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By the end of 2011, life had slowly taken on a new shape. The sharp edges of grief had softened into a quiet ache that we carried with us, no longer crushing us every single day. Brenda had grown into a stronger, more confident mother. Josh was now a lively, curious boy who filled our days with questions and laughter. I continued to be part of their lives, not as a replacement for Rich or Myra, but as someone who had chosen to stay through everything.
One peaceful evening in December 2011, the three of us rode the Love Bus together. Josh sat between us, happily pointing out the Christmas lights along EDSA. The atmosphere felt lighter than it had in years. Brenda looked at me and smiled softly.
Franz… salamat sa lahat. Salamat sa hindi mo pagsuko sa amin. Salamat sa pagpili mo na manatili kahit ang hirap na ng lahat. Inabot na tayo nang Pasko Franz.
I smiled back, my heart full.
Uuli ulitin ko Bru hahaha, Salamat din sa’yo. Sa pagmamahal mo kahit mahirap. Ikaw at Ako para kay Josh. Hindi na natin kailangang mag-isa.
Josh looked up at both of us with innocent eyes.
Papa Franz, Mama, Happy!
Brenda gently stroked his hair.
Oo anak. Happy. May struggles pa rin, pero masaya na tayo dahil magkasama tayo.
The Love Bus kept moving forward, just like life itself. There would still be difficult days ahead, financial pressures, moments when we missed Rich and Myra, and the challenges of raising Josh. But we had learned that even in the hardest times, small moments of connection could give us the strength to continue.
As the golden sunset light filled the bus windows, I looked at Brenda and Josh. The paired seats that had witnessed our entire story, the first spark in 2007, the pretend couple night, the painful crossroads, Rich’s death, Josh’s birth, my marriage to Myra and her passing, and now this quiet healing, felt warm and full of meaning.
That night, after we got home and Josh was asleep, Brenda and I sat outside for a while. The air was cool. She leaned her head on my shoulder again.
Franz, hindi ko akalain na darating tayo sa ganito. Pero masaya ako na nandito ka pa rin.
I held her hand.
Ako rin Bru. Maraming nangyari sa atin. Pero nandito pa rin tayo. Ready na tayong harapin ang susunod na kabanata. → story continues in Book 3 on July 5!
As I rode the Love Bus alone later that night, a calm and peaceful thought filled my heart… every ending carries the seed of a new beginning, if we are brave enough to accept it. The Love Bus had carried us through pain, loss, separation, and finally, healing. The threads of destiny had tangled and untangled many times, but they had never completely broken.
The story was not over. It was simply beginning a new chapter, one filled with hope, quiet strength, and the kind of love that survives even the hardest storms. Book 3 goes Live in July!
Updated June 30, 2026 from original post date September 8, 2011.
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