This chapter will feature one of the most favourite characters (through casual observation) in Colours of Our Hair quite heavily. Guess who? ^^
Guess and enjoy!
When something began to diminish, sometimes you found yourself tracing your steps back, trying to find the beginning. And that's what Reine Forrester found herself doing right now:
Why do I fall in love with Neil Forrester?
When she first realised her feelings, long time ago, she had never thought through why because, as the teenager she was, she thought feelings were not something that her head should mess with. But now, twenty-two years older, she found herself trying to rationalise why.
However, she was unable to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion since she couldn't even resolve how did she fall in love with him in the first place.
Neil closed his last file and threw himself on his chair. Reine's saddened face after he decided not to hold her hand kept replaying itself in his mind.
These are the things I wish I could forget.
Neil then made up his mind: he should apologise to Reine. He looked at the clock; she should still be in school. Hurriedly taking his coat, Neil dashed out from his office and to the road, not bothering to use the car anymore.
Reine had a new habit these days; instead of staying back and finished marking at school since she didn't want to bring her work home as much as possible (which was why she usually came home pretty late even by a teacher's standard), she brought half of her scripts back home and came home earlier.
However, today she had a new destination in mind: the pet clinic.
After years of being with him, Reine could deduce the way his mind worked as easily as she would notice an irony in a prose. Thus, despite her disappointment in what he had done yesterday, she understood that he had done it for her. Or so he thought. She should tell him what she thought of this.
She twirled the umbrella in her hand as she walked; an old habit that she had never really gotten rid of. The rain, starting as a drizzle, became heavier in a sudden. Reine was inwardly thankful that she decided to use her umbrella since the beginning.
In her mind, she was still trying to work out how she found herself falling for the blond. While his golden hair became one of their initial bond, that was obviously not the answer.
That was when she noticed the golden hair at the side of the road. Her vision, slightly blurred by the heavy rain, tried to gain a focus on that golden head. Then it became clear to her that it was Neil, drenched in rain.
What is he doing here?
She walked closer, and then she noticed he was picking up something from the ground. Reine held her breath as she realised what he was doing.
It immediately reminded her of him and Pochi.
Reine ran to him, ignoring the pain in her ankle, and put her umbrella over his head. "Geez, Neil! You're gonna catch cold that way!" she chided.
Neil looked at her, obviously confused. "What are you doing here?"
"I was going to your place," she replied. "What are you doing here?"
Neil stared at her, but said nothing. He merely held the dog in his arms carefully, having wrapped it with his coat earlier. Reine smiled understandingly; she began to come to terms with Neil's lapses.
"I have to bring this to the clinic," he says.
"You've never changed, do you?" Reine mused as they began to walk side by side under her umbrella.
Again, Reine witnessed the gentleness in his eyes as he saw the dog in his arms; the same kind of gentleness that had somehow contained the untamed fire inside her over the years and turned it into the kind of maternal warmth that she possessed now; the kind of gentleness he gave to his children as he watched them grow. It was that gentleness that bred her now deep-rooted respect for him.
Unbeknownst to herself, she had resolved her earlier question: how.
That night, Reine found herself unable to fall asleep. Since the incident earlier, she kept thinking about Pochi—arguably their first matchmaker even before Rod. "Neil?" she called faintly.
"Hm?"
She turned her body to face Neil, who was staring at the ceiling himself. "Do you remember Pochi?"
"I do."
"Do you remember… how you guys met?"
"I do."
"Pochi brought us together, didn't he?"
Much to her surprise, he chuckled. "Thanks to your potato chip," he recalled, "He was such a cheapskate."
Reine fell silent and another memory sneaked into her mind.
Having been married for only a few weeks, it still felt awkward to have someone sleeping next to her again. Something then popped up in her mind.
"Neil?" Reine called.
"Hm?"
"What do you think would happen if Pochi was still with us?"
Neil turned and stared at her, "I guess he would be very happy,"
"That would've been nice, right? The three of us can walk together on Saturdays like we used to."
"Nah," he said dismissively, "I bet you would pay more attention to him than me. You always did."
"Are you jealous?" Reine asked, curious.
"He would certainly fight for your attention against me," Neil grumbled. "That cheapskate."
Reine laughed, "He is just a dog!" she exclaimed, amused.
"He is a male dog."
Neil turned his body, now his back facing Reine. Reine smiled, then she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer to her, "You should be more honest about your feelings, you know."
"Whatever."
"Come on, what is there to be shy about?" she cooed.
Neil abruptly turned at her, his face almost looked like a little boy caught red-handed taking an extra portion of cake. "Fine. I'm jealous."
"Hey, Reine."
His voice snapped her back to the present. Somehow, now she was facing Neil. "Yeah?" she asked.
"I… I remember how you cried when you learned Pochi was dying," he said. "That's why…"
Reine held her breath and silence befell them. Reine was about to turn her body when Neil held her still, "Listen, Reine Forrester," he said grimly, "before I forget, I'll tell you."
"…what?"
"When the time comes, sign those papers." Neil said, "For the kids. For us."
This was those rare times when Reine could say nothing against him, mainly because she was trying so hard not to cry, again, in front of the man who had spent years of his life telling her how much of a crybaby she was.
Seems like Neil doesn't forget about the divorce (sorry, Mew-Star-Mew). To think that Reine had just traced her steps back to the beginning...
What do you think will happen next?
The request box is still open: please tell me what you want to know between Neil and Reine during the gap year between the two stories.
Now, you guys can also 'vote up' suggesstions others had already made if you guys want it to be included, too.
please please please tell me what you want through the reviews!
I'll try to fulfill them to the best of my abilities.
Thanks for reading ^^
