Maybe

Chapter 54 - Reconciliation

     Two days after, the two were finally alone at the house. Louise was at the hospital, as usual, and Paul was at a graduation party and he was going to be at his friend's house 'til tomorrow.

     They both woke up late. 12:46pm. Rachel prepared brunch but not as something special but rather part of her routine. Preparing food for the family was a part of her daily system when she didn't have work.

     Richard woke up—he slept on the LazyBoy in the living room—with a smell of coffee and Adobo.

     He made his way in the kitchen and saw her moving swiftly from one task to another. From stirring the adobo flakes on the pan to pouring coffee into two white mugs.

     She was a bit startled when she saw him watching her. "Oh my gosh, you're gonna give me a heart attack!"

     He giggles, "Good morning? Haha."

     "Excuse me, Mr., it's already good afternoon," she says as she places their plates on the table.

     They eat, mostly in silence. It was still awkward. 

     Richard fake coughed, making her look at him. "Uhm... can we talk? Like about what ha—"

     She sighed, "Richard..."

    "Look, I just want you to believe that I really didn't know what the hell was happening, okay? I was drunk. I know it sounds like an excuse—"

     "Yea, the hell it does."

    "I know that but I really was and you know it! You just don't want to forgive me because you're scared and you don't trust me. And—" He stopped himself.

     That escalated quickly.

     Maybe because he was stressed about the two investors that are on the verge of pulling out their stocks from their company because of a mistake in their contract.

     "Sorry, Rach. Sor—"

     Rachel straightened up. "Let's just eat."

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     In the evening , it was the other way around.

     Richard cooked their dinner. Just a simple steak and wine dinner. However, they find themselves on their second bottle in the balcony looking up at the sparkling sky.

     He figured that if they were going to talk, it had to be today and they would need the help of booze.

     "So kumusta ka naman nung wala ako?" Rachel asked.

     "It was okay. Not great but... okay."

     "We're you always out?"

     He shook his head, "Nah, work then home."

     "Oh?"

     "I drank at home when I needed it." He reassured herx

     "Ahhh... how's work?"

     "Okay lang. Stress." He swirled his glass, "Sorry I snapped at you earlier. I found out last night that there's two investors that are planning to pull out their shares and it just got to me then."

     "Aw, I'm sorry. And it's okay. You're right, we should talk."

     "We really don't have to if you're no—"