Mistel had never seen her as radiant as she is now - with her soft and luscious brown hair adorned with a crystal flower pin while wearing that ivory-white gown that she said she'd wear when she get married.
He has to admit - it was breathtaking, watching her walk down the aisle with a huge smile on her blushing face as her eyes filled with joy and excitement.
This made him remember the first time she walked inside their antique shop and how she effortlessly caught his attention with her curious green eyes and innocent smile. The girl introduced herself as Annie, the new farmer who recently moved in the farm across Madam Eda's.
He immediately took a liking on her - not because she's beautiful - but also because she is simple, kind and most of the time - quite naive. Annie never failed to amuse him in many ways and her stories were one of the best that he's heard.
Everything about Annie was likeable - from the way she walks to the way she talks and how her eyes would lit up every time she sees something new. If he could write a list of the things that he likes about her - Mistel was certain that it would just go on forever.
Dating her was also the best thing that ever happened to him.
There is not a day that could go wrong whenever he was with her even when these were comprise mostly of quick conversations, stolen kisses and hands laced together in silence. Mistel loved the girl so much that he had forgotten how he was living his life before meeting her.
There were also those moments, in which he felt insecure and jealous of all the people that she talks to, making him want to keep her away from everyone no matter how selfish that sounded like. Mistel even recalled kissing her at the restaurant when he felt that most people inside it were staring at his girlfriend. He did it just to make a point - just to make it obvious that this woman - belonged to no one but him. She was his and he was hers - and it was the only thing that makes sense in his world.
That was - of course - before they broke each other's heart.
Their relationship turned from being a sweet and loving companionship to a bitter and regretful one. He was always jealous and insecure of all the people who were trying to get close to her and because of that, he tried to keep the girl on a leash. He became a controlling boyfriend who always tells her what to do.
When he realized how unhealthy the person he is turning into, Mistel got scared that Annie will fall out of love with him soon - or worst, she might end up hating him which he never intended to happen.
That is why he decided to break up with her.
Annie - of course - doesn't want things to end everything between like that. She cried and begged for him to change his mind, even stood outside of his house, drenched under that cold summer rain.
But he doesn't want their relationship to become the poison that will ruin their lives.
"Maybe we should try to grow apart from now on." He had told her, forcing a small smile on his face. "You see, this relationship that we have is heading differently from the way we want it to be. And no matter how much I try to do better and change, things just doesn't seem to work. I still end up hurting your feelings."
"But don't you love me anymore?"
Annie stared right into his eyes, and from there he could see how much pain he was causing her right now.
"Sometimes, love isn't just enough." He said, holding back the urge to pull her in and cage her with his arms. His voice, along with his hand and knees, is shaking and it felt like he will collapse any moment from now.
"Or maybe, you just don't love me enough to keep trying to work it out." Annie said before storming out of the antique shop where they first met.
She doesn't know how badly Mistel wanted to run after her and tell her that she's wrong. That he loves her more than anything else in this world and that he will give away everything that he has just to make her belong to him completely.
She doesn't know how selfless he is trying to be right now by letting her go because he knew that he couldn't make her happy the way he promised her.
She doesn't know how much it was breaking his heart to do this but still has to because it's the only way he know of, in which he could save her from the monster that he is becoming.
It was all the things that he couldn't say back then, when they were young, immature and destructive.
Mistel felt a nudge on his sides which brought him back to the present where Iris is giving him a pitiful look as Veronica weds Annie and her soon-to-be spouse.
"I told you we shouldn't have come." She whispered.
True enough that the scene was unearthing a lot of buried memories and re-opening the wounds that he thought has already healed through time, but Mistel wanted to see this harsh reality for his self. He wanted to confirm that he made the right thing when he broke up with her.
He wanted to see how happy Annie is and how beautiful she looks when she weds the person she loves the most.
And maybe - just maybe - through this, he will be able to move on and break free from the chains of their youthful romance.
However, as the wedding bells rings to no end and bless her wedding – Mistel realizes one thing, it was truly a bad idea to come here after all. Because no matter how much he tries to deny it, knowing that he can never make her this happy breaks his heart even more. [Fin]