She tugged on my shirt.
“Please marry me. Please please please.”
The aunts burst into laughter.
Some uncles wiped tears from their eyes because they were laughing too hard.
And me?
I was suddenly shy.
Too shy.
“No!” I said quickly.
“I will not marry with a short girl.”
Her mouth opened in shock.
Then, determined like the little storm she always was…
She climbed a big stone nearby, stood on it proudly, and said,
“Look! I’m not short now. Marry me!”
I shook my head, trying not to smile.
“No. No, no—”
Suddenly, she leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on my cheek.
Warm.
Soft.
Unexpected.
“I kissed you,” she announced.
“Now marry me!”
My whole face turned red.
I froze, tiny hands curled at my sides, heart thumping harder than a drum.
The adults laughed again.
Just then both our grandparents arrived.
“Grandpa!” Luna ran to hers immediately.
“He is not marrying me! I want him! You tell him marry me!”
She looked so small, so stubborn, so sure her grandfather could fix all her problems.
Everyone chuckled softly.
My grandma patted my shoulder and said,
“Lim, don’t tease her. She loves you so much. Just say you will marry her.”
I looked at Luna.
She was staring up at me with the most dangerous weapon in the universe—
Her puppy eyes.
Big.
Shiny.
Hopeful.
I sighed.
“Okay…”
She squealed so loud birds flew from the mango tree.
Then she ran back to me, hugged me tightly, and kissed my cheek again.
“Now give me your chocolate!” she demanded happily.
And like the fool in love I always was—
I gave her everything I had.
She sat cross-legged on the ground, eating my chocolate with messy hands…
Smiling like she owned the world.
Spoiler from Chapter 60 of Minamahal