Envie de Toi

Joyeux Anniversaire

Marina woke up with a start. She dreamt of that guy again. She felt for Dada beside her and felt nothing but the cold sheets. Alarmed, she suddenly sat up and then it dawned on her that she was in her bedroom in Manila, as she had been for the past 2 months already. She was tired. She thought she'd be able to move on from that horrific incident but things seemed to have gone for the worse. This time, she did not have Dada to comfort her. Sighing, she looked at the time on her phone. It was fifteen past two in the morning. Dada should be up. She decided to Facetime him.

Paris, France

Dada was lost in his thoughts as he looked blankly at the empty seat in front of him which Marina usually occupied. The apartment has been quiet since Marina left for the Philippines. He was shaken from his thoughts when his phone notified him of an incoming Facetime.

Pleasantly surprised, he saw that it was Marina.

He smiled widely as he answered. "Marina! I was not expecting your call, you should still be in bed," his magnanimous smile disappeared when he saw Marina's face. She looked tired and unhappy.

"I had another nightmare," she simply said.

"Oh." Dada wished he was with her now. He knew he'd be able to comfort her somehow.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Nah, it's just the same old dream. Nothing but the silhouette of a bald guy looking down at me."

"Have you spoken to anyone about it?" he asked tentatively.
Marina had refused to talk to a therapist about her trauma several times in France. He did not understand why she refused to do so even though she clearly needed it. Marina had reacted negatively about it one time he broached the subject with her and he never brought up the topic again.

"I'm not talking to a shrink." She said snippily.

"I did not say anything about a therapist. I just thought maybe you could let your mother or your other friends know." He said gently.

Marina stayed silent mulling the conversation in her head.

Dada decided to change the subject so she'd cheer up and forget about her nightmare.

"Guess what I bought."

"What?"

"I'll show you."

Dada stood up and shuffled through the apartment towards their bedroom.

"Look!" He told Marina as he panned his phone towards the bed.

Marina squealed. It was Kermit the Frog. She remembered kidding La Grande Dame that they should buy it so she could hug it to sleep whenever Dada was not around. Dada had put his foot down at the idea as they would not fit in his queen-sized bed. The plush toy was the size of an average French adult so it was even taller than Marina.

"Hmph. I wanted that toy for a long time and you bought it as soon as I left your place," she said pretending to be miffed about it.

"Well, the bed has been spacious since you left so..."

Marina pointedly raised an eyebrow at him.

"Just kidding! I bought it so I can have company,"
He went nearer to the giant plush toy still holding the camera to it.
"Look! He's even wearing one of your old t-shirts that you frequently use as sleepwear."

Marina laughed at that. He was just stinking cute!
"Miss me?"

"Of course I do. Counting the days until your return."

Marina and Dada talked until they both fell asleep, still face-timing each other.

When Marina woke up several hours later, it was almost noon. She saw that they were still on the call. Dada had his back turned to the camera. Marina lovingly touched her phone screen before realizing it was very hot to the touch so she immediately ended the call.