PHB 43
Lucas fulfilled what he had promised last night. For the first time, today went according to plan, and he would take Deasy for a stroll together.
It all began with preparing a special breakfast. As he sat down to eat with Deasy, Lucas, as usual, seemed very attentive. He made sure Deasy finished the chicken porridge he had prepared.
“Finish it up, okay? Just two more spoonfuls, and it’s done.”
Deasy glanced at her plate. Her stomach already felt so full. But, not finishing it seemed like a waste. The food Lucas had cooked for her this morning was truly delicious, and Deasy admitted she liked it.
“But, I’m already so full.”
“Just a little bit left. Or… you take one more bite, and I’ll finish the rest.”
Deasy laughed at Lucas’s remark. She couldn’t quite understand what was funny about what Lucas had just said.
“Do you want to finish it? It’s my leftovers, Luc. Aren’t you disgusted?”
Lucas shook his head. After all, why should he be disgusted with eating good leftovers?
“Why would I be disgusted?”
“Well, it’s my leftovers.”
“I know,” Lucas nodded. “So, what if it’s yours? Am I going to catch a contagious disease or something?”
“Who knows, right? What if I have a contagious disease?”
“Exaggerating much? Don’t worry, I won’t catch anything from eating your leftovers. Besides, it’s still good and not dirty food. It would be a waste to throw it away. Just one more bite. God might get angry if we waste it.”
Deasy was touched. It wasn’t the first time that Lucas’s actions had warmed her heart instantly. So many of Lucas’s actions had made her feel incredibly valued, even in the smallest ways. If she paid close attention, Deasy began to understand that Lucas was the kind of man who truly appreciated women. He was so gentle, quite different from herself, who often let her emotions get the best of her.
“Since you’ve finished eating, you should take your medicine and vitamins now. I’ll get them for you. Just wait here.”
Lucas then got up, walked to the nightstand, and returned to the dining table with several bottles of prescribed medicine and pregnancy vitamins for Deasy. He carefully opened each one and handed them to Deasy to take right away.
“All done, Luc. So, what time are we going out?” Lucas glanced at the clock on his wrist, thought for a moment, and then responded to Deasy’s earlier question.
“You wait for me in the TV room. I’ll wash the dishes and tidy up for a bit. After that, I’ll prepare some fruit snacks for you to have on the road later. Once everything’s ready, we’ll head out for our planned outing.”
Deasy nodded and then made her way to the TV room. She settled on the couch and decided to watch some gossip news on the television. Meanwhile, Lucas appeared busy cleaning and organizing the dining table.
Without any hint of disgust, he washed the dirty dishes piled up in the sink. When he finished, Lucas promptly peeled some different fruits. He then neatly arranged them into a lunchbox, which he would later bring as snacks for Deasy while they were in the car during their outing today.
“How about now? Ready?”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
Lucas, having completed all his tasks, approached Deasy in the TV room. While putting the fruit box into a bag, he extended his hand, inviting Deasy to get up from her seat.
“I’ve been ready for a while.”
“Alright, let’s go now.”
“Let’s use my car for the trip,” Deasy requested as usual.
“Why? Are you embarrassed to go in my old car?”
Deasy laughed. While walking towards the exit, she shook her head. She quickly clarified and explained why she asked Lucas to use his car for the outing today.
“Don’t be offended, Luc. It’s not that I don’t want to ride in your car. It’s just that, you should know, I don’t like riding in small and low sedans. I always feel nauseous and dizzy. Plus, I’m pregnant right now. It wouldn’t be funny if I got sick on the road. Our outing could be a total disaster.”
Lucas smiled and nodded, trying to understand and accommodate Deasy’s request. It wasn’t a problem at all to use her car; it all worked out the same.
That’s why, once they were both in the car, Lucas started driving. He drove slowly, taking Deasy to one of the large malls in the city center.
“Come on, we’re here,” Lucas invited as he opened the door. As usual, he extended his hand to help Deasy step out of the car.
