Hot Water

(Meg)

"Bring me hot water," he told me. I followed my husband's order and gave him a mug of hot water.

He was sitting on the dining table so carelessly. I can't help but feel that... he lost it. He lost the feeling. I love him... all my life. He told me the same.

But it just so happened that nothing is special anymore. The sparks faded. The water became colder. The sun got covered by the clouds. And just like any other metaphor, this relationship wasn't special anymore.

I sat across him and watched as Bennet opened the instant coffee wrapper and poured it into an empty cup. The mug of water beside it, untouched.

I was looking at him expectant. He should pour the water in before it gets cold, what is he doing?

"What's wrong?" I asked curiously.

He looked me straight in the eyes and smiled. My brows furrowed by his unexpected actions.

"I'm waiting for the water to get warm," Bennet said and I was even more confused.

"If you wait for it to get warm, then the instant coffee won't dissolve in the water," I said.

He chuckled and grabbed my hands from across the table.

"Remember when we were still in Highschool? Haha, you were so cute when you confessed to me that day. You held a small letter in your hands, your face was red and had the courage to shout the words I've been dying to hear you say..." Bennet paused for a moment but continued, "I love you."

I felt my heart beat as if I was falling in love again. He laughed as if remembering everything.

"Remember that special day when we were College students? You weren't expecting anything on Valentine's Day since we fought the day before. But I still remember the tomato face you had when I asked you to forgive me in front of a crowd. I believe I ended that speech wonderfully..." He looked me in the eyes and smiled, "I love you."

I felt tears were about to escape my eyes. He looked at my hands in his. He touched the engagement ring he gave me. I never took it off even after we got married.

"And remember when we were graduating? Your parents were there, my parents were there, and I knelt down on one knee. I opened a ring box in front of you, asking you to marry me. You said yes and ended it with something similar to what I always said..." He said and smiled at me again, "I love you."

My tears fell. My heart was beating fast. My mind flashbacked to all the memories we had shared with each other. I smiled unconsciously.

I bit my lip as I felt it became drier by the minute. I replaced my smile with a fixed expression. My hands escaped his hold to wipe my tears. I stared at the cup in between us.

"Your... uhm. The water's cold," I told him as if I wasn't crying earlier.

"But sometimes... it isn't always hot," Bennet said so seriously, his smile fading.

"Huh?" I asked innocently.

"The water was once hot, it became warm... and eventually became cold. But I would still pour it in the cup, even if. The powder was made to be with the water, dissolving in it, making something better. Even if it's hot, warm, or cold, the powder would need the water to make coffee but... it doesn't always turn out to be the way we expected," Bennet explained.

He poured the mug of, once hot, water in the cup and turned into coffee. The cup was filled with coffee but it was not smooth and had chunks of undissolved powder.

My eyes saddened.

"I'm sorry. I haven't been... a good husband to you lately. I don't think I would be, in the near future," he said, his tears falling.

I was tearing up as I heard his words. Yet, I still wiped his tears with my thumb and made him look at me. I smiled at him, sadly.

"... You did lose it..." I said as my tears were non-stop falling. I tried my best to keep calm, it hurts my heart.

He put his hand above mine, that was on his face. He kissed it and he smiled at me sadly, his tears still falling.

He let go of my hand...

"I'm sorry... I love you, I really do. But..." He didn't bother finishing his sentence.

He looked away from me. "I'm sorry," he said softly as I can see tears fall from his eyes.

I didn't bother wiping my tears. "So... what are we going to do now?"

I tried my best to smile at him. He did so too.

"I love you."

+++

800