A Change of Plans, and a Beginning of Something Better (Part 1)

 

You know that feeling of giddy anticipation? The one that builds for months, a mix of nerves and excitement. That's exactly where I was. For what felt like forever, my boyfriend Eddie and I had been counting down the days until his first visit to Manila. After ten months of a long-distance relationship, built on a friendship we found in an unlikely place—Reddit—our digital connection was about to become a reality.

Our plan felt like something from a movie. Eddie, flying all the way from London, was set to arrive on July 8. Our first agenda item: a romantic trip to the Mall of Asia, a Ferris wheel ride, and a shared kiss to help me conquer my fear of heights. We even had a family celebration planned for my mom’s birthday on July 9. It was all laid out, perfect in every detail.

But as anyone who has ever truly lived knows, the universe has a way of tossing in its own plot twists.

Just a few days before Eddie was due to land, my phone lit up with a Facebook notification. It was my half-sister, Ashley, whom I hadn't seen in eight years. She lives in California and had created a group chat with my other siblings. My first thought, a familiar anxiety, was that something was wrong with our stepmom. But the message that came next was a total shock: "Hello! My husband Victor and I are coming home soon. Arriving July 5, then leaving July 17. We'll be in Pampanga for the first few days with Victor’s family. Are you all available around July 9-11?"

Suddenly, my carefully crafted romantic movie script was getting a major rewrite. My sister, whom I'm very close to but hadn't seen in so long, was coming home. The dates she wanted to meet were right in the middle of Eddie's visit.

I've always been a private person, and only a few people in my family knew about Eddie. Now, with a group chat and a sudden change of plans, the secret I’d been keeping was on the verge of being revealed. Eddie and I immediately knew what we had to do. Our carefully crafted plans—the Ferris wheel, the exact timing of everything—had to be canceled.

It might seem like a small thing, but in that moment, it felt big. The first in-person moments of a relationship we had built across oceans were being reimagined before they even began.

And yet, it didn't matter. What mattered most was that in just a few days, he would be here. The details might be different, but the most important part of the plan—the part where we were finally together—was still happening.

Because love isn't about the perfect plan. It's about the person. It’s about being open to the quiet surprises, the unexpected turns in the road, and the beautiful, messy reality of a life we're building together. Eddie's arrival will be different than we first imagined, but it will be all the more special because of it. It’s not a story from a book; it's a new song we've just begun to play. The best is yet to come, and it's starting today.

Ashley