ONE SHOT || A Promise

I will kill the spiders. I will let you eat all of my fries even if you told me you were full a minute ago. I will never use that much gel anymore since you told me you like it when it falls on my forehead. I will never be rude to your tummy when I hear it growl. I will wrap my arms around you when you cry from a ride you wanted us to try in the first place. I might laugh, but that doesn’t mean I care any less. I will kiss the papercuts and the door-slammed finger, even the counter bumped hip. I will have my arms open on days you don’t want to talk. And I will listen when you do. I will be the big spoon. I will be the little spoon. I will let you win at games. Sometimes. Other times I won’t. I will go faster. Harder. I will pull when you want and tease when you don’t. I will send you random texts and leave you silly little gifts. Not always. Not on schedule. Just whenever I want to. Whenever I think you need one. Or seven. I will hold your hand.

But most importantly, I will love you, I will love you, and I will always love you.

Always.

- R

//

“Tisoy!” Maine called out as she wiped the tears that fell on her cheeks, her fingers clutched tightly on the piece of paper she held.

Richard bounded inside the living room, his eyes wide as he searched for his wife. “Are you okay? Ano meron? Huy,” he said as he ran up to Maine and quickly pulled her in for a hug, rubbing her back gently as he kissed her forehead. “What’s wrong? Okay ka lang?”

“Ikaw kasi, eh!” she said as she hit him square on the chest and pulled back from him. She let out a sigh and looked up to face him, her eyebrows furrowed as she gazed into the man she once thought she’d never be lucky enough to spend the rest of her life with. “I love you.”

“Oh, saan galing yan?”

“Dapat I love you din yung sagot mo,” she whined.

Richard chuckled, his eyes soft as he drew in a breath. They may have been together for years but she always had a knack for surprising him. So much so that he learned to never expect what she was going to do anymore. Cupping her face with his hand, he wiped away the tears that still trickled down her face with his thumb. “I love you.”

“Isa pa.”

“I love you.”

“…Last.”

“I love you.” Tilting his head to the side, he reached out and squeezed her shoulders reassuringly, not wanting to push and pry. “Nandito lang ako if you want to talk about it,” he said, only to be surprised when Maine ran and buried herself into his chest. His arms wrapped around her quickly, his chin resting on her head as he swayed them back and forth. “Or we can just stay like this.” He pulled her in tighter. “It’s all up to you.”

She was quiet for a moment as she let her emotions settle. Alden was always the more vocal one when it came to feelings. He may not have understood why she couldn’t be the same way at first, but it didn’t stop him from telling her just how important she was to him. It always caught her off guard, always made her heart stop and beat loudly all at the same time. She buried her face into his chest and closed her eyes, relishing in his scent and taking in how good it felt to be hugged by him.

How safe.

“Wala,” she said after awhile, still not wanting to let go. “I just saw this letter you made while I was looking for the charger for my laptop.”

“Hm?”

“This one.” She pulled back and handed over the piece of paper she found lying around earlier. “Ang sweet lang. Ang sarap ihampas sayo.”

Richard shook his head and raised an eyebrow as he read it, his mouth turning into an ‘O’ by the time he finished. “Grabe siya! Para sa Anniversary natin ‘to eh!”

“Iniiwan mo lang kasi kung saan saan!” She laughed, her eyes taking him in with nothing but love and adoration for the man she promised to spend late afternoons watching little apos running around in their backyard one day.

Hayaan mo. I may not have been able to say it out loud before but I promise you, Richard Faulkerson Jr., I will now.