Kismet

“Amazing.”

Rafa heard the woman whisper from somewhere beside her, not too far away. The single word was soft, almost swallowed by the quiet hum of voices and the distant rush of water moving behind thick glass walls.

But Rafa understood exactly what she meant.

They stood before one of the largest viewing panels inside the Singapore Oceanarium, where an entire underwater world stretched endlessly beyond the glass.

Giant manta rays glided through the deep blue like shadows in flight, schools of silver fish moved in perfect unison, and enormous groupers drifted lazily near artificial reefs resting at the bottom of the tank.

The water reflected shimmering waves of light across Rafa’s face, painting her skin in shifting shades of blue.

For a moment, everything else around them faded away.

Children pressed excitedly against the railings nearby while tourists lifted their phones to capture the mesmerizing scene, but Rafa barely noticed any of it. Her attention remained fixed on the ocean unfolding before her—vast, silent, and almost unreal, like another universe hidden beneath the sea.

Beside her, the woman stepped closer to the glass, wonder filling her eyes.

“It feels unreal,” the woman murmured softly, almost to herself.

Rafa glanced sideways at her.

The glow from the aquarium illuminated the woman’s features gently, and for a brief second, Rafa found herself staring longer than she should have. There was something strangely comforting about seeing someone else look at the world with the same quiet awe she carried inside her chest.

“It’s beautiful,” Rafa finally said.

The woman smiled faintly, though her gaze remained fixed on the water. “Beautiful isn’t even enough to describe it.”

At that exact moment, a massive stingray drifted above them, its enormous wings moving gracefully through the water as though it were flying across the sky instead of swimming beneath the sea.

The woman quickly lifted her phone, taking photos and short videos of the creature passing overhead. When the shifting light from the aquarium struck her face more clearly, recognition suddenly hit Rafa.

“It was you,” Rafa said, a small smile forming on her lips as she finally got a better look at the woman.

The woman lowered her phone slightly and looked at Rafa through the screen’s reflection, confusion flickering across her face.

“Do you know me?” she asked, curiosity evident in her voice as she lowered her phone to her side.

Rafa immediately felt heat creep up her neck.

“Yes—I mean, no. Not really,” she blurted out awkwardly.

The woman raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not a stalker,” Rafa added quickly, almost too fast, making the other woman blink in surprise.

Rafa laughed nervously at herself before continuing.

“It just so happened that I saw you yesterday at Merlion Park. You were taking selfies.” She scratched the back of her neck shyly. “I was actually going to approach you because I figured out you were Filipino, but someone asked me to take their photo first. When I looked back, you were already gone.”

For a moment, the woman simply stared at her. Then she softly said, “Oh.”

Rafa suddenly became very aware of how ridiculous she probably sounded.

Still, she gathered enough courage to smile and extend her hand toward the woman.

“I’m Rafa, by the way. Rafa Stevenson.” She offered her brightest close-up smile, the kind that usually came naturally to her but now felt oddly nerve-wracking.

The woman hesitated for a brief second, clearly contemplating whether she should accept the gesture or not. A small part of her wondered if this overly friendly stranger might secretly be a scammer—or worse, part of some budol-budol gang preying on tourists.

But looking at Rafa now, standing beneath the blue aquarium lights with an embarrassingly sincere expression on her face, she looked far too bubbly and genuine to be dangerous.

That thought alone almost made the woman laugh.

Finally, she smiled a little and reached out to shake Rafa’s hand.

“Francheska Ledesma,” she introduced softly.

The moment their hands met, Rafa felt her chest tighten with unexpected excitement.

Out of all the places in Singapore, she never thought she would see the woman from Merlion Park again.

“Francheska,” Rafa repeated softly, as though testing how the name sounded on her tongue.

A grin slowly appeared on her face.

“That’s such a nice name,” she said before laughing lightly. “It sounds so expensive.”

The words slipped out of her mouth so naturally that Rafa did not even realize what she had said until a second later.

Francheska let out a quiet chuckle, amusement dancing in her eyes. Why did she find this woman strangely cute? She refused to admit that out loud, even to herself.

Meanwhile, Rafa suddenly looked horrified at her own words. She scratched the back of her head awkwardly, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks as she laughed at herself. “I swear that sounded better in my head,” she muttered.

Francheska laughed again, softer this time. Trying to recover from her embarrassment, Rafa quickly gestured toward Francheska’s phone.

“Do you want me to take your picture?” She had noticed earlier how fascinated Francheska was with the stingrays gliding overhead, and the thought of her leaving without decent photos suddenly felt unacceptable to Rafa.

