Connection

Chapter 23

[Trigger warning: suicide attempt, mention of suicide]

/THIRD PERSON/

Saturday mornings are when marriage manifests most clearly for Lea and Aga. When the hustle of both of their jobs doesn’t get in the way, it’s in the mixed scent of their bedroom, folded clothes, rolled socks, and unplugged phones on the bedside tables. A more mature, much older version of a rekindled connection they never thought they would still have after two decades.

The curtains were still drawn when Lea opened an eye, keeping the room dim, and making it hard to get up. She rolled to face the other side, expecting the warm body that is her husband’s to welcome her. Except there is not. Weird, because she always leaves the bed first no matter what day it is. Made her wonder if she was too tired the whole week to sleep the day away.

“Hey, good morning,” Aga showed up from the bathroom, his hair wet.

“Nice to know it’s still morning,” she answered and frowned at him when she realized he’s in casual going-out attire. “What time is it and where are you going? You didn’t say you got plans today.”

“It’s because I don’t have one. Ginising lang ako ni Eunice kasi kailangan daw nila magpahatid.”

“At saan ang punta nilang dalawa? Bakit hindi muna nagpaalam?”

“Sa mall lang naman. She said they want  to bake something and they need things to use. So, in short, driver ako today.”

He gestured towards the curtains, asked his wife if she would mind opening the curtains now since the room was too dark to see his features in the mirror. Lea shook her head, albeit she squinted at the cloudy light that flooded them in.

She propped up on one elbow and faced Aga, “Can I come and join? It would bore me to be left alone here, and you know, maybe I could find you a gift there.”

“A gift for me?”

“For your birthday, yeah? Speaking of which, you haven’t told me what you want to do on that day. Sa susunod na linggo na ‘yun, babes.”

He stopped combing his hair, put the comb down, and pouted at Lea— touched that she’s putting much thought about his birthday. He knew he should, too, considering that it’s going to be the first time that they will celebrate it together again. It’s just that, the fact alone is already a gift enough for him.

“I don’t feel like going out on my birthday and I haven’t really celebrated it with a party of people, so you know…” Aga climbed on the bed, then on top of her, laying her fully back on the bed. “...maybe we can just have an intimate barbecue and grill in the backyard… then maybe, as your gift, I’ll just have you all to myself at night.”

Lea bit her lower lip as she traced his nose, “Kind of greedy of you to ask me as a gift, don’t you think?”

“Can’t really ask for anything else,” he smiled and closed the gap between them. She closed her eyes in anticipation and opened her mouth for him. Not minding her morning breath and taste because Aga never did. He only cares about the touches, the sensation he’s giving her, if it’s satisfying her enough, and if she consents to continue further.

Lea let herself bask in the pleasure of his lips traveling to her jaw down to her neck, and of his hand caressing her waist, pushing her night dress up until he was touching her bare, inner thighs. Her body reacted to it like a wild animal with an instinctual need. But as much as she wanted to give him the morning, the girls might be waiting outside already.

“Okay, that’s enough. I need to take a shower now.”

But he kept kissing her neck, his hand kept doing its sensual business too, “I won’t mind showering twice if you let me join you.”