Deluge

Deluge
by Yelle dela Cruz

Cruising through smooth roads and halting at stop lights, the soulful song of their favorite band set the mood...the couple went without exchanging words-just meaningful glances every now and then. They both knew words aren't necessary now.

It was dark. Only the headlights are visible. Like a cat, she sensed the first signs of rain. Seconds later, droplets of water were dripping on the windshield. He instinctively switched on the wipers. She urged him to stop the car. The look of surprise in his face caused her to burst out laughing. He loves it when she laughs uncontrollably, then, he was laughing, too.

Without warning, she dashed out in the pouring rain. She loved the rain since she was little, except for the horrifying sound of thunder and the terrifying claws of lightning. Usually he'd get mad at her for rushing out in the rain without an inkling of protection.

And that's what she likes about him, he's always been the protector: masculine, strong, brave. She always felt safe with him.

But now, he didn't utter a word. He rushed out and the rain was pouring harder than ever that it was almost hard to see. He's used to it now. He'd better be. It's been months after he learned to deal with her spontaneity. She's just like that, that's who she is, acting in the spur of the moment, and he learned to play with her impulsiveness.

They were still laughing...and then *silence*. They just stood there fixated on one another, fixated on the beauty of what they shared, this moment. And then those three words came out of those loving lips and she was entranced. She heard him say those words every single day but tonight was different. He said it with so much weight that the gravity of hearing those words sent her falling into his arms.

He held her tiny face in his big hands, just like how a child would hold a butterfly, and she looked into his eyes and wished that this man were the one she spends the rest of her life with.
She found herself on tiptoes and with that kiss, they became one. For just a moment, they weren't two people. They were one…

For the rest of the trip and for the rest of their moments together, she thought that he could be the one.

Months later, as painful as it was, she ended both their dreams.

But then years later, she was immortalizing that one special moment in her life when everything made sense and all doubt was gone. She was trying to put into words something she, of all people, knows words couldn't quite grasp. A trickle of tear slowly runs down her cheek just like the trickle of rain that beautiful July night.