almost, always | If I had Stayed
@coupslovre
Cyrus’ POV
“Next event! The Parents’ Sack Race! Partner kayo ng asawa o fiancé ninyo!”
Of course. Out of all the games, it had to be that.
Beside me, Joy froze, then laughed under his breath. That quiet, nervous laugh he does when he’s pretending something doesn’t bother him.
“Ang galing, no? Partner agad tayo,” he said, tone light but his eyes flicked away from mine.
I raised an eyebrow. “You sound like you’re regretting it already.”
“Medyo kinakabahan lang,” he admitted, adjusting the sack in his hands. “Last time I joined this, I fell flat on my face.”
“Then good thing you’ve got me now.”
He rolled his eyes, but there was a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. I’d seen that smile a thousand times before, back when he’d try to hide that he was happy, and fail miserably.
From the sidelines, Lia’s little voice cut through the noise.
“Teacher Joy! Tito Cyrus! Fighting po!!!!”
We both turned our heads at the same time.
And for a moment, just a small one, it felt like time slowed down. Her bright smile, his soft laugh, the way his gaze lingered on mine longer than it should’ve.
Joy cleared his throat and stepped inside the sack first. “Come here na, Cy. Baka magbago pa ang isip ko.”
I followed, sliding in beside him. The space was too small. Our shoulders brushed, his arm pressed against mine and I could feel the warmth of his skin even through the fabric.
He laughed softly. “Okay, try not to step on me.”
“No promises.”
“Three, two, one—GO!”
The whistle blew. We started jumping, unevenly at first. Joy lost his footing on the second hop, his weight tipping toward me. My arm shot out instinctively, catching his waist before he could fall.
“Careful, love.” I murmured, close enough for my breath to touch his skin.
He froze. Just for a heartbeat. Then he exhaled a laugh. A little shaky and a little too aware.
“You always catch me at the most inconvenient times.”
“Someone has to,” I said, and it came out softer than I meant it to.
He looked up at me, eyes flicking between mine for a second before he laughed it off and kept jumping.
But the rhythm changed after that.
Our movements synced. His laughter mixed with mine, our steps falling in perfect time. It was chaotic and ridiculous and yet, somehow, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
When we finally reached the finish line, both of us were breathless.
He stumbled again, and I steadied him. Hand still on his waist, fingers lingering a moment too long before I let go.
“Wow… nanalo talaga tayo” he said, smiling up at me.
“Of course we did.” I smirked. “We were always good together.”
That made him pause, lips parting slightly like he wanted to say something but instead, he just smiled, small and quiet.
“Used to be,” he whispered.
Before I could answer, a voice called out.
“Teacher Joy! Tito Cyrus!”
Lia came running toward us, giggling, arms outstretched. She threw herself between us, hugging both our legs.
Joy crouched down, scooping her up easily. I crouched beside them, and she giggled again, wrapping her arms around our shoulders.
Joy looked at me and for a second, there was that spark. That old, dangerous warmth I thought I’d buried years ago.
It was just a hug after a game. Nothing more.
“Next up—Poster Making Contest for the Parent-Child Tandem!” The emcee’s voice cut through the moment.
We started walking toward the next station. Lia hummed beside us, Joy laughing at something she said and I realized that for the first time in years, the space between us didn’t feel heavy.
It just… felt right.
And maybe that was the most dangerous part.
—
The poster making area looked like chaos in pastel. Tables lined with crayons, glue sticks and colored paper. Laughter mixing with the smell of paint and the chatter of kids who clearly didn’t care about staying clean.
Joy guided Lia to a spot near the edge. He crouched beside her, tying the ribbon on her hair, his voice calm and patient.
He’d always been like that. Gentle in ways I could never quite match.
I stood there for a moment, just watching. Lia’s tiny hands were already reaching for colored markers while Joy set out the brushes.
They looked so natural together, like they’d been doing this a hundred times before.
He looked up at me. “Hindi mo naman balak tumunganga lang diyan ’di ba, Cy?”
