As if they were being ossified, they stood, not moving an inch, slowly letting the fact that they found each other sink in.

“So sorry, I wasn’t, I didn’t mean to … (cry)... ”, she murmured in between hiccups.

“Don’t worry. It’s okay. Let it out, let it all out…” he encouraged her, patting her back in the process. Meanwhile, his heart was still racing in gratefulness. He held her close, with her head almost hidden beneath his chin. I have faint idea of what you might gone through to get here... I am so thankful that you made it and you are safe.

They rested a while at the airport bench. There are some visible circles framing your loveliness. “Let’s take a rest at the hotel first.” He suggested.

She fell asleep on the hotel room couch in no time. He lifted her onto the bed with little effort. She has a small built, and is considered light for an adult.

He sat by her side, watching her rest. Seeing that she is really there, just resting, listening to her soft breathings.. 

By her bedside, he felt her forehead, which felt cool to touch. Eyes closed, I thanked my lucky stars then and again.

He left their room to get her a change of clothing and some necessities. She was still sleeping when he returned. He observed her calm face. How many girls are as strong and amazing as you are?  He can’t help wondering.

She stirred and blinked. “How do you feel? Are you hungry? I got some takeaway.” He asked cheerfully, attempting to uplift her mood.

“What happened to me?”

“You dozed off from fatigue.”

They had simple Hawaiian and Pepperoni pizzas, complete with lattes, just like the first time they met. Difference is that it is not raining outside now. From the almost stranger then, to you being my love now. We have come a long way, haven’t we?

After dinner, he said, “Here, you can bath, change and relax”. He passed her a tee from his luggage and a full Departmental store bag.

She took a peep in the bag and could feel herself blushing to the roots of her hair. “You?..”

“Yes, I bought these from the nearby Departmental store for you. There are toothbrush, toothpaste, disposable ..” She stopped him from listing the items as her face has gone so scarlet that she could feel the heat. She dashed into the ensuite bathroom.

She poured out the bag’s items onto the basin ledge – some common things that she uses (toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth rinse), hair brush, hair band, inner garments, even sanitory necessity! A man walking into a supermarket to get all these? She paced around the small space. How embarrassing and oddward had it been for you!

She bathed, changed and emerged from the bathroom.

“My tee fits you all right”, he smiled, showing his impeccably set of white and perfectly aligned teeth.

She approached him, “Thank you dear. I don’t know how you know.. how you can.. thank you. I can’t imagine the look of the cashier when you walked into the store to get all those personal items for me. Thank you.”

He pulled her close, “Ahhhh, I admitted that I thought about that before I walked into the store. However, I know that you’ll need those items. Once I had recognised that fact, nothing else bothered me. I tried to get those similar to what you use at home (She knew that he referred to the week when he stayed with her when she was sick). I only got you a set of inner wear. If that doesn’t fits well, we can shop around more tomorrow. We’ll also get you a couple of sets of tees and slacks. If you still haven’t gotten your luggage back by the middle of our trip, we’ll visit the laundromat. So, clothing is no issue. (He patted her head lovingly) Knowing you, you must have packed all your favourite items into that travel luggage.. I am sorry that your luggage was lost but, .. anyway, we see what we get… “

“I.... I am just moved by what you did. You are so good, meticulous and detailed in everything. Thank you dear. I really… I don’t mean to be a burden.”

“Dear, look at me… ”

We sat on the bed, overlooking the dark sky through the glass windows.

He asked, “Are you tired?”

“No, I rested a while.”

“Care for a story?”

She nodded.

“Once upon…”

She laughed at that introduction, “I am sorry, just couldn’t help it. Pl continue.”

“Most stories start like this…

Once upon a time, there was a young rabbit who wonders why the sky is always blue, why the sea is cerulean.

She hopped around the neighbouring fields and way up into the next hills, exploring the passing-by butterlies, floating dandelion seeds, prospering daisies, flourishing bushes. She hopped, skipped, jumped, rolled and knocked into a donkey. Donkey is old. After going through ages and experiencing many events, Donkey is wise and knows a lot. He told rabbit that he would tell her why the sky is always blue and why the sea is cerulean, if she could only sit down for half a day, focus, and listen to him carefully. The rabbit agreed. Barely half an hour later, being distracted by the flying gulls, rabbit skipped, hopped, rolled and chased after them. The same thing happened tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the days after. Rabbit still do not know why the sky is always blue and why the sea is cerulean.

