The Experiment © [Completed]

Chapter 75 - Nostalgia

"Good morning, Tita Rose," Dei greeted RJ's mom as she walked into the kitchen the next morning.

"Oh, good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well last night?" Rose asked while opening the oven door and gingerly grabbing a tray of bread with both hands.

"I think my body's still trying to adjust," Dei replied, smiling shyly.

"Ah yes, the jet lag may take a couple of days to wear off... well, it depends," Rose answered. She wiped her hands on her apron and grabbed a bread knife from a drawer.

"Do you need help?" Dei asked, walking closer to Rose.

"Ah, yes please, sweetheart. Can you help me with the eggs?" Rose replied, pointing at a bowl that had four eggs in it, still needing to be beaten.

"Sure! Do you want me to make an omelette?" she offered, grabbing the whisk from the counter.

"Go ahead, dear. You can get whatever you need from the pantry over there," Rose said pointing at the door beside the sink.

Dei started preparing the ingredients for the omelette that RJ loved and then began cooking it on a pan. "Where's RJ, tita?" she asked.

"Oh, he went out with his dad early this morning," Rose answered, lining the bread on a serving tray. "I think they went jogging. That's their bonding activity."

Just as she said that, RJ stepped into the kitchen through the door from the backyard. "Good morning, ladies," he greeted, walking toward them. He was wearing a white shirt under a dark blue hooded jacket and had on a black jogging pants too. He had one of his arms behind his back.

"Good morning!" Both Dei and Rose greeted back.

RJ smiled at them and pulled out his arm from behind him. On his hand were six yellow roses. "Flowers for the two most special women in my life..." he said as he handed them three roses each.

"Oh, RJ," Rose said, almost tearfully as she gave him a huge hug.

Dei was touched at his words too and pressed her face on his chest when he hugged her. "Thanks babe," she said.

"I don't know what you did to my son, Dei, but he was never that showy before. He actually hated any display of affection," Rose said and RJ laughed. She walked out the kitchen with a sniff and started preparing the table at the dining area.

"That was so sweet," Dei said, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"I know," he said, wrapping his arms around Dei's waist as she turned back to the eggs she was cooking. "Even I surprise myself sometimes."

Dei giggled.

"That looks tasty," RJ said, looking at the omelette as Dei transferred it to a plate. She cut a small portion and let him taste it. "And it does. Like always," he said smiling.

After breakfast, RJ helped Dei clean up in the kitchen while his parents got ready for work. "We'll go somewhere after this, ok?"

"Where are we going?" she asked, wiping the plates and placing them carefully on the plate rack.

"Well, before we even visit the tourist spots of New York, I'd really like to tour you around the neighborhood I grew up in first," he told her.

"Hmmm... that's interesting. Let's go?"

They took his parents bikes from the garage and rode it around the neighborhood. RJ pointed at certain places from time to time and explained their significance to him.

Dei saw the ice cream shop where he and his friends hung out a lot when they were in highschool. He also showed her the costume shop he worked in when he was a teenager, and the two houses he frequented when he worked to shovel snow during winter season. They also went to visit his old high school where he used to be part of the basketball team.

Dei enjoyed the tour, loving how she got to know more about him, and how she was able to get a glimpse of his past even though she had not actually been part of it. RJ told her everything, his highs and lows and even his most embarrassing moments and she found herself loving him more and more.

The beauty of the surroundings added to the wonderful feeling she had during the whole tour, and RJ glanced at her from time to time, still unable to believe that she was there with him. She was the first girl he ever brought there. Christine only met his mom twice when Rose visited him in his loft, but she never got to visit their place.

They ended their tour at the lake which was at the end of the village his parents' house was in. RJ and his friends used to go there and swim during summer season and at that moment, the lake was quiet and empty. They sat beside it for a while and talked, now adorned by the jackets they had brought as it had gotten chillier, and the serenity of the place providing them a calm ambience.

"This place is so nice," Dei said, smiling serenely as she took a deep breath. "Thank you for bringing me here, babe."

"I'm happy to have you here," RJ said, gazing at her. "It's just amazing how you seem to fit perfectly here, like you were actually already a part of my life from the beginning."

Dei grinned wider and moved closer to him. "Maybe I was," she whispered and held his hand. They sat there watching the crystal waters for a few minutes until RJ stood up and started stripping his clothes leaving just his boxers on.

"What are you doing?" Dei asked, her eyes wide in shock.

"Come on, let's take a swim," he said before diving into the water.

"Oh my god, you're crazy!" Dei laughed as he swam. "Isn't it cold?"

"Nope!" RJ said as his face surfaced from the water. "Come on, babe!"

He waited for her, his body submerged in the warm water while Dei stared at him, thinking hard and unsure of what to do. The water looked so deep.

"Come on, you don't wanna miss this," he urged with a smirk. "I'll hold you, I promise."

"Fine!" she said and began stripping down to her underwear. She stood up and took a few deep breaths before finally jumping into the lake.