Two months. Hindi ko namalayan na magdadalawang buwan na pala kaming magkasama ni Lan sa iisang condo. Pareho pa rin halos ang routine namin-ako sa trabaho, siya naman madalas sa condo at nakababad sa mga random na videos sa phone. Pero may mga maliliit na pagbabago. Lan was slowly lowering his walls around me, though I could still feel his guard.
Sa mga oras na tahimik siya, minsan napapansin ko siyang nakatunganga lang, parang may malalim na iniisip. Hindi niya sinasabi, pero alam ko na may mga bagay na bumabagabag sa kanya. Kaya hindi ko rin alam kung bakit naisipan ko ito but today, I came home with a surprise.
Isang pusa
Iniisip ko, baka makatulong ito kay Lan something to keep him company kapag mag-isa siya sa condo. Siguro in this way, kahit papano, he can find some sort of peace. Pumasok ako sa condo unit bitbit ang maliit na cage kung saan nakasilip ang isang makulit na kitten.
Pagdating ko, nakita ko siyang nakahiga sa sofa, half-asleep, his hair falling slightly over his face. He looked effortlessly handsome, even in his simple t-shirt and grey pants. Napahinto ako, looking in how peaceful he looked, and for a split second, nahuli kong sarili ko na nakatitig.
I blinked quickly, shaking myself out of it, then cleared my throat para makuha ang atensyon niya. Lan's eyes fluttered open at dahan-dahan siyang bumangon. Napatingin siya sa akin and his eyes slowly traveled down to the cage, curiosity sparking in his normally calm gaze.
"What's that?" tanong niya, his voice still a bit husky.
I grinned, medyo kinakabahan kung magugustuhan niya ba ang ginawa ko. "Uh, I thought... you'd like some company when you're alone here." Hinila ko ng kunti ang cage para makita niya nang buo ang laman nito. "So I got you a cat."
For a moment, tahimik lang si Lan, clearly surprised. The kitten inside the cage meowed softly, its tiny paws reaching out through the bars. Then for the first time in a while, I saw his expression softened.
"You got me a cat?" He raised an eyebrow, but there was no harshness in his tone. It was almost like he didn't know how to react, as if the gesture caught him off guard.
"Yeah," I said, trying not to sound too eager. "I thought... maybe you'd like having someone else around when I'm not here. You seem like a cat person." I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
Lan stared at the kitten for a few more moments before reaching out to gently open the cage. The kitten, full of curiosity, hopped out and immediately started exploring. Lan watched it with a kind of fascination, as if he didn't quite know what to make of the little creature.
"She's all yours," I added, watching as the kitten rubbed up against Lan's leg, purring softly.
Lan hesitated for a second, then slowly reached down to pet the cat. A small, genuine smile tugged at the corner of his lips one of the few times I'd seen him truly smile since we started living together.
"Thank you," he said quietly, his hand resting gently on the kitten's head. His voice was soft, almost vulnerable, as if he wasn't used to being given something so simple, yet meaningful.
"Don't mention it," I replied, feeling a warmth spread through me at the sight of him with the kitten. "I just thought... it might help."
Lan didn't say anything else, but I could tell from the way he looked at the kitten, and the small smile on his face, that the gesture meant more to him than he was letting on.
We stood there for a while, watching as the kitten explored its new home.
As the kitten continued exploring the living room, Lan sat down on the edge of the sofa, still quietly observing the little creature. He seemed almost lost in thought, his hand resting on his lap while the kitten pounced on an invisible target.
