Nic was a bit overwhelmed by the latest puzzle piece message and stared at Dickie who was just smiling at her. He took her hand and lead her into the nursery in the next room which had access to the balcony; all the bedrooms opened out to the balcony on different sides of the house and overlooked the garden below.
The nursery was in soft pastel colors, just how Nic dreamed it to be. There were soft, sheer curtains on the windows and the door that lead to the balcony. Dickie pulled the curtain to the side, opened the door, and invited Nic outside.
In one corner of the garden was a giant mango tree and underneath was a children's play area. A little kitchen/nook was by the wall and the other side had a sandbox.
Nic looked at Dickie who was still smiling and looking lovingly at her.
"....what?.....when?....how?...." Nic was confused. Overwhelming feelings enveloped her.
"....this....all this....is for you....for us...." Dickie began.
"....but how?...."
"Dad and Mom bought this property a long time ago....I bought it from them after selling my condo...."
"...when?"
"....when I was sure that I had made the right choice in choosing you to be my forever....."
Nic still couldn't believe everything that she was seeing.
"....this is actually the same house where we first 'met'...." Dickie continued as they toured more of the house. He had been making mental notes of everything Nic said about the house, and the house she wanted for her future family. Nic realized that what she had said in the past were in the same house that she was standing in right now.
".....same house?"
"Yes. I had it remodelled....I asked help from Topper and Peps.....even Angela and Tricia...."
"The realtor?"
"Well...."
"Well what?"
"She's a real realtor but also my barkada.....I told her all my plans so she carefully looked for all those houses that we viewed.....I talked to Nanay and Mom about you....about what you wanted....I also asked Angela...."
"How?"
"Email....viber...."
".....and I never figured it out....." Nic said. Dickie smiled and nodded.
Dickie brought Nic downstairs and out into the garden in the back. There was a swimming pool opposite the mango tree. "I had the pool placed a bit far because the roots of the tree might reach it...." Dickie explained. Nic just nodded. A toy truck with a flag caught Nic's attention. It was on the sand in the sandbox and looked like it had been played with.
"....hehe!" Dickie noticed and chuckled. "....there were some toys that were found here in the house after we left..."
Nic looked at Dickie, dumbfounded.
"They were a bit rusty but otherwise okay.....I had them put on display in the playroom upstairs...."
Nic nodded. She still had her eyes glued on the flag on the toy truck. Dickie kept on talking about the toys they found – cars mostly. She walked toward the sand box and looked at the orange flag on the toy. Memories of watching 'Choy' play on the sand mound flashed in her memory.
"....come...." Dickie said as he offered his hand. He brought her back inside the house where, on the refrigerator door was a puzzle of a house but with a missing piece. Dickie knew how this made Nic uncomfortable seeing an unsolved/incomplete puzzle so he gave her another puzzle piece.
"....this....." he said.
"I dreamed and believed for this day to happen
Where I will find my heart, my home.
A place where my love is....you...
A place where I am no longer alone."
