One More Chance by Jaycelle Rodriguez

Chapter 173: Life and its surprises

Two weeks...

It has been two weeks since Luke cto talk toand it has also been two weeks since | started to wonder

where he is now. | wonder how he resolves the mess and what he plans to do to resolve it.

I missed him, but it was so hard to give your trust again after how many times it has been broken and you felt

disappointed. Many people will tell you if you love someone, you should accept them for who they are and

should love all their flaws... weaknesses... imperfections.

Yes, | love him but the question is not how much I love him or how much love | can give him, but how many

times should | have to be broken just to be with him?

My mind and heart were simultaneously yelling atto stop and go on at the stime. While my mind kept

screaming atto stop as the sthing always happen over and over again... I'll forgive him now, but he will

do it again on the next day, my heart kept knawingto hold on and give him another chance.

Somehow | realized how tiring it was, how emotionally, physically, and mentally draining our situation and

relationship at the moment, and wonder if we could still have a happy ending after all this.

"Whew!"

| closed my eyes as | sighed and leaned back against the metal bench. | decided to get out of my suffocating

room and ran to the park to get sfresh air and lose myself a bit.

| was in that situation when suddenly | felt the sun was blocked in front ofor should I say there was someone

who intentionally blocked it. | frowned and opened my eyes ready to snap at whoever that someone was only to

be surprised when | saw a very familiar man standing in front of me.

A smile curled up against my lips as | immediately recognized him.

"David!" | exclaimed, straightening my seat as | stared at him.

"Sam," he greeted back with a smile.

"Oh, my--- how are you?" | asked him, couldn't contain the emotions flowing through my heart at the moment.

"I should ask you the same. Uhm... may I?"

"Sure!" | nodded with a smile as he referred to the empty space next to me.

And in that short moment, as | waited for him to sit down, | got the chance to study what had changed in him.

"Well, I'm fine," I replied, "How about you? How long has it been since... you know?"

"Hmm... more than two years | guess," He shrugged. "And I'm getting married,"

"Whoa!" my head automatically snapped in his direction upon hearing those words. He even showedthe ring

on his finger which madegasp in surprise. "Wow! Congratulations, David, I'm happy for you!"

If you're askingif | really feel happy knowing he would be tied now to another woman, well, the answer is

yes. I'm happy for him as he finally found the one who is truly meant for him... someone who would love him and

be next to him in sickness and in health. | have no regrets or bitterness towards the idea because it's been a

long tsince | realized he wasn't for me, neither was | for him...we weren't for each other.

"Thanks, Sam,"

| even witnessed the spark in his eyes as he stared at the ring on his finger.

"So, who is the lucky girl? Do | know her?"

"I guess not, | don't think you know her. She's my new assistant,"

"Ohh... so you got a new assistant," | slowly nodded.

"Yeah, she has been working withat the hospital for almost a year when | realized my feelings for her."

"Wow! | don't know how to describe my happiness right now to see you smiling like that and finally found the

one." His grin widened as he shrugged.

"By the way, what are you doing here in LA? Are you on a vacation or something?"

"No, I'm not here for a vacation, I'm here to attend a seminar,"

"Hmm... | see,"

"How about you? Why are you here at the park alone? Where is Cali? I'm sure she's all grown up now,"

"Yeah and guess what, she already knows what the word crush means!" | chuckled, rolling my eyes.

"Oh, yeah?" he chuckled at the stime.

But then silence stretched between us after a few seconds.

"So, how are you, Sam? Why are you sitting here alone?" he asked seriously, breaking the silence and

emphasizing the last word.

A sigh escaped my lips before answering him.

"Well, escaping the reality and hiding from the confusion that bothers me," | replied with a shrug.

"Whoa! Your words are---"

"Too deep?" | interrupted him and continued what he was about to say.

"Yeah, kinda," he stared at me. "Is it about Luke, your ex-husband?"

I nodded.

"Why, what happened?"

| bit my lip as | looked at him with a bit of embarrassment.

"I'm sorry if I'm getting nosy, it's okay if you can't tell me,"

"Nope, you're not it's just that..." | paused, reading his expression. "Wouldn't be awkward to tell you my personal

problems because you know---"

"Of course, not! Sam, it's fine with me, besides, we somehow becfriends back then, right?"

A smile formed on my lips as | nodded at him.

"Yes, of course!"

"You can trust me,"

"Well... Uhm... how do I start this? Uhm..."

And right then and there, | started telling him what happened in the last two years, and in my relationship with

Luke that we ended up grabbing ssnacks and a cup of coffee from the nearest cafe.

"You don't have to be confused," he said soon after we went back and sat down on the sbench we sat on

earlier.

"Why do you think so?" | asked as | sipped my coffee.

"Because | believe he loves you. He loves you and he's ready to prove that what happened while he was away

was all lies."

"But..."

"I don't blyou for feeling that way, Sam because | believe | would feel the sway if | were in your

situation. I'm sure I'll also think that maybe he really is cheating again because he's done it before and it's not

surprising that he might do it again now but..." He paused, emphasizing the word 'but' in the end.

"But based on what you said, he would do anything to prove to you that those weren't real and that he would be

next to you whether you liked it or not... even if you wanted him away, he would stay. And maybe that's one

reason enough to keep your relationship going and give him another chance. Also, you said you've known him

almost half your life, so why not give him the benefit of the doubt?"

| bit my lower lip as | let out another sigh and then looked at him with a smile.

"Who would have thought that after all these years and after what happened between us, we will meet again

and be able to talk like this?"

"Yeah, | agree, but that's life," he shrugged.

"Uhuh, that's life and its surprises,"

And we continued to talk and share experiences for the past two years as if nothing had happened between us

and like we were really meant to meet today. There's so much that has changed but that sfeeling that | get

while talking to him... the one without awkwardness and feeling at ease, that's what hasn't changed.