Chapter 08.03

We barely slept that night, and even during the day, we spent all our time together. But for dinner, she dressed beautifully, wearing her old green-and-silver dress. I had reserved a table at an Asian restaurant on the edge of the park near us. Since the weather was nice and the distance was short, we walked.

“Do you like Brian and Mayoko’s apartment?” I asked as we strolled.

“I do,” she said. “It’s not a cheap area, but Paul and Brian can afford it.”

“Would you live here with me?” I asked, watching her reaction.

“W-with you?” she asked, surprised. “I just officially became your girlfriend,” she laughed.

“Not now,” I said. “In the future.”

“That’s still far off,” she smiled.

The restaurant was small, with only a few tables, but the oriental motifs and the red-and-black color scheme made it feel cozy. Our table was tucked away in the corner behind the entrance, so we weren’t very visible. We were seated quickly and placed our orders.

“Babe,” I said between courses, “I know we already exchanged gifts last night, but would you accept this from me?”

I placed a small jewelry box on the table, and she immediately started fidgeting.

“We didn’t talk about this,” she said, flustered.

“Babe, why are you so afraid of this box?” I asked, putting it away.

“Because I’m scared you’re rushing into something we’re not ready for, just because you were an idiot last year,” she said. I always forget how straightforward her answers are when my questions are direct.

“I get it, and you’re partly right. But I am ready. I’ve learned a lot since last year,” I said. “I know what I want. One of my biggest wishes is to tell the world that you’re mine—or at least for you to wear something that signals to all those idiots that you’re taken.” I took her hand. “But I know I made a lot of mistakes, and it’ll take time for all your doubts to fade.” I kissed her fingers. “I’m just asking you to trust me.”

“I do trust you,” she said. “But please, let’s not rush anything.”

“I won’t, I promise,” I said. “Just believe that I love you and that I’m learning from my mistakes.”

“I believe that,” she smiled.

“Then accept what’s inside the box,” I said, sliding it toward her with a smile.

She curiously opened it. Inside was a pair of long earrings, chosen by Amber.

“Thank you, Messyhair. They’re beautiful. I love you,” she said softly, smiling.

“I know—that’s why you got them,” I teased.

After dinner, we walked home at a leisurely pace, and we spent the night wrapped up in each other. It had never been boring with her, but now she was even more passionate—maybe because of the year we had spent apart.

“I also have a gift for you,” she said, propping herself up on her elbow as we lay resting. “But after dinner, you didn’t give me the chance to hand it over.” She smiled playfully.

“I wanted to celebrate with you,” I winked, watching as she sat up and reached into her nightstand cupboard, pulling out a soft, carefully wrapped package.

“I bought this a long time ago,” she said softly, “but I never had the chance to give it to you.”

“What is it?” I asked, curious, as I quickly tore away the paper. Inside was a warm sweater—the same one I remembered seeing in our room, the one displayed in the store when I was helping my sister. I laughed.

“You don’t like it?” she asked, a hint of surprise flickering across her face. “I bought it for you... before you broke up with me,” she explained quietly. “It’s warm. I wear it sometimes.”

“I do like it,” I replied quickly, “but I’d already seen it. I peeked into our room once... when I saw you in Amber’s wedding dress. I wanted to know who you were dating.”

“I didn’t want to take it home with me,” she said, lying back and pulling the bedsheet over herself. “So I usually kept it in the shop.”

“Thank you, babe,” I murmured, placing the sweater gently to the side. “You know, I remember wanting to kill the guy who owned this sweater.” I chuckled at the memory.

“I can imagine,” she giggled.

I was stroking her neck with slow tenderness. “Did I ever thank you... for forgiving me?”

She laughed softly, her voice a gentle tease. “A few times yesterday,” she said, “and tonight, too.” Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous smile. “Though not with words.”

“I’d like to thank you one more time,” I whispered against her lips, “or maybe more.”

The weekend flew by. On Sunday, she took me on a slow, meandering tour of the city. We walked through the park, but only in the parts she knew—she had no idea how to get to my school. She navigated by playgrounds and benches, but even then, she was uncertain.

“You still have such a great sense of direction,” I laughed when she hesitated about which way to go.

“Right?” she laughed. “Would you help me out?” she asked, seeing that I knew exactly where we were.

“This way,” I nodded toward the pedestrian street. “Your shop is over there.”

“I always drive there—I never have time to walk,” she laughed, following me.

“Babe,” I stopped and wrapped my arms around her. “Aren’t you taking on too much?” I asked, a little worried. “The shop, interpreting, school… me.”

“I’ve thought about that too,” she admitted. “That’s why I only helped Adam as long as he needed me, and now I just do translations. I wasn’t expecting you this fall,” she laughed.

“Well, now you’ll have to factor me in forever—I need you,” I laughed. She blushed but didn’t respond.

“The shop will only be demanding at the beginning. If the new girl works out, I’ll only need to be there once or twice a week. And translation is a work-from-home job, with deadlines I set myself. Does that sound good, boss?” she teased.

“Sounds good, little girl. Though sooner or later, I’ll have to move in with you if I want to spend enough time with you.”

“We’ll see, Messyhair,” she winked and kissed me.