Of (Heart)Beats and Bylines [Completed]

Chapter 33- The Promise

"Did I wake you up?" I asked shyly.

"No, I was still surfing the net when your message came in. Kadadating ko lang kanina... or kahapon, New Zealand time. I can't sleep; every cell in my body's screaming that it's only 8 pm."

We both chuckled.

He eyed my surroundings.

"Are you in a hotel room?" he asked.

"No, I'm on my bed at home."

The look that crossed his face told me he understood the situation at once.

"You're sick!" He exclaimed while eyeing my worriedly.

"I just have the cold and coughs," I explained, wanting to downplay the situation.

"So you're back from..." He hesitated to continue. "...from wherever it is you came from," he finished with ambiguity.

"Yes. You'll find out where I was in a few hours. The article's due to come out tomorrow," I explained.

"Well, Manila time at least," RJ said softly.

"That's right," I concurred.

His face broke into a grin... and so did mine.

"I miss you," he said.

"I miss you too."

We were quiet for a few seconds, seemingly savoring this reunion, albeit it was a reunion over electronic means.

As if reading my thoughts, he went on to explain, "I'm sorry I was unable to see you before I left. I just couldn't let the situation here get worse. Dad is extraordinarily stressed out in adjusting to his professorial post and mom is extremely busy setting up the home. I had to help keep an eye on Angel."

"They say things happen in threes. I can't let her run away a third time. We were lucky nothing happened in the first two instances. In case she attempts to run away again and something bad happens this time around..." He trailed off but I could see he shuddered at the thought.

"I know, I know," I assured him. This time, it was my turn to visually roam his background.

He caught this. "I will sleep on a mattress tonight," he explained. "We still need to shop for beds and for other furniture. The first thing that mom bought were kitchen utensils so she could make home cooked meals."

"It gives a closer taste of home, doesn't it?" I reckoned. "So they ate out the first few days?"

"Yes. And Angel was so averse of course. She hardly ate during the first few days of being here."

"Kids.... Their palates aren't very adventurous, yet."

"No. They're wired differently when it comes to trying out new food," he agreed, giving a small smile. "The dining set they ordered arrived today, so at least they don't eat on a side table anymore."

Oh my! The hurdles of moving to another country!

I don't remember moving homes although I lived in an apartment during college. In the back of mind, I always knew it was a temporary set-up, though it was for four years. And mom had everything ready before I moved in. That's the difference when you emigrate; it's as if you start everything from scratch.

I decided to keep the conversation light. "How are things?"

"It's almost summer here. Everywhere I turn, I see a breathtaking piece of nature. It's a lovely country. I can imagine you'll love it here in Wellington. It's got both beaches and mountains... something both of us can enjoy."