Send Me In Orbit

Honeymoon

2 Days Before The Wedding

Iris tossed and turned but she couldn't get to sleep. She turned to see Basti sleeping peacefully beside her, his soft snores filling the room. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, brushing his bangs back off his forehead. Only two more days and they will be getting married.

Iris has never been so stressed in her life. There were still so many things to do for the wedding, far too many things to take care of. Her mom was still refusing to answer her texts and calls and Iris had to face the possibility that her mother wouldn't be there at wedding day. It broke her heart just thinking about it. But even so, when Iris looked at Basti sleeping beside her...

She just wanted to spend every night of the rest of her life like this, with him by her side. Even if everyone was telling them that they're wrong...they're too young, they're moving too fast. Her own mother kicked her out of the house and was refusing to attend her wedding. But when Iris looked at Basti...she knew in her heart, right down to her soul, that she was doing the right thing.

She can only pray that one day her mom forgives her because nothing and no one was going to stop her from marrying this man.

Iris gently caressed his cheek. Basti was such a deep sleeper that he didn't even stir.

"I love you," she whispered. "Kung alam lang ni Mama kung gaano kita kamahal...maiintindihan niya kung bakit kailangan kong ipaglaban 'to. Sana balang araw mapatawad niya ako. Patawarin niya ako dahil hindi kita isusuko, Basti. Nandito lang ako sa tabi mo."

Iris closed her eyes and went to sleep with a smile on her face, knowing that when she wakes up she'll be one day closer to her wedding day.

Wedding Night

Iris walked towards the bathroom door, she reached her hand out for the doorknob...then changed her mind and hurried back to the bed. She sat back down with a sigh. She didn't know what she was so afraid of. Its not like Basti hasn't already seen everything, and they were married now.

Iris was just gathering up the courage to walk into that bathroom when she heard the shower stop. Basti was finished. She sat back down and Iris couldn't tell if she felt more relieved or disappointed.

She waited for her husband (her husband!) to come out of the bathroom. And then waited some more. She sighed and picked up some of the rose petals from the bed, scattering them on her lap and watching them fall down to the ground.

"Basti...bakit ang tagal mo?" She finally called out.

"Do you need to use the bathroom? Pwede ka naman pumasok eh." He yelled back.

"Basti!" Iris said in frustration. Were they going to do this the whole night?

"Iris..." He sing-songed back teasingly.

"Wala pang 12 hours tayong kasal iniinis mo na ako!"

He laughed loudly. "Imagine the next 12 years with me."

Iris buried her face in a pillow, unable to stop her kilig. The truth was, she really could picture the next 12 years of her life like this. And the next 20 after that. And the next 200 after that. She was going to spend her entire lifetime with her pain in the butt husband who takes an hour in the bathroom.

Finally, the bathroom door opened and Basti walked out, with a towel mercifully wrapped around his waist now.

"Hay salamat." Iris threw the pillow down onto the bed and got up.

She tried to walk to the bathroom but Basti stepped in her way. She tried to walk around him but he blocked her.

"Basti, ano ba? Padaanin mo ako."