I don't know how to start, but I just want to release the weight on my heart.
I'm James, and I have a girlfriend who I love very much. We've been in a relationship for almost three years. From the moment we met, there seemed to be an instant connection. We quickly became close, and we became one. Since then, we've never been apart—through thick and thin, we've been together.
We were planning to get married next year. We're saving up for everything—wedding, house, our future together. Everything is going well, everything is happy. I'm so lucky to have him. He's loving, thoughtful, a great cook, and always there when I need him.
But one day came that changed everything.
There was a reunion on my father's side of the family. Of course, I brought my girlfriend along so that my relatives could get to know her better. At first, it was fun, chatting, laughing. But as time went on, we noticed that some of my relatives seemed to be examining her very closely. One even asked what her grandparents' last names were. That's where it all started.
Unexpectedly, we found out that we were second cousins. In other words, we were related by blood but we didn't know it, because our parents came from different provinces and our families only met now.
It felt like heaven and earth had fallen on me. I didn't know what to feel. We just looked at each other, unable to say anything. We loved each other, but was it still right? Are we feeling wrong if we didn't know the truth then?
When we got home, we didn't talk right away. We were both stunned. We talked to each other the next day, he was crying, I was crying too. He said that if the situation could have been different, I hope we wouldn't have had blood relations. But he also said that he couldn't afford to lose me.
We did some research. According to Philippine law, marrying second cousins is legal. It is not prohibited. But it is different when it comes to emotions and family. Even though it is legal, there are people who don't agree with it. What if our parents oppose it? What if other people judge us? What if we have children and there are complications?
So many questions, so few answers.
There were nights when we just cried when we called. There were days when we felt like running away and living where no one knew us. But we chose to stop and think. We consulted a doctor, and they said that the risk to our future child was low because we were not first cousins.
But what was harder was facing the family. We gradually admitted the truth to them. By God's grace, some understood, but there were still some who could not accept. And that's what hurts—it feels like you have to fight for your love even though you've done nothing wrong.
Now, we have chosen not to continue with the marriage for now. Not because we don't like each other anymore, but because we want to be sure. We want to be strong, not just because of feelings, but because we have chosen this with all our hearts and minds.
To those who read this, I just ask—is it wrong to love if what you feel is true? If you didn't choose the situation but chose to fight for love, do you have the right to be happy?
I don't know the ending of our story yet. But all I know is, it's not that easy to leave the person you considered your world behind. And if the day comes when we still choose each other, we're ready to face everything—as long as we're together.
