/Myrtle's Point of View/
We spent the night in our tiny abode. I wonder if Sean even slept well because I know he is not used to this setting. He slept on the wooden bench while my siblings, Papa, and I snuggled in the bed.
The roosters' cock-a-doodle-doos woke me up.
"Good morning, papa," I greeted Papa while brewing coffee. The aroma smelled so lovely.
"Good morning, Myrtle," Papa said back.
I glanced at my siblings, who were still cutely sleeping while their legs were tangled up with each other. I also glanced at Sean, but he was not at the bench.
"Where's Sean?" I asked Papa.
"Oh, he went outside to freshen up a bit. I think he wanted to roam around the fields more," Papa replied.
I hope he doesn't get chased by a goat again. It's just so funny.
I got up and went outside the house with my morning face. I breathed the fresh air and exhaled heavily.
My eyes looked for Sean among the grassy field.
"Sean!" I called as soon as I saw him, sitting under the mango tree while looking at the sky.
He looked at me with such enthusiasm. I walked towards him and asked, "What are you doing here?"
He said, "Well, am I not allowed to go outside?"
I shook my head and sat beside him. I also looked at the sky and wondered why he was staring at it.
"That cloud looks so strange, isn't it?" Sean mumbled and pointed at a cloud that was shaped like a horse.
I laughed as soon as I noticed it. "Why on earth are you even staring at it?" I asked Sean.
He's so ridiculous.
"It's just that I found it weird. But it's beautiful, nevertheless. Sometimes, the strange things are always the most beautiful ones," Sean replied while his blue eyes met the sky once again.
I was just looking at his eyes. They're so captivating.
Then he turned his head to look at me. I felt awkward.
"Sorry," I subconsciously said when our eyes met.
"You don't have to say sorry for admiring the beauty of something. My eyes are beautiful, aren't they?" he asked and moved closer to me.
"Uh, of course. They're blue and -"
"Is that you, Myrtle?!" I heard a familiar voice from afar. I immediately looked at where the voice came from, seeing Lucas, my childhood crush and best friend from the neighborhood.
I smiled and stood up to wave at him. "Luca!" I screamed.
Lucas ran towards me and immediately hugged me in his arms. He has been my best friend since we were kids.
"Why did you come home? Is your mom okay?" he asked as soon as we stopped hugging.
I shook my head. "Nope."
Lucas looked at me and looked at Sean sitting behind me, and he looked back at me again.
"Who is that man? He looks like a rich guy from the cities. Is he lost?" Lucas asked in confusion.
I laughed at him and lightly punched his bicep. "No! I'm with him," I replied.
Sean stood up from the ground and shook off the leaves stuck on his pants.
"I'm Myrtle's husband, and you?"
WAIT, SIR, WE'RE NOT YET MARRIED!
Lucas gasped in shock and kept throwing dagger gazes at Sean and me.
"WHAT?" he finally uttered.
"Uhm, actually, I went back here to announce that I'm going to get married. I know it's kind of starting, but-"
"What kind of person are you?" Lucas stopped me from speaking and moved closer to Sean.
"Well, I'm a multi-billionaire, a CEO, a twenty-year-old successful guy, has a vagabond cat named Rudolph, and has a wife named Myrtle," Sean replied in confidence with his ears flattering.
"Stop being such a haughty brat!" I scolded him.
Lucas intently stared at Sean's body and eyes for a minute, and he said, "Okay, as long as you don't hurt my precious best friend, Myrtle, I'll let her marry you," he said.
Sean nodded his head. "Of course, I will never hurt her," Sean responded.
Lucas turned to me and looked at me like I was a filthy wench.
"Have you been flirting with him in the city while your mom is sick?" Lucas asked.
"Luca, it's not like that! It's hard to explain, but I won't put anything above my priorities, you know that."
Okay, maybe I lied. Marrying was NOT a part of my priorities, but I needed to help mom as soon as possible.
"I trust you, Myrtle. So, when are the both of you getting married?"
"Three days from now," Sean replied.
Lucas gasped in shock again for the nth time.
