Choppy signal, cold mountain wind vs cookies

She was knee deep in cookies. It's been a while, but her scooping pace is still quite the same. It's almost 6pm. Almost break fast time. Then suddenly her phone rings. Him.

She answered as usual. How couldn't she, it's their daily call. She knows he's on the mountain today, probably just reached Panalaban. She greeted him. Bubly as usual, always happy to hear from him. Then he said;

"I'm going back down about 200m, there's no signal upstairs", 

She process. Going down? This man, who literally just finished his guiding duty to Panalaban from Timpohon, probably tired, find out there's no signal at his hostel, descend back down, in the cold, while tired, just to find phone signal to talk to her? Her heart moved. If this isn't real love, what is?

She continues talking to him. Usual day-to-day update. And they have to hang up soon since she's in the middle of scooping cookies. Saying goodbye has never been easy for her. Especially today. Especially when he's being this devoted. 

Is this how it feels to be properly loved? She couldn't comprehend it. 

Blankets Over Her Barbed Wire

"So when are we getting married?"

She raise from his arms. Look at him. Slightly suprised. 

"You really want to marry me?", she asked, taking his hand and squeezing it. 

He looks at her. He doesn't have to answer. She knows him enough to know, that's a yes.

"but...", she adds. 

Yes, there's a but. They both know it. He pulled her in again. The silence was a bit heavy. 

"Honey, you... You're okay with my 'problem'?", he asked, eyes filled with fear. 

"To be completely honest, I know there's a 'problem' . But I don't really understand what happens", she answered honestly. She never lied to him. Didn't have to. She look at him.

Long silent. Just them, being with each other. He knows she love him. If not, she wouldn't be there.

_________________

Her brain's all foggy, like the surrounding. It's 4am. She woke up at 2.30am. Go to sleep at about 1am. And it's second night of her sleep deprivation journey. She didn't mind it. But that just make her less vigilant. Not a good condition to hike. 

"Careful honey, people's stick", he said, looking at her. 

Her brain isn't working on full capacity yet. Its 4.30am. She heard him, but didn't register what he's talking about. He suddenly walk in front of her. She didn't mind, as long as he's near. 

About another 200m of hiking, they met with a wooden stairs. Again. She hold her hiking stick up, being careful that it wouldn't poke people behind her. Then it dawns on her. Just now, he told her to be careful because of the front people's hiking stick is sticking out to the back, almost poking her eyes out. Okay, thats a hyperbole. Then she remembers, he went in front of her  to protect her from that.

She rarely feels that. That feeling of being safe. Being protected without being asked. He sees a threat, and throw himself between her and the threat to keep her safe. 

_____________

"It's impossible, isn't it?" he asked. Eyes no longer full with fear, but defeat. 

She paused. Thinking. She looks at him. 

"Impossible, no. But it will be hard", she nods, and smile, tilting her head a bit. She always catch herself doing cutesy things when she's with him, and he always notices. He look at her. His eyes look like a huge burden just liften off his shoulders. He didn't smile, but he look a bit relieved. 

"As long as you didn't think it's impossible", he said.