That Night, Miguel Returns Home—and Brings a Truth That Will Change Everything…

That night, it was ten o’clock in the evening , the streets of Quezon City were quiet . The street lights seemed tired, and tricycles rarely passed by. Miguel carefully opened the door of the house, took off his shoes as if not wanting to make any noise. He went to their son Jared ‘s room , and kissed his forehead. He hadn’t done that in a long time.

In the living room, he saw Rina , his wife, sitting there. She was quietly folding clothes. Hearing her footsteps, Rina asked:

“Have you eaten yet?”

Miguel didn’t answer right away.
He looked away.

“We need to talk about something.”

Rina was silent. She stood up, arranged the folded clothes, and moved to the sofa in front of her husband .

Sometimes, there are nights when you can’t sleep — not because your body is tired, but because of the unanswered questions that scratch at your chest.

And that night, Miguel broke the silence:

“Rina… let’s stop this.”

Rina wasn’t surprised.
She knew something was coming.
But she didn’t think it would reach this point.

“Why?” he asked.

“We don’t have love anymore,” Miguel looked away.
“It’s just duty. Ten years… a lot has changed.”

And he brought out the annulment papers . It was already signed.

He left and went into the study room. Rina, staying on the sofa for a while, then got up and went into her son’s room. She lay down next to Jared, and that same night — in the silence of the room — she cried inaudibly , lest she wake up their son who was sleeping peacefully.

The Secret Reason

In the other room, Miguel sat there, stunned.
Unable to read.
All he could think about was Trisha , the woman who was younger, newer, and felt more alive whenever he was with her.

Yes, he loved Rina back then.
But the years of being married, of repeated exhaustion, of enduring, and of being “parents” instead of “lovers” — slowly turned off the heat.
Trisha was a reminder of his youth.
Of joy.
Of “second chances.”

And now, he thought he was ready to leave everything behind.

The One Request

The next day, in the kitchen, while breakfast was quiet, Rina handed over the annulment papers — already torn.

“I agree to let you go,” he said softly.
“But I have one request.”

Miguel looked up.

“A month from now, Jared has a competition — National Academic Challenge. It’s his dream. I don’t want it to affect him. So I’m asking you, for a month, to pretend that we’re still whole. Do your part as a husband, as a father. For the last time.”

Miguel didn’t know what was heavier — the fact that he didn’t know something about his son, or Rina’s silence while she said that.

Trisha’s Secret

That same night, Miguel stopped by Trisha’s house. He told her what happened.

But Trisha’s answer was cold:

“Your husband is also smart. But that’s only for a month. After that, you’ll live here. I don’t want a rented apartment, okay? The house should be mine.”

Miguel smiled, but not like before .

For the first time, it was no longer pleasant to listen to Trisha’s words .

The List

When he got home, he saw a piece of paper on the study table.
He knew the handwriting very well.

“Things I Want to Do with You in a Month Before We Break Up Forever”

Written on the list:

Eat at the cafeteria you used to go to in college

Watch a movie with Jared

Walk along the Manila Bay baywalk, holding hands

Take a picture of three.

Fly a kite at the UP Sunken Garden

Read a bedtime story every night

Simple things.
But it’s painful to read — because these are the things he himself promised.

Which he did not fulfill.

And then, his heart began to flutter. Not because of gratitude.
But because… he was sorry.

Every Day, An Awakening

And when they started fulfilling the “list,” at first it was like a script. An actor’s actions. No emotion.

But with every laugh from Jared,
with every smile from Rina,
with every reminder of their past…

The pulse of emotion is returning.

Until one night, while sitting together on the veranda, Rina held a jar of gingerbread.

“You still did it,” Miguel said.
“Your stomach is hot at night,” Rina replied, her voice weak.

Miguel stopped.
He had forgotten that habit of his — but Rina, not.

The Acceptance

One Saturday, Rina invited them to visit Miguel’s parents in Nueva Ecija .

“Do you really want to go?” he asked.
“Of course. You’re still their child, no matter what.”

He didn’t answer.
The entire trip, he was silent — holding Jared’s hand.

When he arrived in the province, his mother almost cried.
No questions, no sermons. Just hugs.

And there, at his own family’s table, Miguel felt the warmth he had long forgotten.

The Last Night

A week before the end of “one month,”
they took a family picture — at Luneta.

In that photo, Jared is smiling with his teeth showing, Rina is wearing a yellow dress, and Miguel is hugging them both.
Simple. But complete .

It was the night of their anniversary — ten years of marriage.

Miguel quietly approached Rina,
carrying two glasses of wine.

“Did you know today is our anniversary?”

Rina nodded.

“I know.”

“Forgive me… everyone.”

Rina was silent, before finally speaking.

“I know about Trisha.”
“The woman feels it. I just didn’t know it would reach the point of giving up.”

“But I accepted this one month — not for us.
For Jared. So he could remember, at least for a moment, that we were whole.”

And at that point, Miguel finally gave up.

Re-election

A week later, they brought Jared to his competition.
He was wearing his ID and ribbon, smiling, sure.

“I can do this! I have a family that supports me!”

And as they watched him leave, Rina and Miguel looked at each other.

And they know — there are things that, when it’s not too late, you should choose again.

A Life Chosen Again

It’s March.
There’s a smell of rice coming from the kitchen.
Jared is in the living room, studying.
Rina is chopping vegetables.

Next to the trash bin, an old annulment paper, torn.

Miguel came closer, hugging Rina from behind.

“You know, I would like to make a new list.”

“List of what?”

“Of the 100 things I want to do —
not in a month,
but for life.
With you. ”