Take Home a Baggage

100 (Part II of II)

Final Chapter (Part II of II)

Marchienne.

Silas went back with a glass of water and a medicine pack in one hand after we ate breakfast in bed.

"Thank you..." I accepted those with a smile.

Silas only forced a smile, remaining silent, as he stilled on his seat beside me on the bed. Nakatitig lang tuloy ako sa kan'ya habang iniinom 'yung gamot pang-pawala ng sakit ng katawan. My body wasn't that sore—kaya ko namang tumayo at maglakad, but Silas being the concerned man that he had always been, I understood.

"What are you thinking of?"

"Nothing."

I bit the insides of my lower lip for a second. "Are you mad at me?"

Kaagad na bumagsak ang tingin niya sa akin. He blinked, taken aback, as he shook his head. "Never. Of course not," aniya bago ipinatong ang palad sa binti ko.

I chuckled, still feeling puzzled. "Then why are you silent?"

Yet again, Silas only gave me a thin smile.

We stared at each other for quite a few seconds.

Oftentimes, it felt like a mind game to read him. As if the words "mixed signals" were tied next to his name. Silas glanced down, looking at the palm resting on my knee.

I thought he was going to say something, but I was left way more baffled when he reached for the necklace hanging on his neck. Since this morning, the pendant was hidden inside his shirt.

Kumunot ang noo ko. Quite a little moment later, all of my questions went flying outside the window when I saw a... thin, silver ring with a diamond sitting on top of it.

A ring.

He removed it from the necklace.

Hindi ako makagalaw. Again, a ring... I only watched him play with it using his hand, staring intently at the diamond.

Makaraan ang ilang segundo, hinawakan niya ang palad ko. He smiled, averting his gaze to me. "This is just a promise ring, okay? I'm not yet... proposing because we haven't talked about your thoughts of marriage." He kept his smile while saying that.

I nodded. That didn't lessen the rush of emotions pounding against my chest. Binasa ko ang ibaba kong labi, watching him slide the ring on my finger.

Feeling the tears brim in my eyes, I said, "You already know the answer to that question..."

"But we'll hear about your thoughts on it first, personally, before I propose," he clarified. "Then I'll make sure you won't see it coming."

Natawa ako bago hinampas ang kamay niya. Kusang nagpatakan ang mga luha ko. He was... too much for my heart.

Silas only laughed at me before I felt the both of his thumbs graze over my cheeks, wiping the tears away. He held my face inches away, staring at my eyes full of passion.

He then heaved a breath, maintaining his sunny smile—every ray warm and alive.

"I want you to know... that you deserve every ounce of love this world has to offer. You don't have to beg for it because you are made to be loved—wholly, with nothing in exception."

I nodded my head, closing my eyes as I made his forehead land on mine. "And I... know that since the day I met you."

Silas hitched a breath as he kissed my cupid's bow this time. "God. You make me want to shower you so much love—more than every little thing I can offer."