Philippines
2019
The end and the beginning
"Why are you buying that?" she asked for the ninth time.
They are arguing because today, Thirdy is the one who wants to buy stuff that isn't needed.
The weather has been bad for the past few days. Bea asked for a month-long break before starting at the hospital owned by Rhi's family. She said she needed a break. The couple just enjoyed the weather, cuddling, watching movies, and making love.
Today, Chef decided to buy food for them. They've been eating instant everything because of the lazy weather.
"I want chocolate eh." Thirdy pouted.
"Yikes, arte naman, love."
And she gave him a smack.
He smiled and put the chocolate in the basket.
Bea is still strolling and trying to remember ano pa ba dapat nilang bilhin. When they reached the dairy section, that's when Thirdy remembered something.
"Angel, do you mind teaching me how you make your vanilla pudding? Mine tastes like cornstarch. Swear, I can't even eat it," reklamo ni Thirdy.
"Pudding is really simple. Can't believe you."
"Swear, you can ask The Grid people. They can't take it."
"Fine. It is pudding day then."
Bea got all the ingredients needed. Thirdy is beaming now.
"And I'll let you taste a cookie."
"What cookie?"
"I've been experimenting on how to bake the best cookie in the world. Almost perfect na, so I'll be teaching you to bake that too."
"Oh, that's nice. Exchange of recipes then."
When they paid sa cashier, Thirdy is hugging Bea from behind. Ate Cashier smiled at the couple.
"Love, PDA naman masyado. Ate smiled na at us oh," saway ni Bea.
"Okay lang, Ma'am. Ang cute niyo po tingnan ni Sir," the cashier said with genuine happiness in her voice.
The couple smiled back. He broke the hug when he needed to carry the groceries already.
She's teasing him, tickling him, while they're walking papuntang parking.
"Love, weird question, are you up?" she asked.
He nodded while putting the goods at the back of the car.
"Why do you love me?"
He stopped and looked at her. He cupped her face and stared at it for a few seconds.
"Because you are my grid."
"Hey, I'm not your restaurant." She pouted, but her face is still in his hands.
"You know why I named it The Grid."
"I don't know. Hmmmp, you are changing the topic naman eh."
This time, she tried to escape and go to the passenger's seat na lang, but Thirdy pulled her close.
"A grid is made of lines that cross each other and form something together. Just like us. Akala ko we would be parallel forever, but thank God we continued to cross each other's paths and formed the perfect taste of love."
"Yikes, corny."
She tried to hide the kilig.
He drove the car with a big smile on his face and Bea's hand in his right hand.
"Ikaw, why do you love me?" he asked while carrying the groceries papasok ng bahay.
She smiled. "Wala lang."
"C'mon. Unfair."
She didn't answer and fixed everything they bought sa kitchen.
But no one can escape his charms.
"Why nga?"
He rested his face on her shoulder.
"Because ever since you came, the definition of love changed."
He looked at her with curiosity in his eyes.
"Love will always be something I can't afford. Love is a disease you should never get. That's how I defined it before. But when you came, it became choosing someone over and over again. Love became the cure I always prayed for. You are my cure, Thirdy."
She looked at him.
He's having mixed emotions, kilig, tears of joy, and shock.
Bea doesn't usually show her emotions, lalo na through words. Most of the time, she just kisses him or hugs him to show how much she appreciates everything Thirdy does for her.
"Sobrang cheesy ng asawa ko. Pwede ganyan ka na lang parati?"
"Huy, I'm always sweet naman ah."
"Uhm, not sure," he jokingly said.
"Hay nako. Let's start making pudding na nga."
"Huyyyy, anong let's start making babies?" saway ni Thirdy, which made her chuckle.
"Parang ayaw ko na ngang turuan ka ng pudding." She made a thinking face.
"Ay, gusto din naman," Thirdy said.
"What do you wanna name our first kid?" she asked while organizing the ingredients.
"Depends. If it's a girl, I'll name her Tiffanie Izabelle. If boy naman, I'll name him Troye Isaiaeh."
"Good names ah. Super prepared na ba?" she asked.
"Don't worry, love. We'll try again."
She smiled weakly.
"No need," she whispered.
"Huh?"
"No need to try again."
"Wait, ayaw mo ba talaga ng anak? Kasi, love, ako gustong-gusto ko," he said with a sad tone.
"What are you saying ba?" she asked.
"I remember eh. You told me na you're not ready yet to share me," he said sadly.
"Ahh. Wala yo..."
Bea was cut off when she felt something stuck in her throat. An unusual feeling.
She covered her mouth and held her tummy.
"Love, what happened? Are you okay?"
He followed her into the CR, tapping her back.
And a phone rang.
He answered it right away.
"Yes, Rhi?"
"What?"
"What are you saying?"
"Is she okay?"
"What results?"
"Is it the virus?"
When everything was cleared, he looked at her. She's wiping her mouth.
She weakly smiled.
"You okay?" he asked.
"As long as this little one is okay, I am too."
Thirdy stared at her for a moment, finally understanding what she meant.
Then he hugged her.
Nike stood up and wanted to join the hug too. Bea carried their dog and pulled him into their little family hug.
"You are going to be a good kuya, Nikepops."
Love can sometimes be bitter, sour, spicy, sweet, or even creamy. You can never be sure which flavor it will give you next. The only thing you can do is keep choosing love, even when it can't promise you consistency.
