Chapter 12`
Anna hurriedly bathe, skipping her routine of using her body scrubs and shampoo. She bathed in cold water, breathing heavily with every pour as her stomach grumbled. Her mind was too preoccupied with fear.
"What if the monster had returned?" She asked herself as she lathered the soap all over her body. "Should I take a double dose of that prescription? Would that kill me if I did?" She poured cold water all over her hands.
Her heart was racing fast. She went back to the medicine cabinet and took another dose of the drug before taking the soap back to finish what she began. As she grabbed the soap, it slipped from her fingers and fell into the toilet bowl.
The soap made a splash into the toilet water, sinking her deeper into anxiety.
"Keep calm, you can do this!" She took shallow breaths as she paced inside the bathroom trying to get herself to hush down.
It was a grueling battle, but she was able to come up on top. She sat on the bathroom floor breathing in and out, relieved as her heartbeat finally calmed down. A few minutes later, she decided to wash the dried lather off her skin and hair.
Anna wiped herself dry and went out of the bathroom when all of the sudden, she felt light-headed. Luckily, she was able to held herself up by holding tightly at the door opening. She closed her eyes and refocused herself. She went on to ready her dress and fix her things for her shift.
As she placed her things orderly inside her bag, her stomach grumbled again but this time she felt a little pinch inside her tummy. Afraid of what was about to happen next, she immediately dropped her bag and went straight to the kitchen, where she hastily cooked a pack of pancit canton. After preparing it, she immediately devoured the food, but her hunger remained.
She took another pack and cooked it, by the time it was ready, Rico was already home from his shift. They both stared at each other awkwardly as he entered the house. If it weren't from a small splatter of boiling water touching her skin, they would've stared at each other longer.
"Ow!" Anna clicked her tongue as she gently blew the affected area on her arm.
"Are you okay?" Rico immediately dropped his bag on the floor and came to her aid, grabbing her hand and checking the affected part.
"I was just surprised by the—" She tried to explain.
"See it reddened!" Rico interrupted her while looking at the pot of boiling water. "What were you even cooking? Pancit canton?" He asked.
She nodded quietly.
Rico looked at her and smiled. "You still have a shift tonight, right? Sit down. Let me cook you something quick."
To Anna his words were her comfort. No matter how many times she pushed him away, Rico had always been resilient. He stood up for her in front of his parents and his relatives because he wanted her to know how much he loved her.
Anna sat quietly holding back her tears. Rico cracked his knuckles and wore his apron. He took some onions and garlic from their spice rack and began chopping them. He also took a can of luncheon meat and on a separate pan fried the meat and garlic until crispy, just the way she liked it.
On a separate pot he cooked the noodles at al dente before assembling it with the cooked luncheon meat, the diced onions and packet seasoning. He presented it just like how a chef would present their food in a professional restaurant.
"Viola!" He slid the dish on the table in front of Anna. "Please enjoy!" He smiled.
Anna's stomach grumbled at the food placed in front of her and the way Rico arranged the food was something out of a cooking show. It was a trait she loved about him. He knew how to put care in everything he does, it was something that made him very dear to her heart.
Anna stared at the noodles, trying to numb the pain in her heart. She felt guilty about how she treated Rico, and she wanted to reach out to him weeks prior, but she couldn't find the right timing nor the words to say. She couldn't explain to him her situation. It was too impossible and unbelievable for him to believe. But was it really worth hiding it? Up until now, she still didn't know if it was.
She silently ate the food he prepared while holding back the tears welling from her eyes. Rico sat down across her, watching her silently, seemingly trying to break the ice.
"Y-you know…whatever that was last week…" He began. "I have forgotten about that already. At this point, Anna, I still don't understand why you're still not talking to me—"
She paused from eating and looked into Rico's eyes. His eyes had a deep longing for her. She knew very well how much he loves her and how he couldn't stand long silent fights like this, but would it work for the both of them if he knew about her psychotic tendency? Would he understand the monster living inside her? Should she tell him about how it wanted to eat him alive? Weighing on those questions, she knew the obvious answer to that question.
"I-I know these past few weeks had been very difficult, Rico." She put her fork down, while relieved on the idea that she was already satiated after a few bites of the food. "I wish I could tell it to you right now…but—" Anna bit her lip.
"Oh! O-of course… of course." Rico nodded while his face flushed a tinge of red.
"Thank you for the food." She stood up from the table, before her tears burst from her eyes. "I promise you…I will talk about this when the time is right." She placed the plate on the sink and took her bags, leaving Rico alone in their apartment.
As she opened the door, Rico chased for her and hugged her tight. "I know…" He hugged her tight. "I can wait. Just don't leave. I promise will choose to stay." He whispered in her ears.
Anna bit her lip and tried her best to compose herself as she left Rico lingering on the door.