"Happy birthday to me~
Happy birthday to me~
Happy birthday~
Happy birthday~
Happy birthday to me,~" Zoey sang herself a birthday song while slowly clapping her hand to its beat.
Earlier, after their short birthday celebration on the rooftop, Zoey turned to her small bag. From there, Matthew Xi watched her reveal a slice of loaf bread she bought from the convenience store, followed by a small candle and a lighter.
Now, she was singing herself an ear-piercing birthday song with the loaf bread as her cake. How pitiful.
"Time to wish! Hmm..." Excited to make a wish, which she was certain would remain as a wish, Zoey closed her eyes, linked her hands together, and pressed her lips into a meek smile.
Matthew Xi settled his eyes on this carefree lady. His assumptions that he was entangled with a con never wavered. However, for some reason, she seemed the type of person that one could easily read but not at the same time.
Recalling the time he woke up, Matthew Xi's initial thought upon laying his eyes on her was, "How pretty", although his vision was still blurry. And then, his head was assailed with pain, he could only grunt.
He vividly heard her worried questions, asking where he was hurt. He felt the cautious aura surrounding him hence, he forced his eyes to see the worried woman.
However, just as her gorgeous front welcomed him, she addressed him by a silly nickname: Browny. Hence, he repeated.
Not long after, the doctor and nurses came to check on him. Still, his eyes were solely on her.
Matthew Xi remembered the events which caused him to flee while injured. Still, at that moment, he was more inclined to know her. Thus, when the opportunity came, he asked who she was.
Alas, instead of answering him, Zoey assumed that he has amnesia. Just hearing that, Matthew wanted to chuckle at the silliness.
As he recalled the occurrence several days ago, Matthew Xi's lips curled into a subtle smile. He glanced at her and then to the melting wax that dripped down to the loaf bread, his brows arched.
"How long will it take for you to finish your wish?" He broke the silence that stilling the surrounding.
She had been wishing for three minutes now and yet, it seemed, she prepared a long list. What was she wishing for, anyway?
"Shh..." Zoey shushed without opening her eyes and budging a muscle. "And Lord, if you pity this humble creature, triple the balance of my bank account so I can just relax with Browny..." She whispered to her wishes.
Upon hearing that, the corner of his eyes twitched. So, after all this time, she was more or less wishing for things that were impossible?
Was she serious? What was she? A hardcore believer slash a con? What an odd combination. Just as Matthew was contemplating if she was serious as she appeared she was, her last remarks registered in his head.
"Relax with... Browny?"
"Amen." Instead of answering, Zoey finally ended her solemn prayers. Her gaze searched for her dessert, not to the loaf bread acting as her cake on the table, but her eyes were set to the man in the wheelchair.
"Yep. I wished that I will meet my Mister Right, in the most unexpected place — for example, my car." Zoey winked as she summarized the detailed wish she whispered in her heart.
Every year, Zoey mostly spent her birthdays alone. It wasn't that she doesn't have anyone to celebrate it with. The thing was, Zoey was too busy making money that she often doesn't have time.
Still, every last minute before every March 5th could end, she would sing herself a happy birthday with a cupcake and a candle. It has been her tradition until this year, the shop where she usually purchased the cupcakes was closed.
Therefore, she just bought a loaf bread without any particular reason. It's the first time in eight years that Zoey had a loaf bread on her birthday and also, a person that accompanied her.
"Quick! Greet me with a happy birthday!" Slowly, the corner of her lips curled into a bright grin.
"Why happy birthday if it's not happy?" Yet, Matthew Xi spoiled her mood by asking such a ridiculous question, carrying his flat tone.
"Gee, because it's not sad, duh?" Zoey rolled her eyes at this peculiar man. The more she talked to him, the weirder he gets. Though his demeanor was quite manly, yet, he always asked questions just like a child.
"Still, you're not happy." Blinking once, he calmly argued back.
"..." This time, Zoey was the one who was rendered speechless. So, what's his point? She wasn't that happy, correct. But, she wasn't sad as well!
Was greeting someone a happy birthday would cost him millions? Would it cost him his life perhaps?
Zoey sassed inside her mind as she cast him a ridiculing look and scoffed. She whispered her curses that only she could hear before blowing the candle.
"Birthday birthday, Zoey! Yey!" After blowing the candle, Zoey sarcastically greeted herself again. This time, she disregarded the word 'happy', just to spite him.
Matthew Xi shrugged his shoulders in nonchalance. He could have just greeted her a halfhearted happy birthday, but, he has his own reasons.
****
Later that night...
Matthew Xi wheeled himself towards the long sofa. For some reason, Zoey stayed there for the night and took the long sofa as her bed for the night.
If he was to be asked, he was quite displeased about the idea. After all, he was a stranger to her, and her to him.
What if he bore ill-intention? How could she be so reckless with a stranger?
As he drew closer, her faint snores grew audible. Matthew Xi stopped several feet away from her as he stood with slight difficulty.
From there, he began walking, his steps left no noise. It was as if he was walking on air and stopped when he neared the sleeping Zoey.
Matthew Xi checked if she was sleeping by waving his hand in front of her. Shaking his head, he sighed. "Are you always this carefree around strangers?" Under his breath, he whispered; his gaze traveled across her delicate side profile.
The reason why he didn't greet her earlier was that she had her guard down around him. There was no other reason but that.
At the same time, he was intrigued as to why. Regardless, by tomorrow, he would be discharged and maybe, treat this time with his weird savior as an unforgettable experience.
"Happy birthday." Unlike his usual flat tone, Matthew sounded gentler than ever as the corner of his lips curled into a subtle smile, and then cautiously returned to the bed.
Little did he know, after he dropped his 'happy birthday' and left, Zoey bit her lower lips, resisting herself from smiling like a stupid idiot.