Dawn
1414 Words
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213A, 23rd Floor, Seoul Condominium
Both women are sitting on the sofa facing the huge window overviewing the city of Seoul.
"Look here," Wendy gently touched her jaw to get her attention. "I set my song "Irene" as the alarm tone since I know you liked that song so much you'd get up to jam with it."
"At 5:30 am? And why exactly do I have to wake up at that time?" Irene stopped drawing from her iPad and eyed Wendy with a judging look.
"I told you, I wanted to wake up before the sunrise. I've seen thousands of sunsets in my life but I never really get to appreciate sunrises." Wendy pouted and tried so hard to fit her head in between the iPad and Irene.
"So?" Irene raised her eyebrow as the short-haired girl finally succeeded to lay on Irene's lap, creating a human barrier between the iPad and her girlfriend.
"So please wake me up when you hear the alarm. You know that I tend to oversleep." For a second, Wendy thought Irene would curse at her, she knew her girlfriend isn't a morning person, and asking her this favor can be considered a suicide mission. But then she caressed Wendy's soft hair before pinching her nose and kissing it after.
"Okay. Are you going to take a nap there?" Irene exclaimed and jokingly pulled Wendy's hoodie so it would cover her face. She continued drawing on her iPad as she felt the other began to breathe steadily on her stomach.
"Wendy? Can we transfer to our bed now? I want to sleep too and the two of us can't fit on this sofa."
"Hmm" Wendy just grunted.
She must've fallen asleep. Her face was buried in Irene's tummy and her right arm tightening its hold on her waist even more when Irene tried to rearrange their positions. Irene find the sight too adorable and It took her less than five seconds to decide---
"Screw it. Let's just sleep like this." Irene set aside her iPad and placed her hands on top of the sleeping Wendy, eventually, she drifted to sleep with Wendy's phone right beside her so she can easily hear "Irene" blasting from it tomorrow morning.
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Present time
Baby girl, you're my Irene, you're my baby.
You're my flower, you're my everything.
My Irene, you're my baby.
Irene jumped up from her seat as soon as she heard the faint music echoing in the entire car. It was a recording of Wendy's voice singing the impromptu song she made for Irene one drunken night in their old apartment.
"Damn, where is it? Shit.." Irene immediately stopped rummaging in the backseat when she realized the sound came from the driver's pocket who was sleeping peacefully beside her.
"Ouch." Before she got to the phone, she abruptly closed her eyes, feeling the terrible headache that she wasn't really sure if was caused by the alcohol or the crying.
"What did I do again this time?" She said as she leaned her back on the car's window facing the driver completely. She can't help but massage her temples as she tried to remember the things she had done last night. So far, the only thing that comes to mind is her crying on the driver's shoulder before falling asleep.
She observed the driver, half of her face was covered because of the cap on her forehead, she was snoring softly, head tilted back and mouth hanging open. The rain has stopped and a gradient of red to orange is painted outside overcoming the previously starlit sky.
"Hmm." The driver grunts and with "Irene" still playing in the background, her breath hitched as everything felt too familiar. She reached for the phone in the driver's pocket.
5:32 am August 15, 2021
The reddish ray of light stuck her face triggering a well-kept memory to reappear in her thoughts.
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213A 23rd Floor, Seoul Condominium
Baby girl, you're my Irene, you're my baby.
You're my flower, You're my everything.
My Irene, my baby.
Irene stirred from her sleep, as she expected, Wendy has disentangled herself from her and now sprawled over the couch. Wendy has always been the crash lander kind of sleeper.
"Ahh Wendy, your voice should be considered a national treasure." She said letting the alarm tone play some more before actually turning it off. Words aren't enough to describe how much she cherishes her voice but she had to turn it off so the actual Wendy can sing to her.
"Yah wake up. Yah Wendy yah!'' She shrugged Wendy's leg which is on top of her thigh but the sleeping girl did not even flinch.
"Ahh what should I do with you?" Irene stood up from the sofa, hands behind her hips, her eyebrows creasing as she thought of a way to wake up Wendy without having to hit her or throw a bucket of water.
"The sun is about to rise..." Irene panicked as the reddish ray of light struck her face, she immediately parted the curtains in front of them so they'll get a clear view of the sunrise.
Irene decided to just lay on top of Wendy, hugging her gently, placing her head on the other girl's chest then she counted to ten. She knew Wendy would return the hug immediately as if she was programmed to do so when it comes to Irene's touch.
After the countdown, Irene wasn't wrong, she felt both of her arms crawling its way to her back and eventually clasping it together as if locking it to prevent Irene from getting away.
Wendy is still doing these things unconsciously and Irene always finds it warming, not only because she only does this to her but also, this is one of those times when she's really convinced it's the red string of fate that's behind all of these.
"Irene..." after another ten seconds, Wendy whispered in her sleepy voice.
"Sunrise.." Irene kissed her on the lips, drawing smiles at each other's faces and finally, watching the sunrise together at their huge glass window and looking forward to more.
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Present time
Irene can easily remove the cap and look at her face but she was afraid, afraid to move, and afraid to touch the woman in front of her, for it may just shatter all her hopes today.
She placed her head on the driver's chest and as soon as she embraced her, she started counting to ten following the rhythm of the woman's heartbeat.
"8."
She doesn't know if it was possible but even the way the heartbeat rings in her ear sounds a lot like...Wendy.
"9."
By this second, she realized that what could break her even more than this person not being Wendy is---- if she really turns out to be her.
Five years would mean the red string of fate was cut down and Wendy's heart won't hug her like she used to.
"10."
Irene silently swore that she will finally start healing herself, replacing in bits & pieces the hole that Wendy left if this woman doesn't hug her back.
---except that she did. Same arms locked her in a tight hug. She froze, unable to let it sink in that even after all these years, the heart still remembers.
Yes. It's Wendy.
"Irene-ah.." and then it came, the same sleepy voice Irene would do anything to hear again, a sound almost sounded like a serenade causing you to fall for her even more.
"Wendy-ah." Irene looked up only to catch Wendy's gaze. Wendy's features have changed a lot, wrinkles on the side of her eyes are visible, her hair was longer and she became skinnier too. It was for the first time in five years when Irene felt like she was stuck in time and the appearance of Wendy pulled her back to reality. Everyone---even the love of her life is changing except her.
Wendy pulled Irene into a kiss, making the most out of the dawn, all the accumulated regrets were poured out by both women letting their gestures speak for themselves, by the time they parted the sun had risen completely.
"Do you want me to come back home?" Wendy's voice broke in tears as she asked Irene. The older girl tried kissing Wendy's tears away until finally resting her lips on the side of her cheek.
She smiled. Her own tears threatened to spill again.
Finally, Wendy gives her a choice.
- Writer
