VENICE’S POV
>>> 5 YEARS LATER
I am currently looking at the glass window in my office. It has been five years since Bryan left the country. Indeed, time flies really fast. It also means that it has also been five years of waiting for him to come back. I actually do not know if I still have feelings towards him because from the moment he left, we did not have any communication. Even Monica did not tell me anything about him upon my request, too, in order for me to forget easily. Besides, I am too busy working in my own company. I am also a Certified Public Accountant, but I decided to pursue being a business owner. I chose this path because if I am the owner of my business, I hold my own time, so it will not have any conflict with the ministries I was in.
* KNOCK, KNOCK , KNOCK *
I turned my swivel chair towards the direction of the door. I also checked my wristwatch to see what time it was. It is already five in the afternoon, so I should no longer have any meetings.
“ Come in,” I exclaimed.
My secretary entered hesitantly, but I smiled to assure her I would not be angry. Even if I was thinking about the practice in the church at eight in the evening later. If I extend time in the office, I might catch up with the traffic.
“ I am sorry, Miss Venice, but there is a guy outside. He said that he wanted to talk to you, but he did not have any appointment,” my secretary explained nervously.
“ A guy? What did he need?” I asked her.
“ He did not tell me the details because he wanted to talk about it with you personally,” she answered, still nervous.
“ All right, let him enter,” I said while smiling.
My secretary nodded before she left. I put my hand on my table while thinking about who could visit me during this time.
“ Venice,” I heard someone call my name, so I looked at the door.
“ Oh, Jeremy, what brought you here?” I asked while smiling.
“ I want to talk to you,” Jeremy replied, which made my heart beat fast.
“ Sure, take a sit,” I said while hiding my nervousness.
“ I mean, it is personal, so maybe we can talk somewhere private like our favorite coffee shop,” he said, which made me more nervous.
“ Is that so? All right, just wait me here. I will fix my things,” I said, stood up and started putting my things in my bag. Afterwards, I grabbed my coat.
“ Let us go,” I cheerfully told him after wearing my coat.
Since it is already December, the wind is freezing, that is why I am wearing a coat, and of course, to match my outfit. You know, beauty composure. Jeremy simply nodded and let me walk first towards the elevator. When we arrived at the parking lot, he opened his car’s door for me.
“ Thanks,” I thanked him while smiling before I entered his car.
Jeremy also entered his car and drove right away. No one dared to speak during the travel time, which added to my nervousness. After some time, Jeremy’s car stopped at our favorite coffee shop. I did not wait for Jeremy opened the car. I freely opened the car and went outside. After we entered the coffee shop, we immediately ordered snacks and drinks.
“ What do you want to talk about?” I asked him straightforwardly after we sat on a vacant chair near the window.
“ You are too impatient, Ms. Venice,” Jeremy commented, then laughed.
“ You are somewhat suspicious,” I replied.
“ Alright, I just wanna give the closure of our past story,” Jeremy said.
“ It is already in the past. Why do we need closure?” I replied after I was stunned for a few seconds.
“ I know that I was one of those men who put scars in your heart. Plus, I want to properly closed what happened to us in the past before I started pursuing the woman God gave to me,” He explained.
“ Yes, you caused some scar on my heart, but I am already healed, Jeremy,” I said while smiling to assure him that whatever happened in the past was already closed.
“ I just thought that maybe because of those scar, you will be scared to fall in love again,” Jeremy explained in seriousness which made me laugh.
“ Why?” He confusedly added.
“ It is because of you. It does not mean I do not have a boyfriend yet. I am still not done moving on with our past. It is just that I am waiting for somebody now,” I explained with an assuring smile. He wanted to say something, but our order had arrived already.
“ Here is your order. Enjoy your meal, Ma’am and Sir,” the waiter politely said while putting our order on the table.
“ Thank you,” I thanked him with a smile.
The waiter simply smiled, politely excused himself and left us. After the waiter left, I turned my attention to Jeremy.
“ As what I am saying earlier, we are really okay, Jeremy. We are churchmates after all. We are Christians and those ill feeling from the past must not hold us back. It has been six years when that thing happened,” I explained to him before taking a sip of my milktea.

Yes, you read it right. Jeremy and I became churchmates five years ago. And with those time, the scar he made on my heart was slowly healing. But our closeness became limited because of our past as well as for the protection of our purity.
“ I am happy to hear that,” He replied.
“ So, let your heart be at peace,” I told him, smiling widely.
“ By the way, who is the girl?“ I asked with a mischievous smile.
