I fell in love

Chapter 7

Araw ng Martes, kauuwi ko lang galing Foodholic, our restaurant. Hapon pa lang pero nagpaalam na ako na maagang uuwi, nag promise ako kay Althea, kailangan ko yun tuparin.

I could feel the excitement bubbling in my chest as I drove, fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel, heart already racing ahead of me.

The sky was dimming, and the roads stretched out quiet, but all I could think about was Althea.

Just the thought of walking through the door and seeing her there, waiting, made the drive feel shorter than it ever had.

I wasn’t rushing because I had to. I was rushing because I wanted to.

"You're early." She said as she open the door when I rang the doorbel.

Tumango lang ako at binigyan siya ng halik sa labi. "Yup."

Ngumiti siya bago lakihan ang pagkakabukas ng pintuan.

We both walked with the same pace to the living area.

Naabutan namin doon yung kinakain niyang cips, yung remote sa gilid ng sofa, yung naka-Pause na disney movie.

She was watching The little Mermaid very cozily. May kumot pa nga sa gilid katabi nung mga unan.

Nakapatay ang lahat ng ilaw bukod sa ilang malaki ng lamp at nakababa lahat ng kurtina, malakas din  yung AC.

"Ilang taon ka na nga ulit?" Natatawang biro ko. Mahilig din naman ako sa Disney movies, pero hindi naman katulad ng ganito, sobrang handa siya sa panonood niya, parang nasa sinehan talaga.

Hindi niya pinansin yung pang-aasar ko, narinig ko lang yung mahinang pag tawa niya bago ako hapitin papalapit sa kanya.

"Ang cute mo..." pinaliit ko pa ang boses ko ng sabihin ko iyon.

"Stop teasing me." Pinilit niyang lagyan ng diin ang sinabi niyang iyon na lalo lang nagpatawa sa akin.

I couldn’t stop myself from teasing her.

She looked so damn cute, eyes wide and serious like the fate of the whole Disney world depended on her watching every second.

So I nudged her, whispered something stupid in her ear, just to see the way she’d roll her eyes and try not to laugh.

And somewhere in the middle of that moment, I felt it hit me.

This softness between us.

The way I pull back around her. The way she meets me halfway, never demanding more than I can give.

We both let each other lead, and somehow still end up in the same place.

We fold into each other so quietly, so naturally, that I hadn’t even noticed how much of myself I let melt when I’m with her.

Marahan ko siyang hinaplos habang ang atensyon niya ay nasa pa labas pa rin.

"Magbibihis lang ako. Bababain kita rito." Sambit ko na hindi niya naman pinansin.

Kinuha ko yung hand bag ko na nilapag ko kanina sa sofa, tiningnan ko siya saglit bago ako umakyat.

Naglinis ako ng katawan at nag palit ng mas komportableng damit bago bumaba.

Nadatnan ko si Althea na maingat na pinapatong yung apat na bote ng Smirnoff sa maliit na mesa. Napalitan na rin ng horror yung palabas.

"Para hindi tayo antukin." Nakangiting sambit niya bago umupo sa sofa. Pinagpagan niya yung bandang gilid niya na senyales para umupo na ako roon.