I tell God about him. There's a place in my prayer that only belongs to him.

❥⁠˙⁠๑

Her

Her heart gets comforted with peace that her husband is here but in a second, his presence becomes the reason for the tickles that her heart bears.

"Adam." She gets up from the vanity, turning to behold him. The small movement causes the silk of her nightgown to whirl a bit. She sees him standing upright before the door, looking down at her with a blank expression.

She may not be as skilled as him in reading eyes but she knows what they hold and what they hide.

"You haven't slept yet?" He asks casually, pushing himself away from the door. He can't ignore the sweet fragrance of flower petals spread over their bed, which dominates the room. Along with that, he notices the pyramid of gifts they received at their wedding. But all that excites him to nothing. He ignores them like ignoring the air. His steps take him to where he can hang his jacket while he asks another question, "And I thought Barak would be with you?"

Evalena stands silently, watching him sitting on the bed and removing his shoes. His back is towards her. He doesn't look at her but surely expects answers from her.

"I was waiting for you," her soft voice caresses his ears as she reasons with him, getting his attention as quickly as the answer ends.

Under the warm glow of their room, his eyes glow with softness. They don't shut her up. Instead, they allure her soul into giving in to answer his second question. That's how hypnotizing they are.

"And Barak is with Elle." A tint of pink kisses her cheeks which doesn't go unnoticed by Adam as she continues, "She suggested him, considering we'll be spending time together."

He sighs, looking away. Sitting straight but not wishing to look at her as if he wouldn't be able to bear the ink of sadness coalescing into her eyes if she heard what he would come to speak next.

"Eva, it'd be better for you not to expect anything from me except for the respect and honor that I'll give you no matter what." And as he supposed, her heart sank into the pit of the blues. However, he can't see them, which encourages him to continue, "It hurts when expectations break. It shatters the heart, and faints the soul."

With that said, he gets up and walks into the bathroom, eschewing to look at her. He knew if he did, guilt would come to oppress him and he already bears enough. Doesn't he know how poisonous guilt is to the withered soul and troubled heart? He knows that, all too well. And he isn't ready to bear any more of it.

Once she hears the faint clicking sound that indicates that the door has closed, she swallows the hurt that aches too bad.

He says she shouldn't have expectations with him but he doesn't know she expects more than that, and she wonders, how would it feel to be loved by Adam. For Adam is the only man she has dreamt of.

She hears the sprinkling of water that comes from the bathroom, indicating him taking a shower.

She comforts her heart and walks towards the huge bed in the middle of their room. All the while, making her hair into a braid. She sits on the edge of it, not knowing what to do because sleep doesn't come to sit heavily upon her eyelids, no matter how tiring the day was for her.

"Am I really so unlovable that my husband can't even let me dream of it from him?" She asks, knowing very well that the Omnipresent hears her. And she wants the answer. "What more do I ask except for him?" She sighs, enjoying the moment she has gotten unearned.

She leans against the headboard of the bed. The fleecy back comforts the muscles on her back. She takes a pillow and puts it in her lap, mumbling, "I know You listen to me; is there any place Your Spirit isn't present? I know You're with me for You've promised not to leave me, nor to forsake me. How can I lose my hope? You're the One Who created us and loved us unconditionally, and..." And her throat constricts because the emerging emotions from her heart surface in her eyes.

The door opens and Adam walks out. She hurtles to wipe her cheeks so he can't see her moistened eyes, and she's successful in it. Because she already turned off the main light. It was the only lamp beside her that was glowing to illuminate some space, but not on her face.

"Aren't you sleepy?" asks Adam, walking around the room in search of something she doesn't know.

She carefully lets her eyes catch a glimpse of him. He is drying his hair with a towel while opening his cupboard to take out something.

"No." Her voice is low and she doesn't consider answering him again in case he doesn't hear her. "Have you had your dinner?" She asks, watching him take out a prayer mat. She thanks her voice for not wavering before him, and the darkness in their room to hide her face.

He prays. She can't help but muse.

