Chapter One
Names exchanged, smiles shared, and then back to the flow of new faces in the crowd in the first week of university They started off with conversations that linger in your mind long after it’s over, replaying the easy laughter, the subtle spark. They didn’t know it then, but their meeting was the first page of a story that would span years. A story of two people who were about to know each other unlike anyone else ever would.
Later, in his single bed, there was no semblance of space. Here their knees touched, the front of their calves colliding here and there and lingering for a second too long when they laughed. Of all the nights they had fallen asleep together, they drifted into it after hours of talking. That night would be different. “Are you ever going to kiss me?” She said.
A month passed, full of the small moments that weave together to create big memories. “What’s your favorite____?” “Do you like ____?” “ I hate _____” “I have a story like that too!” Learning as much as they could about each other, devouring a book they couldn’t put down. Between the laughter and stories, there were quieter moments moments where unspoken words hovered in the air, three little words on the tip of their tongues that they both held onto tightly. Then, one night, she finally let them out, a breath she’d been holding for what felt like forever She whispered the words and without hesitation, he said them back. The three words they’d say to each other every day for the next seven years.
Her birthday arrived, and they spent it exploring his city. They walked along a bridge, the same one he had stood on just a few months earlier, contemplating which school he should attend, which path he should take. He had chosen the path that led him to her. When they returned to that same bridge five years later, neither of them could have imagined what it would mean for them.
Then it was summer, the first of several that they would spend apart after months of days and nights together. Longing for that same closeness was hard, but they put in the effort phone calls, texts, late-night whispers across miles, train rides and making time. By the time they reunited, it was as though no time had passed at all.
In September, it was his turn to celebrate. Though he didn’t make much fuss over his birthday, she made it clear that this day was important she was going to celebrate him. They spent the day ice skating, laughing as they clumsily navigated the rink and shared secret moments in a photo booth, capturing memories in strips of film. It was a simple day, yet unforgettable, a reminder that even the smallest moments with each other felt like home.
Chapter Two
One year passed and as promised, they celebrated at a restaurant close to their heart, eating food that made their bellies swell as much as their love had over the year. He arrived with yellow roses, a gift he’d give her time and time again (despite being allergic to flowers himself).
That second year would see them get even closer through difficult and more vulnerable times. After getting unwell on a night out, she held him close as he threw up and sat with him through the night, soothing his anxious and drunken thoughts until he dozed off. She had kept to herself more and more that year, feeling out of place and scared of missing out, and he helped her through it with quiet patience. When he had a front row seat to the reality of what family life had been for her, he held her tightly, understood and listened as she wept. He gave her the comfort of family that she wasn’t used to. They learned to argue without fightingnot a single voice ever raised, They learned not to shut down and to accept when the other had and to wait. They became familiar with each other’s moods, worked things through as a team and understood how love and patience can be best friends.
And yet, there were so many moments of joy. Milestones and shared experiences. His first taste of Jollibee, their first time at Winter Wonderland (drinking the best but most overpriced hot chocolate), the joy of him becoming an uncle. She landed her first summer internship, a moment of pride they both celebrated, his support never forgotten. They rang in their first New Year’s Eve together, holding each other close as fireworks lit up the sky.
They found new ways to be intimate, not just physically but emotionally, and their bond deepened in every small gesture, every shared secret. Their first trip together, to the beach during a terrible heatwave, an unfinished watch of back to the future and the journey home from hell, would be the first of many they would have discovering the world together.
Chapter Three
In their third year together, the world seemed to stop. Time slowed, distance grew, and they faced a test they never expected. But they fought through it together. That year they grew not just in themselves as people, but also into people who still loved each other, and perhaps more significantly, into people who could still be together.
