As we drive off, I tell him, “This has been amazing, Marlon.”
But he simply replies, “The day isn’t over yet.”
And he’s right. After a brief drive, we stop at a parking lot, with a sign indicating that there’s a lookout point ahead.
I can’t believe Marlon still has more to this day, when it’s already beyond anything I ever could’ve imagined. Yet, even as I voice this to him, he hushes me once more.
Taking my hand, he leads me through a winding path that my dress is entirely unbuilt for, but thankfully I opted to wear white sneakers today. Eventually, the trees fall away, and a brief clearing reveals the cliff overlooking the Blue Mountains.
Golden hour has settled over the canopy of trees that creates an endless sea of green, the setting sun casting a stunningblanket of orange, reds and pinks. The sky is a canvas, the sun it’s painter, and streaks of gold grace my vision.
It feels, right now, like the entire world is at our fingertips, bowing to us.
“Wow,” I whisper, drinking in the sight.
“Right?” Marlon murmurs. We both sit in silence, hypnotized by the sun’s spell.
“It’s so beautiful.”
“I know.”
I turn to Marlon, and realise he’s not looking at the sunset.
He’s looking at me.
My lips part, then close.
That’s when he holds out his hand. My brows shoot up in question.
“Um?”
“Take my hand for God’s sake, and dance with me, Garcia.”
“I - what?”
On his phone, he briefly types something, and within seconds, that familiar melodic guitar riff, the one I’d fallen in love with when I first heard it weeks ago with Marlon, begins to play.
Pasilyo.
“You never had someone to dance with, remember?” he wraps his fingers around mine, and pulls me toward him, “But I’m here now.”
Marlon’s hands trail down my ribs, locking onto my waist. He pulls me closer. I don’t know what to do with my hands, where to put them.
“Around my neck, Garcia, comeon,” he says, his tone an affectionate tease, “I didn’t ask you to wear your prettiest dress for nothing.”
I breathe in sharply, as I comply. He’s taller than me, almost a foot taller, so my arms have to stretch a little. He bends a little, his lips pulled into a glowing smile.
I want to look away from his eyes, but I’m locked on them, under a spell.
The gentle, mellow voice of SunKissed Lola begins, immersing us instantly.
Gently, Marlon begins to sway our bodies. His feet move forward, and I follow. I accidentally step on his foot once, and then again, but he just laughs and I laugh too.
Unlike what I thought, I actually get the hang of this slow dance quickly. Unconsciously, my arms tighten around his neck as I grow more confident, more sure of my movements.
The song’s steady drum beat makes it easy for me to sway in a gentle rhythm.
I pull us closer, resting my chin atop his shoulder, and smile, as the song rushes over us.
