Then, Now, and Ever After

I'm Not Going To Fail You This Time

After giving the password to Ate Gail, they went through several more challenges and puzzles: they had to score the number of baskets on the court according to a clue written on the wall (Aina scored five baskets, not even missing once), sort through dirty laundry to get clues, then swim the number of laps in the pool as indicated in the clue given by Kuya Gibby.

She had told him that sometimes there were challenges that took place in the pool, so they were both prepared. Or so she thought. She had gone first, and had finished her turn quickly because she had always been a good swimmer, but when she surfaced to tag him for his turn, she suddenly swallowed water, and she had to pause for a moment to cough it out. Because even though she was prepared for this challenge, she wasn't prepared for the sight of him without a shirt.

When he noticed her coughing, he jumped into the water. "Hey, are you okay?" He reached out for her, wrapping his arms around her shoulder as he pulled her to the edge of the pool.

"I—I'm okay," she coughed out, and waved him away, because God, was his nearness and all that corded muscle on him distracting. "Go on with your turn. Doc Nina's team might overtake us."

With one last concerned glance at her, he nodded, and went on his way. His strong arms propelled him through the water with ease (No Aina stop staring she had to scream at herself), and he finished his lap in no time.

They dried themselves off, and after Kuya Gibby gave them his clue ("Zeo Bag –ah! Gazebo!"), they ran outside again, to the gazebo, where Aina had found the final clue in a box underneath one of the stone benches. They both quickly read what was scribbled on the paper:

The golden sea its mirror spreads

Beneath the golden skies,

And but a narrow strip between

Of earth and shadow lies.

So when for me life's latest hour

Soft passes to its end,

May glory born of earth and heaven

The earth and heaven blend**;

And the following:

2 1 3 4 11 18 29

-1

"I think I've read this poem before," Maki said. "I forgot who wrote it. But it sounds like it's describing a sunset, don't you think?"

Aina nodded. "It seems so. So we have to go the side of the complex that faces the sunset."

"Our side of the building, right?" Maki said. There it was again, that flutter in her traitor heart when he said the word our. Their units were on the sunset side of the building, something that she had actually considered when she was deciding which unit to rent. "And the other numbers look like a sequence, and there's a missing number..."

"7," Aina said. "Right?"

"That's right," Maki said. "And -1, so we have to go to the 6th floor. And you can see the sunset in..."

"The gym!" they shouted in unison.

They ran to the elevator, only to find that both were occupied, and still several floors away. Aina saw one of the participants run up to the fire escape stairs.

"The stairs would be faster," Aina said, taking his hand and pulling him towards the stairs. "You okay using them instead of elevator?"

Maki nodded. "Let's go."

They ran up the fire escape, hastily catching up to the other participants. At the end of the hallway, they easily outran the other teams, except for one last team: Sam and Dr. Nina, again. They were only a few more paces away from them.

Maki's grip on her hand tightened, and that was when she realized they were still holding hands.

"Come on, Aina," he huffed. "On the count of three, we're going to sprint, okay?"

Aina nodded.

"And I promise," he said, "I'm not going to fail you this time."

"What do you mean—"

"One—two—three—"

Together they ran in a burst of speed, and overtook Sam's team. They reached the gym, and with a grin at each other, closed the door after them.

On the counter of the gym rested a huge chocolate egg wrapped in gold foil: the Golden Easter Egg.

"We did it!" Aina threw his arms around him in a hug, at the same time he wrapped his own arms around her. He lifted her off her feet and spun her around, and she held on to him in surprise, laughing by his ear. When he set her down, she was still giddy from excitement.

"We won," Aina said. "Risa will be so happy. We reclaimed the crown!"

She lifted the Golden Egg from the counter, just as she heard the door to the gym open. Under the egg was a small piece of paper, folded into two. Curiously, she opened it, and read what was written there.

She looked up at Maki.

"Surprise," he said, smiling at her.

Behind him were Mrs. Han, Ji An, Kuya Gibby, and some of the other participants of the Easter Egg Hunt. Mrs. Han was holding up a banner that said in bold, bright red letters:

Happy Birthday Aina!

Aina finally remembered what happened on this exact same day, 23 years ago.

**From "The Golden Sunset" by Samuel Longfellow.