"Yes. Aaron arranged it in the middle of our stint." He puts the towel in its place, coming back to fill a glass of water for himself.

She looks up at him as he stands tall beside the bed, drinking water. Her eyes can't help but watch him and she admires him in her heart. He is so fine with everything he does, she observes him leisurely.

"Very well." Her lips stretch into a small smile but deep inside, her heart is shaking—on the verge of bursting into tears.

He hums. "If sleep comes, you can turn off the lights," he says and steps away to spread the mat and sit upon it. On his knees, as she sees him. He closes his eyes and starts to pray under his breath.

She, too, gets back to where she left it but as she watches her husband, she feels ashamed to remain sitting on the bed. So she gets down, covers her head with a scarf, and gets on her knees on the other side of the bed where a mattress already spreads, convenient to her knees. Her face is opposite to Adam's direction and she closes her eyes to pray, and not a second passes when tears start sliding down her cheeks.

That was it she was holding for so long.

Though she prays from the bottom of her heart, her voice can't be audible to Adam who prays in the same room. Her lips move with each petition she puts before her Lord but no sounds come out. Tears keep rolling down unless her heart feels light and her mind, a bit dizzy. She doesn't realize the hours that pass but when she peels open her eyes, she checks she has spent three hours, seeking comfort in the divine presence of her Savior.

She plops her mobile on the bed and wipes away the tears that still stain her cheeks. And when she gets up on her trembling legs as they become like jelly after spending hours in the same position, she notices Adam still on his knees, praying.

She doesn't make any noise, lying over the mattress on their bed, not bothering to remove the flower petals that decorate the satin sheet. She pulls the soft quilt upon her body and before falling into a slumber, she spends her time watching him whispering his petition under his breath like she did. But he takes his time.

She wonders what he prays about for so long. Is she there somewhere between those words to his God? Does he even think about her while praying? How beautiful it feels to be in someone's prayer, right? To her, in Adam's.

Though she doesn't know this all, she finds her wishful thinking to be sweet and deceptive.

And as her thoughts occupy her mind, her eyelids start getting heavy and she falls asleep.

The next time her eyes open, she finds Adam sleeping beside her. He is facing her and sleeps peacefully. His face is not very near to her. She knows he decided on sleeping at a suitable distance so it wouldn't render any mess. But still, her eyes, obstinate as always, don't give up the luck to behold him closely as how handsome and magnificent she calls him the creation of the Most High.

Not a lie though.

Inclining closer and holding her breath, she begins skimming her gaze through his masculine features. From his bold eyebrows to his beard chin. Her hand itches to cup his cheek and run her thumb over his lip but she restrains herself.

Like a squirrel, she gets her mobile, opens the camera, and takes a selfie with him. She stares at it, especially his face. Her heart jumps inside her chest and the sweet feeling gets visible through her smile. She grins, thinking she looks stupid but who cares?

He doesn't know anything of which she does but to her, she finds her morning blessed. So with a hearty smile, she leaves her bed and prays. She prays with a happy heart, praising God and telling Him things she never shares with anyone. Especially him. She talks to God about him.

❥⁠˙⁠๑

She peels off the towel from her hair and squeezes water from the end of her tendrils so they won't damp the floor. Her hair dangles over her shoulder and once done, she holds them in a fist and tosses them back with a sigh.

However, it seems to disturb someone as the small groan by her husband reaches her ear.

She veers around, finding Adam standing at a reach from her though she could see him through the mirror that was in front of her. His arm raises to his face as he rubs his eye gently and she eventually learns she flung her hair at his face. Though he wasn't too close, the length of her hair was long enough to reach him.

"I'm sorry," she says in a low voice, tone laced with remorse.

"It's okay," he says, still toiling with his eye, unable to open it. But she isn't positive.

She holds his forearm. "Don't rub your eye and lemme help you," she offers. His arm stands still but he politely rejects. However, she insists, "No, lemme do it, Adam." And he loses it to her.