The star shot through And I wished for you
Even then I knew We would see this through
When we first met I didn’t know it yet I’d fall in love with my best friend TV nights
In my college room
You loved the smell of my rose perfume
We’d talk til three Laughing all night long
My head on your shoulder
Singing all our songs
My heart’s in your hands
Have yours in mine I promise I will never leave your side You’re everything I need And i know you’re meant for me Oh i’ll never outgrow you
You’re my peace
Summer drought Watered doubts Promises
Reassurances
6 months apart No distance in our hearts
You’re everything I need I know you’re meant for me you’re my peace
- Peace, written by her in 2020
I know it's meant to be my special day today, but honestly it would be nothing without you so I want to make it your special day as well. Thank you for everything, you really do mean the world to me and make everyday just that much more special and worth going through. Speaking to you daily is amazing and I look forward to it everytime, trust me. I can't wait to see you soon and hug you and hold you and have you all to myself. Hopefully all the struggles we've been going through fizzles away the day we see each other and all the pain we felt brought us closer together. I know no matter what we go though, we'll make it out the other side so much stronger and closer. Miss you loads and love you even more. Hope this makes your morning and your day! ��
- 3/9/2021 04:33 message from him
Again babe i am really sorry. I hate making you upset. You deserve alot better. You're honeslty the best person ever, and mean the most to me. Im going to treat you like the queen you are and make sure i give you 100. I love you loads babe ����
- 31/8/2021 message from him
No matter what we can always get through things maturely and lovingly No matter how many time’s I feel like I’ve driven him away or how scared I am that he’ll give up on me and he always fights me on it and shows me that he won’t. He can’t get rid of me that easily hehe
- A note she wrote, 19/6/2021
Chapter Four
Their third anniversary was spent on a cold, empty field. It was unplanned, yet perhaps one of their most memorable, intimate, and vulnerable moments. The simple closeness of just being together—lying on the cold, damp grass, snuggled for warmth, gazing at the sky, talking and having fun.
That Halloween, though stuck at home, they still celebrated together—a testament to how they always made the effort to find joy in every situation. They had a knack for seeing the brighter side, for lifting each other’s spirits. With her no longer at university, they spent more time apart than before, but they made the effort to call, text, and visit. It became an important transition for the years ahead when stretches of days, nights, and weeks side by side would no longer be the norm. As Christmas approached, they put up a tree together for the first time—a tradition she was so happy to share with him.
Summer arrived in the blink of an eye, and they began celebrating the milestones of the past four years. A weekend in Nottingham with friends, almost four years together, and they were like teenagers again—sneaking secret kisses against the wall. They cheered each other on as they crossed the stage to collect their diplomas, proud of the years of hard work, late nights, and the support they had given one another. Together, they said goodbye to the place where they met and fell in love—their second home, filled with memories of life, friends, and each other.
They said hello to Rocky and to the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.
Chapter Five
Leading up to their 4 year anniversary, they had a long overdue and much needed conversation about the future and where she stood with his family.
Her: :I will always be working for us to have what we want to have Him:: I can tell you now I will fight for you I won’t just end things straight away Of course I will always be by your side and fight for you you’re such a good thing in my life I’m not gonna let it go just because my parents said so It’s my life I will do want I want. I would fight for you.
For their anniversary, he gave her the sweetest gift: matching necklaces, two halves of a heart that fit together perfectly. In return, she gifted him a promise ring engraved with the lyrics “this love that’s more than love,” which they would hear live in just a few months. On her birthday, he gave her a promise ring in return, reaffirming his earlier vow—that he would always work at their relationship and fight for her
When New Year's Eve came around, and she was stuck in her room with COVID, he made sure to ring in the new year with her over the phone. As the clock struck midnight, he promised, “It’s going to be a great year We’ll both get good jobs, life will be good, and whatever struggles come our way, we’ll get through them.” And so it was.
A few months later, they travelled to Málaga, marking the start of a whirlwind year of adventures. On their last night there, he cared for her when she got sick and navigated a stressful taxi ride back to the airport, counting the last of their change in hushed whispers. Soon after, they shared a weekend away in Porto—their first trip abroad, just the two of them. They felt like royalty in hotel robes, discovered shrimp pastries at the grocery store, splashed in the pool, and marvelled at the city’s views. Weeks later, they visited the city of love—Paris. They realised they didn’t care much for French food but could spend an entire day wandering the Louvre, talking about the art they saw.
That year wasn’t just about travel; it was a milestone in their lives. They both landed their first big jobs—he as a data engineer at one of the world’s largest companies, and she as a digital communications officer for a refugee charity. As always, they were each other’s biggest cheerleaders, celebrating every win, big or small, and supporting each other through every step of the way
Chapter Six
They reached an incredible milestone—five years of loving each other, growing together, and being the best of friends. To celebrate, they made a long-held dream come true with a trip to see the aurora borealis. They walked along glaciers, shared a surprise visit to the Sky Lagoon overlooking the sea (and braved the shockingly cold plunge together), scootered through the streets chasing the Northern Lights, and tried classic Icelandic fish soup, which they knew they had to recreate at home.
For his birthday, she gave him the experience of being a cheetah keeper for an hour, getting up close with his favourite animal. For her birthday, he made her feel like a queen, spending the day with her to find the perfect pair of boots she had wanted for years.
