I actually debated with myself whether or not to put up this chapter (and still continue this story lol but I'm forcing myself not to check the numbers), so terribly sorry I didn't get to update over the weekend. Nevertheless, I decided to see this through!
We're almost halfway through the story. Hope you'll stay with me until the end. Huge thanks to those who have so far! It's always encouraging to see that there are actual people who read what I write.
Day 364
March 2019
He planned it perfectly.
It was the first time he ever owned a schedule that wasn't made for him. He even printed it out for reference!
Morning:
- Elphaba at work
- Clues in her apartment
Noon:
- Royal Mall, gift
- Lunch
Afternoon:
- Flower shop
- Marcey's
- Late Afternoon:
- Elphaba arrives
Okay, so it wasn't as detailed as he thought it was, but it was as detailed as he could get. It was for their anniversary; he smiled at the thought.
They never really had an anniversary—or monthsary or weeksary, for that matter. Their relationship grew on its own, blooming and bearing fruit with each moment they spent. But they never really determined what day it all started. So, he decided to celebrate the first time they met in the city. And he would celebrate it with her on the day before the actual anniversary of the said event, so he could really catch her off guard. He was such a genius, or so he thought.
It was a Saturday so he was off work, but even though he would love to catch up on sleep during weekends, he was determined to make this day extra special. They had another argument yesterday because—he would rather forget about that.
He woke up bright and early, and the moment he knew Elphaba would be at work, he hailed a cab and headed over to her place. Using his own key, he unlocked her door and began scattering objects and notes all over her kitchen, dining, living room, and bedroom.
He used a list he came up with a week ago to guide him as he went about the flat. He had ten cards with ten corresponding items each. Each card began with the phrase "Do you remember…" and would ask about one of the things they did together. He hid the cards all around her apartment with the corresponding objects that related to the memory they talked about. He was so proud of his plan, and he hid each card and trinket with a huge grin on his face.
Do you remember Lurlinemas? was paired with a developed photo of the two of them in front of a Lurlinemas tree, both squeezed in between books on her bookshelf.
Do you remember our first kiss? sat with a button pin of a microphone on her TV stand.
Do you remember the picnic? was taped on a folded red gingham scarf he placed on her dresser.
Do you remember the first time you told me you love me? was placed beside a paracetamol on her dining table.
And so on. He was so excited.
After placing all of the cards and small gifts in their hidden locations, he pulled out a full A3-sized paper and drew the floor plan of her apartment with ten X-marks all over it—like a treasure map, drawn by a child. At the top of the drawing, he wrote, "Can you believe it's only been a year?". Then at the bottom, he scribbled a small, "Flip the cards and find me."
Once she completed all the cards, she would have to flip all of them and combine them like a puzzle. The completed picture would point her to his apartment, and they would meet there for dinner.
I'm such a genius, he thought again.
He taped the 'treasure map' on the outside of her door and left the apartment by half-past eleven. He went straight to Royal Mall for lunch and to pick up the most important gift—his anniversary gift, an emerald and sapphire encrusted oval-shaped pendant with a thin white gold chain. He knew she would scold him for spending so much money and effort on the plan and his gifts, but he loved her. And he was determined to show her that. Besides, he'd already saved up for it for a long time.
After lunch and the jewelry store, he went to the flower shop to pick up a bouquet of red poppies, her favorite. Then, he dropped by Marcey's, their favorite specialty café, to bring home food for dinner. It was a busy day, and his mind raced with all the things he had to prepare before he was back in his apartment by sundown.
Placing all the bags of food in one hand, he unlocked his door and pushed it open with his foot. He carefully walked to his kitchen and transferred all the food to plates and proceeded to place them on his dining table. Then, he turned off the lights in the whole apartment and lit several candles all over the dining room. When she enters, she would notice that the dining room was the only place that was lit so she would go straight there, he thought.
He sat on one of the dining chairs with a satisfied smile. Then, the waiting game began.
Fifteen minutes.
Thirty minutes.
One hour.
He waited for almost an hour and a half but still didn't hear her coming through the door. The candles were running out, and his battery was quickly running low while he mindlessly played games on his phone to pass time. He turned to look outside the window, and the sky had long turned dark. He was starting to feel anxious.
She never went home this late, he thought. He scheduled it perfectly; she would've gotten here by now. Did she have a hard time finding the objects? Doubtedly; she's way too smart!
What if she was still at work? What if she was still mad at him? What if she went home and ignored everything because she didn't want to see him? Did something happen to her? He didn't have an answer to any of those.
He stood up from his seat and went to the living room to check the door. She wasn't there. He looked around for any sign that she'd entered without him noticing, but the entire place looked the same since he came home not so long ago. He was about to send her a text—effectively ruining the surprise, but he didn't care anymore—until he noticed something odd. His bedroom door was left ajar.
He approached slowly. Then, from the outside, he could already hear a few snippets of a light snore. And all his anxiousness melted away.
Quietly stepping into his room, he saw Elphaba sleeping soundly on his bed. Her hair was splayed across his pillows and she hugged herself as if she was starting to feel cold without a blanket. He sat on the side of the bed in front of her and watched her peaceful sleeping face. She was so beautiful. For a moment, time seemed to stop; yet the clock continued to tick.
"What did he do to deserve her?" he wondered. There were so many lives he wanted to share with her. And if she would only give him ten minutes a day to spend with her, he would accept it. As long as she was by his side, he could do anything. Or nothing. Whatever it was, at that moment, he knew: whatever happened, she would be the one he would want to sit and wait with as time ticked by.
Slightly surprised at his train of thought, he stood from his place on the bed. But just as he was about to leave her to sleep, her eyes fluttered open.
"Yero?" she whispered.
He sat back down. "Hi, Fae," he greeted as he placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
"You're here!" she said, her voice still heavy with sleep.
"I'm surprised that you are," he responded with a light chuckle. He couldn't believe he didn't notice she was there all along. So much for being a genius today, he thought.
She slowly sat up and fixed her hair. "I got off work early," she explained. "Then I saw the things you put at home and went straight here. But you weren't home yet…"
So much for having a schedule, he thought. And he mentally slapped himself. He hadn't thought about that.
He smiled at her and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Happy anniversary, Fae," he said. And she smiled as she returned the greeting.
"Come on," he continued. "Marcey's is waiting."
Her eyes lit up at the name, and he helped her out of bed.
He didn't notice the cards she accidentally left on his nightstand before she fell asleep.
If you guys remember my AN for Chapter 3 - Day 913, I mentioned something about how some chapters will be way shorter than others. Since we're almost halfway through, I just thought you guys might have a guess as to why already.
So…any guesses? :)