I smirked, pulling up a chair beside him. “I was admiring your parenting skills.”
Joy laughed, shaking his head. “She’s not mine, Cy. Guardian lang ako, remember?”
“Still,” I said, grabbing a brush. “You’re good at it.”
His laugh softened into a smile and for a second, I saw something flicker in his eyes. Something I couldn’t quite name.
“Theme is ‘My Family, My Home.’” he said. “We’re supposed to draw something that represents that.”
“Easy enough,” I said. “We can draw yours.”
Joy’s eyes darted to mine, then quickly away. “Poster ‘to ni Lia, hindi sa’kin.”
From across the table, Lia piped up, “Teacher Joy, Tito Cyrus, look nyo po oh!”
She was drawing three stick figures. One tall, one medium, one small, holding hands under a bright yellow sun.
Joy leaned over, smiling. “Ang galing naman ng Lia namin na ‘yan. Sino ’yan, baby?”
“Me,” Lia said proudly, pointing at the little one. “Then Teacher Joy… and Tito Cyrus!”
Joy froze. I blinked.
I laughed a little, trying to hide how oddly that made me feel. “Me? Why me?”
“Because you helped Teacher Joy win po hihi!” she said simply, as if it were obvious.
Joy ruffled her hair, smiling, but there was a faint blush on his face.
“Sweet, sweet naman, Lia. Pero… dapat yung totoong family mo ang ilagay mo, hm?”
Lia looked at Joy and pouted, but she just continued coloring instead of answering.
Oh? What’s with that reaction?
Joy sighed and reached for a paintbrush. Our hands brushed for just a second, and it was ridiculous how something so small could make my pulse jump.
Na para bang hindi kami nagyakapan, at hindi ko siya hinahalikan sa noo kapag alam naming may nakasunod sa’min.
“Sorry,” he said quickly.
“It’s fine,” I murmured. “It’s not the first time.”
He chuckled, glancing at me. “Still the same flirt, I see.”
“Old habits die hard.”
“Some should,” he said, though the corner of his mouth betrayed a smile.
We worked quietly after that. Lia hummed to herself as Joy mixed colors beside me. His sleeve brushed my arm every now and then, soft and unintentional. And each time, it felt like muscle memory.
We used to do this, once. Not poster making, but… existing side by side like this. Easy and comfortable. Like something that never completely went away.
When we finished, Lia proudly raised the poster. It was bright and messy. A small house, a sun, three figures holding hands.
Magulang niya ang inilagay niya sa poster, may nakasulat na “Mama” at “Papa.”
“Ayan… perfect,” Joy said softly, wiping a smudge of green paint from her cheek. He looked so gentle in that moment it almost hurt to watch.
But then I noticed how Lia pouted, glancing at Joy as if she wasn’t completely happy with what she’d made.
Joy only smiled, shaking his head a little before cupping her cheek in quiet reassurance.
“Let’s make another one later sa house, okay?” he said. Lia hesitated, still pouting but nodded anyway.
What was that about?
And why does she always seem happier when it’s the three of us in the poster she made?
I looked at Joy, waiting and hoping he’d meet my eyes. But when he caught me staring, I looked away instead, forcing myself not to read too much into it.
Still, I noticed.
And now I can’t help but wonder…
What really happened between Lia, her parents, and Joy?
—
After a few games and activities, it was finally time for the awarding. We were sitting in the same place as earlier. I looked to my left, and there was Lia, eating the biscuit Joy gave her while the two of them talked and giggled quietly.
I smiled a little as I watched them. It almost felt like I was looking at my own family.
Joy as my husband, and Lia as our daughter.
I sighed. This Family Day is making me imagine things that are impossible. Because this is the first time I’ve ever pictured myself having a family, when in reality, I’m only here because of a fake marriage and a deal to claim the chairman position at Altamonte Group.
Six months. That’s all. After that, the deal between me and Joy will end.