“ I think you know her already. Your discernment is strong, plus your sixth sense,” Jeremy said, and I immediately noticed that his ears turned red, which meant he was shy.
“ When did you know that she is the one?” I asked him while chuckling.
“ I got close to her easily when I first arrived at the church. Then, I admire her from a far even though she likes someone else. As time passed, I prayed for my God’s will, then day after day, I noticed that she was becoming the woman of my prayer,” he said while smiling. I could really see his love for her.
“ So, what is your plan? How would you pursue Grace?” I asked him with a smile which not surprised him at all.
“ I know it, you already know. But how?” He asked.
“ Remember that one time when you texted me asking my help to pray for your God’s will? During that time, I saw Grace’s face as I prayed and when I read the word of God, I read grace multiple time. Because of that, I covered you both with prayer until now,” I explained.
“ God is indeed amazing. Thanks for the confirmation,” He happily declared.
“ Indeed, so what is the plan?” I intrigued him.
“ Well, I already talked to our pastor and her parents. I also done talking with her friends except you and Bryan. All of them actually gave me their blessings.” He said.
“ So, you want to talk to me to ask my blessings, right?” I asked and could not help but laugh because of his cute reaction.
“ Yes, but more than that, I want really to close our past,” Jeremy admitted.
“ I will support you both. I am happy too that you find the will of God to each other’s arms,” I cheerfully said while smiling.
“ Thank you, Ven. How about you?” He asked out of nowhere.
“ What do you mean me?” I nervously asked him.
“ Who is the guy who made your heart beats again?” He clearly asked.
I took a sip of my milktea because of his question. I wanted to answer him, but my phone suddenly beeped. I took it from my bag and checked who had texted me.
Sent by Monica: Ven, where are you? I want to remind you that you are the assigned worship leader tomorrow.
After silently reading her message, I put my phone back in my bag and faced Jeremy.
“ Maybe we can talk about him in another day. Our soon to be pastor is searching for me,” I told him and laughed.
“ Monica texted me too. Our soon to be pastor is a little bit strict,” He seconded.
“ I do not know to her. She became bitter when she had a lovelife,” I jokingly said.
“ It is because of Axcel, until now they look like cat and dog even if they are together already,” Jeremy added.
I became silent after hearing what he said. It is now that I realize that a lot of changes have happened in the past five years. Who would have thought that Axcel and Monica were destined to be together? Also, Monica will be next in line when our pastor retires. As for me, I am now a worship leader in the church, and my cell group is growing.
On the other hand, Jeremy and Grace surely will be in a relationship soon. We are almost complete. He is the only one missing. I let out a heavy sigh because of that thought.
“ What is wrong?” Jeremy suddenly asked. Maybe he noticed that I sighed.
“ Nothing, I just realized that many things happened for the past five years,” I replied.
“ You miss him, are you not?” He asked.
“ Who?” I asked him out of curiosity.
“ Bryan,” Jeremy straightforwardly said.
“ How?” I asked him confusedly.
“ How did I know Bryan? Grace told me about him multiple times, as well as Axcel too. I actually heard that you two have this so called silent connection before he left,” Jeremy explained.
“ What do you mean by silent connection?” I asked him. I could not help but laugh as I remembered some memories I had with Bryan five years ago.
“ A connection that even if you do not talk to each other, you still felt connected. Is that really what happened if the heart is already intertwined?” He asked, then laughed.
“ Aish, you are making some rumor. Let us go or else our soon to be pastor will scold us,” I change the topic and stand up.
I heard Jeremy laugh before standing up. We went straight to his car and drove our way out. After almost ten minutes, we arrived at the church. I felt my heart beating weirdly when I got out of the car. I am not nervous, but I think there is something with my heart.
“ Oh, Venice and Jeremy are here,” I heard Axcel shout as Jeremy and I entered the church.
“ Are we late? I apologize,” I told them.
“ Not really, we thought of having dinner outside before we practiced to celebrate,” Grace explained and approached Jeremy.
“ Celebrate for what?” I asked her in wonder and unintentionally looked at the stage.
My heart beat so fast when I saw a man facing back from my direction. I know this kind of feeling. Even though my heart beats fast, it still has peace. The man slowly turned around towards my direction and smiled. He and Monica went down on stage together and went near us.
“ Hi Venice, long time no see. “ He greeted me while smiling widely.
“ Bryan, you are back. “ I unbelievably said and hid how surprised I was to see him again.
TO BE CONTINUED!