*Who's My Eternal*
*The Farm — Next Day, 9 AM*
It was Elian's day off. First one in weeks.
No polo. No name tag. Just an old shirt and shorts.
He walked to the bay. Hands in his pockets. For once, not in a hurry.
Didn't make it there.
"ELIAN!"
He looked up.
Cherry was running. Full sprint. Hair wild. Face split in a grin.
And in her hand—
Something catching the sun. Blinding.
"ELIAN LOOK!" She skidded to a stop in front of him. Grabbed his shirt. Shaking. "LOOK WHAT I FOUND!"
She opened her palm.
A stone. Clear. Rough. But big. Thumb-sized.
It threw rainbows across his face.
Elian's mouth dropped. "Cherry… is that—"
"A DIAMOND!" she yelled. "I was by the creek! By the old mining spot! I tripped and— BOOM! IT WAS THERE!"
People were already coming.
Mang Rodel. Two workers from the bay. Some woman in a dress Elian didn't know.
"Cherry, ," Mang Rodel said. Eyes wide. "That's… that's real. Let me see."
"You should get that appraised," the woman said. Sweet. Too sweet. "I have a friend in Manila. Jewelry expert. I can take it for you, keep it safe—"
"Fifty thousand," another man said. Fast. "Right now. Cash. For that rock. You'll never see that money again in your life, Cherry."
They were circling. Like sharks.
Cherry's grin faltered. She looked at the stone. Then at them.
Then at Elian.
And made her choice.
She grabbed Elian's wrist.
"We're leaving," she said.
"What— Cherry, wait—"
"NOW."
She pulled him. Through the crowd. Away from the hands. Away from the _offers_.
Didn't stop until they were at Elian's house.
Slammed the door.
Leaned against it. Breathing hard.
Elian stared. "You ran away from fifty thousand pesos."
"It's mine," Cherry said. Clutching it to her chest. "I found it. And I don't trust them."
She pushed off the door. Walked to the living room.
"Lola!" she called. "Lola Anna, look!"
Lola Anna looked up from her crochet.
Cherry held out her hand. "What is this?"
Lola Anna didn't speak.
Just put her glasses on. Took Cherry's hand. Held it to the light.
For a long time.
Then she sighed.
"Ay, anak," Lola said. Soft. "This is trouble."
"Is it real?" Elian asked. Stepped closer.
Lola Anna nodded. "Real. Rough. Uncut. But real."
She looked at Cherry. "This stone, Cherry… this can change lives. Houses. Medicine for your father. A future too
Cherry's eyes went wide. "How much?"
"Cleaned? Cut? Certified?" Lola shrugged. "Millions. Maybe more."
Elian choked. "_Millions_?"
"How do you know?" Elian asked. Staring at his Lola.
Lola Anna laughed. Dry. Like old leaves.
"Anak, you think I was born in this wood chair?" she said. "Before your lolo brought me to the province, before Manila… I lived in Baguio. Cebu. My father was a jeweler. I sorted stones when I was younger than you."
Elian and Cherry both stared.
"You never told me that," Elian said.
"You never asked," Lola said. Winked. "You think I only know how to make sinigang?"
They laughed. All three of them. Loud. Real.
For the first time in days.
Then it quieted.
Elian looked at Cherry.
She was staring at the diamond.
Then at him.
Back at the diamond.
Lost.
"Cherry?" Elian said. Soft. "What do you want to do with it?"
She didn't answer.
Just kept looking.
At the stone that could buy everything.
And the boy who never asked her for anything.
Thinking.
Thinking hard.
Cherry looked at the diamond.
Then at Elian.
Back at the diamond.
And decided.
"Lift your hands," she said.
Elian blinked. "What?"
"Your hands," Cherry said. "Both of them. Now."
He did it. Confused. "Cherry, what are you—"
She stepped forward. Took his hands in hers. Turned them palm-up.
And placed the diamond in them.
It was warm from her skin. Heavy. Real.
Elian stared at it. Then at her. "No. No, Cherry, I can't—"
"You can," she said. Closed his fingers over it. Held them there. Wouldn't let him open them. "You need it more than me."
"What are you talking about?" His voice cracked. "This is _yours_. You found it. This is your—"
"This is my choice," Cherry said. Fierce. Eyes locked on his. "And I choose you."
