Her Version: It all started with this photo. During that time, I was into hiking and was searching for nearby mountains/ trails that I can go to with my friends, then I saw this instagram post, year 2015. I was a newly grad, working in Don Bosco Nuvali, single and yes, I was dating 2 guys at that time. Did I find Patrick John cute ? No! He is so skinny in this photo and my last memory of him during our first year high school was he was a certified bully. So it's a no. I was just curious about the trail but this post has gotten almost 30+ comments because we made it like a chat box. It seemed that he's interested with me but in my mind, I was not entertaining him, so it's not my problem 😜. The conversation stopped, and in year 2016, one messaged popped up on my Facebook that goes something like, "Malapit ka ba sa Holland Village?". I was in Singapore working as a preschool teacher, it's my first year in a foreign country so I was excited to see kababayans. I excitedly replied, "diyan ako nagwowork, why? nandito ka rin ba sa SG?". He kept leading me to believe that he was really in Singapore but on the latter part, he revealed that he was just about to go for a business trip on a later date. Meaning, wala pa siya sa Singapore!!! But because I was so sabik of seeing a kababayan, I offered to show him to some places when he comes #Hospitality.

The day came and he arrived in Singapore, I told him to meet me at Hougang Bus interchange because, duh! mas malapit sa bahay ko yun and little did he know, I brought my friend Angie. When I saw him personally after 9 years, I thought to myself, "uy cute na siya and mukha nang matino. Pwede ko to ireto kay Angie!". Mind you, I was in a relationship that time. So throughout the whole time, I was match making the two of them. I would get them to sit together and ask him what is his type.

After that night, he offered to meet up again before he leaves for the Philippines, so we (me and Angie) met up with him again. When he left, my friend has been telling me that Patrick was not interested with her... but with me. I brushed off the idea because: 1. I was in a relationship 2. I was clouded by love lol.

I went home in the Philippines and he knew about it, he offered to be of help if I ever needed a driver. Bilang user-friendly tayo, I agreed. We went to Solenad to do my groceries that I will bring to Singapore but the biggest plot twist was when we were driving along Westgrove, he confessed that he only had student driver license. WHAAATTT? Do I have a choice? We were almost there, so we just went ahead. We talked, had deep conversations about life and that's when I finally realised that he has matured.

I came back to Singapore with a shocking news, my boyfriend at that time was breaking up with me. I was lost, I was heartbroken, I did not know what to do and there he was always messaging me, always picking up my calls whenever I ask for answers on why did my boyfriend break up with me. He never failed to make me feel alone during that time. Practically, he was a shoulder to cry on. It lasted for a month and I was asking myself, why was he doing these things for me.Bilang makapal mukha natin at gandang ganda tayo sa sarili natin, I asked him frankly, "Do you like me?", He stopped and answered, "oo, di naman aka mag-uubos ng oras kung di kita gusto". My answer? "Eh di ligawan mo ko at parents ko". He went to my house in the Philippines and asked for my mom's blessing and went to Singapore to visit me. Did we make it official when he went to Singapore? No! syempre nagpakipot pa tayo, I waited for another month and said yes to him. And the rest was His Story.

His Version: I never thought I’ll fall in love with my high school classmate…one of the people that I was teasing back then.

I didn’t like Christine Mary when we were classmates during our first year in secondary school. I rarely talked to her, and if I’ll be talking to her, it’s because she’s with those people that I am bullying randomly. I can’t even recall any memorable scenario with her during that time maybe because we were just classmates for 1 school year since she transferred to another school afterwards. We never met each other for almost 8 years not until when I went to Singapore as I need to go there for a company training. What I can recall was we had a conversation on Instagram, she was asking about a place where i went for biking, and that conversation didn’t continue. Before I went to Singapore , I saw her posts in facebook and it seems that she’s in Singapore. What I did was I messaged her and tried to ask and confirm whether she’s really there and asked if she can show me around to nice places there. I even pretended that I was already in Singapore and asked if she’s familiar to the place where I will be staying.

Jumping to the time when we met each other after almost 8 years, I didn’t thought I’ll be noticing her like that. I felt that she’s a lady whom I can easily like. I can still remember when we met each other at Hougang bus interchange, she’s wearing a dress and her hair was curly. During that time, i’m thinking in my mind that I want to get to know her more and see if can like her more.

It was in Nativity Church where she first brought me together with her room mate and new found friend Angie. And going there when we were at the bus I asked her if she has a boyfriend, I can still recall what was her response, which was “Bakit? Muka ba akong single?”. From that response, I already knew in my mind that she can just be a friend or maybe a close friend. Never have I thought of pursuing her considering that at first it already cross my mind that there’s a possibility that I will like her.

I enjoyed those times when Christine Mary toured me to different places in Singapore with her friend Angie which she’s trying to match with me. I even tried messaging Angie but it didn’t continue and went well. It was actually me and Christine Mary who were messaging each other most of the time. I even told her that I will repay her in touring me around Singapore once she comes back to Philippines for vacation. So I met her in their house and we went for coffee in Tagaytay with her youngest sister. I even drove for her going to Nuvali without having a driver’s license. And it was all meaningful conversations all throughout when we were together… talking about our lives. Communication still continued for the two of us up until she went back to Singapore.

There was an argument between Christine Mary and her boyfriend and I never thought that it will lead to their breakup. During that time, I know she’s not okay. I still continued to talk and tried to comfort her as much as I can without the intention of falling for her. I even made up my mind that if ever I’ll be falling for her, I would tell her when she’s totally healed and okay from her breakup. Not until the moment when she asked me if I like her and I have no choice but to confess my feelings for her. That it bothers me seeing her not okay and I would want her to feel that she doesn’t deserve what she is experiencing. That was also the time when I decided to pursue her. She even challenged me if I really like her, I should go back again to Singapore to prove my feelings for her. And without any hesitation, I decided to book a flight going to Singapore. Another challenge she had given me was to ask her parents permission on courting her, which I never thought that i’ll be able to do so. But to prove my feelings I have managed to go to their house and asked her parents permission if I can court their daughter and asked if it’s okay if i’ll be going to Singapore to visit Christine Mary. Luckily they agreed.

Before I went back to Singapore, i was a bit worried as it was still almost a month when I went there so there might be some questions i’ll be getting from the immigration. Fortunately, I was able to enter Singapore smoothly, me and Christine Mary met again for the 3rd time. As much as possible we tried to enjoy each other’s company and get to know more . I’ve tried to tell her that I really like her and explain as well to her how my feelings for her started. It was a very memorable experience visiting her for the first time for the reason that I want to prove my intentions.

I never thought that after coming back from Singapore, she will become my girlfriend. I can still remember, after I land to the Philippines and I am on my way home she told me that I am his boyfriend and she’s my girlfriend which means we are already in a relationship. But there’s scenario during that time when she told me that don’t tell first to anyone, and even ask if she can withdraw first which didn’t proceed.

From that time, we started our relationship, even though we are mostly in a long distance relationship I know to myself that our relationship will lead into marriage. And by God’s grace we’ve overcome those challenges in our relationship and we’re still together and managed to fight for our relationship. On our 8th anniversary, and we’re not in a long distance relationship anymore we are tying the knot to get married.