Chapter 12 – "The Ride Back Home"
956 Words
The gentle hum of the engine matched the stillness of the Sunday night. Mira sat quietly in the passenger seat, a soft smile on her face as she gazed out the window. The warm glow of passing lampposts flickered like little fireflies across the glass, and the city skyline slowly welcomed them back.
In the back seat, Kent was sprawled out with his penguin plushie half slipping from his arm, his mouth slightly open in peaceful sleep. He hadn’t lasted five minutes on the road after their weekend in Batangas. Mira reached back and gently tugged a light blanket over his legs.
“Parang laging may hangover sa saya ‘pag pauwi na,” she said, almost to herself.
Eitan glanced at her. “That’s a good kind of tired.”
“Hmm,” she hummed in agreement, stretching a little before resting her cheek on her hand. “Ang dami na namang take-home, para kaming nag-raid ng palengke.”
The trunk was, as usual, full of love disguised as produce—fresh mangoes from the backyard tree, eggs, kamatis, seafood, and bundles of herbs her mom insisted she take. Mira even had a separate cooler just for the marinated bangus and beef cuts for Eitan.
“Did we really need to bring four kilos of tahong?” Eitan teased, a soft grin tugging at his lips.
“Yes,” she answered firmly. “Boodle fight tayo next Sunday ulit, remember?”
He chuckled. “Fine. But I’m drawing the line at the second rice cooker. Di na kasya sa pantry.”
She giggled and leaned her head against the window. “Sige na nga, ibabalik ko ‘yun sa mama ko.”
Silence settled between them like an old friend. The kind of silence that doesn’t need to be filled—only felt.
Then Mira murmured, “Nag-message na naman si Zander.”
Eitan didn’t look surprised. “Today?”
“Saturday morning. Seen lang. Ayoko talaga reply-an. Weekend is sacred,” she added, smirking.
“Persistent, that one,” Eitan muttered under his breath.
“More like delusional,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s been years and yet... he talks like I owe him a chapter in my life story.”
Eitan tightened his grip on the wheel slightly, not out of jealousy, but protectiveness. “He doesn’t know the woman you are now. He’s chasing a ghost.”
Mira turned to him. “You think so?”
He nodded. “Men like him fall in love with what they remember. Or what they want to remember. But love doesn’t work that way.”
She was quiet for a moment, thoughtful. “I just don’t get why he’s acting like he still has the right to... even message me.”
“Because you shine, Mira. Even from a distance,” he said softly. “And sometimes, people think they can just walk back into the light without earning it.”
Mira stared at him, cheeks flushing faintly. “Wow. Was that poetic? Are you sure you’re not writing novels on the side?”
Eitan smirked, eyes still on the road. “Only the one I’m living.”
She laughed, covering her face with her hands, bashfully hiding the red blooming on her cheeks. “Stop, Eitan. I’m going to melt.”
“That’s the goal,” he replied without missing a beat.
As they drove past S&R, Mira suddenly blurted out, “Nakalimutan ko ‘yung Greek yogurt ko!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll add it to the grocery run on Tuesday. I’ll go after work.”
“Best husband ever,” she murmured under her breath.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” she said quickly, eyes wide and innocent.
He reached out and laced his fingers with hers over the center console. “Everything,” he whispered, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
When they finally arrived at the condo, Eitan parked and unbuckled Kent first, lifting him carefully into his arms. Mira grabbed the small insulated bag with the frozen seafood and the little container of leche flan that had miraculously survived the trip.
Inside the unit, the lights were dim and the city buzzed faintly from below. Eitan tucked Kent into bed, giving him a soft forehead kiss before walking into their room, where Mira was half-seated on the bed, holding a mango and blinking slowly like she might fall asleep sitting up.
“You holding that like it’s a teddy bear,” he teased gently, taking the mango from her hands.
“Sleepy,” she whispered, already flopping down dramatically into the pillows.
He knelt beside her, brushing a stray hair away from her face. “You still have to brush your teeth.”
“Nooo,” she whined playfully, burying her face in the sheets.
Eitan leaned in, lips brushing her temple. “Come on. I’ll wait for you, toothbrush ready. Then I’ll reward you with a hug. Maybe two.”
She sat up groggily. “Three.”
“Three it is.”
As Mira disappeared into the bathroom, she heard him laughing softly to himself as he organized the bags they brought in. And even with the exhaustion tugging at her limbs, her heart felt light.
Later that night, wrapped in the soft silence of their bedroom, Mira shifted in her sleep, brows furrowed from a lingering dream she couldn’t fully recall. Eitan, already awake and reading beside her, noticed and turned to hold her closer.
She murmured his name.
“I’m here,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “It’s just a dream. I got you.”
She sighed, relaxing into him. Safe. Loved. Home.
- Writer
