Perfectly Imperfect

~44~

I smiled, not trusting myself to say anything because talking, spewing actual words after what we both shared would reduce it to mere aesthetics.

She smiled back, her face lighting up, eyes still locked on mine and God, she was beautiful, she looked too beautiful that it was almost ethereal. I could make job of looking at her face all day. I smiled so brightly that I could feel my lips starting to tear. My chest was a constricting with outs of beautiful emotions, too beautiful emotions.

My eyes involuntarily dropped to her lips again, slightly parted pink swollen lips and I started to lean in again..

"Adam, ain't you bored staying at home alone?"

I frowned at my cousin's words and I moved slightly away from Kunmi who looked like she was trying to hold herself from giggling or laughing. My brows arched up as I stared at her curiously, wondering what was funny and it seemed like my expression broke her resolve and she actually started giggling or laughing, the sound doing things to me.

Giggling sound doing things to me. I think I've gotten it real bad.

"Adam?"

Came Tari's voice again and I turned towards the direction of her voice. She stood at the entrance of the patio, arms folded on her chest.

"So you had company? And I was thinking you'd be bored. Sorry to interrupt you guys."

Was all she said before she walked off and I shook my head, wondering if it was possible for any of my cousins to even become more weird than they were already.

I looked back at Kunmi who now had her head buried in her palms and still giggling uncontrollably. I looked at her curiously. I could listen to her laugh and giggle and do all sort of things all day but I really needed to know why she was giggling at the moment. Did girls go around giggling like this?

"So, you're going to tell me why you're giggling?"

My voice still sounded husky, deeper and slightly tensed?

Wow! On God.

She finally looked up at my question, her face still full of laughter. I watched her expressions, watched as she tried to control her laughing but she failed miserably and soon enough, she was laughing again.

Oh wow.

I watched her, definitely amazed by the fact that she was laughing even though I had no idea why she was laughing. But it was a good thing, wasn't it?

She was finally able to stop laughing even though her face was full of open amusement. I just stared at her, still full of awe.

"So?"

"You looked like you wanted to murder your cousin."

I shrugged casually.

"That's because that thought did cross my mind at that time."

She giggled again, softly, girlish.

"Why?"

She asked casually, her voice dropping an octave and I was sure I did not just imagine that.

I leaned even closer than I already was.

"I'd rather show you."

And that, I did.

**********

Mom kept looking at me strangely. It was the Monday morning and I couldn't count the number of time I had caught her looking at me, brow arched up, a pleasantly surprised look on her face since we returned to the house on Sunday.