At twenty-three, I wasn't totally naïve, although, I have yet to experience for myself what it's like to be intimate with a man. I had a boyfriend when I was fourteen. He was the son of a close family friend and I thought that he was the one. They migrated to the U.S. when we were fifteen and we were in a long-distance relationship set-up. I was eighteen when we amicably decided to part ways.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the officiating priest announced and the church broke into applause.
Ayden lifted the veil off my face and I lowered my head.
"Don't go shy on me now..." I heard him say.
I looked up.
"There's my wife..." He smiled. "Hello there, Mrs. Ynchausti..."
He gently cupped my face with both his hands. "Don't look so scared, Sweetheart..." he whispered before placing a chaste kiss on my lips.
"What was that?" I heard a man loudly ask. "Did you see how weak that kiss is?"
The guests laughed.
"Bakit kung kailan naman yata kasal na ay 'tsaka nahihiya itong si Ayden?" a middle-aged man teased.
"Give us a proper kiss!" someone said. "Pati si Fr. Gil, o, hindi satisfied," he added and even the priest laughed.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" they chanted.
"You heard them, Sweetheart," Ayden gamely said before his mouth swooped down to take possession of mine.
I did not expect his lips to be tantalizingly warm. Or soft. Or gentle. And neither did I expect my breathing to hitch nor my mouth to part under his tender coaxing.
"Sweetheart..." he said and my eyes fluttered open; I did not even realize that I had closed them. "Are you okay?" he asked smiling.
I nodded. "Yes."
The rest of what happened was a blur as the photographers took over – directing everyone where to stand or sit and how to smile.
"Mrs. Ynchausti, lift your face closer to your husband's...closer po...'yan..."
I smiled mechanically at the camera putting on a mask and praying for the day to be finally over. When it was time to take a picture with my family, I stood stiffly beside my father who looked like he was attending his daughter's funeral instead of her wedding.
"The bride's relatives, please..." Elena said and Mavis and her parents stood.
"Congratulations," my cousin said after our photo was taken. "How does it feel to marry your cousin's boyfriend?" she asked, her tone icy.
"Mavis..." Tita Gemma warned. "Not here, maraming tao. Mauna na kami sa labas. Sumunod ka kaagad."
"This will only take a minute, 'Mmy. I just want to congratulate my dear cousin properly." She smirked.
My relationship with Mavis went downhill after that disaster of a meeting with Ayden. I was initially apologetic because I felt that I somehow made it worse for her. And for weeks I took the insults she threw at me.
"Hindi ko naman sinadya, Mave—"
"Talaga? Hindi mo sinadya? Halata namang pilit 'yung pag-hesitate mo n'ung tinanong ka ni Ayden kung nagsisinungaling ba ako o hindi! I can see behind the act!"
"Mave—"
"Alam kong matagal ka nang naiinggit sa akin, Aiyla! Alam ko na lahat ng meron ako ay gusto mong meron ka rin! I am sure you were looking for a way to come between me and Ayden and when you found the opportunity, you grabbed it!"