She makes him sit on the chair that is positioned in front of the vanity. She keeps her hair on one side and treats his eye gently like the way it should be treated. He keeps his hands away while she gently compresses them with cool, soothing his eyes immediately.

"Is it okay now?" She asks, looking down at him. Concern shines in her eyes and she can't help but drown in the chasm of his honey eyes when he peers open them. His eyelashes are wet. Through the wide-opened glass doors that guide to the balcony, luminance enters through them, letting her look into his eyes in daylight and she has to admit they are a rare sight. His eyes are like molten gold, amid which, his pupils are like two black holes, drowning her until she has lost herself in them.

But the moment doesn't prevail long.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he says, lowering his gaze to look anywhere but her eyes.

She feels her cheeks heating up in embarrassment. She quickly withdraws, standing upright and putting away the compressor she used for his eyes.

"Ah, v-very well then." She bites her tongue for stuttering. Getting caught red-handed wasn't enough so she got caught stuttering like she was lying to him, too.

Adam doesn't comment on it and vacates the chair. As soon as he is away from her sight, she sighs. She looks up at herself and finds her face blooming pink. Great. She embarrassed herself on the very first day after her wedding.

Pushing the tendrils of her hair behind her ear shell, she holds her cosmetics to make herself representable before she leaves the room. Getting her eyes done, she fetches her lip gloss to paint her lips when she sees Adam putting a black velvety box before her.

"Your gift. I forgot to give you this last night." She hears him say while putting on the lip gloss that enhances her lips. And she can't oppose a smile that spreads.

"Thanks." She places down the glass container and holds the box. She opens it and finds a gold necklace inside. The chain is delicate as she takes it in her hand, and through it hangs a heart that is a precious stone. It's not hard to recognize what gemstone it is. She marvels at it.

"Did you like it?"

"Did you find it?"

They look at each other in quest of their answers and their eyes collide. Not as they expected. And it causes them to look away for they know if they yield to what their heart says, they'll end up sinking into each other's eyes like lovers with their love undefined.

"Yeah." He scratches the back of his neck, looking down at her hand that holds the flimsy chain. "I thought you'd like it," he says softly as a small smile captures his lips. He knew she would like his choice because he recollects her telling him in her childhood that she was fascinated by gemstones. Diamonds are one of them.

"I loved it." She smiles heartily. "So precious to me," she almost whispers to herself, turning around and checking herself in the mirror while putting the necklace on her neck when a small realization starts to sink into her.

"Adam?" She calls his name even though he stands beside her as they share the mirror. He hums, clasping the upper button of his light blue shirt. "Would you mind..." She trails off, showing him the necklace. He gets the clue and nods at her.

Her lips stretch into a grateful smile. He smiles back and his eyes feel warm. So warm that she feels safe when he is around.

He smiles so often. She can't help but muse.

He takes the chain from her hand and holds it gently. She turns around, holding her hair above her shoulder. The small movement of hers makes her floral fragrance fuse into the air. The whiff of it hits him and he finds himself calling it lavender.

He stands behind her to put the chain around her neck and the metal feels cold to her skin but the moment the feathery touch of his fingers traces her skin, sparks erupt within her, setting her skin on fire.

She looks up at him through the mirror, wanting to steal a glance but fate plays its own game as the same moment, he looks up at her and their eyes collide with such a vigor that their hearts conspire to beat in harmony.

She fails to look away and so does he. Their intensity starts to anchor to the point they meet together but at the same time, a knock interrupts them, breaking their moment of reverence in a beat.

❥⁠˙⁠๑

Time passes and the evening comes. As her mother-in-law told her, their house gets decorated because of the function they are about to attend. From inside to out, it shines and is decorated by net curtains and flowers for Adam and his wife. Guests arrive and fill the place with their presence but still the couple hasn't graced the place with their presence.

"Daddy," says Barak in a low voice among men who stand like towers around him and his father. He tugs on his finger along, making sure he listens.

Adam looks down at the soft call. He smiles at his child who is looking at him with his big ocean eyes. Those ocean orbs remind him of none other than his late wife. He loves those eyes.

