One brick at a time
Author: elle
Eight years.
That’s how long it took for Elle and Lex to sit at the same table again without it feeling like a war zone.
They were 16 and 17 when they dated. A year and a half of notes passed in class, matching keychains, and one big misunderstanding that turned into a 'cool off.'
The plan was to get back together.
The plan failed.
Life happened.
And then there was Hans.
Lex’s bestfriend. Their unpaid, overworked, full-time mediator since day one.
*Chapter 1: The Group Date Trap*
*Hans*: _Group date. Monday. 6:00pm. Café Uno. Don’t ask. Just come._
*Elle*: _Who’s going?_
*Hans*: _Me. You. Lex. And maybe 3 other people._
She knew it was a lie. There were never 3 other people.
For 3 days Elle almost chickened out. She typed "can’t make it" four times and deleted it four times.
But she already said "sige" on voice note.
And she hated being a woman who didn’t keep her word. So she used it against herself.
Monday, 6:00pm.
Lex was already there, fidgeting with a coffee cup. Older. Mature. Same eyes.
Hans grinned like he’d just won the lottery.
'Finally!' - this word was probably on his mind.
They talked about everything, about high school. About work, traffic, the price of gas.
At 8:40pm, it was just the two of them and Hans pretending to be on his phone.
*Hans*: _Okay I’m out. I have a thing. Elle, hatid ka ni Lex?_
*Lex*: _Hans—_
*Hans*: _Motorbike lang naman. 10 minutes. Bye!_
And he was gone.
The ride home was awkward yet nostalgic as hell.
Helmet on. His back in front of her. She held on like it was 2016 again.
The wind, the stoplights, the way he slowed down at every lubak² because he remembered she hated it.
When they got to her place:
*Lex*: _Nakarating ka nang safe._
*Elle*: _Thanks... boss._
The word slipped out.
He froze on his bike.
*Lex*: _Still calling me that?_
*Elle*: _Old habit. Goodnight, Lex._
*Elle*: Uhm... can I get a hug before you leave?
*Lex*: _raises eyebrow_
*Elle*: Friendly lang! I hug my friends all the time. Don’t make it weird.
*Lex*: Okay. Friendly.
He stepped forward.
Arms around her. Tight. Warm. Familiar in a way that hurt.
And then...
His lips. On her forehead.
Soft. Quick. Unexpected.
They both froze.
*Elle*: _pulls back_ Oh.
*Lex*:_rubs the back of his neck_ I... didn’t mean to.
*Elle*: It’s okay. It was... friendly.
*Lex*: Right. Friendly.
The air got thick.
She suddenly couldn’t look him in the eye.
So she ran inside before things get worst.
*Chapter 2: The Unsent Letter*
That night she wrote this and never sent it:
> Good day, my love. I am so thankful that I get to know you again, even after all this time apart. I am truly grateful to my past self — the one who found the courage and, shamelessly, bothered your bestie. Because if she hadn’t said a word, I... <
______________________________________________
She saved it in drafts.
Not yet. Not until she was sure. Not until _he_ was sure.
*Chapter 3: Midnight, Mornings, and In-Between*
Now it’s silly. It’s real.
*12:14 AM*
*Lex*: _gising ka pa?_
*Elle*: _reports. ikaw?_
*Lex*: _miss ko lang yung boses mo_
*Elle*: _...tawag?_
*7:02 AM*
*Lex*: _coffee? black, no sugar. tama ba?_
*Elle*: _tama. thank you, boss._
*2:30 PM, during work*
*Elle*: _client is being a nightmare_
*Lex*: _breathe. then curse in your head. then do it again. kaya mo yan_
*Elle*: _since when did you become soft?_
*Lex*: _since July._
Hans was still the messenger.
*Hans*: _So? Kumusta?_
*Elle*: _Getting to know stage. Slow._
*Hans*: _That’s good. No pressure. No drama._
*Elle*: _Exactly. I’m not in a hurry._
*Chapter 4: The Rules*
One night on call, she finally said it out loud.
*Elle*: _Lex, I need to be honest._
*Lex*: _Go._
*Elle*: _I want it slow. Sure. Solid. For a better future. For my future._
*Lex*: _Okay._
*Elle*: _No chaos. No pain. No drama. I’m tired of free trials. I love myself too much to be a maybe again._
*Lex*: _I’m not asking you to be a maybe, Elle._
*Elle*: _Then show me. And tell me. Both. I need to feel it and hear it._
*Lex*: _Noted, boss._
*Elle*: _Don’t call me that. It's making me feel like a teenager again_
*Lex*: _Can’t help it._
They both laughed. Soft.
*Chapter 5:One Brick*
Elle still hasn’t sent the letter.
But last Sunday, she opened it again and added one line at the bottom:
>_"This is very challenging for me but I want to try and slowly lower the wall, one brick at a time."_ <
_______________________________________________
At 11:59 PM her phone lit up.