Later that year, he experienced his first Filipino Christmas, taking it all in stride—even when his face got pushed into a plate of flour—and they, of course, became charade champions. She couldn’t wait for all the Christmases to come, imagining their future family and the traditions they would build together
When Valentine’s Day arrived, he surprised her with a stunning bouquet of red roses—completely unexpected and deeply appreciated. In return, she gave him a different kind of bouquet—a selection of flapjacks—which he loved just as much.
That year was marked by learning to navigate adult life separately and together, knowing the other was always there to lean on. They were each other’s home base, a place to return to amidst new routines, faces, and challenges. That summer had been a particularly difficult one for her, filled with sadness, anxiety, and sleepless nights. He was by her side, always patient, and when he could only do so much, he gently helped her take the step to seek help again. She found comfort in knowing he never saw her emotional depth as a weakness and hoped it wouldn’t make him love her any less. She was endlessly grateful for his unwavering support and patience—one of the qualities she admired most in him—and she promised herself she’d never take it for granted.
When their seventh year began, neither of them had any idea of what was to come. The changes they’d go through and milestones they were about to reach.
When she was ill for a month, he took care of her when he could and offered comfort when they were apart. When life threw a curveball at her and she lost her job, he travelled back to be with her the very same day, even though he had just left two nights before. He let her cry, asked her what she needed at that moment and made sure to give it to her. He was the voice telling her she’ll be okay when her own voice gave into her fears. Three weeks after, she bagged a new role and life kept moving and moving and moving. He went on a work trip to Bangalore, which ended up leading him to an opportunity he didn’t expect to come yet. Her mum became ill and had to be taken to the hospital. He came straight to her when he returned and supported her again as life threw another thing at her. Her mum got better, she started a new role and he decided to take on a new one, with the assurance that the choices he made would be for them and her, not over her She hoped he knew she was so proud of him. After years of dreaming of a life together, waiting for some day that was right for them to finally move in, some day arrived. In just a few weeks, they had decided to really look for a place, found one and moved in. After years of university housing, sleepovers, hotel stays, and saying “see you soon”, they could finally say “see you at home.”
Three months later, it was finally time for her to meet his family. When she did, they opened her with welcome arms and it made her feel silly for spending so many years anxious about them not accepting her. She couldn’t be more thankful for their graciousness, and for him fighting for her and their relationship bit by bit throughout the years.
Now, they are enjoying life together the way they’d hope to for so long. With their own space, saying goodnight and sleeping together every night instead of over the phone, running to the door to greet the other as they come home, cooking together, cleaning together, rotting on the sofa together, brushing their teeth together, and still making time for cuddles. As they step into their next year together all she can hope for is more. More time, more love, more growth, more laughter, more making up, more making out, more help throughout the hard times, more celebrations, more patience, more milestones, more ordinary days, more trips, more history, more to the story
(They also saw Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour!!!!!)
When she fell ill for a month, he cared for her when he could and offered comfort from afar when he couldn’t. Then, life threw her a curveball—she lost her job. He returned to be with her the very same day, even though he had just left two nights earlier He let her cry, asked what she needed in that moment, and made sure to give it to her. He was the voice telling her she’ll be okay when her own voice gave into her fears. Three weeks later, she landed a new job, and life kept moving, as it always does. He went on a work trip to Bangalore, which opened doors he hadn’t expected yet. Then, her mum fell ill and had to be taken to the hospital. When he returned, he was right by her side again, supporting her through yet another challenge. Her mum recovered, she settled into her new role, and he took on a new position, assuring her that every decision he made was for them—never over her She hoped he knew just how proud of him she was.
After years of dreaming about a life together and waiting for the right time, that "someday" finally arrived. Within a few weeks, they decided to search for a place, found one, and moved in together. After years of university housing, sleepovers, hotel stays, and countless "see you soons," they could finally say, “See you at home.”
Three months later, it was time for her to meet his family. Her years of anxiety melted away when they welcomed her with open arms, making her feel silly for ever worrying they wouldn’t accept her. She couldn’t be more grateful—for their kindness and for him, who fought for her and their relationship every step of the way.
Now, they are living the life they had long hoped for—sharing their own space, saying goodnight and falling asleep together instead of over the phone, rushing to greet each other at the door, cooking and cleaning side by side, rotting on the sofa together, brushing their teeth together, and still always making time for cuddles. As they step into the next year, all she hopes for is more. More time, more love, more growth, more laughter, more making up and making out, more help through the hard times, more celebrations, more patience, more milestones, more ordinary days, more trips, more history—more to their story.
(And, they saw Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour!!!)