True Love's Bite

37 // Surrender

Watching Sy swiftly and smoothly taking charge of my aunt's kitchen brought back so many great memories, and nostalgia.

I even lost my trail of thought and forgot why I'd come here in the first place. By the time I came back to my senses, almost two hours had passed.

"Uhm... I should get going," I said in a haste and climbed down the chair.

"What... but why? Aren't you going to stay for dinner?" He asked with urgency, silently begging me with his eyes.

"I-"

"Please stay for dinner, I'm almost done cooking. Besides, I'm not gonna finish all this food on my own."

I clamped my mouth shut and quietly took my seat, and it wasn't long before dinner was ready, and we set up the table together and shared a meal while reminiscing over the past.

It was so refreshing talking to him in peace.

"I'm surprised you can still stand some of these foods after the way you ate them during your pregnancy."

"Well, to be honest with you, I'm kinda still in my pregnancy era. It still feels weird, like... I can't believe I gave birth just a few days ago."

"Man... I wish I had recorded a video of everything, but you made sure not to let go of my hand."

"Right... I'm glad you were too occupied to even think of that. I would kill you."

His eyes shined with mischief, and he bawled over with laughter. "Ah, man!"

"You know, sometimes when I think about everything that's happened, I find it hard to believe that I am only 22... it feels like all this is one bad dream, and I'm going to wake up and all the bad things will just be exactly that - a bad dream."

"Would you hate me if I rid your mind of all those terrible memories?"

I nodded. "I definitely would, because if that ever happen, you would also take away from me all the best memories that came with the bad. You... our son."

His face dimmed with sadness. "Can I ask you something?" He did not wait for my response, he added solemnly, "Would it kill you to just say it?"

My skin crawled at the unexpected ambush. He had a nerve to even ask me that. "I- I think it's time I get home." I pushed my chair back and prepared to get up when a flash of lightning tore through the windows, making me freeze on my seat, my heart pumping rapidly.

"I don't think-"

"I need to get home!" I cut in and quickly stood up, my feet rushing for the door.

A scream erupted from my throat when the skies rumbled in an explosive thunder and the lights went out, and it wasn't long before the heavens opened up and it poured as though it was going to tear though the roof.

I quickly turned on my flashlight and held my phone tightly against my chest.

I stood with my back against the door and shook my head in denial. This couldn't be happening, why was it suddenly raining? There was nothing about rainfall on the weather forecast.

A growl of thunder, with a flash of lightning subsequently following, made me jump. And as my mind chose to flight and searched for refuge, it was only then that I realised that Sy never left his seat; he was sitting there idly as if he did not notice any of the things happening outside.

I kinda found comfort in his presence, Lord knows my fear of thunder and lightning would be the death of me one day. "Sy-"

He rose up and started clearing the table in the dark, and then finally turned to me once he was done, and clapped his hands once and rubbed them together. "Well, thank you for joining me for dinner. You know how it goes, use your own key to lock up when you leave. I'm going to bed, goodnight," he said as though he had practised that over and over in his head, and I did not miss the hint of anger in his tone.