"On the 7th Day, She Rested"
The past six days leading to this day were quite eventful. Some days were definitely better than the others but Maine is thankful for one thing: Alden was on his way home.
His plane landed more than an hour ago and she was waiting for him.
It's almost midnight.
And then a knock. She was up on her feet even before the second one came. She was flinging the door open before he could even attempt a third.
And then just like that, she was in his arms. Or he was in hers.
Neither of them said a word, none was necessary at the moment. The long hug lasted for minutes, for how long none of them is really sure. But she knows that they both needed it-hers for longing; his for strength.
When the hug finally ended, she took his hand and led him to couch. She sat on one end and motioned for him to lie on her lap. Alden took off his shoes and made himself comfortable. He closed his eyes and began talking...
"I have seen suffering and pain in my lifetime, but the quiet ones are always the most painful. Yung may masakit sa'yo pero hindi mo maipakita dahil ayaw mong masaktan ang ibang tao.
Three years old lang ang anak niya and for someone so young to see her mother go through such pain, ang unfair lang. Kasi kids her age should be out playing at hindi nagpupunas ng luha ng nanay niya kasi hindi makahinga.
Ang bigat sa loob, Maine. Not because Mika was my ex but because she's a friend."
Alden was crying and she let him, all the while stroking his hair, lovingly wiping his tears away. Sometimes, she'd wipe her own tears, too.
She allowed him to talk. She listened with rapt attention because she knows that he needed it. There were times when she'd catch him drift off to sleep but then he'd open his eyes again "just to check if you're still here with me," he'd say.
Maine could only shake her head in disbelief. Her boyfriend is talking about his ex and she is perfectly okay with it. This is the kind of love that she needs-a love that allows them to talk about their past without the fear of being judged; a love that makes them secure about the present; a love that will make them look forward to the future because they know that the best is yet to come.
He makes her happy, and her heart is at rest.
Sometime during the wee hours of the morning, they must have slept because the next thing she knew, the first few rays of sunshine were seeping through the windows and Alden is nowhere in sight and her condo unit smelled of waffles, bacon, and coffee.
"Good morning..." he said.
She turned her head toward the direction of the voice.
Alden-her RJ- was looking at her from a few feet away.
Today is another day.
Something in his smile tells her that it is going to be a beautiful one.
*** E N D ***
