Part XI

'Vince...' she murmmered hugging him fiercely.

'Easy sweetie, you're gonna crack a rib and the only place we'll be going is to the hospital!' he complained.

She giggled and kissed him.

'Okay now you're making me dizzy. I won't be able to drive without seeing double. That spells hospital too you minx!' he laughed.

She blushed a little and cuddled into his arm.

'Where do you want to go?' he asked.

'Any where. As long as I'm with you today.' she said simply.

'I knew I couldn't depend on you for planning things. So I already made arrangements. We're going for a sushi buffet!' he grinned.

'Thats expensive!' she exclaimed.

'Its okay. I got promoted yesterday!' he laughed.

'You got promoted? Why didn't you say something?' she scolded.

'I tried to. But you seemed pretty stressed out by something. So I thought I'd make it a suprise. So sushi it is. My treat. We can go to that restaurant in Hyatt Saujana I've always told you about.' he smiled.

Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded and rested her head on his shoulders.

'I'm gonna get a cramp!' he complained.

'You old man!' she teased.

'Lovable old man nonetheless!' he laughed and kissed her on the forehead.


'You don't need to eat so fast you know. If they take away your food I'll scold them for you,' he winked.

'Its goooooddd... I've always wanted to try this place after you mentioned it.' she said between bites.

'Its even better to see you enjoy yourself so much. Its a buffet hun. Eat all you want. No one will stop you. They might go broke after this outing; but they can't stop you,' he laughed.

'Shaddup! I'm trying to eat,' she grumbled.

'Its good to see you eat. Maybe we'll get some flesh into those skinny bones of yours. Who knows hell might freeze over,' he teased.

'Don't bring heaven and hell in to...' she started.

'Mundane everyday matters,' he finished for her.

'... mundane everyday matters. Thats not funny.' she said, irked.

He just laughed and kissed her forehead.

'I like it when you do that.' she said.

'What? This?' he asked, kissing her forehead.

She nodded and smiled.

'I love it when you do that,' he said.

'Do what?' she asked.

'Smile.'

'Oh. That's cause I look hot when I smile.' she grinned.

'Actually you look more like a happy puppy. A skinny puppy, but thats besides the point. I love it when you smile. I love making you smile. I want to make you smile the rest of your life..' he said, serious all of a sudden, staring straight into her eyes.

She turned away from his glance. 'Can we go for a walk? I'm done eating and my feet are all stiff now from all that sitting down.' she changed the topic.

'Sure. Excuse me? Bill please!'

He reached for her hand and they walked out of the restaurant


'Its raining. So much for that walk,' he groaned.

'Come on old man, maybe some water will wash away those years from you,' she giggled and ran into the rain.

He groaned again. And ran after her mumbling, 'I'm seriously getting to old for all this stuff.'

The rain got heavier and heavier and soon they were both soaked through.

'Its a water fountain,' she said, staring at it intently.

'Yeap. We don't need a water fountain for water tho. Plenty of that going on around here,' he complained.

'Look! A rainbow! Daddy always used to bring us to visit the water fountains in Singapore. Mommy, sis and me. We'd all stand under the water fountains and make a wish. Daddy said that rainbows were God's way of smiling at us. And the wishes would come true if they were pure of heart.'

Not knowing what to say, he squeeze her hand. 'Make a wish then baby.'

'I wish that Vincent Jeremiah Edwin, will remember me for the rest of his life and always have strawberry milkshakes when ever he thinks of me,' she giggled.

'Thats a lot of sugar. I might die young of diabetis. What a terrible curse honey!' he laughed.

'What do you mean?' she said, upset.

'I think of you every second of the day when I'm awake. Thats like 2 million and thirteen thousand five hundred and eight strawberry milkshakes a day! If I don't die of sugar over dose, the hyper activity will get me killed!' he mused.

'I'm glad.'

'That I'm going to die young? he said exasperated.

'That you think of me all the time. Cause I think of you too...' she said ignoring his little joke.

Then she sneezed.


He towelled her hair dry and she sneezed again.

'Who'se bright idea was it to play in the rain?' he chided.

'Quiet old man... I'm trying to... atischoooo...' she puntuated with a tremendous sneeze.

'At least this old man's not sick!' he laughed.

'I'm not sick... something's just irritated my nose.' she whined.

'Yeap. The rain water irritated your nose.' he stated matter of factly.

'Shut up! Shut up!' she screamed.

There was a knock on the door.

'Vince? Is everything okay in there?' his mother asked.

'Yeap. Everything's fine. My friends just go a really bad allergy to rain water.' he replied.

'Your mom!' she mouthed to him. He nodded.

'Can I meet her?' she asked and headed to the door suddenly.

'What if I said no?' he grumbled as she opened the door and exclaimed excitedly, 'Hi Aunty! I'm Yuki!'