One morning, rabbit did not come to visit Donkey. Maybe she was carried away? Afternoon came but Donkey still don't see rabbit. Donkey started to get worried. He stretched his old hooves, before treading cautiously towards the field, where rabbit lives. Little does Donkey know that there is a steep slope between the hill that he lives in and the field, where rabbit’s hole is. He tried to move carefully down the slope but due to the inclination, he was forced to gallop down, in full speed.

During the run, wind brushed through his mane, adrenaline rushed through his being, that feel from running, something he did not attempt for quite a while, is something that he missed (as he thought he couldn’t and thus didn’t try), it was so long that he had almost forgotten that feel, that triumph, that jubilant sensation, that unmistakable feel of speed between his hooves, it was only after he came to look for rabbit, when he made himself to go down the slope, that he realised – he discovered that he can still do it.

He screeched to a sudden stop at the foot of the hill, walked slowly towards to fields and he saw the two white tips above the tall grass. He moved towards it, and tapped on rabbit, who is lying low, observing the ants crawling up the trees.

“Hi, Donkey. Shhh, don’t make a sound. It started with 2 to 3 ants, then an army of them came, rushing to take, no, transport food from the tree branch, back to their home. They are so small, yet carrying a much bigger load than their bodies.”

Donkey was surprised, for all his life living in the hill, he didn’t realise how ants move and transport, for there are rarely ants up in the hill where he is so used to!

At that moment, Donkey had an epiphany and finally understood that be it old or young, there are things that you do not know, and can learn from each other. It thundered to him to be more humble, to share what he knows, and to learn from others, from the young, from rabbit. For rabbit has somethings in her, like her inquisitive and explorary spirits, that he, does not have.

He lay low next to rabbit, observing the ants, learning this one new thing today. ”

“Thank you.”

“For…”

“For the story… for the morale of the story… We know what we know, and together, we know and learn from each other. You are wise, and you are not old. You see the crux much earlier than Donkey.”

He looked at her affectionally, “Share with me what happened to you today..."

She related her day in detail to him, the options given by the airline, the runs between arrival and departure halls, the long queues, distressed passengers, … “I mean, the crowd inside the restricted/transit area was a small fraction of the chaos outside the airport. Today, I merely seized the best possible option I could. After that, I went full steam ahead, without a backward glance.”

“Yes, looking back doesn’t help. Looking at present and solving the immediate and forthcoming hurdles bring you to where you are now.”

“I used to be a scary cat, but much less now.” she looked into his eyes, “Loving you gives me the courage”, she confessed. Feeling the puffiness beneath his honey-glazed eyes, “You must be tired after all that waiting at the airport, not knowing which flight I’ll be coming in, and whether I’ll be coming in at all by today.”

“I’ll wait, as promised. No matter how long it takes”, he answered with certainity fizzing in his eyes.

“Thank you for waiting, and taking care of me, when I am, (she paused) virtually, left with me and nothing else now."

He tapped her hand lovingly,  "I don't know if you actually realised how impressive you are. Did you realise that? ...Getting caught in the massive cobweb of distressed passengers, being thrown into such a tight spot, and calm enough to make calculated decision decisively. I guessed many people would have taken the next flight home. I really don’t know how many females are as independent, dauntless, composed and as incredible as you. Your courage, resilience and decisiveness wowed me. Tangibles doesn't really matter as we can share what we have, and topped up with what we can get here." He placed her hand on his chest, "Dear, you are my love. You are never a burden. You are the loveliest being I ever have the honour to hold, and treasure. Thank you for coming to me”, he pulled her closer, “Listen carefully, I’ll take you, hold you, for better, or for worse”, he whispered into her ears.

"Anyway, it's not too bad now, as we get excuses to do more shopping!" he added with a wink.

"Shopping... which is what you like", she smiled. He shoke his head, "Not that. It's just that I just love to get nice things for you."

They looked into each other's eyes. Magic charged and filled the room. With his persuasive lips teased a wet trail from her lips, throat,  lingered and pitched a camp around her clavicle, her entire body fluttered wildly in reaction. Gradually, their coherence lost. What's left was their true and intuitive responses.