“You really like him, don’t you?” Kira asked, and Nessie nodded. “Then show him.”
“Hay, hija.” Ate Nessie squeezed her hand. “You know, you really have a gift for this.”
“I know.” Kira smiled at Ate Nessie. “Thanks, Ate Ness.”
By the time Nessie and Kira went back to the party, someone was playing Christmas music over the speakers, and some of the adults were now dancing in the gazebo/village center. Even Kamilla was dancing.
The cochinillo was brought out (“why is the lechon sosmall?” gasped a tita), as well as Pancit Malabon (“isn’t that for birthdays only?” a different tita scoffed) and twelve different round fruits were on display for luck and prosperity (“isn’t that for Chinese New Year? That isn’t until February!” said another). Kira was wearing polka dots under her sukajan, was ready to jump up and down when the clock struck midnight, and took care that nobody swept in case they swept away bad luck.
In the distance, Kira spotted Alfred and Mikaela sitting in the swings together, their hands clasped and smiling softly as across them Mikaela’s parents watched the fireworks. Things seemed good there, too.
She was surrounded by family and friends, good music and fireworks.
Everything was perfect, and yet she knew someone was missing. Someone should be here, next to her, ringing in the New Year, saying goodbye to the old. She sighed deeply. Santi hadn’t called, or texted again. And she didn’t want to be the one to ask him to come, because he’d been so worried about his grandfather when he left.
Oh well. There was always next year.
“Tita?” Cassie asked beside her, holding a sparkler away from them both. “Is everything okay?”
“Meh,” she admitted, ruffling her niece’s hair without messing up her French braids. “But I’m sure it will be.”
It was about a minute to midnight, the last minute of the year. And Kira figured she might as well spend that last minute a little more hopeful. Was that a New Year’s resolution?
And just like that,everythinghappened.
First, the trompillo was lit up, and everyone immediately cheered, clapping, blowing torotots and other manner of noisemakers at it. Kiko had built an impressive frame for the large firework, a brilliant, whirling display of orange, then yellow and white sparks, spinning faster and faster until it ran out of steam.
A few seconds after that, there was a squeak of surprise as Tita Vilma and some of the village titas saw Ate Nessie grabbing Mang Roldan by the shirt collar and tiptoeing to give him a very spicy New Year’s kiss. They looked really sweet, and there was nothing but love in both their eyes as they touched each other’s cheeks. Mang Roldan looked slightly flushed, but incredibly happy at this particular turn of events. Then he dipped her low and kissed her again. So cute.
And a few seconds after that, just as the smoke from the trompillo started to clear, Kira saw someone marching through the haze. She narrowed her eyes at the figure, trying to see better. But there was something familiar in the way he walked—no, wait. The way he strode across the lawn, his hands in the pockets of his jacket, his button-down shirt slightly open, and the most determined look on his face. Kira gasped.
She’d seenPride and Prejudiceenough times to know exactly what was going to happen.
“Cass,” she said weakly, needing to somehow confirm that this wasn’t a dream, but her niece had already gone off to somewhere else, presumably to give her parents her midnight kiss, because everyone around them was counting down already, and Anton Manansala V. Santillan was...
He wasstriding, with supreme confidence that he knew exactly what he was doing. His gaze was fixed on her, anchoring on her, even when he seemed to be having a hard time looking through the haze as well. But their eyes met, and his face softened, the knit in his brow smoothing slightly as a tiny smile played on the corners of his lips. A smile that was just for her.
Kira’s heart swelled. It might have burst already, might have become a puddle on the ground or a thousand glitter particles exploding inside her chest, she didn’t know. All she knew was that he was here, that they were together at midnight, and she couldn’t have asked for anything more.
“Kira?” Santi asked when he walked up to her, his stride confident as ever, even if he was squinting just a little bit.
“Santi,” she said, squeezing his hands after he’d reached for hers. “You’re here.”
“I’m here,” he said, and there was a tightness to his voice that she couldn’t identify. Was it the smoke? The cold? Emotion? “And I would rather be here than anywhere else.”
As far as romantic declarations went, this was definitely one for the books. A story to tell the grandkids while they watchedPride and Prejudicefor the twenty thousandth time. Kira tiptoed and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, and he was warm and comfortable, smelled clean and crisp.
But most importantly, he was here, and made her heart feel too big to contain in her chest.
She kissed him, and it felt like a promise. It made up for all the New Year’s they missed, all the time they lost. It promised better days ahead, even when the bad ones came.
“We need to talk,” she finally said, pressing her forehead against his chest, sighing.
“I know. Business things.”
“Other things.” Kira shook her head.
“Okay,” Santi said gently, lifting her chin. “Like I said, I’m here. Anything you need.”
