When the World Stopped, They Began
(A Pandemic Tale of Love)

Theirs was a love story born in stillness, in a world brought to a sudden halt. As the pandemic forced people into solitude, it also wove an unexpected thread between them. What began as a simple exchange of messages—perhaps out of boredom or the need for a familiar presence—soon became something more. Even through the cold glow of a screen, a quiet longing emerged, a connection neither had anticipated.

In those days of distance, love found its way through small but meaningful gestures—bouquets arriving unannounced, cakes & alikes sent to brighten weary days, meals shared apart yet together. While the world outside remained uncertain, something unspoken, something real, was beginning to take root between them.

When restrictions eased, so did fate. They finally met in the quiet of the province, where time moved slower, softer. He, a police trainee in Baguio; she, just returned from the restless pulse of the Metro. Though their relationship had begun from a distance, he made time for her during his rare take-life offs—brief but precious moments carved out of his already demanding routine. With each visit, they saw, listened, and truly began to know each other.

Now, nearly five years later, they had become each other’s constants. They had learned and unlearned, grown together through trials and triumphs. There were hurdles—doubts that whispered “I won’t,” revelations that stirred their minds, and the weight of unspoken fears. They had their moments of temper, of stubborn silence, of adjustments still left unfinished. And yet, here they stood, daring to risk a lifetime together.

What began in a world that had momentarily stopped had only moved forward. What started as companionship had become a love willing to last forever.