“Thanks. So, are we going to watch the movie right away, or do we have other plans first?”
“Not really,” Lucas replied as he guided Deasy. “Let’s buy tickets first, then take a quick walk around. We’ll start watching the movie around one o’clock.”
“Do you want to watch a movie with me?”
“You can choose. Do you want a romance, action, or a sad story? I’m up for whatever you like.”
“Let’s go with romance. If we watch a sad story, I’ll end up getting emotional, and I wouldn’t want to cry in front of everyone. That wouldn’t be funny.”
Lucas chuckled. It would indeed be amusing if Deasy cried in the cinema.
“But if you end up crying, it’s okay. I’m here to provide a shoulder for you to lean on.”
“Oh, so cheesy.”
“Not cheesy, I’m serious.”
“Isn’t it over between us?” Deasy replied, just as Lucas had said to her in the past.
Ending the conversation, right when they arrived at the cinema, Lucas bought tickets. Since their showtime was about an hour away, Lucas decided to take Deasy for a walk first.
He even treated her to some ice cream at one of the shops. In any case, he was determined to make Deasy’s day enjoyable.
“How’s the ice cream? Do you like?”
While devouring her ice cream, Deasy nodded. Normally, she wasn’t this enthusiastic about it. But for some reason, today, when eating the ice cream that Lucas had bought for her, she found it exceptionally satisfying and delicious.
Even when Lucas tried to engage in conversation, she paid minimal attention. Her focus was solely on finishing the ice cream in her hand, as if she couldn’t bear to leave even a trace of it behind.
“Want more?” Lucas offered when he noticed how eagerly Deasy was devouring her ice cream.
“No, this is more than enough.”
“Sure? If you want more, I can get you another one.”
Lucas said this while helping wipe the ice cream off Deasy’s lips. He had done this before, but it still caught Deasy’s attention, especially since people around them were also watching what Lucas was doing.
“Why?” Lucas asked when he noticed Deasy’s eating had stopped, and she was gazing at him.
“I can clean it up myself, Luc. It’s really awkward to be watched by people around us.”
Lucas smiled.
“It’s okay, I’ll help you clean it up. You got some on your face. Besides, it’s all in good taste, right? Unless I help clean it up with my lips. Is that what you want?”
Deasy widened her eyes, then quickly shook her head. She knew Lucas could be daring, but she continued eating instead. She finished the remaining ice cream in her cup, then got up hastily, urging Lucas to go.
“Do you want a waffle?” Lucas offered before they prepared to go watch the movie.
“No,” Deasy shook her head. “I don’t really like waffles. They’re too sweet.”
“Yeah, especially if you eat them while staring at my face. You might get diabetes.”
Deasy sighed in exasperation. Could Lucas please get rid of his narcissism?
“Why don’t you have it? I already had ice cream. I might get too full.”
Seeing no interest on Deasy’s face, Lucas just bought a tiramisu waffle for himself.
As they walked toward the fifth floor where the cinema was located, Deasy observed how Lucas enjoyed his waffle. Somehow, even though she didn’t like waffles, she felt her appetite awaken as she watched Lucas relishing the food he had just bought.
But what could Deasy do besides swallowing her saliva? Earlier, Lucas had offered it to her twice already. It was her own pride that made her refuse both times.
“Why?” Lucas asked, realizing that Deasy had been watching him. “Do you want some?”
Deasy was restless. She really wanted to respond with a ‘yes’ to Lucas’s question, but it felt too embarrassing.
“Just try it; it’s really good.”
Lucas, understanding her hesitation, extended the waffle in his hand directly to Deasy’s mouth, encouraging her to take a bite.
Shyly, Deasy opened her mouth. In her heart, she was delighted to finally taste what she had been craving. She couldn’t help but feel a bit fickle.
“Shall we watch now, then? After the movie, I’ll take you out to eat.”
Deasy nodded and allowed Lucas to hold her hand as they entered the cinema building.