ACHICHIBO~ The little girl I knew

chap16(how this story ends)

*Two years later*

"Papa!" I watched her try to run to her father; who embraced her in a not so  tight of a hug.

"Hi darling, how are you today?" he pulled away, checking her face after pushing away the long bangs that she had refused to let us cut.

"Tummy hurt. And I threw up again" she pouted like always.

"What did the doctor say?" he peered at me with raised eyebrows.

"She's doing good, handling it well. She just gets annoyed once in a while with the pain"

He looked back at her "honey you ne-" he was unable to finish his sentence when she spoke again. "Papa" she uttered in a breathless tone alerting the two of us. Except, her eyes were glued to something behind her dad. When the two of us followed her gaze, it made us crack up laughing knowing what she wanted in fact were just pastries.

"Go eat all you want" her dad encouraged her in the midst of his chuckles, creating with his words a childish grin on her face as she ran towards them eating whatever she can.

I noticed the small body I missed for a while coming through the back door of the store that leads to their apartment upstairs. "You are here dear?" she said when she noticed me.

"Yeah, mom" I kissed Jasmine's mom on the cheek. I had missed her so much since we had moved out due to my business.

"What about your parents?"

"On their way"

"Good! It's been so long since we all got together. We have so much to talk about" she spoke before turning and watching her pregnant daughter sitting on one of the stools, grinning at me while she ate. Still jumping up and down because of excitement, even though we came here every two days or so, due to her cravings.

"We are here!" my mom's excitement filled the store when she came in, my dad following right behind her. Hugs and kisses were exchanged and just words on how much they missed each other. And here I was left alone in the middle of their conversation, which was a great chance for me..

I glanced at my woman still in her place, focusing on what she had in hand. My feet moved and I walked towards her. The moment I reached her, I leaned my hands on the counter behind her encaging her between my arms "Is it good?" I inquired, giving her bread a short glance before I trained my eyes on her again.

She moved her hand to position the bread in front of my mouth staring at my lips with those eyes of hers. I took a bite and she beamed, waiting for my reaction. "It is good" I nodded acknowledging it as I smirked at her, to that she just smiled back, making her eyes smile at me as she mirrored my nod.

I stood still not moving, which took her time to notice and glance back at me. Still chewing and moving around on her seat with excitement, her eyes were now questioning my actions.

Those eyes..

I touched my forehead to hers making her halt her every movement. "achichibo" I whispered so only she could hear it, painting a blush on her cheeks and a grin on her lips even though she was trying to stop it by biting her bottom lip.

"hon.ey.suckle" she mumbled, shyly and slowly.

"Which one?"

"cooo.ral" she said and moved her face to hide it in the crook of my neck whining.

I used the chance and head-locked her by lifting my arm and pressing her head on my shoulder, making her yell as a result, while hitting my chest in the process. Which only caused me to laugh. I kissed her head freeing it from my hold and studied her now glaring eyes; throwing daggers my way.

After about a year of our marriage, I have come to know that she always knew what those flowers I had brought her, at that time, in the hospital, meant. She also knew how I felt at all times, probably was even aware of my feeling when  I had started dreading the idea of her going back to her family, when we were in the hotel. 

She knew about my heart before me.

As beautiful as that might sound, sometimes it scares me that she might notice a negative emotion in me and feel hurt. So, to prevent that, and for the last two years, our relationship took so much effort and understanding. The more days we spend together, the more issues arise, the more I got to know new things about her and got to learn how to deal better with what is around us, and mostly my own emotions in those times, so that she is not badly influenced by them. 

However, what makes me the most content is that it was mutual, the same way I was making effort and trying my best, the same way she was, but just in her own way and capacities. She tries not to shut herself off when she can't handle her emotions, instead she holds my shirt tight and buries her face in the crook of my neck whenever she feels a build up in negative emotions inside of her. She eats anything and everything as long as there is no nuts involved of course, but she does so with a very grumpy and disgusted face. Very simple but meaningful actions, makes me to feel like I had simply married a childish woman, that's it.

She was a woman indeed ..

My woman, at least...

"Achichi?" I asked louder this time and that made her glare vanish in the air. "BOOO" Our voices echoed in the store, before I hugged her as tight as I could with her six months twins belly between us. 

"Jazz."

"Hm?"

"I'm in love with you"

"I'm in love with you, too"

A brain of a child, but a woman at heart.

That was...

Achichibo, the little girl I knew.