My Sunflower World

Richard certainly felt at home in Maya’s kitchen. She is a very organized person. He deduced that from seeing how things were arranged in her cabinets and also in her refrigerator and freezer. Her system makes sense, actually, he mused as it was easy to find everything. He had just finished cooking the omelette when Maya’s doorbell rang.

Thinking that Maya will hear it, Richard continued with what he was doing. Besides, he was not sure also whether he should answer her bell or if she is expecting anyone as she had told him that not so many people have been at her place, her sanctuary. The doorbell rang a second time.

Richard called Maya loudly. When she didn’t reply, he went back to her bedroom. Upon entering, he heard loud music coming from the bathroom, with a louder voice singing  along with the music. He smiled. It was Maya singing loudly in the bathroom, like she was staging a concert. She was singing Achy Breaky Heart!

Maya sang the Billy Ray Cyrus’ hit at the top of her voice with gusto. Richard grinned and shook his head. Now he knows, where Maya’s talents does not lie, and that is in singing! Honestly, her voice is more fitted for the bathroom than the ‘The Voice’s stage. She sounded so cute, singing to her heart’s content. He called her through the door. When there was still no response, he tried knocking, but it seems it was not enough with all the loud music vibrating inside, drowning even the sound of the water coming out of the shower.

Richard was in a quandary as the doorbell rang again. He decided to go to the door himself thinking that it must be important for the person at the other side to ring t the third time. At least he could check who it is. He grabbed his crumpled shirt and jeans from the pile on the floor. He grimaced when he put it back as he had traveled with it the day before. He does not like wearing clothes he had worn before even during emergencies.

He looked through the peephole and seeing it was Emman, he decided to open the door to Maya’s cousin.

“Cuz, what took you so long! Grabeeeee…” Emman’s voice tapered off, looking fully at who opened the door, almost dropping the phone he was holding. “ Grabe talaga kasi….R-richard…!” Maya’s cousin managed to say, his eyes like saucers. “What are you doing here?” He blurted out.

“Hello, Emman! Please do come in. Maya is in the bathroom. I think she will be done soon. I tried calling her but she was singing at the top of her voice and can’t hear me. ” Richard said calmly with a smile. He barely stopped himself from laughing, seeing Emman’s expression. He had shocked Maya’s seemingly unflappable cousin. “Maya and I were just about to eat.”

Emman, still looking shell shock, followed Richard to the living room. Richard’s clothes were obviously yesterday’s clothes! Emman also knew that he was here late at night. So, does that means, his cousin’s new, and hunk of a boyfriend stayed the night! OMG, his cousin must really be very much in love to have done all of this. He knows her very well. James didn’t manage into talking her into something like this in all the time they were in a relationship, considering that they were practically childhood sweetheart. At the same time, Emman felt worried that she had jumped so deep in such a short time. He was afraid that her cousin might get hurt again, and this time, she will not be able to recover from the heartache!

His thoughts might have been reflected on his face as Richard chose that moment to speak seriously and frankly with him.

“Emman, may I be frank?” He started and when Emman nodded, waiting for what he would like to say next, he proceeded.

“Maya mentioned that she told you about us. I can see the worry in your eyes, seeing us like this. I obviously have stayed the night. This may seem so far ahead of our relationship, us having known each other a short time, but I have never been surer in my life. I love your cousin very much and what I found with her is different, unique and something that I have been looking for all my life.”

Taking a deep breath, and looking earnestly at Emman, Richard continued.

“She had told me a bit about the past, though not the whole story, but it was enough for me to catch a glimpse of how she had been hurt badly. I will never ever knowingly do that to her, hurt her like that. And if I do hurt her inadvertently, as I am only human, I’ll make it up to her double. My goal in life is to make her happy as she had made me very happy by agreeing to have a relationship with me.”

Emman gulped and digested what Richard said, from the heart, he can see that. He was not expecting that much frankness, but he was glad for it.

“Thank you for being direct Richard. I just want Maya to be happy, for her to find a man who would love her the way she deserves to be love. When you asked me for her whereabouts, I thought you could be the guy for her. Don’t ask me why, I just instinctively know. I will hold on to your promise, Richard. My cousin had been hurt enough. I’m happy for you and her, you should know that.”

“Thank you Emman and my eternal gratitude again for telling me where she was. If not for you, our relationship will not be at this stage now. But it will get there at some point. Your cousin is my one and only!” Richard smiled, looking very much in love. “Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.”

“Ohhh, so great to hear that Richard. I’m so happy for my cousin.” Emma said, holding his heart, he teased Richard. “Basta, I will be the maid of honor at your wedding ha.”

