HIDE AND SEEK

CHAPTER 37

It is a paper bag with my favorite ice cream inside. He lifted the bag up above his head before I could touch it. "Are you still mad at me?" He asked playfully while I'm in his embrace. "If that's all mine, I'll forgive you."

"Sure, Babe. It's all yours," then he kissed me on my forehead. "Gezz, I told you to not use that pet name. You give me goosebumps," I hate using pet names, especially that one. I don't want to be like other couples that call each other like that. I'm more comfortable using our names as pet names. He only laughs at my statement.

"Shall we go?" He asked me while offering his hand. "Where are we going?" "Secret," he put his index finger on his mouth as a sign. I let Beth close the clinic since it was almost time to close. We hit the road in silence until the road becomes familiar to me. It is the way of going to the cliff. It's been a while since we've been here.

In our first months of being in a relationship, we always hang out here especially if we missed our hometown. Until it becomes rare for us since he is promoted and there are lots of workloads added to his daily life.

"What are we doing here?" I wonder. I thought we were going home since he just comes out of the office. "To relax, of course," he opened the door for me and guided me to our usual spot on the bench at the cliff.

After we were seated, he took out the ice cream from the bag and gave it all to me. "This is yours," I gave him the other cookies and cream-flavored ice cream. "I thought you wanted it all?" "Of course, I do but I don't want you to watch me eat."

To be honest, I'm not comfortable eating while the other party is just watching me. I think all people feel the same way. He just pats my head before he picks the ice cream from my hand. We eat our ice creams in silence until we finish it.

"Anna," he said with seriousness in his voice, "remember the day the first time I brought you here?" The day the first time he brought me here was after we spent our whole day playing at the amusement park.

"Oh yea, how can I forget? You laughed your ass out that day," I sneered playfully at him but he only laughed at my statement.

"Yea and that is the same day that you said to me all the words I wanted to hear from someone special to me," he holds my hands before he continues, "and the day I realized what I feel for you," there is something in his eyes that I can't read thanks to the darkness surrounds us.

"That day, I realized that I don't just want to be friends with you. That I need to work hard to be on the same level as you are back then. And to be a strong man, inside out, who can protect you every time, every day," his acts weird but I just remained silent, listening carefully to him.

"Then the cruel reality hits me. I am not good enough to be with you. I don't deserve you because I'm not as brave as you are to face the reality after I see you with George that night. I let the beers drown all the pain and worries inside me instead of confronting you," so, that's why he was drunk that night, it is because of me.

"After I learned everything between you two. You told me to just be myself, that I don't need to change myself for a girl because she will love me whoever I am. And you're not wrong about that because you accepted me wholeheartedly and without any doubts. You even helped me to overcome my worries and be confident again."

While listening to his long but sweet speech, I can feel my heart dancing in excitement and nervousness at the same time. I don't know why but I can feel that something is going to happen.

"You understand my situation well. You are not asking for more even if you know that I can give them to you and that's the reason why I love you more. I love you more than I want you to ever leave my side," he let go of one of my hands and got something from his coat.

Some lights suddenly opened on the ground which made me close my eyes. When I open it again, I see the lights on the ground are shaped like a heart, and inside of that heart is Kyle standing straight with a small red box in his hand.

My mind stops working. I don't know what to think. My hands voluntarily cover my mouth to my surprise at what's happening. There are also people behind him that I can recognize even in this dark. On his left are my parents and Elaine and Liam and his parents are on his right.

They are holding something but I don't know what it is because it is flipped backward. "Anna," he started, "we know each other for so long and as what your mother always says, we are not getting young anymore," I saw how my Mom chuckles while my Dad shakes his head.

"Anna, thank you for everything you've done for me. Thank you for accepting me and understanding me. Thank you for being a considerate, caring, and loving friend and now a loving girlfriend to me. I love you with all my heart and I want to grow old with you. Smiling and laughing like a lunatic while watching our children grow," my tears start to build up. This is so unexpected. I thought this scene only appears in the movies but I'm wrong.

"Anna Black," after he states my name, they start to flip the cards they hold. The words that every woman wants to see and hear from their partners are all written on the cardboard they are holding. My parents hold the word 'WILL', on Elaine's hand is the word 'YOU', while on Liam's hand is 'MARRY' and lastly on his parent's hand is 'ME?'.

He started to kneel at the center of the heart-shaped lights and said, "Will you marry me?" My tears are racing down my cheeks upon hearing this from him. My heart dances in excitement while my mind is still floating somewhere else. I didn't know what to say until they all started to shout 'YES' in unison.

I wiped my tears using my hands before I gave my answer. "Yes," I didn't miss how his eyes widened in surprise. "Yes?" He asked, making sure he heard me right. "It's a yes, Kyle. It's a big yes," he runs towards me and lifts me from the ground then twirls me around. I can hear them happily cheering for us.

After he put me down, he put the engagement ring on my finger. It has an infinity-like twisted band and a diamond in its center. I like its simple design yet elegant at the same time.

"Thank you, Annie. I love you," "I love you too, Kylie," and for the first time, after being in a relationship for 2 years, his soft lips finally touch mine. Our kiss is long and passionate. I'm glad that I gave him my very first kiss and I will be glad to give him all my firsts.

They said that God has plans for every one of us. You just need to patiently wait for the right time until He gives you the right person that will accompany you to sickness and in health. I am glad that I didn't give up my love for him. I can say that I'm proud of myself for patiently waiting for this time. For waiting for him to realize everything, including the feelings that I hide for almost half of my life.

The game hides and seek is fun but playing this game might be difficult sometimes. You can experience being hurt by running after someone, or while seeking the hiders. Arguments are unavoidable but, in the end, you will find happiness after you found all the hiders.

That happiness is not easily achieved. You have to go through lots of hardships before you meet true happiness in your life.