Elian tried to pull his hands back. "Cherry, your dad. University Medicine. You could—"
"I know what I could do," she said. Cutting him off. "I could buy a house. I could pay every bill. I could leave the bay forever."
She stepped closer. Still holding his hands closed around the stone.
"But you know what I see when I look at that?"
Elian shook his head.
"I see you," Cherry whispered. "Stuck. In that polo. Calling Cindy _ma'am_. Taking care of everyone but you. Working until you break and still ending up with nothing."
Her voice shook.
"So take it," she said. "Keep it. Go to Manila. Or Cebu. Or anywhere that isn't here. Sell it. Start a business.Build something for _you_."
Elian's eyes burned. "Cherry, I can't take this from you."
"You're not taking," she said. "I'm giving. There's a difference."
"Why?" Elian choked out. "Why would you—"
"Because someone has to choose you first," Cherry said. Simple. Like it was obvious. "Because I'm tired of watching you wait for people who don't show up. Because if I have to watch you wear that name tag one more day, I'll lose my mind."
She squeezed his hands.
"Go build a new life, Elian. One where nobody calls you servant boy. One where you don't have to look at the ground when you talk. One where you're _Elian_
Elian couldn't speak.
Couldn't breathe.
This stone. This life.
In his hands.
Because she put it there.
"Take it," Cherry said. Softer now. Begging. "Please. Let me do this for you."
Elian looked down. At their hands. Hers covering his. Keeping the diamond safe. Keeping _him_ safe.
He tried to shake his head. "I can't pay you back. Not for this. Not ever—"
"I don't want you to pay me back," Cherry said. "I want you to be free."
Across the room, Lola Anna watched.
Said nothing.
Just sat in her wood chair. Hands folded.
Eyes wet.
Because she'd seen love before.
Her lolo selling his watch to buy her medicine.
Her own father giving up his shop to send her to school.
But she'd never seen it like this.
A girl with muddy boots.
Giving away millions.
So a boy could stop being small.
Elian looked up at Cherry.
And for the first time since Cindy left,
He didn't feel like _servant boy_.
He felt seen.
"Cherry…" he whispered.
"Don't say no," she said. "Just… take it. For me?"
And Elian, who'd spent his whole life saying _yes_ to everyone else,
finally said _yes_ to her.
His fingers closed around the diamond.
Around her hands.
And nodded.
Lola Anna closed her eyes.
And smiled.
Elian didn't say anything.
Couldn't.
Words were too small.
So he moved.
He pulled Cherry in. Hard. Both arms around her. Diamond pressed between them, digging into his chest. Didn't care.
Held her like he was drowning.
Like she was air.
Cherry went stiff for one second. Surprised.
Then melted. Arms going around his waist. Face in his neck.
And Elian broke. Quiet this time. No sobs. Just one shaky breath that wrecked him.
Because it hit him.
All at once.
16 years of looking the wrong way.
Of thinking love had to be Cindy. Had to be the pretty girl. The one everyone wanted.
Of telling himself _friends can't be more_.
Of telling himself _Cherry's just Best_.
Of being so damn scared of ruining what they had that he chose someone who never saw him.
And all that time, she was right here.
Bringing food.
Throwing stones with him.
Fighting his battles.
Giving him millions without blinking.
Choosing him.
Always choosing him.
"I'm stupid," Elian whispered. Into her hair. "I'm so damn stupid, Cherry."
"Yeah," Cherry mumbled against his shirt. "You are."
He laughed. Wet. Broke.
His thumb brushed her cheek. Barely there.
"But it was always you," he said. "In my good days. In my bad days. When I was happy. When I was crying in a field. It was you."
Cherry stared at him.
Then she punched his chest. Hard.
"Ow!" Elian yelped. Laughed. Pulled back, rubbing the spot. "What was that for?"
"For being an idiot for 16 years" Cherry said. But she was smiling. Eyes wet.
"Fair," Elian said. Grinning now. Real. First real grin in days. "Really fair."
She went to hit him again.
He caught her wrist. Didn't let go.
Just held it.
Looked at her.
"Cherry," he said.
"What."
"Nothing," he said. "Just… Cherry."
Elian's hand around Cherry's wrist.
Cherry not pulling away.
Diamond forgotten on the table.
Lola Anna closed her eye again.