Zemira

My birthday had come and gone and it felt like I remember it in blips. The major part of it though; of Leo's proposal, however, stayed so fresh in my memory like it was only yesterday when it all happened.

I turned to Leo's side on the bed, watching him sleep while hogging all the covers. Leo was a messy sleeper. At times, I'd woken up cold because of the way he pulled everything to his side, creating a bunker-like surrounding while sleeping.

My fingers, without any control, roamed over his soft, stubble jawline and into his hair. A soft, dreamy smile appeared on his face. Watching Leo sleep in was a gift. He was always an early riser so these moments, knowing he was dreaming was blissful.

The funny thing about bliss for any person was its longevity. Since Leo's proposal a week ago, I'd been expecting something bad to happen. After so many years of experience, I'd come to understand that happy days wouldn't last long.

For a whole week, nothing bad had happened. Leo kept assuring me, it was my negativity about being truly happy that made me ponder and worry about situations that may not even occur.

"Good morning," in a raspy, smile induced tone, Leo said. His eyes fluttered open, arms outstretched over to my side, drawing me into the warmth of his covers, his body. "How are you up early?"

"I woke up because of this." I pointed towards the cloud of covers that rested on his side and nothing for me. "You keep hogging everything."

"Oh darling," Leo curled his hand underneath my head, his fingers massaging the back of my neck. It was soothing, calming. Sleep inducing. "You should learn how to share. After all, you don't want to be the fiancé who doesn't share covers."

I nuzzled my way into the crook of his neck, nestling in his warmth. "I'll make sure to write that in my vow. In sickness and in cover-hogging health."

"Perfect," he said peppering my head with soft kisses, gently nudging my face away from his chest to look at him. His dancing vision scanned me, running across my face, my hair and down the valley of my nighty. "How did I get so lucky?"

I shrugged, trailing my finger over his jawline. "I don't know. Maybe in the past life, you did something good."

"Or maybe, God wants to punish me for something so he wrapped you up and sent you my way."

"Really," I kicked the lower part of the bed, escaping his hold. The pillow I rested on, now in my hand was flung on his face. "Then you better be punished very well." I smacked his face one more time.

"It's SPARTAAAA...." Leo hollered, grabbing his pillow and maneuvering it to hit my head. "Let the feather bath begin."

Leo ducked from my attempts but I wasn't as fast as I considered myself to be. He grabbed my elbow, pushing me face down on the bed and aligning over my body. His bodyweight crushed me into the pillow, fingers ticked my sides.

I screamed, tried kicking him but he continued. "Stop it. Please."

I was laughing, crying. Bliss.

"Say it. You forfeit," Leo breathed near my neck. Goosebumps trailed. The warmth of his breath, his body taunted me to submit.

"Never," I roared into the mattress.

More tickling.

More screaming.

Woof woof

Romeo's pawn tried penetrating through the gap between the floor and the closed bedroom door.

Woof woof

He tried pawing his way to twist the knob open.

"One sec, buddy," Leo shouted at the door, still laying on top of me and ruffling my hair. "Say you give up, Zem," his fingers trailed over my side, letting me know what awaits if I didn't accept.

"Never."

"You asked for it, gorgeous."

In one quick twist, Leo turned me on the bed, realigning our faces. "Say it."

I nodded sidewise, kicking his right shin. Nothing. He was made of steel.

"Really," Leo's eyebrows bridged. "You're trying to kick me?"

And then it began again. More tickling. More of me shouting, screaming for mercy while my lungs dried without air and with more laughter. Tears streamed from the sides of my face, my stomach hurt with all the laughing but Leo didn't stop.

"Fine, fine," I said, breathing words and twisting my head on both sides. "I give up. You're the champion of the pillow fight."

Like that, Leo moved off my body, blowing air over his fingers as it they were dusty. "Was that so difficult," he said. "Good girl. Now go make me some breakfast, servant."

He sat on the side of the bed, inhaling deeply but keeping his gaze fixed on me. I rose from the bed, a servile head bow, accepting his instructions.

I moved towards the door, pulled it open. As soon as Romeo ran towards Leo, I found my opportunity. I banged a cushion from the chair near the door onto Leo's head and ran.

"Come back here," he shouted. The floors creaked behind me as I ran, Leo in trail. "You're in so much trouble, Zem."

Before Leo could grab me, I ran behind the couch, eying his move. He knew there was no escape for me. I knew I could overrun him into the wash.

"Give up, Zem. There's no way out." Leo panted, winking.

