Close Your Eyes, Ciem

Chapter Twenty-Four

#CYECChapter24

I watched Adam as he fiddled with his keys, and when he found the correct one, he inserted it in the lock and twisted the doorknob.

I think he didn't notice me gaping at him like a diamond in my eyes. I won't be embarrassed if he did, though. He's someone I loved for a very long time, and if there's anyone in this world that knows every inch of me, it's him.

"Thanks," I said as he helped me set down the boxes.

"We have to unpack our things until 3PM. Is that alright with you?" he asked.

I simply nodded and smiled. "May lakad ka?"

"I have a meeting with my client," sagot niya at saka niya iginala ang paningin niya sa buong bahay.

Naglakad siya papunta sa likuran ko at napangiti ako nang bigla niya akong yakapin mula sa likuran ko. Ipinahinga niya ang baba niya sa kaliwang balikat ko, kaya ramdam ko ang bawat paghinga niya. Mas lalo akong napangiti.

"Did you like it?" he said, his lips almost touched my ear.

Slowly, I nodded. "Thank you for the gift, Adam. I love you," sambit ko habang pinagmamasdan ang looban ng bahay.

I still can't believe that we're engaged for four years now. He proposed to me four years ago and I said yes without even blinking. What makes me prouder is that—despite of his busy schedule, he managed to be good at everything. He took care of me and never left me. He's now a lawyer and that's what makes him more even handsome and charismatic. Hinding hindi ako mapapagod pagmasdan siya.

Before dating Adam, I knew that the first thing I had to do was understand him. His time. His career. I knew that dating a lawyer is not that easy. This will go a long way to save me from disappointments and prepare my mind for what is to come. A lawyer's mind never stops working, so dating Adam requires communication, understanding, and patience. Dating Adam was never easy. That's what I thought. But . . . I was wrong. He made it all easy for me. Kahit anong pagod at hirap niya sa trabaho, kahit kalian hindi niya ako pinagtaasan ng boses. Kahit kalian hindi niya ako inaway. Kahit kailan hindi niya ako pinaghintay. He was . . . too good. He was perfect. He was a straight talker, and he doesn't have the time to play relationship mind games.

The problem was . . . me. I'm no longer afraid of falling asleep, though. I was treated by a professional doctor, a close friend of Adam. I didn't know how Adam convinced me to get treated, but he really did. He never gave up on me. And I thank him for that. But honestly, I still think there's a missing piece. I think it wasn't falling asleep that I was afraid of. I think something happened in the past that I should be more afraid of. But I couldn't face it. Not when everything is perfectly fine. Not when Adam and I are already getting married. Kaya hindi ko pinagsisisihan ang naging desisyon ko no'ng araw na 'yon. Hinding hindi ko pinagsisisihan na mas pinili kong maging masaya kaysa balikan 'yong mga bagay na hindi ko naman maalala. Hope was right. It's better this way.

I'm now living a happy life with Adam, and this is what I wanted.

Buong araw ay naging abala kami sa pag-aayos ng mga gamit sa bagong bahay namin ni Adam. Ilang taon na akong nakikitira sa bahay ng mga magulang ni Adam at tinuring nila akong parang anak na rin nila. Ngayon ay oras na para magkaroon kami ng sariling buhay ni Adam. To be honest, I didn't expect Adam to buy me a house. I thought we were going to buy a house once we got married. Hindi ko inaasahan na kahit hindi pa kami kasal ay handa si Adam na magkaroon ng sariling bahay kasama ako.

No'ng matapos na kaming maglipat ng mga gamit at mag-ayos ng buong bahay, inaya akong kumain sa labas ni Adam. I put on a jacket and changed my shorts into a leggings before hopping in his car.