Francheska immediately shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I don’t want to trouble you.”

“I insist,” Rafa replied without hesitation as she gently took the phone from her hand.

Before Francheska could protest again, Rafa was already stepping backward, searching for the perfect angle like she had done this countless times before.

Left with no choice, Francheska reluctantly agreed. She posed shyly near the glass while the blue light from the aquarium reflected around her. Rafa guided her naturally.

“A little to the left.”

“Look up.”

“Wait—don’t move.”

“There. Perfect.”

Francheska blinked in surprise. The way Rafa directed her so confidently almost felt professional. The angles, the lighting, even the way she adjusted where Francheska stood—it all felt effortless.

For a brief moment, she wondered if Rafa might actually be a photographer.

“Are you alone here?” Rafa asked casually after taking several photos, though there was something careful beneath her tone. Hope. Francheska noticed it immediately.

She hesitated. Normally, she would never answer questions like that so easily, especially from someone she had only just met. She barely knew Rafa at all. But when she looked at her, at the hopeful look lingering in Rafa’s eyes, Francheska suddenly found herself not wanting to disappoint her.

So, despite herself, she answered quietly, “Yeah.”

The moment the word left her lips, Francheska internally questioned her own decision.

What was happening to her? She watched Rafa smile almost instantly after hearing her answer, and somehow that smile made her chest feel lighter instead of alarmed.

It should have worried her. Technically, following around a stranger in another country sounded like the beginning of a bad decision. But Rafa seemed harmless.

Too harmless, honestly. Or maybe her judgment was simply being affected by the heaviness she had been carrying inside herself for so long—the kind she kept hidden behind quiet smiles and practiced composure.

Still…Maybe it would be okay. Just for today. Just this once. Francheska exhaled softly and decided to go with the flow.

Rafa handed her phone back before flashing another bright smile. “Come on,” she said excitedly. “Let’s explore the whole oceanarium.”

After what felt like hours of wandering through the oceanarium together, Rafa and Francheska finally settled inside one of the restaurants near the central viewing area.

By then, the lunch crowd had already thinned. It was nearly quarter to two in the afternoon, leaving only a handful of tourists scattered across the quiet dining area.

Soft instrumental music played overhead while the faint blue glow from the nearby aquarium tanks reflected against the glass walls.

Francheska leaned back slightly in her chair as she watched Rafa remove the camera hanging around her neck.

Only then did she fully realize it was a high-end Sony camera. Throughout the entire tour, Rafa had been endlessly fascinated by every sea creature they encountered.

She had taken photos of jellyfish, sharks, corals, manta rays, and even tiny colorful fish most people ignored. And sometimes—Francheska caught Rafa secretly taking pictures of her too.

Oddly enough, she did not mind. She should have felt awkward spending hours with someone she had only met that day, yet somehow, she never once felt bored around Rafa. The woman was energetic in a way that felt effortless. She talked animatedly, pointed excitedly at random sea creatures, and occasionally cracked painfully corny jokes that made Francheska laugh—not because they were funny, but because of how serious Rafa looked while delivering them.

Still, they laughed anyway.

And for the first time in a long while, Francheska realized she felt… comfortable.

Comfortable around a stranger.

“You’re eating grass.”

Francheska looked up from her salad to find Rafa staring suspiciously at the bowl in front of her.

“I’m vegetarian,” Francheska replied with a small smile. Then her eyes shifted toward

Rafa’s tray. “And you’re eating too many carbs.”

Rafa looked down at her burger, fries, and onion rings. “I’m on vacation,” she defended dramatically. “That means I get to eat whatever I want.”

Francheska shook her head with an amused look on her face. “Yes, you are.”

Rafa grinned proudly before taking another bite of her burger. A moment later, curiosity returned to her eyes.

“So…” Rafa began carefully, “why are you alone in this beautiful city?”

Francheska paused mid-bite. The question lingered between them.

Rafa immediately noticed the hesitation in her expression and suddenly became aware again of how reserved Francheska truly was. There was something refined about her—quiet elegance, careful words, restrained emotions. She looked like someone who came from a good background and carried herself with natural grace.

Beautiful too. Sharp nose. Soft but defined features. Lips that were difficult not to stare at whenever she smiled. And tall. Maybe around five-eight, considering they were nearly the same height.

“You’re alone too,” Francheska pointed out softly, a faint smile touching her lips.

“Yeah,” Rafa admitted easily. “This is part of my backpack travel plan. I promised myself that before I turned twenty-six, I had to visit the Singapore Oceanarium.”

Francheska raised an eyebrow slightly. “So, you’re twenty-six?”

