PREPARATION
CHAPTER 33
PREPARATION
A week later.
The living room hummed with a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation. At exactly six o’clock, the Reyes family pulled into the Javier residence. They didn’t arrive empty-handed. Boxes of food and an assortment of desserts filled their arms—the universal language of goodwill.
Christine was already waiting on the porch. As they stepped out of the car, she walked forward to greet them. “Good evening, Tito and Tita. Good evening, Jane.”
The Reyes parents smiled warmly and pulled her into a hug. Jane stood behind them, making no effort to hide her excitement.
“It’s good to see you again, Christine,” Jeffrey’s mother said, her eyes briefly settling on the engagement ring sparkling on Christine’s finger.
“Good to see you too, Tita.”
Jeffrey, a step behind after carrying the food inside, caught up beside her. Without a second thought, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for welcoming us,” he murmured.
Christine smiled, slipping her hand into his. “They’re waiting inside.”
Together, they led everyone into the house.
The foyer was already bustling. Christine’s parents welcomed the Reyes family with warm handshakes before ushering everyone into the living room. As conversations began, Auntie Fe gathered the trays of food and desserts and disappeared into the kitchen with an amused smile.
For the first few minutes, the conversation stayed comfortably light. They talked about traffic, laughed over the drive, and settled into their seats. Then Christine’s father leaned back.
“So…” he said with a grin. “When’s the big day?”
Jeffrey glanced at Christine before looking back at him. “If it were entirely up to me?” His expression stayed perfectly serious. “Tomorrow.”
The room burst into laughter. Even Christine’s mother shook her head, unable to hide her smile.
Jeffrey laughed with them before becoming more thoughtful. “But realistically, we’re thinking about three months from now.” His hand found Christine’s beneath the cushion. “It gives us enough time to prepare without feeling rushed.”
Christine squeezed his hand. Three months. For weeks, the wedding had existed only as conversations and possibilities. Hearing the date spoken aloud made everything feel real. Planning quickly replaced celebration.
“Tagaytay in August,” Christine’s father said, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. “We’ll have to prepare for the weather. Rain’s always a possibility.”
Jeffrey nodded. “I’ve already started looking at venues with reliable indoor options. I’ll send everyone the details tonight so we can compare them.”
Jane looked up from her phone. “Hold on.” She set it down. “You’re all talking about logistics.” Her eyes shifted dramatically between Jeffrey and Christine. “Who’s making sure the bride doesn’t lose her mind while Kuya obsesses over lighting?”
Jeffrey laughed. “I’m just making sure everything works.”
“Exactly.” Jane pointed at Christine. “You need someone on your side.” She folded her arms. “I’m officially volunteering as Head Bridesmaid.”
Christine laughed. “I think that’s the best offer we’ve received tonight.”
“Perfect.” Jane clapped once. “Rule number one.” She looked around the room. “No horrible matching bridesmaid dresses.” Then she looked directly at Jeffrey. “You handle the technical stuff. Leave the fun to me.”
Jeffrey raised both hands in surrender. “See?” He looked at Christine. “I told you she’d take over.”
“And the guest list?” Jane continued. “We should settle that before anything else.”
Christine uncapped her pen. “We’re keeping it small.” She looked around the room. “Immediate family, close friends, and our core team. That’s it.”
“I can coordinate our side of the family,” Jeffrey’s mother offered. “If we split the list now, we should have a draft by the end of the week.”
Christine nodded. “As for suppliers, I’d like someone experienced with garden weddings. I’ve saved a few Tagaytay stylists whose work I really like.”
“I’ll handle the audiovisual setup,” Jeffrey said. “I already know people who can make everything run smoothly.”
The discussion grew more detailed. They compared caterers, talked about transportation for guests traveling from Manila, divided responsibilities between both families, and made sure no one felt left out of the preparations. By the time they finished discussing venues and guest lists, the stack of notes on the coffee table finally looked organized instead of overwhelming.
Samuel Reyes stood and brushed the front of his shirt smooth. “I think that’s enough planning for one night.” He looked around the room. “You’ve picked a date. You’ve started building a plan.” A satisfied smile crossed his face. “That’s more than enough.” He gestured toward the dining room. “Dinner’s ready. Let’s eat before everything gets cold.”
