ACHICHIBO~ The little girl I knew

chap14(how the choice of characters is important)

Each and every day, I got to know that the woman beside me is the best choice ever made in my life. It's been five days since the encounter with Maria and nothing happened apart from Jasmine getting closer to me. She wasn't needy or whiny, she was just there watching me, sending warm smiles my way every time our eyes met. I know for a fact that something was the matter but I couldn't force it out of her when she is trying to manage it on her own.

Jasmine's character is quite confusing; she is quite the child at times but also quite the grown-up. Her best and worst trait is the fact that she never wants to bother anyone with her own feelings and actions.

I love her

I remember how every soul thought that she would want a fairy-tale-like wedding; she would want to be a princess and I would have to appear on some white horse, but in reality, we didn't have a wedding, we just signed the papers with both our families and my friends_ who were also hers_ present with us, then we had dinner together in her home and I watched her read some books for the rest of the night before we slept. 

She knew what marriage was and I was ready to grant her whatever wish she had. I was ready to spend all I had to make her happy but she surprised us all_ apart of her family_ and said she didn't want a dress or anything, she had a dress that she had sewed with her mom years before and she wanted to wear it. Nevertheless, she looked simply out of this world; a simple flowy white dress with a band at the waist and her hair in a messy bun matching her no-makeup face. She was solely there to be with me, not for memory, not for an event, not for a party or an elegant evening.  She was there for us.

I remember what my mother told me that day "You are becoming a softy" 

"Softy?" I asked

"You are much more caring than ever. You are a bit more-" she paused "How do I say it?.. empathetic. Yeah, empathetic is the right word"

"Empathetic ?"

"You opened your eyes and started to notice others' feelings more, and you manage to deal with them even at the expense of your own comfort. I believe Jasmine's appearance in your life had changed you positively. As a mother, I would have loved it if you had a partner that can lift your burdens and help you move forward in life. But also as a mother, I can see how your genuine feelings towards her became a driven force that is changing you for the better."  she hugged me from the side as we both turned to a  smiley Jasmine in her happy sobbing mother's arms 

"We are proud of your choice, we know that this was hard for you two, and we know what you are capable of making each other feel. We can see the warmth in your heart radiating from your eyes when you look at her. We can feel your genuine happiness when you are with her. To be honest, she is confusing at times, lovely at most, and very concerning at others but she remains a wonderful person in the end. You chose the right girl"

"I chose the right one" I have always thought. No matter how difficult or consuming the relationship sometimes gets, I always felt that I made the right decision. Especially when she hugs me out of nowhere, for no reason. When she feeds me her own food as I am indulged in loads of papers, with no appetite nor motivation, and when she falls asleep holding onto the reem of my shirt. The little details were all that truly mattered when I was with her.

I was confident of my choice, and I hoped that she was. I hoped that she could show me, tell me... Put my heart and mind at ease. But I couldn't ask her such a simple favor, for the mere fact that I feared her answer.

"Toby?" I looked up to the source that called me and found my mom with Jasmine right behind her studying me with a worried expression on her face.

"Huh? Yeah?" I pulled myself together and drew a smile on my face "I'm good, just thinking about work" As lucky as I am, they didn't believe me. However, they didn't push me to confess the truth.

"Sure, darling." mom smiled back at me before she turned to Jasmine "Sweetheart, can you leave us for a while, please?" My happy virus turned to me and then looked back at the woman before her, giving her her signature eye smile before she agreed to the request; leaving my office as a result. 

My mom like any other mother showed her endless concern for me and her daughter-in-law. The appearance of Maria seemed to mess up the whole balance that we managed to create and keep for a concise period. 

However, as always, the events that took place, and the words that were shared remain a secret that Jasmine refuses to confide anyone with. Which has messed up the balance even more than anything. 

Jasmine is acting strange and not even her parents can seem to understand the why behind it all. That is what's messing with my head. 'not even her parents'...





The day goes on regardless of what is happening; nothing special happened and nothing stopped time from moving forward; getting closer to the end of it. From a heart-consuming morning to a relentless night, I passed from my office back to the room I woke up in. The only difference was her now in my arms; hugging my neck with a tight hold on the back of my shirt using both of her hands, refusing to look at me. She had made sure to tilt her head to the other side and lay her left cheek on my left shoulder.

"Jazz?.. Talk to me, I'm worried about you" she remained silent to my plea, however, she tightened her hold pushing my head to look up when her arm came in tight contact with my jaw. "Jazz? Babe?"

No words and no caresses were able to convince her to talk to me.  And just when I was ready to accept my fate, she chose to speak "Can you stay with me?" it was more of a whisper than it is a speech, yet it managed to penetrate my ears.

"I am here." I laid my head on hers "I'm here with you" I repeated hoping that my words could be of help to her.

"Can you not leave me?" her voice broke at the end and before I know it her face was facing mine, not because she chose to but because my body felt the urgency to look at her and make sure she is fine. Her hair managed to cover half of her face when I pulled her away from me; a little forcefully as she refused to move at the start but there were urgent measures for special situations.

I wanted to ask, I wanted to know, but I knew it will do her no good. She is not to be forced in any way or sort to speak about something she wants to be hidden. 

I will respect it, even if it bothers me to the core, even if my whole body is itching to know. I-

"I won't leave you, I am here to stay. Wherever you go, I'll go. And wherever I go, I'll take you with me" I pulled my hand away from her left arm when I felt her relax, instead, I targeted the hair that functioned as a curtain; hiding her gaze from me, pushing it away to get a full, clear view on the tears and the tear stains of previous ones that made a trail down to her neck. "Jasmine" it breaks my heart to see you like this. I sigh instead of voicing my thoughts. I encircle her waist with both of my arms and pull her to lay her head back on my shoulder, the same way it was before. 

"I am your husband and your family. I will always be there for you. The same way you are my wife and my family and you won't leave me... Right?" I squeezed her tightly and then released her before I spoke again "Right?" I repeated my action, earning a laugh from her. I squeezed and released again "Answer me!" I demanded, sharing the laughter that erupted in the room. 

"YES!" she yelled due to my continuous teasing 

"What?!"

"YEESS!" she yelled again, before she encircled her arms around my neck and engulfed me in a very tight hug, leaving me no space to pull her in, so no chance for me to squeeze her again.

"Somebody is acting smart" I commented on her behavior earning a slight shake of her body generated due to her laugh. I poked her side and she twitched, then the other side, earning me the same twitch before she smacked my back lightly, making me laugh at her cuteness.  

My worries flew out the window as we embraced until sleep took over us one by one. But one thought remained_ almost turning into belief_ and that is "I made the right choice." 

She is my one.

"I Love YOU"