Love in the shadow of goodbye

Beneath the arches of a small chapel inside the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Erlinda “Erlyn” Romarate Lucero held her husband’s hand and said her vows on Valentine’s Day in 2025.

The ceremony was simple and elegant, just as she wanted it. Flowers decorated the chapel. Principal sponsors, family, and close friends stood beside them. The songs “Through the Years” and “Promise of Love” filled the church.

That afternoon, her illness stepped aside — and what remained was love.

Erlyn’s fight with cancer began in 2019, when she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. She underwent surgery, six cycles of chemotherapy, radiation, and years of medication. But the disease returned. It spread to her liver, then to her bones.

By 2023, doctors confirmed that she had stage 4 bone cancer. That same year, she and her husband were told that she had six months to a year left to live.

HUSBAND AND WIFE. Erlyn and husband Evz Lucero share a light moment after their wedding at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral on February 14, 2025. Photo by Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler

During an interview in August 2023, Erlyn recalled how her husband reacted to the news.

“He was shocked,” she said in Filipino. “Because even at first, we spent so much money and effort. He thought all of them were all in vain.”

But even as he struggled to process the prognosis, Erlyn steadied herself. She was told she needed more chemotherapy, but it entailed more uncertainty and risk.

“I will still fight,” she said. “I cannot tell until when I will live. Only God [can].”

Her husband, Evaristo “Evz” Lucero, had been by her side for more than three decades. The two tied the knot in a civil ceremony in Cebu City on August 30, 1994.

After the prognosis, Evz quietly began preparing something Erlyn did not expect: a church wedding.

“Erlyn did not know that I was preparing secretly for a church wedding,” Evz said. “We wanted February 8, but the priest suggested that it would be more meaningful and memorable if we hold it on February 14, 2025, because it’s Valentine’s Day.”

“And we were so happy,” Evz said. “Nothing will happen without the intervention of God, Lord Jesus Christ. What happened to us was a miracle.”

PURE JOY. Beautiful and smiling, Erlyn celebrates her wedding day at a small chapel inside the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2025. That morning, illness stepped aside, and what remained was love. Photo by Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler

Erlyn the fighter

For a woman who was told she had months left to live, Erlyn remained radiant and fulfilled. In 2023, Erlyn allowed herself to be photographed bald, with her surgical scars visible. She wanted people to see what cancer truly looks like.

“Having scars and losing my hair doesn’t bother me,” she said during the 2023 interview. “It’s a small price to pay for the chance to keep living. Being beautiful is about inspiring others and showing kindness without hurting anyone.”

Erlyn refused to be pitied. She even continued working during chemotherapy and showed up at the office. When asked what advice she had for other cancer patients, she spoke first about acceptance. She also urged them to take things one day at a time.

“Acceptance is number one. If we cannot accept that we have cancer, nothing will happen. We might get depressed,” she said.

She said families of cancer patients should give support without showing that they feel bad for their loved ones.

BATTLE SCARS. Back on August 9, 2023, Erlyn allowed herself to be photographed bald, her surgical scars visible. She wanted people to see what cancer truly looks like. Photo by Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler

Erlyn said she was not afraid of dying. She was ready anytime, but all she wanted was additional time to be with her family. Additional time to love, to matter.

“I did not ask God to cure me. It’s already here, and I’m accepting wholeheartedly. My only wish is that I can overcome the pain, and extension,” she said.

When asked what message she wanted to leave her husband, her voice softened.

“I am thankful to him — he did not leave me. [It was] unconditional love. He did not give up. He gave me strength. He was the source of my strength. He helped [me] not to give up,” Erlyn said.

“Whatever happens, no crying. No one should cry. Be strong and continue with your lives.”

A beautiful goodbye

After years of fighting, Erlyn passed away on January 1, 2026. She left her husband, Evz, and her sons, Bill and William.

On January 7, she was laid to rest in Alcoy, Cebu, her hometown. Family and friends gathered to say goodbye, many of them the same people who had stood inside the cathedral months earlier and witnessed her wedding vows. The hands that once applauded her walk down the aisle now folded in prayer.

For the Lucero family, Valentine’s Day marks the anniversary of a wedding that proved that love can exist even in the shadow of goodbye.

For Erlyn and Evz’s eldest son, Bill, February 14 carries a different meaning.

“For the rest of the world, February 14th is just Valentine’s Day, but for me, it will always be the day that your wish had finally come true,” he said in a message for his mother.

“You two lived out the words ‘in sickness and in health’ with a grace that most people only dream of. You fought so hard to stay with us, and that selfless love is the blueprint I’m taking into my own marriage. I miss you more than words can say, but I find comfort knowing that your love was strong enough to outlast even the hardest goodbye,” he added.

On the eve of their first church wedding anniversary without his wife, Evz spoke quietly about life after Erlyn’s passing.

“Ever since Erlyn died, it feels I am dead too,” Evz said in an interview on February 13. “I cannot accept that she’s no longer in my life.”

AT PEACE. Erlyn’s urn rests at her final resting place at Alcoy Public Cemetery in Alcoy, Cebu province, on January 7, 2026, closing a chapter marked with faith and love. Photo by Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler

“It’s our first church wedding anniversary this February 14. I will visit her at the cemetery and offer her red roses and candles.”

Cancer did not define Erlyn. She is still remembered for her strength and courage, for her faith, and for the way she carried herself through suffering with grace. She chose love fully, even when time was uncertain.

She did not ask for the cancer to disappear. She accepted it, asked for time, and used it to love. – Rappler.com

Editor’s Note: Quotes were translated into English for brevity.