Everyone rose almost at once. The atmosphere shifted again. The planning session quietly gave way to something much simpler—two families enjoying an evening together.
Jeffrey caught Christine’s eye. Neither of them said anything. They didn’t need to. He offered his arm, and together they walked toward the dining room while Jane was already debating which dessert should be served first.
The table was covered with food, a blend of both families’ favorites.
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“Planning talk is officially banned,” Jane declared as she pulled out the chair beside Christine. “At least until dessert.” She pointed a warning finger at Jeffrey. “If I hear one more sentence about lighting, I’m confiscating your phone.”
Jeffrey laughed. “Deal.”
The dining room filled with the aroma of home-cooked Filipino dishes. Whatever formality remained from earlier disappeared as everyone settled into easy conversation.
“You really outdid yourself with the kare-kare, Aurora,” Mathilda said. “It’s delicious.”
Aurora smiled. “Thank you. But I was about to compliment your inihaw na liempo.” She laughed. “The marinade is perfect.”
“It’s actually Christine’s recipe,” Mathilda said proudly.
Jeffrey looked at Christine. “I told you.” His smile widened. “She’s amazing in the kitchen too.”
Jane scooped another spoonful of rice onto her plate. “And if she can survive Kuya’s picky eating habits, marriage should be easy.”
Laughter spread around the table. Even both fathers, busy serving food, couldn’t help smiling.
Samuel Reyes lifted his glass. “To good food.” He looked around the table. “And no wedding planning for at least the next hour.”
“To that,” Christine’s father agreed.
Glasses clinked together. The conversation drifted from recipes to childhood memories, then to stories about Jeffrey and Christine’s earliest dates. Somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like two families sitting across from one another. It simply felt like family.
Dinner eventually gave way to smaller conversations. Both fathers settled into the living room with beers in hand. Their mothers exchanged recipes in the kitchen. Jane and Auntie Fe laughed together while washing the dishes.
Outside, Jeffrey and Christine sat quietly on a wooden bench beneath the cool evening sky.
Christine rested her head against his shoulder. “I still can’t believe we’re here.” She intertwined their fingers. “Our parents are together. They’re supporting us.” She smiled. “Everything feels… right.”
Jeffrey kissed the top of her head. “‘Perfect’ is a dangerous word.”
She looked up. “Why?”
“I give it ten minutes before Jane comes outside carrying a color-coded spreadsheet.”
Christine laughed. “I wouldn’t complain.”
“If she wants to handle the florists and caterers, she’s welcome to.”
“It would definitely make our lives easier.”
“It would.” Jeffrey gently rubbed the back of her hand.
Then he looked toward the house. The windows glowed warmly against the dark garden. “You know…” His voice softened. “Looking at them in there…” He nodded toward their parents. “It finally feels real.”
Through the window, Samuel was telling another animated story while Christine’s father laughed. Inside the kitchen, their mothers stood shoulder to shoulder, completely absorbed in conversation.
“It wasn’t easy getting here,” Christine said quietly. “But I wouldn’t change anything.”
“Neither would I.” Jeffrey turned to face her. “This is only the beginning.” He smiled. “Three months of beautiful chaos.” His fingers tightened around hers. “And then the rest of our lives.”
Christine rested her hand against his cheek. “The rest of our lives.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. It wasn’t hurried. It wasn’t dramatic. Just quiet. Certain. A promise without words.
The back door suddenly swung open. Bright kitchen light spilled across the garden.
“Okay, you two!” Jane clapped loudly. “That’s enough romance.” She grinned. “The honeymoon hasn’t started yet.”
Jeffrey sighed dramatically.
“Mom wants to know if we’re taking home the leftover kare-kare,” Jane continued. “And apparently this requires an executive decision.”
Jeffrey rested his forehead briefly against Christine’s. “Duty calls.”
Christine laughed as she stood. “We’re coming.” She reached for his hand.
Together, they left the quiet garden and stepped back into the warmth, laughter, and beautiful chaos waiting inside.
