SAPPHIRE was leaning on the doorframe when he opened his eyes. Hapi sat up and beckoned her to come over. As usual, she did what she was told.
He hugged Sapphire and pulled her down to bed.
“Hapi…” she groaned.
“Yes?” He planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Do you know what time is it? You should be out of bed by now.”
“Let’s stay like this for a few more minutes, hmm?” He buried his face on her neck and sniffed her invigorating scent.
But Sapphire pushed him away. “I thought you summoned me here to help you clean your messy house.”
“Forget about it.” He pulled her close to his body again.
Hapi loves feeling her warmth.
Sapphire heaved a deep sigh. “I already cleaned your house while you were sleeping. But you must leave the bed now. I cooked chicken noodle soup for you. The noodles will get soggy soon.”
“How sweet of you…”
Hapi finally left the bed. He was heading to the bathroom when Sapphire spoke again.
“Care to tell me why your house was messy?” Sapphire raised her hand. “Don’t get me wrong, Hapi. I know I’m not your wife yet. But I want to know what happened because I care about you.”
He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.
“Mom and Dad came over last time. They quarreled. As I’ve told you I am an illegitimate son, but Mom kept pestering Dad to give me a position in his company,” he explained.
Hapi saw how Sapphire’s expression changed. She looks sad now.
“You—”
“Harold! Mommy’s home!”
Sapphire’s eyes widened as she looked at him. He did not know why, but Sapphire immediately hid under the bed.
SHE HID under Hapi’s bed out of panic. Sapphire was afraid that his mother might have a bad impression of her if she saw her inside his room.
What to do? What to do?
While hiding, she peeked and saw a pair of lady’s shoes. His mother entered the room.
“Harold, my dear,” said his mother. “Did I wake you up?”
“A-ah, no… I… uhm… I was about to take a bath.” Of course, it was a lie. “Why are you here anyway? I thought you’ll go on a beach vacation to unwind after quarreling with Dad.”
She heard the door creaked. Hapi must have entered the bathroom.
Hapi’s mother sat on the accent chair just across the bed. Sapphire crawled backwards because she was afraid that his mom would see her. And then, her hand touched something.
She picked it up, and to her shock, it was Hapi’s underwear. She threw it to the other side, but she must have used a lot of force. It came out under the bed.
Shit!
She saw his mother’s feet move towards the direction of the bed and picked up the underwear.
Sapphire screamed when his mom looked under the bed.
“What’s happening here?” Hapi asked as he ran out of the bathroom.
“Who’s this girl?” his mother asked with furrowed brows.
Sapphire crawled out since she was already caught. Hapi assisted her as she stood up.
“Mom, this is Sapphire. She is my girlfriend,” he introduced her.
Biting her lower lip, she bowed her head.
“You didn’t tell me that you have a girlfriend,” said his mom. “And what is she doing under your bed?”
“I—” Hapi held his hand and gently pressed it.
“Sapphire’s a little shy to meet you,” Hapi told his mom.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to hide from you. Honestly, I was a bit embarrassed because…”
“You don’t have to be shy towards me,” said his mom, who was now smiling at her. “I’m not an old-fashioned mom.” She even winked at her.
Sapphire’s cheeks burned. Perhaps his mother thought that they already did ‘that’ thing.
“Mom, you’re making her blush.”
“A-am I?” She looked at Hapi.
“Ah, why don’t you go to the kitchen with Mom. The noodles will get soggy. I’ll just fix myself,” Hapi said, changing the topic.
“Oh, right!” Sapphire agreed.
She almost ran to the door and headed to the kitchen.
Darn! This is not the first meeting that I imagined…
Sapphire took a deep breath to compose herself. Then, she started preparing the table for breakfast.
Soon Hapi and his mother joined her at the table.
“Oh… you’re a good cook, Sapphire,” his mother complimented her after tasting the food.
“Thank you, Ma’am…” she said with a smile.
“Ma’am?” His mom wagged a hand. “Let’s drop the formality. Why don’t you call me mom too? What do you think?”
Her mouth dropped open.
“I’m sorry about that, Sapphire. My Mom’s kinda straight-forward,” Hapi said with an apologetic smile.
“There is nothing wrong with that,” his mother countered. “That only means that I am feeling comfortable towards her.”
“You do?” Hapi asked with an arched brow.
“Yes. Why, do you think I’m lying?”
“Nope. Your lips aren’t moving,” he said.
His mother turned to her. “Anyway, what do your parents do for a living?”
“Mom—”
“My father died when I was younger, and my mom is sick so she couldn’t work.” Sapphire turned to Hapi and smiled at him. She did not mind telling the truth. Then, she turned her gaze back to his mother. “I grew up in the slumps. We moved here just recently when my mother reconnected with her estranged family.”
“And who’s this family?” His mom’s eyes narrowed.
“The Laurels.”
“Y-you are Raquel’s daughter?”
“You know my mother?”
“Of course!” Hapi’s mother smiled widely and held her hands. “No wonder I feel comfortable with you. Your mother and I are good friends when we were young. Unfortunately, we lost contact when she left home. We should arrange a meal together.”
Sapphire smiled back. “Yes, of course. How about you come over for dinner tomorrow night?”
“That’s great! Tell your mother that her friend Hazel misses her a lot.”
She nodded. “I will.”
Hapi’s mother tapped her cheek and stood up.
“You’re leaving already?” Hapi asked somberly.
“Yeah. I have an appointment with my dermatologist at ten. I’m running late. I’ll see you tomorrow at dinner.” His mom planted a kiss on Hapi’s cheek.
She did the same to Sapphire and left.
“I can’t believe my mother has a friend like your mother,” Hapi remarked.
“Why?” Sapphire cocked her head to the side.
“Never mind.” Hapi wagged his hand.