petits soleil

five

"Hijo, okay ka lang ba dito?" The Faulkerson matriarch asks her youngest child.

"Mom, okay lang. Although, I'm not sure if I can sleep alone."

The older woman was now sitting on the bed. "Hijo.." 

"Mom, I know. Kasalanan ko naman talaga."

"Dei was really excited you know. I think she was even more excited than you for that cast to be removed. Your doctor called me after removing your cast. Dei decided to help me and Virgie prepare your favorite dishes. Nasugat nga siya e."

"Nasugat si Dei?!"

"Calm down, Hijo. It was just a shallow cut, she was trying to help chop the veggies when the knife cut her finger."

"Nalagyan ba agad ng antiseptic? Who cleaned it? How is shallow?"

"Nagpapanic ka na. Parang paper cut lang, Hijo. I helped clean it and we put some band-aid on her finger."

"Kawawa naman ang Dei ko. Wala pa naman ako. And now she's alone sleeping on our bed"

"Well, whose fault is that?"

"Mine, Mom. Mine."

***

Dei woke up to the smell of bacon, pancakes and maple syrup. 

That's strange, I usually smell food when I'm near the stairs. I must still be dreaming. She tells herself when she suddenly felt someone kiss her on her forehead. That, definitely wasn't a dream. 

She opens her eyes. 

"Good morning, Love!" 

She looks up, it's her husband, in his pyjamas, in his hand a bouquet of flowers and on the other, a big gift box.

"Good morning" she replies

"Love, these are for you." He hands her the flowers and the gift box. 

"Peace offering?"

Richard nods. 

Dei sits on the bed and Richard brings the breakfast tray. Dei started laughing.

Confused, Richard asks, "Love? Anong nangyari? What's wrong?"

"Halatang may kasalanan. All out ka e. You don't usually let people eat sa bed. You hate crumbs. No crumbs." She continued laughing.

"Eh, kasi.." he replies

"RJ, but this doesn't excuse..."

"I know. Completely my fault. Nasugat ka daw?"

"Oh, just a very small cut. It's alright now, I think. I can remove the plaster later.  By the way these pancakes are so gooooooood! Very fluffy! I have to tell Yaya Virgie, she makes good pancakes."

"Hooooy! Teka lang, I made all that myself. I had to watch a video tutorial twice."

"Owwws?"

"Ako nga!"

"Okay. Sige na nga. You have to make me these fluffy pancakes for a week."

"Done!"

She opened the gift box and looked at Richard, "How did you?"

The box contained all her favorite food from London including pastries and crisps which one could not find in Manila.

***

They spent the whole day inside their bedroom. 

To say it was an exhausting day would be an understatement but it was the good kind. Oh, Note to self. Find our own place here in Manila. Richard thought to himself. 

"Dei? Love?" Richard calls her while walking to their walk-in closet. 

He ran when he saw her sprawled on the floor.

"Thank God, you're awake now."

"RJ, what happened?"

"I found you on the floor. You fainted."

She saw Yaya Virgie and Mommy Rose hovering. "How long was I out?"

"Five minutes, Dei. It was the longest five minutes of my life." Richard answered