𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑇𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 • 𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑊𝑖𝑛 (𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱)

𝙵𝙸𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙴

Bright Chivaaree

"Dusty," I mumbled to myself all the while cleaning our room. Why am I cleaning? Because I am a good husband, and my mate would freak out if he comes home to a dirty house while he was away for a business trip.

Ever since we handled the business, and that the kids are already old enough - even made their own families with their mates - Win and I had dedicated more of our time and lives to the business. Lilly, however, was still single and still waiting for her mate but she had also decided to leave not in the packhouse, we granted such a request with a note to visit us once in a while. Truly, it was hard at first, we even barely managed to have some investors and stuff like that - but with Win's commitment and enthusiasm, we have expanded the business quietly largely. And those who doubted us in the first place were now the ones that were coming after us and proposing business to us. My husband doesn't hold any grudges for being declined with ventures before, and it was all business so we did eventually make some business deals with them. Due to that, we were constantly out of the country more than we both were at home - and we don't have that much time to spend with each other.

It was hard, not being with Win every single second of my life and yet we cannot simply just lay low right after the kids grew up. We have to persevere even more in order to provide for all their needs and for our own needs, as well, and we're basically not kids anymore that can do whatever we like just like before. Though there were times that I do miss him so much, and even if we do constantly call each other when one of us was away - it would still feel different being with him. Yes, it was hectic but we just got used to the setup now, and we have limited our baby time to a bare minimum. Sometimes, I wonder if my mate still does find me appealing all this time?

As I continued to dust the room, I found something underneath all the piles of clothes that we have made me curious. Since I was a very curious person, I sat down on the floor and stared at whatever I was holding in my hand with a large smile on my face. A scrapbook. I already knew right there and then that it was my mate's because he loved doing scrapbooks - when we were still kids up until now. I remembered before how much he would take his time taking photos after photos, finding that very perfect photo that would be included in his scrapbook. ANd how much dedication he would have just sticking those photos, creating these decorations and the like - it's just him. And I even find that side of him so adorable.

"What do we have here?" I asked myself as I opened the first page of my mate's scrapbook. "Oh, is this me?" I questioned once more as I looked at a baby photo - and it was me, it was the same picture that we used for our wedding video from years ago.

"Aww, my baby is so cute," I mumbled when I was met with Win's baby photos, especially the one that was showing his bum-bum - and me just cooing to that baby even if he wasn't responding.

I carried on with my little adventure with all of the photos and messages that Win pasted on each page - and all the while I was just mindlessly smiling like the total idiot that I was. Win, truly, managed to put a lot of memories in that scrapbook that some of those weren't even familiar to me - and yet I found it adorable and intriguing all the same. As I continue with my little merriment - the scrapbooks end...like there wasn't anything anymore right after a photo of Nanon, Prim, and Lilly in their teenage years - it just ended like that. A bitter smile formed on my lips because it only showed me how much we were missing each other due to our busy schedules. And probably, me not being able to fulfill my role as his husband and with that thought alone - I feel my heart constrict in pain.

"I miss you, Win," I utter all the while looking at our family photo. "I wish you were here with me right now."

Truly, I missed Win so much, and just thinking about seeing him today after three days - I felt elated. "Alright, time to clean up before my baby comes home."