"Wow, everything is happening so fast between the both of you."
Lucas is only my long-term crush, but I never imagined myself marrying him or even dating him. He has always been my best friend, and he will forever be my best friend.
I'm glad he accepted my decision to a sudden marriage.
Well, I was forced to marry. It was not my decision at all.
After a few more hours, Lucas and I talked about what happened when I was gone. I'm happy he also got accepted at college. It's not a problem for him because he is so intelligent that he got many scholarships.
Unlike me, I'm not even that smart enough to avail such scholarships. That's why I have to work harder.
We had breakfast at our house. We ate fried eggs and pork bacon. Papa is such a good cook that he can make ordinary ingredients into an extraordinary dish!
My family was also asking things about Sean, his course, his job, his family, etcetera. It's kind of relieving that Sean managed to answer all the questions Papa asked him. It's like he already practiced whatever he has to say.
Or he's just really well-spoken.
Sean isn't studying right now because he doesn't have time to go. Besides, he doesn't even need to go to college because he's rich.
Unless he wants to be someone.
Damn, I don't even know if he really wanted to be a company CEO at such a young age. Imagine the pressure of being an heir to a prestigious company.
"Sean, do you have a dream?" I asked him while the both of us were walking along with the grasses. Papa told the both of us to walk along with the fields and date, apparently.
"Hmm, dream?" he asked confusedly.
"Yup. Like, do you want to be something? What's your dream? Do you really want to be a CEO?"
He sighed and looked at me. "Well, frankly, I wanted to be a pilot," he replied.
Wow, he's going to look so good in a pilot uniform. I can imagine it.
"But, I needed to run the company because my dad suddenly turned it over to me. I was shocked about it, but what else can I do? Anyway, being a CEO was not a bad choice. I earned lots and lots of money," he continued and rubbed his fingers.
"Don't you want to continue your dream? To be a pilot?" I dodged him a question again.
He shook his head. "Maybe in my next life, Myrtle. I already am devoted to being a CEO, and I don't want the hard works of my parents to be in vain. Don't worry about me. I'm doing really great."
I doubt him. I know he still wants to pursue his dream, but his responsibilities hold him back.
"Please continue to fight for your dreams, Sean. Life is too short to spend your time doing the things you don't love," I mumbled.
He smiled at me and held my face. "You're the best dream I reached, Myrtle. I can't believe I'm marrying my first love," he solemnly said in a low voice.
Why do his words make me flutter?!
"Sean, you're too close," I muttered. I felt like he was going to kiss me.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot I couldn't kiss you." He moved away and tilted his head to depart his gaze.
"That was the goat that caught me yesterday!" Sean suddenly screamed and pointed at the white goat.
Hah, now I know Sean's fear.
He fears goats!
"Stop yelling! You're such a big guy afraid of baby goats! Hahahaha!" I laughed at Sean and teased him. He's just so fun being scared because of a baby goat.
"Uncle Sean?"
Sean and I looked back and saw my brother, Henry, pulling the hem of Sean's shirt.
Why does Henry call Sean uncle? Is Sean looking like he's in his forties or something?
"What is it, cute brother-in-law, Henry?" Sean knelt down and patted Henry's head.
"Do you know how to make a kite?"
Sean and Henry went to make a kite while I went to play with Rita and Jessa. I missed my siblings so much, and I had to spend more time with them before getting married.
Right, I'm already getting married.
I'm no longer a child who used to run along with the fields and play with the mud and rain.
It sucks. I want to go back to being a child again. No problems, just fun, and hope.
"You're so good at this, uncle Sean! You can marry my sister Myrtle!" I heard Henry's voice.
Rita and Jessa ran towards them, and they all played the kites. I watched them as they laughed like there was nothing else to think about. They were so pure and blissful.
Then I looked at Sean, who was happily playing with them too.
My heart is thumping.
Sean looked at me with his eyes, blue as the ocean. I didn't look away.
He opened his mouth and said something.
"You're beautiful."
Even if he was meters away from me, I heard him.
I heard him through the fields.