*Lex*: _good day, my love. di ka pa tulog?_
*Elle*: _hindi pa. Mag kwento ka _
*Lex*: _kwento about what?_
*Elle*: _About us. About starting again. One brick at a time._
And for the first time in 8 years, it didn’t feel scary.
It felt like home.
.................................
Chapter 6:
Lex's POV
Eight years.
Eight years since I last called her "Elle" without it catching in my throat.
We were kids. 16 and 17. A year and a half of stolen lunch breaks and dumb promises. One stupid misunderstanding, one "cool off" that we both pretended was temporary.
It wasn’t.
And then there was Hans.
My bestfriend. Our referee. Our messenger. The guy who never let us fully drift apart even when we tried.
*Chapter 7: The Ambush*
*Hans*: _Bro. Monday. 6pm. Café Uno. Group date._
*Me*: _Sino kasama?_
*Hans*: _Ako. Ikaw. Elle. Tsaka iba pa._
There was no "iba pa."
For three days I almost backed out. What if it was awkward? What if she hated me?
But Hans sent me a voice note: _"Be there or I’ll tell your mom you still cry to our high school playlist."_
So I showed up.
She walked in at 6:03. Same hair tie. Same way of biting her lip when she’s nervous, but now she's learned to hide her emotions with a smile. She's Older. Tired in a way I understood.
We talked about us. We talked about everything else.
At 8:40 Hans stood up.
*Hans*: _Alis na ko. May lakad. Lex, hatid mo si Elle?_
*Elle*: _Hans—_
*Hans*: _Motor lang. 10 mins. Sige na._
The ride home was hell and heaven.
Helmet. Her hands barely holding on to my jacket at first. Then, after the second stoplight, she held on properly.
I drove slower over every lubak². Muscle memory. I remembered she hated being jolted.
When we got to her place:
*Me*: _Nakarating ka nang safe._
*Elle*: _Thanks... boss._
"Boss."
That word punched me in the chest.
*Me*: _Still calling me that?_
*Elle*: _Old habit. Goodnight, Lex._
She was gone before I could say anything back.
I sat on my bike for 5 minutes like an idiot.
*Chapter 8: The 2AMs*
I didn’t expect this.
*12:14 AM*
*Me*: _gising ka pa?_
*Elle*: _reports. ikaw?_
*Me*: _miss ko lang yung boses mo_
*Elle*: _...tawag ka?_
We’d talk for an hour about nothing. Work. Food. The dog of her neighbor.
*Me*: _Elle, do you remember that Monday? July?_
*Elle*: _...which Monday?_
*Me*: _Yung 4 hours tayo nag-usap sa café. Tapos biglang gabi na._
*Elle*: _That was enchanting._
*Me*: _Yeah. It felt surreal._
Silence. Then we both laughed. Too loud. Like we were 16 and 17 again.
Mornings too.
*Me*: _coffee? black, no sugar. tama ba?_
*Elle*: _tama. thank you, boss._
I hated that she still called me that.
I loved that she still called me that.
Hans kept checking in.
*Hans*: _So?_
*Me*: _Getting to know. Slow._
*Hans*: _Good. Don’t mess it up this time._
*Me*: _I won’t._
*Chapter 9: The Night She Set the Rules*
One call. 1:07 AM. She sounded exhausted.
*Elle*: _Lex, I need to be honest._
*Me*: _Go._
*Elle*: _I want it slow. Sure. Solid. For a better future. For my future._
*Me*: _Okay._
*Elle*: _No chaos. No pain. No drama. I’m tired of being someone’s free trial. I love myself too much to be a maybe again._
My chest hurt.
*Me*: _I’m not asking you to be a maybe, Elle._
*Elle*: _Then show me. And tell me. Both. I need to feel it and hear it._
*Me*: _Noted, boss._
*Elle*: _Don’t call me that. It hurts but also makes my heart flutter_
*Me*: _Can’t help it._
After we hung up, I stared at my ceiling.
Eight years of building her walls. And she was telling me exactly how to climb them.
*Chapter 10: The Draft I Wasn’t Meant to See*
Last Sunday, Hans accidentally sent me a screenshot.
He meant to send it to himself. It was from Elle’s notes app.
The whole thing. From _"Good day, my love"_ to _"...safe to let my heart settle."_
I read it three times.
My hands were shaking.
_"...I am truly grateful to my past self — the one who found the courage and, shamelessly, bothered your bestie..."_
That was her. That was why we were talking again.
_"...What I really wish for now is to fall into someone soft. No chaos. No pain. No drama..."_
God. That’s all I wanted too.
_"...I am not a cheap woman meant to be tested for a month and returned..."_
I closed my eyes. I never wanted her to feel like that. Not then. Not now.
