Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between

Chapter 10 - Before It Sinks In

"Love, hey, what's wrong? Bad dream?" They are both soundlessly sleeping when Aika awakens at Cassie's restlessness. Aika woke the other girl, who was sweating profusely.

"Nightmare," Cassie says as she catches her breath. Aika offers her water from the nightstand. She takes a generous gulp before she continues talking. 

"We, uh, we broke up, and it was so bad. Until now ramdam ko pa rin yung emotions na di ko ma explain"

"Okay, breathe. Masamang panaginip lang yon. I'm here beside you. See?" Aika tries to reassure her. She gently grabs Cassie's hand. "I'm holding your hand, and I'm talking to you."

Aika uses her free hand to move the loose strands of Cassie's hair away from her face. "I'm moving closer and closer and..." Wordlessly, Aika places feathery kisses on Cassie's shoulder blade, slowly moving her lips towards her jaw before finding their way centimeters away from her girlfriend's lips.

Cassie's breath grows heavier as she turns to face Aika. "Attorney yung anak nyo po," she says in a whisper.

"Do you want me to stop?" Aika questions her with a smirk, her face close, so close, to Cassie.

Cassie closes the distance, their lips almost touching, and stares intently at Aika's eyes before saying, "by all means, Ms. Aika, have your way with me."

"Do you trust me?" Aika asks one last time.

"Always," Cassie replies, full of trust. And with that, the eldest Robredo sibling covers them with sheets and makes good of word.

Some hours later, they both wake up sore but satisfied. Nothing beats waking up next to your significant other, as they say. After what seemed like turbulent months, they finally found themselves in a better disposition.

Aika stayed firm on her decision not to run for any position that her mother had fully supported. Much to her joy, her mom also decided not to dip her toes in politics anymore. 

Whatever issues she and Cassie had, they didn't bother discussing them anymore. There was no point in shaking the bottle when the dust had already settled. Life, for them, was slipping back to normalcy, or so it seems.

They were now in the middle of Cassie's living room, decorating her place with some Christmas accessories. At the insistence of Cassie, Aika agreed to help her put up some lights and a tiny tree.

"Eto na lang kulang" Cassie hangs a mistletoe photo on the wall above the couch.

"Love, why do you have a...is that a mistletoe cutout?" To others, they would look ridiculous. Aika would even think it was funny, but her girlfriend looked too cute putting up all those Holiday-themed stuff on her Holiday-themed jammies.

"Hindi kasi tayo nakakapag Christmas together. Kaya aside from the tree, I decided to add this for the final touch." Cassie says proudly. 

She really wanted this Christmas to be memorable for her and Aika.

"Oh God, seryoso ka talaga dito?" They weren't even spending the Holidays in the country, but if it's what makes her girlfriend happy, then so be it. 

Aika joins her girlfriend on the couch.

"Syempre naman. And now that we're both under the mistletoe, I believe you have to kiss me." Cassie puts both her arms on Aika's shoulders and tries to pull her close.

"I'll kiss you whenever I want, mistletoe or not, but here, ayaw natin sa bad luck" Aika gives in to the kiss with a smile.