It's been a month since Rosalia met Henry. Both of them are too busy to meet each other these days, but interaction over the phone happens every day. There have been many talks between the two in the past month. Finally, today they are going to meet each other. She is looking at the texts he sent her last night and smiling while she watches them. Those messages are giving her butterflies. It's been so long since they became friends, but he never tried to say that he wanted to take the relationship to another level. When his thoughts make her brood, her phone rings with the caller ID for My Monkey, aka Henry.
Being excited, she receives the phone instantly.
"Hey, morning."
"Morning," she says, being a little shy.
"I'm here already."
"Oh, I'm ready."
They cut the phone. Maybe in her whole life, she didn't have a shy and formal conversation with him. This is the first time she is checking herself in the mirror before going to meet him. Taking her purse, she comes downstairs. Her mother is feeding the rabbits in their house, and she slowly walks to her. Caressing them a little, she looks at her mother as her mother is already looking at her.
"Mom, I'm leaving; Henry is waiting outside."
"Okay, take care of yourself and come home early. Don't dare to get late."
"Okay, Mom, bye."
After a while, she returns to her mother, thinking about something.
"What happened?"
"How am I looking, Mom?"
Her mother is a little surprised to hear that because she never hesitated to go out with Henry, but she's acting weird today. She can tell by looking at her that there is a story. Holding her hand, Melissa pulls her closer and fixes her hair lightly.
"Everything is okay now."
"Oh, thanks a lot, Mom."
She looks at her mother and smiles a little while walking outside. The sun is a bit harsher today than the other day, so she wears casual clothes to avoid the hot weather. After seeing the rabbits, something hits her all of a sudden while walking to Henry's car. She doesn't know why those rabbits always remind her of Jacob, whom she hates the most. Surprisingly, Jacob isn't disturbing her anymore!
"Ahhhh, whatever, I hope he'll never come in front of me."
She gets immersed in Jacob's thoughts profoundly, ignoring someone who is waiting for her. Her thoughts are broken by the sound of Henry's car horn. She slowly walks toward his car. He stands in front of the car, opening the door for her. Trying to do a little catwalk, she stumbles in front of him but gets saved by his volunteer grab around her waist. His eyes knit together, looking at her.
Being embarrassed, she closes her eyes, pretending nothing happened.
"You should be careful," he says with concern.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
It's undeniable that the compelling and effervescent man makes her heart beat faster with his redolent smell. However, the never-ending saga will be continued if an anonymous car doesn't bother to honk. Coming to the right sense, she signals him to let go of her waist.
"Oh, sorry," he says while leading her inside the car.
"It's fine, Henry, what are the formalities about?"
Ogle's gaze on her makes her a little shy.
"You won't understand because you are still a baby."
Letting her inside the car, he gets inside and sits in the driver's seat, fixing his seat belt and checking her. He looks through the roadside and rearview mirror. Finding everything is okay, he starts his car.
"Henry, where are we going today?"
"Umm, surprise."
"Let me guess."
She giggles, making him smile. Nodding his head slightly, he permits her to guess whatever she wants.
"Hiking or amusement park?"
The power of her perception makes him laugh at her.
"You are dumb as usual, Rosa."
His compliment makes her pout, giving him a piercing look.
"No, I'm not because you always take me either hiking or amusement park."
"This time we are going to do something different, but I'm a little nervous though—"
"Omo, you— I mean Henry is nervous! I can't believe this!"
The perfectly symmetrical white teeth of Henry flash through his boxy smile to her.
"Did something happen? You are acting different; are you okay?"
"I'm fine; there's no need to worry about me. Let's enjoy our time to the fullest, Rosalia."
"Of course, my baby bear."
A bright smile spreads across her face. After riding his car a whole path, he stops his car near a beautiful lake. The stunning and breathtaking scenery of the serene lake makes her eyes glitch; it's like a mirror in which the beauty of the sky and its surroundings is lying to abduct people's hearts. The whiteness of the swans and geese in the sky mixed with blue water seems like they are flying in the sky. Whenever she is with him, everything seems so beautiful. He's really blessed to have her beside him since his worst period of time.
"Do you like it?"
"Yes, yes, it's really a very beautiful place!"
She exclaims excitedly. After so long of boredom, she badly needed to visit such a place to recharge herself.
"I always wanted to spend some beautiful time in such a beautiful place, thank you, bear."
Seeing her excitement, a stream of tranquility flows in his heart.
"My beautiful Rosa."
She looks at him and waits for his answer.
"Yes, my baby bear."
"Umm—nothing."
"Yah, fool, what happened to you?"
"I'm—I'm a little nervous."
Rosalia scoffs in disbelief, hearing him being nervous for the first time in front of her.
"What's the point of being nervous in front of me?"
"I love you!"
Her eyes widen, listening to him with the loud banging inside her heart. Something like this happening today was already perceived, still, the situation and feeling would be such billowing she had no idea before. It seems scintillating that she can't believe him right now. But immediately she thought, why would such a beautiful boy like him love her? What if he is making fun of her? Thinking about these factors, she becomes sad.
"This is not funny."
She glares at him.
"But I'm serious, Rosa!"
"Last time, when did you act serious in front of me? Stop joking around me on this matter."
"My love for you isn't a joke. I mean it, Rosa. I love you a lot from the very first. You are my first love, and I know you feel the same way as mine."
His sudden confession is unbelievable. She can't believe this. It was out of her imagination he would confess to her all of a sudden, however, his bold steps finally make him open up in front of her, which urges the smile in the corner of her lips as a sign of contentment of her heart. All those days her heart needed holding his hand tightly. After the rogue interfered in her life, the urge to hold his hand tightly is what she has always been praying for.