In a sprint, Leo tossed his body over the couch and landed in front of me.

I ran.

He grabbed my arm.

"Lemme go."

"No."

More tickling.

"Leo... no.... no...." I was breathing laughter. Crying happiness. "Sorry, sorry sorrry sorryyyy."

The phone call broke our game. Leo ruffled my hair, I smacked his hand, then ran behind him like a dog while he fetched the call.

"Hmm, this is him," he answered, nodding to himself. I coiled my arms around his back, hugging him. He gripped on my interlocked wrist, humming to whatever the caller said. "Are you kidding me? How?..." Moments of silence. "How was I supposed to know that? Ohh, fucking hell, sure."

"Language," I whispered over his back.

Leo ended the call and tossed his phone on the couch. He turned around in my grip, peering down at me. His serious expressions, pursed lips and disappointed head nods gave away the news.

"What?" I asked.

"Romeo knocked up some dog somewhere. Now the family is asking for the treatment cost."

I tried. I really tried not to laugh at the way Leo narrated Romeo's Casanova act which got him to be a father. Something about the seriousness of his tone, like it wasn't a dog but a human being that his son knocked up, had me fall on the floor and laugh.

Unknown to me, my palms slapped the wooden floors as if I needed to channel my laughter onto something or else I'd burst up.

"It's not funny," Leo protested. That only made me laugh a lot more. Romeo, who ran out by now, nuzzled his way into my palms, wagging hard.

"You," Leo pointed at Romeo, his finger wagging, arresting Romeo's tail wags. With puppy eyes, the animal looked at his master. I bit my lips, probably turning them to a shade of purple. "What have you done?"

I grabbed the dog over my lap, extending his flappy ears to cover my face. "Solly dad, woof woof. But that bitch had it coming. Woof woof."

In a slow-motion, I dropped his ears to look up at Leo. His tensed face eased. A crooked smile, a sigh and that usual head nod reappeared.

"I love you," he said. It caught me by surprise. My eyebrows bridged. Leo knelt near us, uncreasing my forehead and kissing my knuckle. "Stay like this, forever."

"You mean seated on the floor with Romeo? Forever?"

Leo rolled his eyes. I grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him for a kiss. Squished between us, Romeo whined, his chicken breath hitting our faces.

Woof

"Now let's go and see if our little boy's going to be a father... So soon," Leo said, pulling me up from the floor.

"Can we have the whole litter if it's Romeo's babies?"

Leo, who had walked ahead into the bedroom, turned over his shoulder. "What? No. We can't."

"Please. Please. One baby. At least one."

"At least!" Leo turned around, walking back. "How many do you plan on adopting?" Then like thunder hitting at a spot, Leo's eyes widened, understanding flowed in. "Zem, weren't you the one who was getting Romeo his evening walks?"

Crap

I took a step back, grinning my answer. "Noo..."

"I'd remember never letting my dog anywhere near another animal." I could see his detective senses churning up information. The green of his eyes gleamed with an unknown emotion. "There's no dog walker to be blamed." He took another step. My lower back hit the couch, halting my move. I still nodded sidewise. "Also, my darling Zem, how did the owner get hold of my number?"

Romeo and I shared a look. His puppy eyes got him to escape. He dashed into the bedroom, running out with his favorite humping doll - his pillow.

"I don't know," I began. "Romeo must have given it up with his nametag."

"Really," Leo crossed his arms, the bulge of his biceps here irresistible to look away. "And Romeo also gave my name away, I guess. Because that's not mentioned on his tag."

Crap

"Actually..." Before I could weave another lie, Leo began his tickle attack.

The house echoed with my screams. Pretty sure the neighbors might have called in to report a domestic violence issue but that didn't stop Leo from ceasing his attack.

My rescue came with my phone call vibrating off the table. Leo grabbed it, ticking me some more before tossing it towards me.

I drew a deep breath, oxygenating my lungs. Wiping my eyes off the misty covering, I answered.

The voice on the other end was familiar. Too familiar.

My chest pounded. Brain began scrambling instructions and what remained of my calm senses vanished. The news hit me hard, bucked my knees.

"What happened?" Leo held me before I crashed on the ground. My weightless head fell on his shoulder, the loosened grip made my phone fall. "Zem, baby... Look at me."

I didn't hear what he said. If he said something. All I knew were the rebounded last words from the call.

My father had a heart attack.

~
Do you believe that if you are too happy, something bad will happen to end that happiness?

I used to think that...