“Sure, Emman and the godfather to our first-born!” Richard quipped with a grin, then seriously, he added, “That is if I can make your cousin say yes to marrying me. She may have cold feet na because of what happened to her.”

“She managed to tell you about ‘the jilting’?” Emman asked, very surprised, as his cousin never talk about it at all. When Richard spoke about knowing a bit of Maya’s past, he thought her cousin just mentioned that someone had hurt her in the past, and not about being left at the church. But it seemed like his cousin and Richard had really gotten really very, very close while in Camiguin!

“Yes, she did.” Richard said. Seeing Emman’s expression he was overwhelmed on how Maya had trusted her and gave him her love in such a short time.

“O-okay….” He just said and went back to what Richard said earlier. “You are thinking that far ahead, huh?” Emman asked Richard as he can say that he was serious about his cousin. Besides, him having been left at the altar, he would think that he would be wary of marching done the aisle again, like Maya.

“Of course. This relationship with your cousin is for keeps.” Richard said seriously. “I want a future with her.”

“Well, in that case, welcome to the family, Richard.” Emman was grinning, happy that finally her cousin had finally found someone who loves her very much. “And it should be godmother to your first-born! I will the cute little Dela Rosa-Lim’s fairy godmother. By the way, get use to my cousin singing like that in the shower. Wait until she gets to the Aegis songs!”

Richard laughed. “That would be fine with me, she can sing to her heart’s content. Thank you, Emman. But please, don’t mention my plans to Maya. I want to give her a proposal she can tell our children and grandchildren.”

“Surely, and if you need help with anything, let me know, Cuz-in-law to be.”

“Thank you, Emman. I would be honored to be your cousin-in-law, or brother-in-law or a sister-in-law. I know you like a sibling to Maya instead of just a cousin.”

The two of them shared a smile. Emman stood up.

“I’ll go back to the office now. I just want to check on her since she has not replied to my text messages and calls. I got worried lang. I’ll let you two lovebirds be.”

“Oh, you can stay and join us for our breakfast/late lunch.” Richard said, standing up too. “She must have left her phone somewhere last night.”

“No, no, no, I don’t want to be a third wheel.” Emman said, teasing. “Just tell my cousin I’ll see her at the office tomorrow.”

Before Richard can say anything else, Emman was off. He was still smiling when he closed the door on Maya’s cousin.

“Someone was at the door, sweetheart?” Maya asked, coming out of the bedroom, barefooted and wearing denim shorts and a sleeveless white lace blouse. “I thought I heard the door just closed. Sorry, it took me a while.”

“It was your cousin, Emman, sweetheart. I tried knocking on the door, but your music was loud and your voice was louder.” Richard said, smiling.

“Oh! Why did he left without waiting for me?” Maya asked, thinking that they were busted by Emman, seeing Richard was wearing his crumpled clothes. But it was okay with her, still no regrets, then she said, sheepishly, “Sorry it took me a long time to bath. I’m like that, no matter how hard I tried, especially when I’m in my own bathroom.”

Then what Richard said, sank in.

“Errrr, you knocked. So you heard me singing.” Maya asked, reddening.

Richard grinned. “Yup.”

“OMG!” Maya covered her face. “You heard my kokak voice.”

“Don’t be shy, sweetheart. It was not so bad. You will never make it to The Voice’s stage, but it was not for lack of feelings when you sang.” Richard teased, removing Maya’s hands from her face, then kissing her lightly on the lips. “Me, I’m a terrible dancer! See, I admitted that so you will feel better. You were actually cute while singing that Achy Breaky Heart song!”

“Really, sweetheart! That I need to see. I love dancing.” Maya said earnestly. “But singing in the bathroom at the top of my voice is a ritual. I feel better and ready to face my day when I do that. Now, I’m so hungry after that ‘concert’!” She added, grinning.

“We will go dancing one day so I can show how terrible I am. You have to teach me. Come, let’s eat. I made omelette and coffee. I asked your cousin to join us but he said, he does not want to be a third wheel.”

“Oh…!” Maya said, smiling. “Did he say why did he drop by?”

“I think he was worried about you. He had been trying to reach you daw, through texts and calls. But otherwise, he said, everything is okay.”

“Naku, I think I left my phone in the kitchen last night after talking to him. I will just call him after we have eaten, I think he is still on the way back to the office.”

The two of them walked back to the dining room where Maya saw the table nicely laid.

“Wow, you did all of this earlier. I really like that you know your way around the kitchen, Mr. Lim.”

“I’m a man of many talents Ms. Dela Rosa. You ain’t seen the best of me yet!”

The way Richard said it and the way, he was looking at her, Maya knows he meant more than his culinary skills.

