Chapter 12

Flower fields, hibiscus-colored skies, they bask in complete serenity. Two hearts, one life, enjoyed in a lifetime. They frolic, they mingle, hearts interwined with each other, they refuse to let go.

", I made you coffee! Just the way you like it!~" He spoke, walking to the woman painting flower beds and orange sunsets, he gave her a loving kiss on the cheek before placing the cup of coffee on the makeshift table next to her, his other hand slither its way to her waist and giving it a gentle squeeze. She leaned into his touch, almost melting into it. It felt so right to be in his arms, she felt so complete, so whole.

"Took you long enough, ." She replied, reciprocating his affection with a shy kiss on the bottom of his chin, unable to reach his cheek. She still can't get used to the amount of love he selflessly pours to her, it was overwhelming, in a good way of course.

"Keep saying that, or else I'm never making coffee for you again."

"I merely jest, you make such amazing coffee, the best things comes to those who wait after all. I wouldn't mind the wait, as long as you make it."

Leaving a quick kiss on her forehead, he turned to look at what she's drawing. It was her mother's garden, with two figures standing in the middle of it, he was yet to discern who the two figures are, but he could tell the two are making some kind of flower crown.

"It's not finished yet, but it was supposed to be you and I."

Of course it is, it was where the two of them had their first quote on quote "". And also the place he proposed to her, albeit out of the blue and extremely unprepared.

"Well, it looks beautiful already, ." He complemented, smiling at the fond memory that flooded through him.

"Would you ever make a better constructive criticism other than '' or '' or even the ''? As much as I absolutely adore the complements you throw at me, I don't feel like I would be improving from it." She told him, nearing him and the canvas she was painting on. Her fingers lightly fluttering on his back before standing next to his side, a meek request for a side hug.

"I don't think I have the ability to do so, . Your skills is as amazing as it is already! You're my perfect little moon."

His arm making it's way to her waist, his thumb gently rubbing small circles on her side whilst she leans on his shoulders, basking in his warm inviting touch.

"It is human nature to strive for perfection, to strive to better themselves. Therefore I'd naturally would want to improve in my strengths, or else what else would I be if without my strengths?"

"You'd still be mine, obviously."

"Of course, of course, . I am always yours in this life and the next infinite lifetimes that comes after."

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise."

The two vowed to each other, linking their pinkies underneath the setting sun. Their love was immesurable and overflowing, that the heavens above took pity on their mortal souls and blessed them.

For wherever they may be, no matter how far, nor how near, fate and love would always lead them back to each other.

"How I wish this moment would last." Murmured he, his emerald eyes shimmering as they filled with sudden saddness, hugging his beloved a little tighter. He knows that none of this is real, he could feel himself slowly slipping away, he doesn't want to let this go yet. But he has to.

"Never stop trying, even if it feels that all is lost. If nothing else, we have the present moment." She told him, her voice slightly echoing as he slips in and out of consciousness. She held his cheek, forcing him to look at her amidst the blurriness.

"I'd be waiting for you in reality, and in your dreams, . Now it's time to wake up, you have a long day ahead of you."

He opened his eyes, only to see the familiar sights of his bedroom. Lately, he's been having similar dreams such those these past few nights. Dreams of a domestic life with her, like making dinner, helping her tend a garden, washing the dishes, so on and so forth. Yet for some reason the house that they're living in that dream was not the Casita nor her home, it was a different house each time. It was that odd detail that made Camilo mildly confused. It was almost as if it wasn't a dream to begin, but instead someone's memory.

Covering his eyes with his arm, he groaned, woefully wishing that dream was reality instead. Begrudgingly, he stood up from his bed and made his way downstairs to eat something.

Warmth, how very warm. Tepid heat gently interwining with his hands as he hovers it above the freshly made coffee that he just brewed, it was only now that he gained the habit of making coffee for himself every morning to start the day. He loves the smell of coffee nowadays, it always reminded him of her— her warmth, the scent of coffee that somehow follows her wherever she goes, he absolutely adores it.

Taking an experimental sip on his coffee, touching ever so lightly upon his lips.

