Something I'm working on for Romance Class

I sit quietly at the kitchen counter, mulling over my coffee. I tap the side of the mug with my fingers, hoping the clinking rhythm will calm my restless thoughts.

“Hey,” a female voice says softly, breaking my train of thought.

I look at the direction where the voice came from. I see Celine, leaning on the bannister, a worried expression on her face.

“Hey, you,” I answer, and give her a smile for good measure, however weak.

She smiles back and gently starts toward me. She pulls out the chair across me and slowly settles herself down. I watch her, keeping silent.

Her eyes lock onto mine. I can see their tender concern. My breathing slows and I can feel my chest tighten, as if my heart is being squeezed. I continue to look at her face, and her eyes, wondering if she can see the resignation in mine.

I want to break the silence somehow, but before I can, she reaches for my hand and she starts caressing my arm. I bite my lip as I try to hold back any tears that may come out.

“What’s the matter?” she says.

I regard her for a moment and sigh.

“I’m afraid,” I answer. “And I feel overwhelmed, too,” I add.

“Is this about business?” she says.

I nod.

“That and many others,” I say.

“Like the many doomsday scenarios you’re currently playing in your head?” she replies as she gives me a slightly smug smile.

My lips crack into a smile—a genuinely amused one.

“You know me too well, sweetheart,” I say to her.

“You tend to conjure those kinds of stuff when you’re upset. As if the world is going to end. But you’re sweet. Because you’re like that when you’re thinking how things will affect me and the people around you,” she says.

I can feel her thumb caressing my knuckles, perhaps in an effort to calm me down. ‘It’s working,’ I think to myself.

She gives me another sweet smile.

“You’re going to be fine,” she says.

“How are you so sure?” I reply.

“Well,” she starts, “for one, God loves you. And then there’s thatI love you. I have faith in you. I will support you. You won’t need to face things alone. I will go through whatever it is you—we—need to go through. And did I already say that I love you?” she says, as she gives me a sheepish smile.

I can feel myself falling deeply in love with the woman as she shares her thoughts—reason after reason—however disconnected they are from my previous question. I realize she is distracting me, and she’s quite effective.

She continues to spew assurances and affirmations, “You are capable. You are smart. You endure. You have faith. You have God backing you up. You have me backing you up. I love you, again, you have to know that. You...”

“I love you, too,” I interrupt.

She hushes, looks at me with the same tenderness as before, and smiles. My heart both melts in the warmth of her smile and swells with courage at the same time.

She slides off her chair and, still holding my hand, walks to my side of the table. She sidles up behind me, and presses her body to my back. She lets her arm traverse from my side to my stomach as she wraps me in an embrace. She nuzzles my nape and squeezes more tightly.

I close my eyes and heave a sigh, then breathe in slowly.

“I know you’re stressed,” she begins, “and I know you’re looking for answers and some clarity right now and they are not coming. But they will. Trust that they will. Have faith. I’ll be trusting and keeping the faith with you,” she says.

“Celine, so many things are uncertain. And I don’t know where to begin; what work I need to do; who to seek help from. And I feel so anxious about the thought of failing—of failing my team, and my leader, and you,” I say.

Celine playfully bites my back and begins to admonish me.

“What are you talking about? It’s as if you don’t know me. I love you. I will support you. Through thick and thin, remember? We promised—I promised—before God and man. We got this,” she tells me.

“We got this,” I say.

I break away from her for a moment, to get out of the chair. I face Celine, look at her eyes, smile and engulf her in a hug.

“We got this,” I repeat.

She strokes my back, rests her cheek on my chest and holds me tighter.

“Enough dramatics for today, okay?” she says.

“What would I ever do without you, Celine?” I say.

“Well, you’d probably be sitting in the gutter, feeling sorry for yourself and staying stuck. Then, you’ll probably distract yourself with video games and Netflix-binging, ultimately spiraling to abysmal despair.

But then you’ll realize that there is still more to life. You’ll turn to God--which I think you should have done from the onset--and then do the necessary things to get yourself out of the rut you have found yourself in,” she says then pauses.

“So basically, you’ll still turn out fine without me. It’ll just take you eons, a lot of unnecessary self-pity, and wasted energy. That, compared to a 30-minute heart to heart talk with someone so beautiful, some kind and supportive words from someone so compassionate, and a warm, loving embrace from, again, someone so beautiful and sexy,” she finishes. I can feel her cheeks widen to a smile.

“Sounds about right,” is the only apt reply I can give. “And, sweety, you talk too much. Let me just enjoy this warm, loving embrace from someone so beautiful and sexy, who saved me from tons of misery.”

“You know it,” she says.

“I do. Enough dramatics for today,” I say and smile.

I then gently lift my hand to her cheek, crane her neck so that she’s facing me, and plant a soft kiss on her lips.

“Thank you. I love you,” I tell, Celine.

“I love you, too,” she replies.

“Do you want some ice cream?” I say.

“You know it,” she replies and flashes me a smile.