Maya blushed.

Richard grinned.

“Hay naku, Richard Lim, let’s eat and don’t look at me like that. Otherwise, we will starve.”

“Okay, sweetheart. I will stop teasing. But one more thing, you look very beautiful as you are now.”

“Ricky…”

“Yes, sweetheart, you are.”

Maya indeed looked very lovely without any make-up on, and wearing that shorts and blouse that hug her curves. Richard was having a hard time concentrating on the food before him.

“Coffee, sweetheart?” Maya asked, breaking into his not so innocent thoughts. “I see that you made a new pot.”

“Yes, please, sweetheart. I really love the way you make my coffee. Different and the best! Just like you, sweetheart.”

“Sus, ikaw talaga, sweetheart!” Maya said, then grinned. “But thank you, sweetheart, I know, right.”

The two of them laughed and then proceeded to enjoy their first meal of the day.

“That was good, sweetheart. Really, really good! You can cook me breakfast anytime!” Maya said after they attacked their food, realising how hungry they were. Maya realized what she blurted out. She blushed. “I mean, err…”

Richard grinned, wanting to see how Maya will extricate herself from her double meaning statement. But seeing her blushed, which was cute, he teased her.

“Of course, sweetheart, everyday, if I have my way.” Then he looked at Maya heatedly.

Maya turned redder, remembering their passionate night and morning. “Ricky…”

“I love you, sweetheart. If I have my way, I would spend every moment with you. We will only surface when we are hungry or when we have too.”

Maya felt herself flushing, imagining what Ricky had just said.

“So, what would you like to do for the rest of the day? I’m right, isn’t that we will spend the rest of the day, and the evening too, together?” Richard asked after several long seconds of them just gazing at each other while they sipped their coffee absently.

“Yes, sweetheart, which reminds me, I need to call Emman. After that, it is up to you what you would like us to do. We can talk about it after I talk to him.”

Maya stood up and look for her phone. It wasn’t in the kitchen. She found it on the coffee table in the living room. She must have left it there when she brought Richard’s coffee and found him asleep on the sofa. She had several missed calls from Emman and text messages. She read the latest one, first. She was still smiling when she returned to the dining room.

“Why are you smiling sweetheart? Have you managed to reach your cousin?”

“Sort of. He texted me not to call him. Told me to just spend the rest of the day with the love of life. However, he told me that I owe him a whole day of kwento. My cousin has quite a colorful vocabulary and he teased me, that’s why I was smiling. But everything is okay. I think my cousin likes you for me. He seemed to be your number one supporter. It must have been quite a talk you had with him earlier.”

Richard answered Maya with a grin.

“I like your cousin. I’m sure he and Rafi will really get long. And since we are spending the rest of the day and the evening too,  together, can we please swing by my place so I can change clothes. We can also plan our evening while we are there. Or if you want, we can stay in for dinner. I can cook us dinner.”

“Hmmm, as much as I want to taste more of your cooking, sweetheart, maybe we leave it for some other time. I just remember, are you not supposed to see a doctor also for your shoulders?”

“Okay, sweetheart. We can just go to dinner at a place that I think you would like. And I don’t think I need to see a doctor, I don’t feel any pain now. My shoulders must have just gotten bruised from impact.”

“If you say so, sweetheart! Let me just change clothes. I don’t think my clothes are suitable for dinner there.” Maya replied.

“It is not that fancy a place that it requires a dress code, sweetheart. But the food is the best.”

“Okay, but let me change first. I’ll be quick, promise. Go watch TV first.”

“Take your time, sweetheart!”

Maya was back after 15 minutes, wearing a beautiful red wrap around dress that hugs all her curves. It was fastened at the side with a ribbon and upon seeing it, Richard wanted to tug it so the dress will unravel and he can see Maya’s beautiful body again.

“Sweetheart, you look very lovely.” Richard said, his heated gaze on Maya and then as if he can’t himself anymore, he lowered his lips to her.

They stood, with nary a space between them in Maya’s living room, kissing each other as if they have not done it in weeks, instead of just hours, so hungry they were for each other. But before it could turn into another conflagration, Maya stopped Ricky.

“Ricky, I think we better stop.” She said reluctantly. “We need to get going if you want to make it to your home and dinner.”

“Yes, I know, sweetheart.” Richard replied, then stole another quick dip on Maya’s lips before he loosen his hold on her. “You are one potent lady, Ms. Dela Rosa.”

Maya smiled, then lovingly caressed Richard’s face. “And you are one irresistible guy, Mr. Lim.”

Hand in hand, they left Maya’s place. They only had eyes for each other.