At the bottom she added: _"This is very challenging for me but I want to try and slowly lower the wall, one brick at a time."_
She didn’t send it.
Not yet.
*Chapter 11: 11:59 PM*
I couldn’t sleep.
*Me*: _good day, my love. di ka pa tulog?_
I sent it before I could overthink.
Three dots.
*Elle*: _hindi pa. kwento ka._
*Me*: _kwento about what?_
*Elle*: _About us. About starting again. One brick at a time._
I exhaled.
For eight years I thought we missed our chance.
Turns out, we were just waiting to be ready.
*Me*: _Sige. Simulan natin sa umpisa. Pero this time, dahan-dahan._
*Elle*: _Dahan-dahan._
One brick down.
And for the first time, I wasn’t scared to build.
...............................
Chapter 12:
*"The Day She Sent It"*
_Elle’s POV_
It was a Thursday. Nothing special.
Gray sky. 3 unread emails. Coffee that went cold.
And me, staring at my drafts for 20 minutes.
The letter had been there for 8 weeks.
I added to it. Deleted from it. Added again.
Last line I wrote was: _"This is very challenging for me but I want to try and slowly lower the wall, one brick at a time."_
I was scared.
What if he thought it was too much?
What if he didn’t feel the same?
What if I was the only one lowering my wall?
Then my phone buzzed.
*Lex*: _Rough day?_
*Me*: _Yeah. You?_
*Lex*: _Same. Gusto mo coffee later? 6pm? Just us._
*Me*: _Sige._
Just us.
No Hans. No group. No excuses.
---
*6:00 PM - Café*
Same table as the group date.
He was already there. Two coffees. Black and no sugar was mine.
*Lex*: _You look tired, boss._
*Me*: _yeah, rough day_
*Lex*: _hmmmm._
We talked. About work. About his mom. About the motorbike that needed repairs.
Normal. Safe.
But my hands were shaking under the table.
At 7:30, he walked me out.
*Lex*: _Hatid kita?_
*Me*: _yes please. But... can we sit for 5 more minutes?_
The parking lot was empty. Just the two of us
I took a deep breath.
*Me*: _Lex, I have something to tell you._
*Lex*: _Go._
*Me*: _I wrote you something. Weeks ago. I never sent it because... I was scared._
*Lex*: _Okay._
*Me*: _I’m still scared. But I’m more scared of not saying it._
I pulled out my phone. Opened drafts.
My finger hovered over "send."
*Me*: _If you don’t feel the same, that’s okay. But I need you to know. Fully. Consciously._
*Lex*: _Send it, Elle._
So I did.
---
*7:42 PM*
*Me*:
Good day, my love. I am so thankful that I get to know you again, even after all this time apart. I am truly grateful to my past self — the one who found the courage and, shamelessly, bothered your bestie. Because if she hadn’t said a word, I wouldn’t be this happy right now. I want you to know again that everything that happened on that one Sunday in July felt truly enchanting to me. It felt surreal. Words could not explain what I felt at that time. It was like finding the missing piece I didn’t know my heart was looking for. A piece that finally made me feel at peace. It felt as if the world had finally decided to let us find each other again. To be honest with you, my boss love, I’m still scared. My guards are still up. All these years, I’ve built walls around me. I never let myself fall too deep. I never let people in easily. Especially if there are no words of affirmation. Some people say that actions speak louder. Others say actions mean nothing without words of affirmation. For me, both have to coexist. I need to _feel_ it in what you do, and _hear_ it in what you say. What I really wish for now is to fall into someone soft. No chaos. No pain. No drama. Just peace. Just warmth. Just someone who makes home feel safe. My patience has run dry from past experiences. I’ve given too much, waited too long, and explained myself too many times. So I learned to depend on myself alone. I learned how to be my own safe place. I love myself deeply. Sometimes people misunderstand that as being hard-hearted, as if I’m incapable of showing affection. But the truth is, I’m just practical. I’ve learned not to waste time on another "free trial." I know my worth. I am not a cheap woman meant to be tested for a month and returned. I am not a maybe. I am not an option. If I let you in, it’s because I chose you. Fully. Consciously. And I hope you choose me the same way — with clarity, with care, with softness. Thank you for being patient with me love. Thank you for making that Sunday in July feel like magic. And thank you for giving me a reason to believe that love doesn’t always have to hurt. This is very challenging for me but I want to try and slowly lower the wall, one brick at a time. I want to believe that this time, it’s safe to let my heart settle.
*Delivered.*
My heart was pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it.
I didn’t look at him. I stared at my coffee instead.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Silence.
Then I felt his hand. Not holding mine. Just resting beside it on the hood. Close.
*Lex*: _Elle._
*Me*: _Hmm?_
*Lex*: _Look at me._
I did.
His eyes were red. Not crying. Just... full.
