Two years ago—which felt like a lifetime ago, TBH—National Artist and multi-awarded scriptwriter-slash-novelist Ricky Lee announced that he was already in the process of writing the sequel to his debut novel “Para Kay B.” NGL, the wait for its release was so excruciating that I occasionally question its existence. Was it a fever dream? A prank? A figment of my imagination?

And then this happened.

Lee has officially made public the title and release date of “Para Kay B” sequel. “Lahat Ng B” has reached completion and will hit local bookstores in December. Pre-selling will start as early as Nov. 14 though, so yup, our grueling two-year anticipation has finally come to an end.

As cheesy as this may sound, I was only able to fully grasp the concept of love after reading the novel. I still remember being struck hard by a particular quote, which I still have memorized even after all these years: “May quota ang pag-ibig. Sa bawat limang umiibig, isa lang ang magiging maligaya. Ang iba, iibig sa ’di sila iniibig. O iibig nang ’di natututo. O iibig sa wala. O ’di iibig kailanman.”

(“Love has a quota. Only one in every five people finds happiness in it. Some experience unrequited love while others love without learning. Some love without purpose while others don’t love at all.”)

Here’s a quick refresher for readers who may have forgotten some details: “Para Kay B” is a collection of five slightly related short stories, each depicting a different perspective on romance. The anthology touches on naivety, forbidden love, and the realities of a queer relationship, among others.

While Lee has yet to disclose the exact plot of “Lahat ng B” (not even the blurb), I’m pretty sure the ride’s going to be just as wild as the preceding book—if not wilder. I’m also expecting Lucas-Bessie crumbs and a few more thought-provoking love (and life!) lessons.

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Photos from Ricky Lee’s Facebook page