'Mom this, as you already know, is Yuki. Be nice to her. I'm gonna take a shower. And... NO BABY pictures!' he said sharply at his mother.

'Come on downstairs Yuki. I'll have some soup whipped up for your cold.' his mother offered.

He walked downstairs, drying his hair. He could hear laughter and giggles. He groaned inwardly.

'Mom, I thought I told you no baby pictures,' he rushed downstairs for damage control.

'You were soooo fattttttt!' Yuki giggled.

'Fat? Thats an understatement. When he was a baby, we had to lift his chins to put heat rash powder on for him. Look at his legs, they look like lamb chops!' his mother laughed.

'Thank you for that refreshing point of view... MOTHER!' he said sarcastically.

'So how long have you two been going out?' she said ignoring him.

'Close to two years now,' Yuki said.

'You mean some one can actually stand my son for two years? I'm impressed!' she laughed.

'Har.. har.. har.. I'm impressed too. Not!' he grumbled.

Baby nipped him on his calf and he yelped.

'Ouch! Stop that Baby!'

She ignored him and imperiously raised her two fron paws to be carried.

'You bite me AND expect to be carried! Dream on you little tyke.'

'Don't be so mean to her,' Yuki said and lifted up the puppy. 'She's just playing.'

Baby began meticulously licking her face and she giggled.

'I'm glad SOMEONE is having fun. Now, don't you have a dinner to go to mom?' he asked.

'That reminds me! I gotta run! It was nice meeting you Yuki. Do me a favor and be nice to our Vince. He might seem all tough and all on the outside. But he's a sentimental sop!' his mother gushed.

Yuki sighed and looked down. Not daring to meet his mother's gaze. Sensing her discomfort, he quickly said, 'Thank you Reverend Mother for that touching service. Now move your ass or you're gonna be late,' he growled.

'Bye Aunty! It was nice meeting you! Drive safely! God bless!' she said.

'Lets go to my room and finish drying you off. Your hair's still wet. Can't have big baby Yuki catching a cold now can we?' he teased.

'The only big baby I see around here is you. Fat baby mind you. And besides... atisschooooo... I already have a cold.' she grumbled.

He reached in and kissed her lightly on the lips. 'Then we'll have to see what I can do to warm that cold up won't we?' he smiled.

Not waiting for her to answer, he took her hand and led her to his room. He switched on the radio and a song was playing:

Have I told you lately that I love you

Have I told you theres no one else above you

'Somehow seems apt.' he smiled.

'I love this song!' she whispered.

'Its growing on me already.' he hugged her from behind and kissed her hair.

Fill my heart with gladness

Take away all my sadness

'I love you, Yuki.' he said entwining his left hands fingers into hers.

'I... love you too..' she said.

'I want you to have something. It took me a lot of figuring out and thinking. But I think I've made the right choice. For both of us... Close your eyes...' he whispered.

Ease my troubles thats what you do

For the morning sun in all its glory

'Open them,' he commanded.

She opened her eyes and saw a diamond ring in front of her. She gasped.

'Vince... what's this?'

'This is our future hun...' he let go of her suddenly.

Greets the day with hope and comfort too

You fill my life with laughter

'Yuki, I love you with all my heart. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?' he said getting down on one knee.

Without waiting, he leaned in and kissed her deeply. Her lips were stiff and cold to his touch at first, then she warmed to the kiss and kissed him back ardently.

'I take that as a yes?' he laughed.

And somehow you make it better

Ease my troubles thats what you do

Her world spun around her. Everything was happening too quickly. 'This isn't what I came here to do,' she wailed to herself. Unbeckoned tears appeared in her eyes.

'Whats wrong hun? Is it too sudden? I thought...' he started.

'You THOUGHT. What were you THINKING? My dad would never allow this to happen. And... and...' she trailed off.

Theres a love thats divine

And its yours and its mine like the sun

'And what?' the hurt from her words making him grow cold.

'And I've met someone else. Someone I really like. Someone daddy approves of...' she gushed.

'You've what?' he said. Stunned.

And at the end of the day

We should give thanks and pray

'I've met some one Vince. I've been trying to tell you the whole day. But I just couldn't find the right time to say it.' the words fell dead out of her mouth.

'Is that so? Then why are you shaking so badly?' he asked trying to stay calm.

'I'm not shaking...' the tears were pouring fiercely down her cheeks now

To the one, to the one

Have I told you lately that I love you

'And you have something caught in your eye...' he noticed.

'I'm fine. I need to go now.' she got up and left, leaving him standing alone by the bed; lost as to what to do.

He looked at the ring on the floor. Picked it up and stared hard at it.

Have I told you theres no one else above you

Fill my heart with gladness

'I have no one to blame but my stupid self.' he said sadly.

He raised his hand to throw the ring out of the window. Then pulled it back to him slowly and looked at it again. Holding it close to his heart, he wept uncontrollably.

Take away all my sadness

Ease my troubles thats what you do...