*Lex*: _I read it twice._
*Me*: _And?_
*Lex*: _And I’ve been trying to write you the same thing for 8 years. I just didn’t have the words._
He turned to me fully.
*Lex*: _No chaos. No pain. No drama. I want that too. I want soft. I want peace. I want you._
*Me*: _Even with the walls?_
*Lex*: _Especially with the walls. We’ll take them down. One brick at a time. Together._
I laughed. It came out shaky.
*Me*: _You’re sure?_
*Lex*: _I’m sure. I’ve been sure since July. Since you said "boss" again and acted like it meant nothing._
He reached over and took my hand.
*Lex*: _So. Can I call you "my love" back now?_
*Me*: _Only if you mean it. With actions and words. Both._
*Lex*: _I mean it. Good day, my love._
---
*11:59 PM*
I was home. In bed. Still processing.
*Lex*: _Nakarating ka nang safe?_
*Me*: _Yes. Thank you._
*Lex*: _For what?_
*Me*: _For not running. For choosing me the same way._
*Lex*: _Always. Now sleep, boss._
*Me*: _alright boss._
*Lex*: _. Goodnight, boss love._
I put my phone down and cried.
Not because I was sad.
Because for the first time in years, it felt safe to let my heart settle.
One brick down.
So many more to go.
But this time, i know we were building something together.
..................................
Chapter 13:
1 Month Later"*
It’s been 31 days since I sent the letter.
31 days since I stopped typing and deleting and finally hit "send."
31 days of choosing "slow, sure, and solid."
Turns out, love doesn’t explode.
It builds quietly with consistency and effort.
*Chapter 14: The New Normal*
*Mondays*: Coffee. 6pm. Just us. No Hans ambushing us anymore.
*Wednesdays*: Call while cooking. Him chopping onions, me burning garlic or whatever.
*Fridays*: Motorbike rides. Still awkward. Still nostalgic. Still my favorite.
*2AMs*: Still there. But now it’s not "miss ko lang yung boses mo."
Now it’s "goodnight, my love."
*Hans*: _So? Still alive?_
*Us*: _Still alive. Still slow._
*Hans*: _Proud of you, you hard-headed idiots._
*Chapter 15: Words + Actions*
I told him I needed both.
So he gave both.
*Words:*
*Lex*: _You did great in that meeting today. I’m proud of you._
*Lex*: _Thank you for telling me when you’re overwhelmed. I like that you trust me with that._
*Lex*: _Good day, my love. Did you sleep well?_
*Actions:*
He remembers black coffee, no sugar.
He texts consistently and actually waits for me before sleeping.
When my client was a nightmare, he showed up with food and didn’t ask questions. Just sat with me.
*Me*: _You didn’t have to come._
*Lex*: _I know. I wanted to._
That’s the difference.
No chaos. No guessing. No "free trial" energy.
*Chapter 16: The Walls*
They’re still there. But different now.
Last week I had a bad day. Old wound opened.
*Me*: _I need space tonight._
*Lex*: _Okay. I’m here when you’re ready. Not going anywhere._
No begging. No panic. No drama.
Just... softness.
And when I was ready:
*Me*: _Can you come over?_
*Lex*: _On my way._
We didn’t talk much. He just held my hand.
*Lex*: _You don’t have to be strong all the time, Elle._
*Me*: _I know. I’m learning._
*Chapter 17: One Month Check-In*
Tonight. Same parking lot.
*Me*: _So. One month._
*Lex*: _One month._
*Me*: _How are you? Honestly._
*Lex*: _Honestly? I’m happy. I’m scared sometimes. But I’m happy._
*Me*: _Me too._
He squeezed my hand.
*Lex*: _Remember what you wrote? "I want to fall into someone soft."_
*Me*: _Yeah._
*Lex*: _Did you?_
I looked at him. Tired eyes. The guy who drove slow over rocky roads because he remembered i hate being jolted.
The guy who texts me every morning.
The guy who chose me. Fully. Consciously.
*Me*: _I think I am. Slowly._
*Lex*: _Good. Because I’m falling too._
We didn’t kiss. We didn’t need to.
We just sat there, shoulders touching, while the city went quiet.
*Me*: _My patience hasn’t run dry with you._
*Lex*: _Mine either._
*Epilogue: The Wall*
There are still bricks.
Trust issues. Old fears. The voice that says "what if this is another trial."
But now when that voice comes, I have something to answer it with.
I have a "good morning" text.
I have coffee waiting.
I have "I’m proud of you."
I have "I’m not going anywhere."
I have him.
And he has me.
*Lex*: _Good day, my love._
*Me*: _Good day, boss._
One month down.
One brick at a time.
And for the first time, I believe this wall is worth taking down.
The End.
-this story is a work of fiction but some parts did happen in a real life setting.
I made this for my boss, my first love, whom I'm getting to know again after 8 years of being apart- 🖋️🍀
