MGA PAKIWARI AT PAGMUMUNI-MUNI (An AlDub Collection of Poems and Short Stories)

Anniversary

Day 19 of AMACon Drabbles for Oikos.

I don't know if I did this correctly. 😩 I think I killed the prompt. Mali ata pagkakaintindi ko huhuhu 😭

FICTION OK? OK.

Unbeta'ed as always.

//

"Daddy, where are you going?"

He smiled tightly as he was buttoning his dress shirt as he looked down on their little girl, fiddling with his tie that was lying on the dresser. 

"You look handsome, daddy.  Are you and mommy going out?  I saw mommy putting make up on at the other room."

He finished with his shirt as Athena handed him his tie.  He started working it into a knot, looking at himself in the mirror and wondering how they came to be this way.

"Daddy?"

This time, he sighed and closed his eyes.  Upon opening them, he tried to smile down at his daughter again - even though it made him look constipated.

"What is it, baby love?"

Athena looked down and tinkered with the edge of her dress.

"Why do you sleep here in the guest room and not with mommy in your room anymore?  Siegfried has been asking.  And Sebastian doesn't really tell us anything."

He took a sharp intake of breath, a slight pain suddenly gripping his heart.  He silently prayed for strength as he knelt down to Athena's level, touched her face lightly and gestured for her to look at him. 

"Mommy and I - we're just... taking a break.  You know how you have recess at school after a long hour of class?  Just like that.  Just a mini-break, baby love."

"So you and mommy are not going to be fighting anymore?" she mumbled, her eyes sad as she looked at him, quite forlorn.

Instead of answering, he stood up and took his coat from the bed, his heart heavy from the revelation that even their kids had already caught on that everything was not fine and dandy in the Faulkerson household.  He then held out his hand for Athena to take.  On the way out, he told his little girl, "You're right, Athena.  Mommy and I are going out that's why we're dressed up.  You see - it's our anniversary today."

"I'm glad daddy," Athena replied quietly.  "I hope that you and mommy are going to be ok after this."

//

They had been sitting right across each other for the past hour, silent and awkward as they were finishing up their dinner.  Except for the occasional calls for the waiter to refill their waters or to ask for salt or an extra spoon, they were not really talking.

"Do you want to have dessert?" he finally broke the silence.

"I think I'll just have coffee, if you don't mind," she answered just as quietly. 

"Coffee it is then."  He signaled for the waiter and asked for two coffees.

Then silence reigned once more. 

After a few heartbeats - he sighed a very deep sigh as he leaned back on his chair and looked up towards the ceiling.  She looked at him when he did so, hearing the frustration in his sigh.

"When did we become like this, Maine?  How did we end up this way?" he mumbled, shifting his gaze towards her.  "A year ago - we were still ok.  We were still happy.  We were the epitome of the perfect family, the perfect couple," he continued.  "What happened to this?  To us?"

She looked back down at her plate and played with the remaining, mostly untouched food that was in it.  "I don't know, RJ.  You're right.  We used to be all right a year ago."

He reached out tentatively for her other hand that was resting on top of the table.  She stopped fiddling with the food on her plate when he did so.  He gently squeezed.  She turned her hand around and squeezed back.

They both looked up after and stared straight into each other's eyes, still seeing the love and affection buried in their depths despite being cold and unfeeling towards each other for the past months.

"Can we do a do-over?" he asked impulsively.

"Huh?"

"Can we go back to a year ago during our anniversary?  Can that be our anniversary again today?" His hold on her hand tightened, as he pleaded.  "We were so happy then, so in-love.  We didn't fight like this.  We were just living and loving, ecstatic to wake up to be together.  To simply be."

"What --"

Then all of a sudden - a song played on the background of the restaurant they were in.

He suddenly but slowly smiled.

It was their song.  The one they danced to during their wedding.  The song that was also playing when he proposed.  And the same song he played when he asked her to be his girlfriend all those years ago.

"Dance with me."

"RJ - what?  There isn't even any dance floor!  And --"

She squealed slightly when he pulled her up and clutched her close to his chest - her hand in his as he placed them on top of his heart, his other hand on her waist - pulling her closer so that not even the wind could come between them. 

Then he started to sway, closing his eyes, unmindful of the stares they were getting.

"RJ..."

"Shhh...  Just feel this, Maine.  We already did this last year, remember?" he told her softly, as he closed his eyes and continued to sway.  "And the year before that. And the year before that too. And I will continue to do this until we're old and gray.  Even when we fight.  Even when we have problems.  Even when you try to kick me out.  I will always do this.  To remind you - that you and me?  We are."

She became quiet after that as she tucked herself underneath his chin, burying her face on his chest.  A little later - he felt her shoulders slightly shake, then finally - he heard her subtle sobs, muffled by his chest. 

"Maine, love..."

She looked up at him with shiny eyes, brimming with tears about to fall.  She smiled shakily.  "This is why I said yes to you all those years ago.  This is why I celebrate this day with you every year.  This is why --"

"I love you," he softly spoke, as he wiped a tear that fell from her face.  "And this day, every year - will always remind me of why I am the luckiest man on earth."

"Why?"

"Because I have you."

She reached up and gave him a soft kiss on his lips.  "I love you, too.  Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary, love.  Happy anniversary..."