memorization, nakakatulong talaga when she rewrites the formulas. 

Our plan today was simple. After namin bumili ay maglakad-lakad lang kami sa subdivision. Gusto lang namin mag relax before we go back to school. 

I’m kind of excited to go back, actually. Kung last year, excited ako dahil kay Yuyu, this time I’m excited because of Winter. Last year ko na and knowing how busy I will be, just being able to see Winter everyday, even in passing, is enough for me. 

“Baby,” I called Winter's attention. Driving na kami pauwi, happy that we were productive sa pag-alis namin.

“Yes, baby?” she answered, not taking her eyes off of the road. 

“Ako lang ba? I’m excited to go back to school.”

Napatingin si Winter sa akin saglit and smiled at me. She squeezed my hand that was already holding hers kanina pa. “Gustong-gusto mo na ba mag-aral ulit?” Biro niya. 

“No, I just can't wait to see you everyday,” I said. And I couldn't stop the smile forming on my lips nang makita ko ang pamumula ng girlfriend ko. She gets red so easily and it's really fun to see her get flustered. 

Sa two months ng pagiging girlfriend namin, I noticed how she gets a little tongue tied minsan when I flirt with her. There have been times na muntik na akong madulas at masabi sa kanya na mahal ko siya, especially those times when she would come straight to my house after a busy day sa laundromat. 

Those times, it felt so natural to just slip it in my greeting. Whenever I would ask about her day and she gets animated sa mga stories niya, minsan napapatakip na lang ako sa bibig ko because of how much I want to tell her how proud I am of her and how much I love her.

But I didn't want to freak her out kasi feel ko parang maaga pa to tell her?

So I opted on telling her I love her in different ways. Gaya lang ng pag-alaga ko sa kanya when she would look exhausted from work. Hindi ako marunong magluto because ever since the time I almost burned the kitchen, pinagbawalan na ako ni Yuyu at ni Yuna mag try ulit. Sabi nila, three people who don't really know how to cook should not be in the kitchen together. 

But the smile on Winter's face when she sees that I have already prepared food for us kahit na binili ko lang makes me want to punch the air. Maliit lang siya na bagay but my girlfriend appreciates it.

Minsan I get ahead of myself and think about our future like that. Naeexcite ako at natatakot din at the same time kasi it's not far off in the future. I'm graduating at next year baka may work na ako while Winter will still be studying. 

“Baby,” I called her again. Namumula pa rin siya. Ang cute talaga. She hummed in response this time. “I really can't wait to see you everyday, though. Kahit saglit lang. I think seeing you will make my day.” 

“A-ako rin, baby.” I couldn't help but giggle sa pag-stutter niya. Bigla naman siyang nag pout sa akin so I lightly pinched her lips. “Sunduin kita araw-araw?”

I shook my head. “We can take turns naman, baby. Let's base it sa schedule natin. I’m going to be really busy this year at ayokong maghintay ka sa akin ng matagal.”

“Okay lang sa akin.” 

“I know, baby, thank you. Pero maging busy ka din at ayokong kunin lahat ng oras mo. What if aalis kayo ni Ning?” 

Napaisip naman siya sa sinabi ko and slowly nodded in agreement. “Okay, baby. Kapag marami kang gawin, dala na lang tayo ng separate cars? Paano pala si Ryujin? Hindi ba sabay siya sayo?”

Nakarating na kami sa bahay. Sa labas na nagpark si Winter since she's not staying overnight. Bumalik na rin kasi si Ate Marie and my parents are home too. 

“No, Yuyu has a car na, babe,” I answered her. “Her dad gave his old car na.” 

“Okay. Paano pala tayo?” 

I stopped in front of her sa driver's side ng car. Napakunot ang noo ko sa tanong niya, not understanding what she meant. “What do you mean?” 

“Sa school,” she said while taking my hand in hers as we started walking around sa subdivision. “Ganito ba tayo?” Tinaas niya ang mga kamay namin. “Or lowkey lang?” 

Napaisip ako. I would love to be all out sa relationship namin ni Winter however, nasa Catholic university pa rin kami. “Not necessarily lowkey, babe. As much as I want to hold your hand and kiss you whenever I can, parang taboo pa rin talaga to sa mga madre,” I chuckled. I’m sure aware ang mga madre sa mga nangyayari within the school. They're nuns but they aren't dumb. “We’ll be the same, baby,” I smiled and proceeded to wrap my arm around her waist. “Just not this landi, though.” 

Winter nodded her head but she looked unsure pa rin. “What are you thinking ba?” I asked further. 

“Hindi ka natatakot na malaman sa iba about sa atin?” 

I understood where my girlfriend was coming from. “Not really. They don't matter to me naman. Are you worried ba?”

I’m sure people will talk, especially since it's about me. I don't really know what I did to become the subject of their gossip each year but I’ve learned to block them out. I don't