"When will Mama come?"

Adam steals a glance at the grand stair that leads to the floor. The door of their room is still closed, letting him figure out she may be still busy getting ready. After all, they are throwing a huge party. She's got a gentleman as her husband who earns well and is the eldest son of one of the wealthiest families in the country. That's what the world knows. She's Adam's wife and she needs to flaunt it to the world.

He lowers his gaze back to his dear son, answering him, "She will be here very soon. Just wait a bit."

"You will bring Mama, right?"

To his innocent question, a hum comes from his friends who stand in his sight. They give Adam a knowing look which he dismisses.

"Yes, I will bring her with me," says Adam, a promise to his son. Barak smiles dazzlingly, nodding his head, and once again, Adam gets into the conversation while Barak finds his company with his friends invited there.

Half an hour passes and finally the dearly waited person attains their alert, along with Adam's friend who nudges him gently to make him look at his wife who stands at the grand stair, escorted by his sister and her friends.

She is wearing a white lehenga with deep craftsmanship. Her hair is tied into a bun and on her head, there is a veil. Fortunately, it doesn't cover her countenance like before and the smile on her glossy lips is seeable to his eyes. But what makes the tip of his ears become pink is when her eyes search for someone particular until they land upon him and rest there like they found their haven.

"Go and get your bride," his friend reminds him purposely with a sly look on his face. His smirk doesn't conceal either.

Adam rolls his eyes and walks up to his wife as he promised his son. The little boy looks at them, admiring them. Aren't they his dearest couple? His blue eyes twinkle like always when he sees his father going to his mother.

"Your mom and dad are matching!" Barak's friend remarks as they too behold the couple.

Barak's grin falters as a scowl substitutes it. "I, too, am wearing white!" He retorts, pinning back his friend with his simple glare.

Evalena watches Adam approaching her. Her eyes don't leave him. He is her favorite sight—it's apparent now to everyone. Her eyes can't hide and she knows it but overlooks every time he's around. Like now.

"Mom, Elle, please excuse us?" He tips his head like a gentleman. His mother smiles before holding her daughter's hand and leaving. Evalena and Arielle's friends, too, leave and shortly, they are alone.

He stands beside her and glides his hand down her arm. Their skins meet and the influence he has on her is fiery. Every time he is close, she feels her heart pounding inside her chest and her stomach getting tickled within. A giddy feeling takes over.

He gently drives up her bangles to hold her hand, interlacing their fingers. The touch is warm and makes her feel safe. Her heart is at ease but her face is warm and pink. Such a gentleman she has gotten, no denying. She downcast her eyes upon their hands and a thrill of adrenaline troubles her within in a sweet way.

What are you doing to me, Adam?

"Barak was waiting for you. Now I see why it took you time." She hears him say. A quick route to obtain her attention. She peers up at him, wanting him to continue which he does, "It was worth it."

"You mean to say I look gorgeous?" She arches her brow, glancing at him.

They start walking ahead but she doesn't supervise to look forward because she relies on him, and he doesn't break that confidence in him. He would never.

She watches his lips curl into a small and sweet smile that wreaks havoc in her chest. Poor heart. He nods his head, admitting he meant it. His heart knows all too well. He doesn't hide it.

A chuckle escapes her mouth. "Though the freckles on my face are still visible," she says with a huff, signifying her disfavor towards her freckles, and continuing, "...you can flatter me directly." He steals a glance at her. "Or you're too shy to say that, Professor." She bites her bottom lip to prevent herself from chuckling again.

As they reach at the bottom of the stairs, Adam arcs his brow at her. The look on his face entertains Evalena.

However, the amusement doesn't last long when he holds up his arm and touches her cheek. Feather touch makes her lose her heart. Her eyes flutter when he leans closer to her ear. And sparks fly when he says, "You're altogether beautiful, Doctor, there's no flaw in you." 

❥⁠˙⁠๑

A/n:- How was the chapter to you?

Hope I didn't take much time.

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