~*~ Dawn ~*~

“What are you doing up so early in the morning?” He asked and sat beside her.

“I’m waiting for the sun to rise… I’m cold, do you have a sweater?” She answered. She hasn’t slept actually, she couldn’t sleep… rather she doesn’t want to sleep.

He repositioned himself and gathered her in his arms. “I don’t have a sweater but I think this will do.” He said smiling.

“A human sweater eh, yes it will.” She replied and rested herself in his arms.

“Will you marry me?” He asked suddenly. An out of the blue question that made her stiffened.

“No, don’t answer. I know what you will say. I’m just trying my luck.” And gave out a humorless laugh.

“Let’s just do this, if I turned 35 and still haven’t found my prince charming and you turned 41 and still haven’t found your Sleeping Beauty… let’s get married. But beware I’ll be a very demanding wife.” She said half-smiling.

“Fair enough… What are your demands?” He asked playfully.

She wrinkled her nose and said:

“First, my wedding must be fairytale like; I want it grand and must last for three whole days… Second, everyday of our lives, as husband and wife, you must wake me in the morning just to tell me how beautiful I looked without make up and hair disheveled… Third, twice a day you must send me bouquets of red roses which you pick personally and I want the best red roses, mind you… Fourth, you’ll leave everything behind if I called you up because the driver is sick and can’t drive me off to the mall for my monthly shopping spree… Fifth, in the middle of the night and I crave for something to eat, like ice cream or sashimi, you’ll get up without question and buy it for me… Sixth, you won’t say a word if I accidentally used up our monthly budget for a new shoe that I have been lusting on for weeks… Seventh, whenever I cry, instead of asking me why I am crying… you need to cry too, so I’ll know that you kept your vow when we got married… for better or for worse… Eighth, if I cooked you dinner and it tasted bad, you won’t say it even if it kills you and consume everything while telling me “Sweetness, cook for me again tomorrow.”… Ninth, when we get older, and my hair is all white and skin crinkly, you must still tell me how beautiful I still am and you must mean it! Or else I’ll file for a divorce and take all your money along with it…Tenth, in the event that the two of us became sickly and nearing our graves, you must let me die first, simply because I don’t want to be called a widow and I don’t want to be left alone and deal with your death also after I die… you’re not allowed to marry again! Or else I’ll beat you up in the afterlife… Eleventh, you must grieve for my death like no one has ever grieved before and after a week you must die too, it’s a sign that you can’t leave without me… Twelfth, love me every second, every minute, every day, every week, every month, every year of our lives because you really felt it and not because I imposed it… Thirteenth, last but not the least… Semper Fidelis, promise me that…” For a fleeting moment her eyes were clouded with an unidentified emotion.

“Seriously?” He asked in half amusement and half amazement.

“Seriously.” And both of them burst out laughing.