These roses takes me back to the memories of Ziggy. The colors are complete it has red, white, pink, and yellow in it. I am rooted on the floor for a while, staring at it. Dina nudges me to wake me up in my dreamy state.
"Hey, hey, besh are you okay?"
I spur back to arranging paper flowers while a bit disconcerted. Dina gets the bouquet that I put unwittingly on one of the tables and starts looking at it, searching for something.
"There it is. The note." She utters
I abruptly look back at her with curiosity and excitement. Why did I even forget to check it anyway? She tilts her head while reading a small card attached to the bouquet that I didn't notice a while ago.
"A pleasant day greeting to my favorite passenger."
Loving and Hoping,
Bree
"Oww, he so sweet, of course, every girl's day, will definitely turn pleasant with it! but..." Dina stops after she notices me. "You look the other way around."
My shoulders drop, slightly disappointed after hearing where it came from. However, I tried to smile back, showing the excitement and bliss that I should suppose to appear. Yet, it didn't hide from Dina's inquisitive eyes.
"You're still expecting him, don't you?" Walking slowly towards me and gives me a comforting rub on my back.
With a deep sigh, I say. "I don't know how to forget him." and spills another set of tears.
"You don't need to forget him. You just need to accept the situation."
Dina is right; I should stop hopping for us. I need to accept that Zig will no longer be part of my life. After wiping my tears, I take out my phone and text Bree.
(Cloe) Hey, Navigator- thanks for the flower. Care for some movie date?
(Bree) Definitely, pick you at five?
(Cloe) Make it three.
I smiled back at Dina as I tuck my phone back into my pocket. She, too, is excitedly smiling back at me.
*****
"So Alladin movie looks fun and cute, but I think you would prefer to watch John Wick, right?"While we are in the cinema lobby and I'm trying to determine the perfect movie to watch.
"Nah, I prefer what you preferred."
"Yes, I love to see Aladdin, but it's too girly and childish. I don't want you to get bored."
"It doesn't matter, and I won't get bored anyway... As if I will focus on the movie." He lowered his voice on the second sentence, making it inaudible and harder to comprehend while looking away with a smirk.
"Excuse me, what did you say?" I look back at him, a bit apprehensive yet smiling.
"I say I want to watch that movie too."
We line up to the ticket booth and excitedly get in with popcorns and drinks in hand.
He tugs me to the hind row and sits comfortably with only a few viewers inside the cinema, mostly seated in front and the middle.
I snicker and sometimes shriek to the part with Alladin's and the disguised princess Jasmin's chasing scene in the market with the guards. While failed to notice Bree's eyes are on me the whole time. Only when I look in his direction to talk to him about the movie excitedly, that our face meet and noses brush. He abruptly pressed his lips to mine and held my nape, so there's no way for me to escape.
I respond and kiss him with my eyes unshut. I can feel his hands sliding down towards my sensitive bosom, and with my natural impulse, I abruptly react defensively. I unlock our lips and push his hands away. He didn't say a word but crinkle his brow, looking dismayed. His eyes are now fixed straight on the big screen, and he watches the movie silently.
The movie almost comes to an end. I try to reach Bree's hand and say. "Bree, I'm sorry."
Without looking at me, he replies. " I thought we have that mutual understanding."
I felt slightly embarrassed by what he says. Did I let him expect? Am I too inconsiderate of his feelings? What should I do?
Without thinking hard and spent enough time to contemplate and to recover my guilt, I hastily say. "Bree, I've decided that from now on, I don't want us just mutually to understand each other. I want us to be official, on girlfriend-boyfriend status."
His eyes are gaping with the news; his smiles show undeniable bliss. "Really?!". He wraps me in his arms calmly and presses a kiss on my temple.
*****
We find ourselves meandering along the sea wall after an appetizing barbeque dinner in the food park not far from the bay. We cease a while to feel the serenity of the fresh, cold, and salty sea air. I slightly shiver as the cold air touches my skin. I feel Bree's hands brushing towards my arms and rested as he reaches my palm. He wraps me from my back, and I can sense the hot air of his breath behind my ear.
"I am aware it is not easy to make you fall in love with me when I know your heart hasn't gotten over with someone. But, as I promised, I will help you, that, when you both see each other, you may remember him, but you're not gonna remember the feelings anymore."
I turn around to face him, hopeful that what he says will be possible. Maybe, it's the best thing to do, fall for him and finally not get affected by Ziggy and love Bree and him alone because he deserves it. I expected it ended, he's trying to grab a kiss from me, and this time willingly, I kiss back, following his lead and only let go as he decided.
*****
We come back home. Excited to announce the news to my mom about Bree and me. She smiled slightly with her neutral look. She doesn't look that excited make me dumbfounded, thinking if did she agrees or against it. But I shrug it off; maybe she's just tired.
I tried to sleep tighter, freeing my mind; I don't want to think about Zig anymore. I want that placid moment with Bree to remain and hopefully start another day with a new beginning, a happier beginning.
*****
I wake up hearing the disturbing retching sound from downstairs. Is someone throwing up? I stand up abruptly with that thought. I found my mom near the kitchen sink, literally vomiting. I rush up, worried, caressing her back. It takes a while for her vomiting to subside. She looks so exhausted and sick.
"Mom, what happened to you?" I ask anxiously.
"No, this is nothing, maybe I just had eaten something bad. Don't worry about me, and I will be fine. Go prepare yourself. I know you will be busy with your Org. projects." She trudges towards the chair and sits down.
"No, mom, you don't look okay; I will stay with you. I will call Dina and leave instructions because I think I need to accompany you to the doctor. You need to be checked."
"No, darling, we don't need to. The festival will be in a few days, do your work. I know you'll going to make it fabulous. I am excited to witness it." She smiled behind her tired appearance.
"Mom, I insist. I can't work well this way either, when I'm worried about you. So, please let's got to the clinic."
She nodded at last with my persistence.
*****
We are about to enter the clinic when mom pulls me back. She seems hesitant to see the doctor.
"Mom, please, we need to do this to ease our worries." Observing how hesitant my mom acts, it's making me more worried.
The doctor is wordless seeing us. He's on his fifty, I can say, with a hint by some strains of silver hair, but it looks like he knows my mom. He sends his anxious eyes to my mom for a while before moving them to me.
"Please sit down." He utters coyly, not the usual way as doctors welcome their patients.
I also caught meaningful glances with my mom and the doctor. It seems so odd as if they know each other and are hiding something from me.
"Hello doctor, can you check my mom?" I need to say something to ignore some tinge of confusion over my observation.
"Sure, Mrs. Gargante, how did you feel?"
I look at the doctor, more confused. We haven't said anything or shown any records, but how come the doctor knows my mom's surname.
"I'm actually fine." My mom says with her lowered and obviously unwell voice.
"No, you're not, mom, you vomit!" I almost yell, surprised by her answer. It feels more strange; why she need to lie? Did my mom hide something from me? It makes me sad to think if ever she is because I'm not ready to know another hurtful revelation.