Chapter 14

Cedar Bench within Trees Park. No matter how unpopular this place is that only a very few people come to visit here, Cela realized that it will never be exclusive for her.

She stood behind the bench for a few seconds before turning back quickly. She almost slipped due to the slippery, wet grass.

"Cela!" Nate called.

Cela closed her eyes for a second before turning back again.

"Hey there," she said. She could think of so many options to say to him to explain why she's there but nothing ever came out of her mouth.

"Did you just arrive?" he asked.

"Ahh...you know I need to go now," she said.

"Why don't you stay? Let's just pretend we don't see each other. We have an agreement, right?" he asked.

"I just want to add something to my story. I haven't written anything new since yesterday," she explained.

"Then you must stay," he repeated.

The two sit in the extreme sides of the bench just like they did the first time they met here last week.

Despite the ridiculous agreement, they still find it weird to pretend that they don't see each other when they're sitting in the same bench.

Cela is curious why he's there on a weekend and around this time of day. She made a few discreet glances at him only to be caught by him in one of her attempts. He, on the other hand is desperately needing for someone to be around him.

"Are you okay? Did something happen?" Cela asked. She's still hesitant to talk but she felt she was in a better position to break the ice.

Nate didn't answer right away.

"To be honest, I am not okay. Nina is out of town..." he gave an incomplete answer.

"Oh, so you don't have anyone to hang out with this weekend. Why don't you call your male friends and have some drinks with them," she suggested.

"I don't have many friends to hang out with these days. "Can't it be you?" he asked.

Cela is completely speechless.

"Can't you stay a little longer. I just don't want to be alone," he asked. His head is bowed down.

She looked around them first before answering him.

"Okay, since I'm the only one who's here, I will stay for a little while," she said implying that it's the only reason why she's staying.

Awkward silence.

It may have been better if she just stayed in her place the whole day but seeing Nate looking that way, Cela thinks that it's a good thing that she's there.

"Alright, I really have to leave now. It will be dark here soon. Why don't you go home too?" she asked after almost an hour of just being there without saying a single word to each other.

"I know you really couldn't stay longer," Nate said.

Cela can't tell if that's a cue to leave or a plead to stay.

"You owe me," Nate said.

"I owe you? I have no idea I owe anything to anyone," she said.

"You didn't show up that day," he said. He's still not looking at her.

"What? Of course I did. Did you forget what happened?" she asked.

"You also stopped coming to the waiting shed," he said.

"What's this all about? That happened a long ago," she said.

"I had a sketch of this place that I kept for a long time. I was hoping it would find its way to you but it didn't so I had to give it away," he continued to make her feel guilty.

"And that's my fault?" she asked.

Nate finally looked to her as if saying "yes".

"I really don't know what you're up to and why you're suddenly bringing up the past. I have no time for that," she said. She's a little pissed at this point.

Nate realized he's being illogical bringing up things that are uncalled for, He bowed his head again.

"I'm really sorry. You may go ahead. Please take care," he said.

It's the very first time Cela saw Nate looking so down. They really didn't have a lot of interactions back in high school and all were happy times. Needless to say, she is moved seeing him this way.

"Do you want to unload? How about telling me any stories?" she asked him.

Nate lifted his head and turned to her.

"You said you could draw inspiration from our love story. Would you like to hear it?" he asked.

"Of course. I'd love to," she said instantly though she must admit that she's surprised by the request. She thought he already forgot that but more than that, she doesn't know if she's ready to hear that story.

Nate starts narrating.

"We met in a party that both of us didn't really want to attend. I was very much single but I was very busy too with my job. My job was my life.

She just broke up up for the nth time with a married guy. Don't worry, she's very open about it. She said she wanted to make it a lesson for others who are in the same situation.

We were both getting drinks from the bar, we smiled, had some exchanges of pleasantries…in short - we just hit it off.

Our friends said we were really meant to meet. We are each other's savior. I saved her from getting back to that guy and she saved me from my solitude. Everything in the last 3 years was wonderful. Then, there's the pandemic that made us even closer. When I hit 30 early this year, I proposed to her and she agreed to marry me," he said.

Cela is in awe. She's still playing in her head everything that Nate said even after he's done narrating.

"That's it in a nutshell. Was it okay?" he asked.

"Oh yeah. Actually, it's really good. I could already think of a good storyline from what you told me," she said.

"Thank you," he said with a smile. He looks better.

"I guess you really miss her already," she said. For some reason, she feels she's his friend at this point.

Nate nodded.

"So, it's really your plan to get married by the age of 30?" she asked.

"Honestly, I didn't have any preferred age for marriage. I actually lost interest in dating someone from an early age plus I had my job to focus on. Finding someone to date was not even in my mind before meeting her," he answered.

Cela got what he meant when he said he lost interest in dating from an early age. It's only now that she realized that what happened in the past affected him as much as it affected her.

"She's older than me by seven years so I had to consider that as well because both of us love to have kids someday," Nate added.

"Is she the only one you dated seriously?" The question came out naturally. Cela was actually embarrassed by her question. She quickly apologized to him fearing she might be asked the same question.

"I think we both have to go now. It's getting dark and the rain might come back," she said. "But I hope you are feeling at least a little better now," she added.

"Yes, it helped a lot that I released these things inside me. I appreciate you staying longer. I knew it was weird of me to ask you to stay," he said.

She smiled. "We all act weird sometimes," she said.

Before running out of nice words to say, Cela extends her hand.

Nate smiled. "Really?" he asked before accepting.

"I told you, we all act weird sometimes," she said reciprocating his smile.

"Can we come back here tomorrow?" he said while still holding her hand.

Cela realized he's still holding her hand. She gently pulled it before asking why.

"Since you said that we all act weird sometimes, what if we try to talk about things that happened that day? Perhaps, imagine the 'what-might-have-been'? What do you think?" Nate asked. His weirdness continues.

"Am I still not paid for everything you thought I owed you?" she asked.

Nate shook his head. "Just partial," he answered.

Cela breathed deep. "That's the weirdest thing I've ever heard so far but if you need closure and that's what will give you closure, then I will be happy to do it. Just treat it as my early wedding present," she said.

"It's a deal and thank you in advance. Let's meet here again tomorrow. The earlier, the better," Nate said. His face looks a little brighter now and he seems excited.

Cela agreed.

"It's now clear to me what Nina's intention is. She wants me to be sure of my decision and not bring any more doubts to our future life together," Nate added.

"An amazing woman is truly hard to find. If you're blessed to find one, never let her go. You're even luckier because you love her too," she said to finally close the conversation that day. It was not easy to say those words but she knew she had to do it.

She watches Nate from her rear view mirror as he enters his car. It gives her certain feeling of relief that things are now okay between them. It may only be a consolation from the kind of ending that she had in mind but it's so much better than moving on with nothing.

"Okay, one last time tomorrow," she said as she starts the car.

Nate looks as she drives away. The sun finally set and soon it will be dark but tomorrow is already sunny.