CHEERLEADER SERIES - JULIE

Chapter XXXV

I'm laying in bed, facing her now closed eyes. 

She looked so peaceful, so ethereally beautiful that I'd hate to take my eyes off her. Our wedding just ended, and we only had our friends around. Until now, I can't wrap my head around her proposal. Her sudden decision to get hitched. 

We've been pretending since we were young. But now, we've done more than just that. We got married. A license is now given to us for the ultimate deception and I have no clue why we're doing it. 

She asked me to trust her. But trust her with what?

And despite all of that, why did I say yes to her? To her proposal? 

Maybe because it's the one thing I have always wanted to ask her. Marrying me.

Kay tagal ko nang gustong hingin ang kamay niya. But the circumstances we've had in the past did not go according to my favor.

But now, here she is, officially my wife.

The light of the sun started peaking into our room. Dahil na rin sa pagod, we slept all throughout the night.

I have only awoken the moment I felt her move for a bit away from me.

I didn't want her to get too far from me. Never in a million times, for my arms would feel empty. It has always been since I lost her.

She moved for a bit and turned her body away from me. I hugged her from behind, kissed her shoulders, and just lay there with her.

Her hand stretched from me and towards the end of the bed.

Saglit kong natanaw ang kamay niya kung saan nakasuot ang wedding ring namin.

I have to give her my ring, the one I have always wanted to give her noon pa man.

"Did I snore?"

I smiled at the raspy voice she had early this morning

"When did you ever?"

"Nanaginip ako kagabi, ikinasal daw tayo."

"That wasn't a dream love."

Sandali siyang natahimik. 

"So it's official then?"

Mahigpit ko siyang niyakap mula sa likod at nagtanim nga maliliit na halik sa mga balikat niya.

"Yes."

"Good." she wrapped her hands against mine and wrapped it around her waist. I felt her slowly submitting back into slumber. 

I smiled as I felt her safely in my arms again. Julie Faye Razon Villaraza. That sounded really good in my ears. 

I snuggled closer to her, simply dismissing the fact that the sun has risen. We deserve at least a day to sleep peacefully. 

By lunch that day, we went out, already refreshed and decided to have lunch on one of our favorite restaurants. 

She was reading some newspaper when I held my hand in front of her. Sinigurado kong nakapag-ahit na akong muli at malinis na ang mukha.

"Give me your hand."

She stopped with whatever she was reading and turned to me. 

"What?"

"Give me your hand."

She hesitantly gave me her hand were our wedding ring was. Dahan-dahan kong inilabas ang maliit na kahon kung saan nakalakip ang sing-sing na kay tagal ko ring tinago. 

I slid the ring slowly in her fingers and caressed her hands as I saw it fit perfectly well against her fingers. The stone was of white zircon na tamang-tama lamang ang hugis kapares ng wedding ring na nabili namin. It was as though they were meant to be paired.