They entered the house and found both families settled in the living room again.
They spent the next hour talking through the final details of the wedding, the conversation flowing easily between jokes and shared laughter. As the night grew late, the Reyes family finally started to pack up.
While his parents and Jane gathered their things and exchanged warm goodbyes, Jeffrey decided to stay behind, choosing to spend the rest of the night at the Javier house.
The front door clicked shut, the sudden quiet of the house wrapping around them like a warm, familiar blanket. After bidding her parents a final goodnight, Christine slipped her hand into Jeffrey’s and led him down the hallway toward her bedroom.
She pushed the door open, the soft, amber glow of her bedside lamp casting gentle shadows across the room. Jeffrey stepped inside behind her, but instead of settling into the small armchair in the corner like he usually did, he stayed close. The playful, easygoing energy he had carried all evening melted away, replaced by a gaze so deep and focused it made her breath catch in her throat.
He reached out, his hands finding her waist, and gently pulled her backward until she was pressed flush against his chest. The faint chill of the garden air still lingered on his shirt, mixing intoxicatingly with his familiar cologne.
"Alone at last," he whispered, his voice dropping an octave as he rested his chin on the top of her head, his arms wrapping securely around her.
Christine leaned back into his embrace, her heart hammering a sudden, rapid rhythm against her ribs. She turned in his arms, looking up into his eyes. "We have three entire months of planning ahead of us," she murmured, her lips barely a breath away from his. "It's going to be exhausting."
"It is," Jeffrey agreed, his eyes dropping to her mouth. He reached up, his thumb slowly tracing the delicate line of her jaw, sending a shiver down her spine. He leaned in, his lips brushing against hers—a slow, agonizingly tender touch that ignited a sudden, undeniable heat between them. "But tonight..." he murmured against her skin, his grip on her waist tightening as he backed her slowly toward the edge of the bed. "Tonight, the rest of the world can wait."
As he captured her lips in a kiss that erased every lingering thought of guest lists and venues, the bedroom door clicked softly shut, sealing them in their own private world. Christine closed her eyes, entirely consumed by him, realizing that the real beautiful chaos wasn't three months away—it was starting right now.
They stepped back inside to find both families gathered in the living room once more. For the next hour, they went over the remaining wedding details. The conversation drifted easily between plans, jokes, and shared laughter. As the evening grew late, the Reyes family finally began gathering their things.
While his parents and Jane exchanged warm goodbyes, Jeffrey lingered. “I think I’ll stay here tonight,” he said, glancing at Christine.
His mother smiled knowingly. “Don’t stay up too late,” she teased before the family headed out the door.
The front door clicked shut, and the house settled into a familiar quiet.
After saying goodnight to her parents, Christine slipped her hand into Jeffrey’s and led him down the hallway to her bedroom. She pushed the door open, the soft glow of the bedside lamp bathing the room in warm light. Jeffrey stepped inside behind her. Instead of taking the armchair where he usually sat, he stayed close.
Christine turned toward him. “What?”
He smiled. “Nothing.” His hands settled gently at her waist. “I just realized…” He looked at her for a long moment before finishing his thought. “We’re really doing this.”
A smile spread across Christine’s face. “We are.” She rested her hands lightly against his chest. “We have three months of planning ahead of us.”
“And probably three months of Jane reminding us about everything we forgot.”
Christine laughed. “She’s already planning half the wedding.”
“I believe it.” He brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “It’ll be exhausting.”
“It will.”
“But…” His thumb traced small circles against her waist. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Neither of them spoke for a while. They simply stood there, enjoying the quiet after an evening filled with voices and laughter. Jeffrey leaned forward and kissed her. Slow. Gentle. Unhurried.
When they finally pulled apart, he rested his forehead against hers. “For tonight,” he whispered, “the guest list can wait.”
Christine smiled. “So can the seating chart.”
He laughed softly before kissing her once more.
Outside, the house had gone still. Inside, surrounded by the warmth of the room and the certainty of what lay ahead, they allowed themselves a quiet moment together before the beautiful chaos of wedding preparations truly began.