We Forgot About Us — Then Remembered Over Buko Halo and Found Each Other Again

Lately, my partner and I have felt like two busy people living under the same roof. We worked hard; we both raised the kids, and we barely looked at each other between chores, deadlines, and our digital lives. We didn't fight, we just drifted. We had brief conversations over bills, the kids, and work, but not about us.

Yesterday afternoon, he fetched me from work, and I gave him a slight smile when I saw him, and he gave a small grin. On our way, we didn't talk; we were quiet, and it seemed awkward, but I couldn't think of anything to start a conversation. When we were a few kilometers nearer to home, I began to speak and told him I was starving and I wanted to eat somewhere.

He rerouted and stopped in a small restaurant. We entered the door, and I never asked him what he wanted. I already knew his cravings; this is the perk of having a partner for decades. He sat in the corner while he waited for me. I was at the counter checking out our orders.

I went back to the table where he sat. He put down his cellphone, and I put down mine too. Then he began speaking up with "What did you order? Did you include Buko Halo?". I answered him back with yes, and that was the beginning of our casual convo that lasted almost an hour.

The server put down the freshly baked pizza and buko halo on our table. I only ordered one buko halo because I was very sure that we couldn't finish two buko halos. We simply shared digging our pizza and dessert, we shared smiles, and we exchanged glances. We took selfies, he even told me to pose, and he took some snaps. We never even noticed the time, and we almost had an hour chatting and eating.

The cozy little place and the food made us feel like dating again, not parents, not employees, just two people who once chose each other. I felt so warm and grateful inside my heart.

We went home with lighter hearts and smiles we hadn't shared for a while. The kids were waiting when we arrived home, and parenting is more fun and lighter when both parents are happier and more peaceful at heart. Sometimes, marriage doesn't need big trips or fancy gifts, it just needs time, food, and the courage to remember us back again.

We often forget that love needs feeding too, not just with grand gestures, but with little moments where we pause, put our phones down, and see each other again. Sharing a pizza and buko halo reminded us that underneath the busyness, we’re still the same two people who chose to share each other's lives.

Maybe we can’t stop the world from getting noisy, but we can always find our way back to each other, one quiet meal, one soft smile, one small “us” at a time.