But Lia… Lia might be the reason Joy and I stay connected. Because deep down, we both know there are still things left unsaid, and the wounds between us haven’t fully healed.
We’re just pretending. Because pretending hurts less than asking why.
But those subtle touches earlier, those small glances… we—
I sighed again. I shouldn’t think about any of it.
Six months. That’s all.
And our deal is that I won’t bring up the past, so I’ll keep that promise. After this, once I’ve claimed the position, I won’t bother Joy anymore.
Because that’s how it’s supposed to be.
We ended for a reason…
And maybe that reason was to remind me what losing him really meant.
—
“For our last award!” the emcee announced, her voice echoing through the venue, “to the family that won most of our activities and, as we observed, the family that worked the best as one—”
The music behind us swelled in excitement, a cheerful, upbeat tune that made people cheer louder.
“Is… Team Ligaya!”
Lia screamed so loudly that even her classmates jumped in excitement. Joy startled, then laughed, his whole face lighting up like the sun itself. Lia immediately grabbed both our hands, tugging us toward the stage with her whole six-year-old strength.
“Teacher Joy Celestine, Ligaya Celine, and Mr. Cyrus Leo Altamonte, please proceed to the stage,” the emcee repeated as we made our way forward.
Lia was practically hopping with every step, and Joy giggled softly as he watched her joy. I couldn’t help but laugh too as everyone around us cheered.
In that moment, the three of us walking hand in hand felt so natural like we’d been doing it all our lives.
The applause blurred into background noise. All I could hear was Lia’s giggles and Joy’s quiet laughter beside me.
When we reached the stage, Joy crouched so Lia could hold the certificate. The emcee smiled, motioning for the camera.
“Smile for the photo po, Teacher Joy, Lia, and Mr. Altamonte,” she said.
But before the camera clicked, Lia looked at me and lifted her hands.
“Buhat po, Tito Cyyy!”
I smiled and lifted her without hesitation. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and when I glanced at Joy, his expression was… stunned. Like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
…Hmm?
We looked at each other. He cleared his throat quickly, forcing a small smile before facing the camera again, ears slightly pink.
“Move closer po together!” the cameraman shouted, and we followed.
Joy moved closer. He placed a hand behind my back as he held Lia’s hand and leaned toward her a little. The gesture was warm, steady… familiar in a way that made something heavy settle in my chest. I looked at Joy, then at Lia and smiled at the sight.
“Three… two… one—” click.
When the photo flashed onto the monitor, I looked up and there we were.
We looked like a real family.
I chuckled softly and sighed. I set Lia down and she hugged both of us again, tightly, her laughter muffled against our clothes.
“Good team po tayooo! Congrats po sa’tin hihihi!” she said.
Joy hugged her back, laughing. Without thinking, I reached over and ruffled her hair. It just felt natural.
Too natural.
The emcee’s voice faded into the background as Joy turned toward me. Our eyes met.
For a second, it felt like time rewound. Like nothing had changed. Like seven years hadn’t passed at all.
He smiled. “Thank you, Cy.”
“For what, Jo?”
Joy just stared at me, and for a moment I saw something in his eyes. Something soft, something familiar, something he quickly hid. He shook his head like it didn’t matter. I was about to ask again, but Lia grabbed both our hands and excitedly pulled us off the stage.
And as they walked ahead of me, Joy holding Lia’s hand, her laughter spilling into the air like sunlight. I felt something twist deep in my chest.
Maybe it was the sight of them together. Or maybe it was the memory that came uninvited, echoing so vividly I could almost hear Joy’s voice again.
‘Cy, if we had a family… would that be enough reason for you to stay?’
Back then, I didn’t answer. Maybe because I thought ambition was safer than love. Maybe because I believed Joy would wait.
Now, watching him laugh with Lia, it hit me. If I had said yes, if I had chosen differently, maybe things wouldn’t be this way. Maybe this could’ve been… us.
The thought was soft and cruel all at once.
Because for a second, it almost felt real.
And for the first time in years…
I wished I had stayed.