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The road after Myra’s death stretched long and difficult into 2010 and 2011. Life did not stop for grief. Bills still needed to be paid, Josh still needed to be fed and cared for, and the world kept turning even when we wished it would slow down. Brenda was doing her best to be a strong mother while still carrying the heavy weight of losing Rich. I tried to be the steady presence they both needed, even as I carried my own pain from losing Myra and our unborn child.
One afternoon in early 2011, Brenda and I were at the park with Josh. While the boy was happily playing on the swings, Brenda turned to me with a tired but grateful smile.
Franz, minsan iniisip ko kung tama ba lahat ng desisyon ko noon. Kung hindi ako nagpakasal kay Rich, baka mas simple ang buhay natin ngayon. Baka hindi tayo nahirapan ng ganito.
I looked at Josh laughing as he swung higher.
Siguro. Pero kung hindi ‘yun nangyari, wala si Josh. At si Josh… siya ‘yung pinakamagandang bagay na nangyari sa atin kahit puno ng sakit ang daan papunta sa kanya.
Brenda nodded, her eyes misty.
Tama ka. Kahit masakit ang nangyari, hindi ko pagsisisihan si Josh. Pero minsan, natatakot ako na baka hindi ko kayanin maging mag-isa sa pagpapalaki sa kanya. Natatakot ako na baka kulang ako bilang ina.
I held her hand gently.
Hindi ka mag-isa, Brenda. Nandito ako. Palagi. Kahit anong mangyari, nandito ako para sa inyo ni Josh. Hindi kita iiwan.
That day, we made a quiet decision. We would raise Josh together, not as husband and wife, but as two people who had gone through hell and still chose to stay for the child. The Love Bus rides became our family time. Josh would sit between us, asking questions about everything, why the sky was blue, where his father was, and when he could see “Tita Myra” again. Answering those questions was never easy, but we faced them together.
The long road continued with many challenges. There were financial struggles, sleepless nights when Josh got sick, emotional fatigue, and the constant reminder of the people we had lost. Yet in the paired seats of the Love Bus, we found small pockets of peace. Brenda would sometimes lean her head on my shoulder again, not pretending anymore, but finding real comfort. I would hold her hand silently, promising without words that I would stay.
One night in late 2011, while riding home, Brenda whispered,
Franz, salamat sa lahat. Salamat sa pagiging tatay ni Josh. Salamat sa pagpili mo na manatili kahit ang hirap na ng lahat.
I replied softly,
Salamat din sa’yo. Sa pagbabalik mo. Sa pagmamahal mo kahit mahirap. Eto Tayo, tayo pa rin para kay Josh. → story concludes tomorrow!
Our friendship had survived many storms. It was different now — more mature, more careful, but also deeper and stronger. We had seen each other at our lowest points and we were still here, still choosing to move forward together. The Love Bus kept running through the nights, carrying us through another chapter, another silent promise to keep going no matter how long the road ahead might be.
Updated June 29, 2026 from original post date March 17, 2011.
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