CHAPTER 21: His Epitome Of Beauty

DARREN’s P.O.V.

We decided to go home right after what happened to Kate. I don’t know why she’s being like this even though we barely even know each other. She look like a broken hearted gal, unable to control her emotions before running away from Claire and I.

“So... What do we do now?” Claire asked out of nowhere.

“Let’s see if she took her car from our house,” I answered as I started the engine.

We drove home, still thinking about Kate. As we reached our mansion’s towering gates, I saw that Kate’s car wasn’t there anymore. Claire rushed outside of the car looking at our parking space.

“Where is she?”

“Don’t worry. I think she went home already.”

“But what if...”

“Calm down, wife.” I held her hand and she did calmed down.

“Darren...”

“Hmm?”

“What if our efforts weren’t good enough? What if she still didn’t believe our act earlier?” I look at her seriously.

“That wasn’t just an act for me, Claire. What I did back there... It was all real.”

She blinked several times, trying to process what I just said to her. Later on, I saw a glint of red slowly crept into her cheeks. She’s blushing right now.

“You know what, you can stay here for a while,” I invited her over. “Besides, this is also for the best. Kate might be still watching us. It’s too risky to came back to your house.”

“What about Alexa and Dad?” she asked, worried.

“Don’t worry about them. I’ll send someone to bring them food and everything. Come on, let’s get inside.”

She just nodded at me. Our maids are in chaos as soon as they saw Claire. As if they’re too excited to see my wife inside of our home again.

“Mrs. Herrera! You’re here!”

“We will prepare something for you!”

I just chuckled as I saw them pulled my wife away from me. With her entrancing beauty, there’s no surprise that everyone who saw her will be enchanted. I let them have their space as I climb up to the stairs. I need to prepare my room. I don’t want her to sleep on a messy place tonight.

I decided to clean my room, not bothering to ask for some help to our maids. I already made up my mind, I want to try cleaning just for once. And it was all because of Claire. I put away all the unnecessary stuffs and prepare my king size bed.

As I was hiding some of my paper works in the cabinet, I saw a picture. A picture that melts my heart. My own epitome of beauty. A photo of my mother. I put it inside of a frame and hang it by the nearby wall.

“Mr. Herrera, dinner will be served in a moment,” one of our maids knock in my door.

“Sure, sure. I’m coming in a minute.”

For a moment, I was pissed because it should have been Claire that called me. But after a while, when I came down from my room, realization hit me. She’s the one who cooked our food, that’s why. I instantly smile as soon as I saw her wearing an apron while standing in front of the stove.

“Mr. Herrera, your wife cooks for you!” one of the maids shouted as if teasing me like a child.

Claire look at my direction before smiling. Then she turned her attention back to whatever it is that she’s doing. I walked towards her, not bothering the loud whispers of our maids. I hugged her from behind and I felt her body stiffened because of what I’ve done.

“Darren...”

“Yes, wife?”

She blushed, hearing those words. How I love to see her being like this. I heard some giggles coming from our audience before one of them finally said the words I’ve been waiting for a long time now.

“Let us leave them alone for now.”

Some of the maids complained as they were enjoying the show but after a while, they finally decided to leave us alone in the kitchen.

“What are you cooking?” I curiously asked Claire, not bothering to let her go.

“Uhm... Pancakes?”

“For dinner?” I asked, confused.

“Y-yeah,” she nervously answered, unsure. “One of your maids told me that this is your favorite food... That’s why... Uhm... M-maybe... I wanted to cook this for you. I’m sorry if it’s not appropriate for dinner but... Y-you don’t have to eat this if you don’t–”

I cut her stuttering words by burying my face on her neck, sniffing her scent as I try to suppress my laughter. Does she really think that I could dare not to eat these pancakes? Indeed it’s my favorite food and she made it so much more special because she was the one who prepared it.

“Why are you laughing at me?” I thought she didn’t heard it, but she did. “I’ll just take these home tomorrow for Alexa and Dad.”

She took some containers from the cabinets but I quickly grabbed her hands to stop her.

“Please don’t.”

“If you won’t eat it, then it will be wasted.”

“And who told you that I wouldn’t eat these?” I asked, raising one of my brows.

