Tú Eres Mi Sol

XLI

For those of us struggling to get through the day: Sometimes, we feel like life kicks us down even though we're already on the floor, kapit lang. Life gets better in time. Kaya natin to! Nakaya nga natin yung ibang mga dumaan sa buhay natin. Aja, laban lang ng laban kahit walang kalaban.

I read this somewhere sometime ago, five hundred caterpillars may not be the gift that you wanted right now but you just wait and see, you just wait and see....it's going to be amazing!!!

Thank you for reading and for the overwhelming response and votes. Keep the comments coming, I do enjoy reading them and interacting with all of you!
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"Hi Mom"

"I have been trying to call you a few times. Is everything alright?"

"Dei and I just got home from the ER"

"WHY? WHAT HAPPENED? IS DEI ALRIGHT? TELL ME RICARDO, SHE'S FINE?"

"Mom, calm down. She is okay. She was scratching this morning and sneezing. I was concerned so I took today off"

"What did the doctors say?"

"Hay Fever caused the sneezing and the hives."

"Oh! Were they able to drill down the actual allergen?"

"No, Mom. They reckon it must be the change in weather for her, the doctor has given her anti-histamine and some other medicines to deal with the itchiness and to get it under control."

"I called to tell you that I'm already in New York. I'm just having a super late lunch. Alright then, keep me updated on how Dei is. If her symptoms does not subside, get her admitted at a hospital."

"I'll do that, Mom. Thank you."

"Bye, Hijo."

"Bye Mom!"

The moment Richard puts down his phone, Dei hits his arms several times. "This is all your fault!!! Bakit ba pagkasama kita lately lagi na lang akong na-bibiktima? Baka hindi talaga tayo dapat together"

"Dei naman! Wala naman ganyanan. Oo na sige na, kasalanan ko na. As they say these days, Karma goes digital. Kaya pala hindi naghinala si Mom yesterday no? Hives na pala talaga yang nasa neck at clavicle mo!" Richard laughs and Dei hits him again

"Kasalanan mo pero I'm the one that's suffering! It's soooo itchy." Dei cries in frustration.

Richard scoops her from the chair and brings her to bed.

"Dei, change ka daw muna ng clothes. I'll prepare a cold bath muna for you ha?"

Richard comes back to the room carrying a big bowl full of ice and goes to the bathroom. He leaves again and comes back carrying another big bowl of ice.

"RJ, love anong ginagawa mo? Maglalaro ka ba?" Dei laughs

"Hindi. I read na okay daw yung cold shower for hives to relieve the itchiness so I'm making you a cold bath." and he goes into the bathroom.

"Dei, okay na yung bath mo. Eto, I got your favourites, yung white shirt ko at pyjamas, those are big pero ganoon daw dapat. Loose clothing. Tara?"

Richard carries her. "RJ! Ibaba mo ako, hindi naman ako lampa."

"Dalhin kita kahit sa door lang ng bathroom."

When Dei went out of the bathroom, the bedroom was cold and sheets freshly changed. She could feel herself shivering and made a mad dash to the bed and immediately went under the duvet.

Richard comes in to the room after several minutes. "Tapos ka na pala. I'm making you some soup for lunch. I'm simmering it for an hour to fully get the flavour. Ay eto pala, use this" He hands her two boxes of corticosteroids cream.

"What are these?"

"You apply them on the infected area to lessen the itching"

"Sa neck lang ba at clavicle lang?"

Dei shakes her head

"Saan pa?"

"Sa likod. Yun nga ang super itchy. Can you apply this cream please?"

"Sige, lie on your stomach."

Richard hops into bed and pulls Dei's shirt up and starts applying the cream. Once he touches her back, he gets distracted. Her skin is so soft, so silky, so nice to touch, he tells himself.

"RJ, you okay? You stopped?"

"Ah, yeah, may naisip lang ako." He continues to apply cream to the whole area and pulls the shirt down.

"Dei, I'll just take a quick shower ha?"

"Nakakainis ka! Nandidiri ka sa rashes ko no? Kaya maliligo ka agad."

".... Hindi. Sige I have to go, para macheck ko agad yung niluluto ko." If you only knew Dei. He then rushes to the bathroom.

***

"RJ, where did you learn how to cook like that? It's really good" Dei said while covering herself with a duvet.

"I don't really know. I guess I hang out a lot sa kitchen with Yaya Virgie while growing up, Rob and Lia would be in school. And watch a lot of food channel"

He sees Dei finding a more comfortable position.

"Tabi ka dito" He pats an empty space near him

Dei shakes her head

"Bakit ayaw mo?"

"Nandidiri ka na sa akin. Ayaw mo na nga e. I feel so ugly and itchy."

"Hindi totoo yan" Richard moves and hugs her from the back.

Dei turns and looks at him. "Kahit ang dami ko nang red circles and blotches all over?"

Richard smiled and said,"I've seen you in much worse situation, remember when you had chicken pox?"

She smiles.

"Kiss na lang kita, gusto mo?" She nods. He goes in and pulls her for a long, searing, passionate kiss that they lost themselves for a moment.

"Happy?" and she nods.

He kisses her forehead. "Sige, take a nap. I know that those anti-histamines make you sleepy"

She scoots and buries her face on Richard's chest and he wraps his arms around her. She falls asleep minutes after.

Richard sends a message to his mom. "Dei's alright, napping at the moment perhaps due to the meds she's taking. Doctor says that rashes should subside in 24 hours."

He puts down his phone and snuggles some more. He looks Dei sleeping, though full of rashes and a little irritable at the moment, barefaced, hair all messed, snoring softly, yet still looks beautiful in his eyes.

Hives and all, he wouldn't trade this moment, her in his arms and finally his, for anything else in the world.

This one right here is his definition of perfect.