SWEET MEMORIES II

Kaye woke up in the middle of the night. She look around the familiar place of her living room, with the television still on. She felt dizzy.

She was about to stand so she could turn off the television when she felt something heavy on her lap. Looking down, she saw Ivan's face pressed on her belly and his arm was hugging her waist, sleeping soundly.

"Oh my gosh. What the hell happened? Wasn't he leaning on my shoulder?" she was slapping her face softly trying to remember things but there was none.

She turned off the television using the remote and looked at the person sleeping on her again. "Ivan, wake up." she shook his shoulder slowly to avoid shocking him, but he only burrowed his face to her belly, his hot breath itching her.

"I'm still sleepy, Therese." he groaned, murmuring the words to her. Kaye didn't know what else to do aside from pushing him off, but that seemed so heartless of her.

"Still calling her name when you're with me, so cruel." she pinched his face lightly while talking to the sleeping Ivan.

"You're young mistress is so clueless." Ivan murmured again.

"Oh, you sleep-talk?" she laughed at him while caressing his soft hair. "But those words sound familiar to me." she stopped stroking his hair and tried recalling some memories, but those that happened in the past were locked away aside from the ones she treasured. "That's right. Someone told my cat the same thing. I didn't really know what he meant." Kaye looked at his face once again. She touched his eyebrows, his eyelashes, his nose and when she was about to touch his lips, her hand stopped mid-air.

"Why did I meet you, instead of him?" she asked the question to no one. The apartment was silent with only their breathing and her seldom questions.

Kaye smiled when a memory flashed across her eyes. A beautiful memory that she didn't lock away.

"Come on. We have to continue. We're not done yet." the young Harley said to her.

"I can't anymore. I'm tired. Let's do this some other time." young Kaye looked at him with pleading eyes.

"It's just few rounds and you can't anymore? What about in the future? You'll have to this many times." he grabbed her hands and pushed her back on the bed.

"Can we take it slow? I'm exhausted." she raised her head to look at him who stook at the side of the bed.

"You said you wanted to learn? Now I'm teaching you. Stop complaining." young Harley scolded her.

"Fine. I will finish this booklet. After this, can we play outside? My hands hurt already." he looked at her hands, then back to her face.

"Fine. We'll stop this for now. Later in the afternoon, we'll have to finish this before you go home." young Harley patted her head. Young Kaye smiled at him sweetly.

"You are the best, Harley. Thank you for teaching me how to read and write." she arranged the books and other things she was using on the bedside table before climbing down the bed.

"Of course I'm the best. I will take care of you and Tomo. What do you want to eat for lunch?" he asked her while tidying up the bed.

Young Kaye walked towards the mini bookshelf in his room and took out a magazine. She flipped through some pages and found the one she was looking for. "Here. I wanted to try these. Will you cook Harley?" she showed him the picture of the food she wanted to eat.

"Chinese Braised Chicken and Mushroom and the other one is Spicy Garlic Shrimp. That's fine. I will ask Auntie to teach me how to cook these. Let's go to the kitchen." young Harley took the magazine on his other hand and held young Kaye's hand on the other, bringing her to the kitchen.

Thinking about it, Kaye couldn't help but laugh softly. Harley used to teach her how to read and write back then. She was a very stubborn student knowing he wouldn't hurt her no matter what she did. That day was the first time he tried cooking as well just because she wanted to eat the braised chicken and spicy shrimp.

"Come to think of it, that dish and the ones Ivan made tasted the same." she frowned after thinking of the possibilities, specially that Ivan has the same last name. "But I don't think that boy's name is Ivan." she negated her idea as well. She thought that it could be just a coincidence so she didn't dwell on it.

She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes so she could get some sleep. She no longer bother the guy who was sleeping soundly, instead she put the pillow on her lap so his head would be comfortable.

When morning came, Kaye didn't know what happened but everything feels like a dream to her. When she opened her eyes, she saw Ivan's face looking down at her. Their situation was reversed. Her head was lying on the pillow placed on his lap while his hands stroked his hair.

"Good morning." she greeted him awkwardly, trying to get up from her sleeping position.

"Good morning, Kaye. How's your sleep?" Ivan was still expressionless as usual but his voice carried some warmth in it.

"I had a good sleep. I'm sorry if I bother you." she stretched her body to wake herself fully.

"Not at all. I was really worried when I woke up sleeping on you. I just helped you sleep comfortably." Ivan also stretched his legs before placing the pillow back on the sofa.

"Thanks. Would you like to get breakfast outside?" she picked up the glasses and bowl they used last night.

"You're not cooking today?" Ivan asked her while walking towards the kitchen following her.

"I wanted to get some sunlight. It's very early so it is not so hot and there will be just a number of people inside the restaurant." she reasoned to him while washing the utensils.

"That sounds great. Let me wash my face and brush my teeth first." Ivan answered her before going to the bathroom, preparing himself.

After washing the utensils, she also went inside the bathroom to brush her teeth alongside Ivan before washing her face.

'Today is a beautiful day.' both Ivan and Kaye thought without each other knowing about it.