, he mumbles to himself with a sigh. He wants to replicate the exact same thing that she makes, shifting to her can't suffice anymore– it doesn't feel authentic, he wants to be closer to her, to feel as if she was right beside her. What a shame he can't mimic their skills, though.

"This is the 4th time you've sighed this morning, Camilo."

With a yelp, Camilo switched to his beloved friend for half a second before switching back to himself. He whipped his head to the side and glared to the person behind him only to see Mirabel, her face adorning an amused smirk upon seeing her cousin's reaction.

"Oh thinking about her again, I see. Just a little cousin...ly advice, just confess to her already, primo. It's been almost a year— aaaand Pepa is getting impatient, she wants her precious soon-to-be daughter-in-law to come home very soon~"

"Okay first off, I wasn't thinking about her—"

Just as soon as those words left from his mouth, Mirabel crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, clearly unamused at the obvious false statement that Camilo shamelessly spilled out of his mouth.

"And secondly, I only see her as a friend!" Camilo continued, closing his eyes whilst taking a sip of his warm coffee. Whereas Mirabel cackled at the words that came out from his mouth.

"Wow, okay Mr. ''! You wouldn't mind if I date her then, right?"

"You wouldn't, Mirabel." Camilo rebutted, his voice almost certain that she wouldn't dare do such a thing.

"You're right, I wouldn't. But that doesn't mean that there won't be other people out there who wouldn't try to snatch the girl of your dreams right under your nose, Camilo." She warned the boy, flicking his nose as she spoke before walking away.

"Time awaits for no one but itself after all." Mirabel is wise for someone in her age, Camilo would oftentimes forget. Most people said that wisdom comes with age, however, Camilo would beg to disagree, wisdom comes with experience. A sheltered adult would not know what it's like to be a poor orphaned child, a husband would not know the pain of child birth as well as his wife could, and so on an so forth.

Yet he couldn't find it in himself to tell the her what he felt about her. Camilo is afraid what she might think or say, he's scared that it might ruin everything that they had, their friendship.

Yet his heart couldn't take it, imagining her with someone else, it just doesn't feel right. It's almost as if his heart screams to not let her go, it yearns for her. But in his mind he's aware that she's not his.

"What a strange dream." The girl told to no one in particular, her head leaning against the window pane as she ponders about what she dreamt.

"What did you dreamed about, ?"

"Was on the moon, looking down at earth. And the stars, it looked far more different than what I've imagined it to be, it was absolutely mesmerizing." She replied, her gaze still fixated to whatever is happening outside. Niko and her Papi playing pretend in front of the house, with Niko dramatically falling over and screaming 'curse you, Diego the dog!' whilst her father expressionlessly crawled away on all fours from the scene with a monotone 'woof, woof.'

"That doesn't sound like a strange dream, . In fact it was more of a comforting one."

"No, . That wasn't all, there was a Camilo look-a-like in there too."

"Oh? Are you sure this isn't about your super secret crush on Camilo?"

She finally faced her mother, standing up to fully face her. Her arms slightly flailing around as she spoke and explained her dream to her mother.

"No , he—we were wearing different clothes, we're in a weird house— he kept calling me My dove and little moon or whatever that means. He suddenly kissed me on the cheek, telling me about his day and what not—"

", breathe... C'mon, you can do it!" The mother cut her off, her hands both placed on her daughter's shoulders snapping her out of her rambling. Her daughter is finally experiencing emotions she had never felt before in her years as a young child, on one hand she's happy that her child is finally growing up, on the other she's worried that she might not be able process her thoughts and emotions properly. She fears the she might lose herself in these flooding emotions.

"You really like that Camilo, huh?"

"I... don't.. I don't know..."

Her mother's hand reached her face and caressed her cheeks comfortingly, the daughter's face was flushed with emotions she couldn't quite pin point out. The mother pulled the girl closer to her, caging her in a loving embrace, a silent comforting gesture.

"Oh, , you don't have to know right now. You have all the time in the world to figure it out, there's no rush."

"Okay ... I'll take my time."