“Then why are you laughing at me? I felt like it was an insult.” She pouted.

My eyes lit up at the sight of her pouting her kissable lips. God, she look so cute. I put my hands on her shoulders while staring straight to her eyes.

“Sorry. I just can’t help but to laugh when I heard you stuttering because of worry. Of course I wanted to taste these. Those are my favorite food.”

I smiled at her and she smiled back. I can’t help but to pinch her cheeks because of her adorable look. This time, I felt a natural happiness building up inside of me. I’m pretty sure that whatever it is that I’m feeling right now, it wasn’t just a part of our deal.

“Come... Please have a seat and judge my work.”

She pulled out a chair for me and made me sit. And then she grabbed some plates from the counter.

“You don’t have to do this, Claire. We have some maids, you know. They can help you if you want.”

She didn’t answer me. She continue to serve the food with a smile plastered on her face.

“It’s a wife’s duty to serve her husband,” she stated before putting a plate with three pancakes in front of me.

Now it’s my turn to blush, feeling the butterflies in my stomach as I heard those words coming from her.

“You’re blushing,” she teased me.

“No, I’m not,” I defended myself.

“Yes, you are.”

“Whatever.”

I picked up a fork and took a small piece from one of the pancakes she made. She look nervous, as if I was a judge in a huge cooking competition. I smile at her before tasting the food.

As I put it inside of my mouth, mixed emotions invaded my system. All of those happy and sad memories that me and my Mom shared together... The way she made me laugh whenever I’m sad, the pain when she died... Everything came back to me. And before I knew it, a bead of tear had already escaped from my left eye.

“Are you... Alright?” Claire asked with a worried expression on her face. “Is my cooking that bad that it made you cry?”

I chuckled before wiping the tear on my cheek.

“No,” I simply answered.

“Then what is it? What’s wrong?”

“It taste just like my Mom’s.”

I looked up at her. She’s currently biting her lower lip, pity is in her eyes. I melancholically smile at her. This is one of the best food I ever tasted since Mom left us. I can’t even remember when was the last time I ate pancakes. But because of Claire, I remembered everything.

“Darren... I’m sorry for making you feel sad.” She struggled to pronounced those words.

“No... You made me so happy. Thank you very much, wife.”

Instead of answering, she came towards me and gave me a warm hug. It felt nice, having her by my side during this moment. She planted a kiss at the top of my hair, and I couldn’t deny the fact that I’m so glad right now.

After our dinner, we fixed ourselves before going into my room. Claire already changed her clothes same as me. As we entered into my room, awkwardness and silence filled the empty air.

Moments later, I felt it faded away because Claire saw my mother’s picture. Curiosity is still in her eyes as she traced the frame of it. And I know she’s just afraid to ask me about it because of what happened earlier. But now I’m sure that I’m more than willing to open up my story to her.

“That’s my Mom,” I started.

“She’s beautiful. You look a lot like her,” she said, smiling.

“Do you want to know more about her?”

She look at me unbelievably, before quickly nodding her head.

“She’s great. She’s my everything. I always look up to her when I was a child. For me, she’s the epitome of the word beauty. I couldn’t find any exact words that can describe my mother.

“I was in grade school when my parents’ marriage started to get broken. Then my Dad decided to bring me abroad so that I can study there. My Mom let him take me away from her and I couldn’t understand why. She said that I’ll have a better life with my Dad. If only I knew... That it was the last time I’m going to see her alive.”

I don’t want to look vulnerable in front of my wife but I couldn’t suppress the sadness in my heart anymore. I cried, but I’m very thankful that Claire is here to comfort me.

“What happened, Darren?” She look at me sympathetically.

“She died while I’m still abroad. Cancer. Dad knew about it but he still decided to leave her all alone here. And worst of all, he took me away from my Mom. If only he’d let me stay... I should have been here for her... I should’ve taken care of Mom during the time that she needed me the most.”

“It’s not your fault, Darren. You didn’t know that she was sick.”

“Yeah... But Dad should’ve told me the truth.”

“Maybe he did it for your own sake. In order to protect you. Or maybe your Mom didn’t want you to know about the truth either that’s why she let your Dad took you away from her... