51: Endearment

The seventh and last day of their Mexico trip is about letting go of the built-up tension of their two different worlds.

This time, Drino didn’t contain himself from being carried away with happy tears. They're in a country where no one knows them.

They spend their last day staying and taking a good rest at the hotel. They will be enjoying its amenities before leaving. Having their parents on their trip means their parents need ample rest, so they took a nap while the two are roaming around, appreciating the beauty of the view.

“Looking at the skies reminds me of the Finding the Love You Desire book,” Ashmille shared, wearing a face mask.

She often wears it when it’s just the two of them.

“What book is that?”

“The one the man in the café gave us when we met at the café for my survey questions in college.”

“Oh, that one. How was the book?”

“It talked about how love can be related to the skies. It can be ordinary like sky blue, romantic like rose petals, as cheerful as sunrise yellow, as orange as dawn, or dark ash; it still looks like a sky. Love can be seen in different colors, but it still has the same perspective.”

“That’s some nice perception of skies and love. After reading that book, have you found the love that you desire?”

“I only noticed that the love I desired had found me long ago.”

“What do you think of me?”

“You're my pressure cooker. You soften my hardened heart.”

Going back to their home country made them realize that no matter where they go, they have their own bubble. It is a world where they accept each other, and no opinions of other people would affect negatively their romantic relationship.

They say one of the ways to get to know your partner deeply is to go traveling with them. Ashmille has seen and knows more about Drino from this trip. While Drino is gradually reading through her emotions and understands her better. Not only has this country broadened its perspectives on how big the world is, but it has also broadened its perspectives as a couple.

“Why do I feel like we’ve been a couple for years?”

“Maybe because we’ve known each other since college?”

“Can be. But there’s something more to it. I feel like we’ve been through a lot of trials already when we’ve been together for only 3 months.”

“Maybe this trip has made us more mature than ever.”

“I think so too. You’re right. This 7-day trip has given us challenges as a couple.”

She nodded.

“You’re the only person who calls me Alejandrino and not Drino. Alejandrino’s too long for a normal person’s name, and it feels distant that not even a stranger would prefer to call me that.”

“Why didn’t your parents name you Alejandro?

“They want a more complicated name.”

She scoffed.

“The first time I heard your name, it made me smile because it sounded so cute. And the face of the name who owns it didn’t disappoint. She’s even cuter.”

She blushed so hard that she covered half of her face with the back of her right hand.

“S-Stop it…”

“It’s the truth. Ash…mille. Ms. Ashmille Feder, Ash…”

“Well, for me, I thought your name was intimidating. Like it was some sort of an old boomer man’s name.”

“Hahahahaha!” Drino exploded with laughter. He laughed so hard his face turned red.

“Hey, I’m not joking.”

“I know…” He forced himself to stop laughing. “I’ll tell Mom and Dad about this. I’m sure they’ll laugh so hard like I did when they hear this.”

“Come on, is it that funny for you?”

She got scared she might offend Aleya and Handro, Drino’s parents, who combined both of their names for their only son.

“Did I disappoint your expectation that I wasn’t a boomer like my parents?” He’s mocking her and himself.

She chortled at his clever joke. “If you are, then we wouldn’t meet.”

They went silent. She gazed at him for being quiet. He was already looking at her.

“So, which is more disappointing? That I am not a boomer or that I was a Gen Z?”

“W-What kind of question is that?” She dodged his question. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“For me…” He fixed his eyes on hers. “No, I don’t want to be born in three generations earlier than you.”

“See? No need to ask that.”

“Not only am I glad that I was born, but I also feel blessed to be born in the same generation as you.” He said in a genuine tone with a straight face, as if he didn’t burst out laughing a while ago.

“Y-You don’t have to say it that way…”

“I want to hear from you, too. What do you think of us?”

“Of course… I feel the same way,” she whispered shyly, avoiding his alluring eyes.

“What is it? I didn’t hear the words after ‘Of course,’” he teases her.

He leaned closer, bringing his ear near her mouth to catch her words.

“I said,” She’s hesitant to say it, but she’s trying. “I l-love…”

“Okay, love what?”

“I-I lo-Ah! Never mind.” She twitched away from him. “Are you an old boomer to be deaf?”

She walked fast to avoid getting more embarrassed by him.

“H-Hey, Ashmille!” He poked fun at her. “That’s not fair.”

He pats her head and smiles softly.

“I’m actually uncomfortable calling you by your first name.”

“Do you prefer calling me by my surname?”

“Of course not. I might be calling your parents if that’s the case. And it feels more distant than calling you by your first name.”

“We did that in elementary. Our adviser required us to call our classmates by their surname, so it’s no surprise for me.”

“I’d like to have an endearment. You know, since we’re officially official, don’t you think?”

“Sounds cute… I might not have used to think for a few days of calling each other with romantic nicknames.”

“I like how you called endearments as romantic nicknames.”

“What would you like me to call you then, instead of Alejandrino?”

“Speaking of that, you’re the only person in college who’s calling me that instead of Drino.”

“I felt like only the people you’re close to are acceptable to call you by your nickname, like Anthasia and Terryl.”

“Where did that idea come from?”

“It simply doesn’t sit right with me to call you Drino, too, since we never really had an interaction before thesis days. And as I mentioned, your name sounds intimidating. Besides, my first impression of you is that you’re a goofball, free-spirited, extroverted yet distant type of a guy.”

“All of them are correct except for the last one. I am no longer distant from you because…” he raised the tip of her right pointed finger and made her touch his right cheek. “You can reach me with the tip of your finger.”

She chuckled. “Literally”

“And figuratively”

“What a sweet talker you are.”

“To be fair, your intuition is right. I now know why you couldn’t call me Drino.”

“And the reason for that is?”

“People who are close to me call me Drino, like my parents, friends, and relatives. But since you’re now my significant other, it means we’re now closer to each other. So, we deserve an endearment. Not first names, not family names, and not the conventional nicknames, but romantic nicknames.”

“O-Okay. If you really want it. I heard it seems popular among couples.”

“Yup, and we’ll ride with that trend!” he said excitedly like a kid who was given a lollipop.

“How about the combined names we did in the airport for the Mexico trip?”