Totus Tuus (Totally Yours!) ;OffGun

Fourth Chapter

We finally settled in a wooden bench on the far area of the beach. The sound of the ukelele is muffled and there were no other person in sight.

We sat in the same position as we were on the van- my head on his chest and his left hand embracing me.

"Oh, I almost forgot." I said as I took my phone out from my pocket.

I showed him the photo I took earlier, the one hanging in the wall.

He smiled and ruffled my hair.

"Why did you snapped that photo? Do you like it that much?" He asked.

I smiled thoughtfully.

"Yes, I love it. This was around the time when we would still hang around often- watching movies together then eating out or visiting some friends."

"Do you remember? This was the time when we went to the carnival as my way of saying sorry to you. You were so scared when we rode one of those swinging rides that you hugged me throughout the ride even though all the people are staring at us." Off said, reminiscing that one happy trip in the carnival.

I smiled at the memory.

"Yes, I remembered it. I also remembered that it was you who insisted that we hop on that rocking ride and teased me after we got out of that ride."

"But I made up to you when I gave you Babii!" He said, in protest.

The image of Off triumphantly holding Babii, our stuffed toy pig, flashed on my mind.

He had spent countless coins and hours on the claw machine until he finally caught him. He had gone through so much trouble just to melt my irritation away.

"Hey Papi." I started. I suddenly want to use his nickname more often now.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Do you think that things between us will be the same as before after this vacation ended?"

He pulled me closer to him. I could hear the rhythm of his beating heart.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

"No." He said quietly. " Because I just realized something."

I raised my head and looked at him.

"And what is that?"

"I realized how lucky I am to be with you. We do not hold our future, but we have the present. I promise to always find a way to spend time with you every single day, as much time as I could, just to show you how much I love you. "

He kissed my forehead while I struggle to hold back tears forming from the corners of my eyes.