“Turning twenty-six,” Rafa corrected with a chuckle. “My birthday’s still in a few days.”

Francheska smiled again, genuinely amused now. There was something admirable about the way Rafa talked about her goals so openly. She liked people who dreamed boldly, the kind who chased experiences instead of simply waiting for life to happen.

Rafa pointed a fry at her dramatically. “Your turn.”

“About what?” Francheska laughed softly.

Rafa leaned forward slightly, clearly unwilling to let the topic go. “About why you’re here alone.”

Francheska slowly placed her fork down onto her plate. For a few seconds, she simply stared at the table, debating whether she truly wanted to answer.

Then she quietly said, “I came here because I wanted to be alone, I want space.”

She looked away afterward, toward the aquarium wall nearby.

And this time, Rafa saw it clearly. The sadness hidden behind her calm expression.

It was there in her eyes. Heavy. Silent. Painfully familiar. Rafa’s playful expression softened immediately.

“You know,” she began gently, her voice quieter now, “sometimes it’s easier telling your problems to a stranger.”

Francheska looked back at her.

Rafa offered a small smile. “Because strangers don’t already have expectations of you. They don’t know the version of you everyone else knows. So, when you talk…you don’t have to pretend you’re okay.” She shrugged lightly. “And sometimes strangers listen better because they’re not trying to choose sides or judge you. They just listen.”

The words settled softly between them. Francheska let out a slow breath. Then she smiled faintly, though the sadness behind it remained. “I finally filed an annulment against my husband.”

Rafa blinked in surprise. For some reason, she had not expected that. Francheska looked far too young to already be married.

“Oh,” Rafa said softly. “I’m… sorry.” She did not know what else to say. So instead, she stayed quiet. And listened.

Francheska stared down at the untouched food on her tray. “Me and Dave… we were high school sweethearts,” Francheska admitted quietly. A faint smile appeared on her lips, soft and distant, like she was remembering a version of herself that no longer existed. Her fingers tightened slightly around the fork in her hand.

“I loved him so much,” she continued softly. “When he proposed, I said yes immediately. I was only twenty-four back then.” She let out a small breath, shaking her head lightly. “He was perfect. At least, that’s what I thought.” There was no bitterness in her voice yet—only exhaustion. “He never once gave me a reason to doubt him. He never flirted with other women, never stayed out partying, never made me feel insecure.”

Rafa stayed silent, letting her speak at her own pace.

Francheska’s eyes lowered toward the table. “He was gentle with me,” she whispered. “Always gentle. He never forced me to do anything I didn’t want to do. He respected my boundaries, remembered the little things I liked, checked if I got home safely…” A weak smile crossed her face. “Honestly, I used to think I was lucky because he was different from most men.” For a moment, she looked almost lost in those memories.

Then she gave a quiet, bitter laugh. “Now I understand why.”

Rafa felt her chest tighten.

“One night, he told me he had to work late,” Francheska continued after a pause. “I remember bringing him coffee because I thought he might be tired.”

Her expression remained composed, but Rafa could see the pain carefully restrained behind her eyes.

“So, I went to surprise him.” Another pause. And then— “I found him with someone else.”

Rafa’s grip around her spoon tightened unconsciously.

“At first, I only saw their silhouettes through the office glass,” Francheska said softly.

“I thought it was another woman.”

A humorless smile appeared on her lips. “But it wasn’t.”

Rafa froze slightly.

“He was with another man.”

The words settled heavily between them. Not shocking because of who David loved—But because of the years of deception that came with it.

Francheska looked away quickly, blinking once as though refusing to let herself cry.

“I think what hurt the most,” she whispered, “was realizing that maybe he never truly loved me the way I loved him.” Her voice remained calm, but Rafa could hear the heartbreak hidden underneath every word.

“All those years…” Francheska continued slowly, “I thought we were building a real marriage together. But in the end, it felt like I was just…” She paused, struggling to finish the sentence. “A cover. Someone safe to stand beside so nobody would question who he really was.” She swallowed hard. “And the worst part is…” A soft, pained laugh escaped her. “I can’t even hate him completely because I know how hard it must’ve been for him too. Pretending. Hiding.” Her eyes lowered again. “But that doesn’t erase what he did to me.”

Rafa listened quietly. No judgment. No interruption. Just listening.

“I kept replaying everything in my head after that night,” she admitted. “Every moment. Every memory. And suddenly all the things I once thought were signs of him being respectful started making sense in a different way.” Her lips curved into a sad smile.

“The distance. The restraint. The way he cared for me deeply but somehow never completely reached for me.”

Silence wrapped around them again.

