It'll Come Naturally

Annie was puzzled and asked, "Plan?" She rattled her head at what Rain might've meant but, it drew a blank. "W-what do you mean?" Annie asked eventually.

"Don't play stupid with me," Rain demanded, his voice growing stronger by the moment. "Now that I know that I have children, there's no way I'd allow any other man to be called their father but me!" Rain's mind was completely somewhere else from the start. Things were getting confusing, even for Annie. How could Annie tell Huey that Rain was his father if she had let the children call another man Dad?

Annie blinked, "Y-You're not making any sense..." Even Leena could recognize that problem but, unfortunately for Rain, he couldn't. Rain's mind was consumed by his own thoughts that he couldn't think straight.

"I didn't get anything wrong," Rain responded, he seemed to be clenching his teeth in anger. "Didn't you marry another man with my children?." Rain took the glass of water from the table and gulped it down in one go, as if to die the fire that was burning inside of him. Then, Annie responded with a question, "Who told you I was married?" Annie felt upset with Rain's allegations towards her.

It was just like how an old saying went, "If you are out to condemn someone, you can always trump a charge."

That saying completely summarized what was happening between Rain and Annie.

"What?" Rain's eyes widened. Rain couldn't believe what he heard. He felt like his ears were playing tricks on him. Rain shot up from his seat. "Could you say it again?" Rain heard Annie the first time and he just wanted to hear Annie say it, that one line that would end all his suffering.

"I never said that I was married!" Annie exclaimed, she sighed afterwards. Rain always had his habit of always considering that whatever he thought was right and carelessly blamed her for everything but, in reality, she was in the white.

Rain's face immediately lit up at Annie's response. He just couldn't believe it. "You're telling the truth, right?" The colorless world Rain lived in then started to take on vivid colors. Rain hated being in such a monochromatic place. The atmosphere became lighter. His body then began to move on its own as he moved towards Annie. Now he was lost whether he should embrace her tightly or not.

"Why would I lie to you?" Annie smiled at the sight of Rain being washed in relief.

"But what about that guy Fred?" Rain asked. "Who is he to you?" Rain had always hated her mother being so down and trapped in sorrow ever since he was a child. This made Rain extremely cautious about everything and he would never allow himself to make the same mistake that the man had done with his own mother.

"He's just a friend," Annie answered. Annie felt slightly frustrated as Rain didn't believe her and continued to press on about Fred. "Any more questions?"

Rain shook his head and had a smile all over his face. "No. But, do get things packed up tonight. I'll pick you up tomorrow." He couldn't contain his excitement and started to pace back and forth.

"Where are we going?" Annie asked, confused with Rain's statement. Annie was ready to be scolded by Rain. She had prepared herself for that moment but, it never came, which got her completely confused.

Rain then finally answered with a frown, "To my place, of course. My kids are supposed to stay with me, aren't they?"

The atmosphere turned heavy once again with Annie's response. "I don't think I can do that..." Rain talked about the kids and never mentioned her name.

Not even once.

In Annie's mind, Rain only reacted like this for his children. Annie found it odd that he remained calm and collected when she told him she wasn't married but, whenever they talked about the children, Rain couldn't keep himself calm and would react intensely.

Rain then turned to Annie. "Give me a reason and I'll think about it." Rain thought differently. He thought he made his words clear. When he mentioned that he'd pick them up tomorrow, he meant that the two of them should live under one roof and raise their kids together. But, as an old saying goes, "A woman is much more sensible than a man."

"I think we need to ask the kids about this," Annie started. "They need to be the ones to choose who they want to stay with." Annie wasn't an arbitrary mother. She would always leave the choice to her children.

"What are you talking about? Are you not coming with?" Rain asked and started to grow confused. Even though Rain was an illegitimate child, he was blessed enough to get whatever he wanted. Sometimes, his mind always failed to see the most essential thing. "Could I really?" Annie asked, her expression looked bitter. "Don't you think that it'd be strange if I go with you?" Annie wasn't pushing Rain to make her a promise. Annie just honestly felt that it would be peculiar if she had suddenly moved in with Rain and lived with him under the same roof.

"Strange?" Rain repeated, he started to frown. "You're their mother. Why would that be weird?"

"Even though I am their mother, I..." Annie paused for a second before she continued. "I still feel like that explanation sounded forced..." Annie bit her lower lip and began to think to herself, 'If being the kids' mother is the only reason why he's taking me with him, I'd rather refuse.'

"So, what do you want?" Rain's tone was heavy. He looked straight into Annie's eyes. Rain didn't want to lose her again. "If you really want to be my wife then I have no objections."

"If you just said that for the kids, then save it," Annie remarked, her tone firm. Annie still had her dignity and she wouldn't let anyone trample all over her just because she loved Rain with all her heart. She had a bottom line.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

Rain looked at Annie. "What do you mean?" They had never opened their hearts to one another. They were always doubting and misunderstanding each other everytime they talked.

"Rain, don't lie to yourself," Annie sighed as she massaged her temple. "You don't love me and I'm completely fine with that. I just hate the fact that you're pretending that you still do. Marrying me just because of the children isn't something I want." Annie was never picky. She would never mind if she didn't get a fairy tale like proposal or a heartfelt confession. She would always understand Rain and forgive him. But, the last thing Annie wanted Rain to do was to marry her just for the children.

"You don't know me at all," Rain said in frustration, his tone dyed in sorrow. "You wouldn't have said such things to me otherwise." The two had been apart for four years. Rain loved Annie and that was an undeniable fact and so did Annie. But, they never had the chance to open their hearts to each other.

This was why they always had tough conversations.

Both of them acted as if they had closed off their hearts to one another, acting indifferent despite their hearts screaming otherwise.

Silence dawned upon Rain and Annie, as if everything was still.

Then, Annie broke the silence with a simple statement.

"You're right." Annie then averted her gaze. "You're more like a stranger to me the more I talk to you."

She took a deep breath and looked up. "I've been wondering for the last few days, whether you are still the same Rain I have loved." Rain's statement immediately made Annie's heart sink.

Annie couldn't help but look back to the time when they just started to get to know one another. Rain kept on running away while Annie kept on chasing him.

Annie loved Rain dearly. But now, Annie grew tired.

She looked at Rain with agony inside her heart, 'Looks like I was wrong to hope things have changed...'

Time might have changed their surroundings and the people around them but, some people still remained idle, unchanged.000000000☐☐☐☐☐