Heart Rallies

Dix-Seize: Analgesia

She woke up at the right side of the bed.

That was the hunch of everyone when she came in the office smiling and greeting the people good morning. It wasn't something usual of Beatrice Sy. People will greet her and she will respond but it was never the other way around.

But it did happen that morning.

She was smiling as she worked and finished all the tasks that she needed to do. It was a light work day for her and she was able to finish her paperworks by 4 PM which bought her time to think about dinner. She is in-charge of dinner with their original deal and it wouldn't hurt if she would do it. She surfed the web and found some recipe for chicken and beef. She was still taking down notes when her phone rang. The number was showing up as unknown.

"Hi! Is this Beatrice Sy?" the woman who called asked.

"Yes. And this is?"

"Hi Bea!" she sounded cheerful. "This is Bianca."

"Oh," Bea was definitely surprised when she learned who she was speaking with. "Can I help you?"

She was hesitant. "Sort of."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well... Seff is making some efforts for me for the past days, thanks to you," she said sincerely.

She didn't know that but Bea knew there was no reason for her to get to that part. "That's good then. Is there any problem?"

"He said that as soon as you pretend to call it quits, he'll just give it some time and he'll introduce me to his family," she said.

Bea felt selfish at that point. She felt like she doesn't want to share his family with anyone. But of course, she couldn't do that. "That's good if he's planning to do so."

"I'm just worried that they might not like me," she voiced her concern.

So that would be it.

"They're a nice bunch of people. They're happy, very welcoming, and warm. I don't know how to please them. Their acceptance was just there the moment we met," she told Bianca. Deep inside, Bea knew that anyone he will introduce, they would accept.

But a part of her wanted to discourage Bianca from hoping and just let her believe that they wouldn't like her.

"Can you help me if ever they won't?"

Bea paused for a while. She was just asking for too much. "I'm sorry Bianca but that's not my role. You can ask Seff about that part. I am not someone who trains people to be likeable."

Bianca was caught off guard with her statement and frankness while Bea realized how she sounded. She wanted to explain and take back how she said it but she rather decided to live up to it.

"Yeah, of course," Bianca said after she recovered. "I'm sorry to really bother you."

"That's fine. I appreciate you thinking of me. Bye," Bea answered and ended the call.

She was out of her office by 5. After buying the ingredients that she wrote, Bea drove back home and carried all her items going upstairs. When she got to their unit, she took her keys and opened the door. She was surprised when Seff came out of their bedroom all of a sudden. He was wearing his regular clothes when he's home. They were both taken aback when they saw each other.

"Why are you here?" she asked him. "I mean, as early as now?"

"I... I brought home my office work and... I attended to something here," he rattled. He remained standing outside the door, blocking her way. "You want to eat somewhere outside?"