Rafa’s heart ached hearing that. Without thinking, she reached across the table and gently squeezed Francheska’s hand.

“You didn’t deserve that,” Rafa said quietly.

Francheska only smiled weakly in return.

A few moments later, Rafa suddenly stood up from her seat.

Francheska looked at her in confusion.

“Wait here,” Rafa said.

Before Francheska could ask where she was going, Rafa disappeared toward the nearby food stalls. A few minutes later, she returned carrying two ice cream cups and something tucked under her arm. Rafa placed one ice cream in front of Francheska proudly.

“There,” she declared. “You need this.”

Francheska blinked. “Ice cream?”

“Yes. Scientifically proven to make people happier.”

Francheska laughed softly. “I’m pretty sure that’s not scientifically accurate.”

“It is in my heart.” That earned another laugh from her.

Satisfied, Rafa finally revealed what she had been hiding behind her back.

A plush stingray.

Small, soft, and ridiculously adorable. Francheska stared at it in surprise.

Rafa scratched the back of her neck shyly. “I noticed you really liked the stingrays,” she admitted. “So… I bought you one.”

For a moment, Francheska simply stared at the plush toy in silence.

Then slowly—

Very slowly—

Her expression softened in a way Rafa had not seen before.

And for the first time that day, the sadness in Francheska’s eyes faded, even if only for a little while.

“Thank you,” she whispered softly.

She held the plush stingray carefully in her hands, her fingers absentmindedly brushing against its soft fabric before lifting her gaze toward Rafa.

For a brief moment, Rafa simply stared back at her.

And then—

With absolute confidence, Rafa pointed at herself dramatically.

“You know,” she began, leaning back proudly in her chair, “I can treat you right.”

Francheska blinked.

Rafa grinned wider.

“I volunteer as tribute.” She placed a hand over her chest. “I’ll be your girlfriend while

we’re here in Singapore.”

Francheska nearly choked on her own laughter.

Rafa quickly lifted both hands defensively.

“Temporarily,” she added immediately, even making air quotes with her fingers before laughing at herself.

Francheska shook her head in disbelief, still laughing softly.

“My husband cheated on me with another man,” she reminded her. “And now you’re here offering to be my girlfriend.” She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think I might have trauma now with same sex relationship?”

Rafa gasped dramatically as if personally offended.

“Exactly why you need me,” she declared proudly. “Exposure therapy.”

Francheska stared at her for two seconds before bursting into laughter again.

Rafa pointed at her excitedly.

“There! See? You’re laughing already. My methods are effective.”

“You’re unbelievable,” Francheska muttered between laughs.

“No, seriously,” Rafa continued, now fully committed to the nonsense coming out of her mouth. “This is sweet revenge. Your ex-husband downgraded himself emotionally, and now suddenly you’re with me?” She flipped imaginary hair behind her shoulder. “That’s character development.”

Francheska laughed harder, covering her face briefly with one hand.

“And for your information,” Rafa added with exaggerated confidence, “I’m a very good catch, my love.”

“Oh really?” Francheska challenged teasingly.

“Yes.” Rafa sat straighter. “First of all, I’m funny.”

“You’re corny. Funny and corny are cousins.” Francheska snorted.

“Second,” Rafa continued while counting on her fingers, “I buy people ice cream during emotional breakdowns.”

“That’s fair.”

“Third, I give premium-quality stingray plushies.”

Francheska looked down at the plush toy in her arms before smiling again.

“And fourth…” Rafa leaned forward dramatically. “I know how to take aesthetic pictures.”

That finally made Francheska laugh loud enough that nearby tourists briefly glanced their way.

Rafa pointed proudly at her again like she had accomplished something incredible.

“There,” she said triumphantly. “Mission accomplished.”

Francheska shook her head, still smiling helplessly.

“What mission?”

Rafa’s expression softened then, though the playful warmth never fully left her eyes.

“To make you smile.”

The words landed gently between them. And somehow, beneath the dim blue lights of the oceanarium, surrounded by the quiet sounds of moving water and distant laughter, Francheska realized something she had not felt in a very long time.

For the first time in months, the heaviness inside her chest did not feel unbearable.

Maybe healing did not always begin with grand moments.

Maybe sometimes, it started with terrible jokes, melted ice cream, a plush stingray—

And a stranger who refused to let her drown in sadness alone.

Meanwhile, Rafa took another bite of her fries before speaking again with complete seriousness.

“So…” she said casually, “does this mean I’m winning against your ex-husband?”

Francheska stared at her for one second.

Then she laughed so hard she nearly cried.

And Rafa decided right then and there—

That sound was probably her favorite thing she had heard all day.