My Heart Is Yours

Chapter 107

"Are you too tired from the flight?" Maine asked as they started walking towards the parking lot where Richard left his car at the airport. She noticed that Richard had been constantly yawning.

"A bit," he admitted. "I was planning to sleep the whole day until dinner, when we tell our parents we're engaged."

They arrived back in Manila that morning. They were the second flight that landed that day and it was still pretty early. But the sun was already up and traffic was building for the rush hour.

"Can you drive?"

Richard smiled and squeezed the hand he was holding tightly before he kissed the back of her palm affectionately.

"I'm fine, my Heart," he replied. "I think I have about four more hours before the adrenalin leaves my system. You don't have to worry."

"It's not that," she said. "I was wondering if we can visit Alden. I want him to be the very first to know about our engagement."

Richard smiled as he opened the passenger side of the car for her. He waited until she was settled before placing their luggage in the trunk and got in the driver's side.

"You should start calling him 'Rich'," he said as he started the car and eased it out of its parking slot. "He would have preferred it."

"It would need some getting use to, Home," she said. "I've been calling him 'Alden' for years."

Richard suddenly burst into laughter which startled Maine.

"What's so funny?"

"Sorry," he managed to say in between chuckles. "A scene from 'Aladdin' just popped into my head. That time when they met the genie and he asked what to call him. 'Should I call you Al or maybe just Din? Or how about Laddie?'

"I teased him all the time when we got to catch it on TV. I had my own version of it too. 'Should I call you Al or maybe just Den? Or how about A.R.?'"

"A.R.?"

"His initials," he replied. "Alden Richard. I told him once that I should start calling him that since he called me RJ. I could shorten it further by calling him 'Arr' like what he used to do when he called me 'Arge'. As if my nickname isn't short enough as it is."

"Yours is a two syllable nickname," Maine replied with a smile. "While his was only one."

Richard just gave a chuckle as he continued driving. Maine just looked at him for a bit, then she suddenly leaned carefully and kissed him on the cheek.

"What was that for?"

"Progress," Maine smiled as she leaned and rested her head on his shoulder, but she was careful not to hinder him from driving. "This is the first time I heard you talk about Al - Rich and I didn't see a haunted look in your eyes."

Richard smiled at her observation and said, "I guess it's because I feel a weight was lifted off my shoulder. That Rich really wanted this for us. To have his blessing is something I really needed, I guess."

He reached out and took her hand. He kissed the back of her palm tenderly and didn't let go. They were in companionable silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company. Suddenly, Maine sat up straight when she saw where they were heading.

She kissed his cheek again and said, "thank you!"

"I was suppose to surprise you," Richard replied as he carefully guided the car at the parking slot in the cemetery. "But you beat me to it. We both have the same idea of wanting to tell him first before everyone else."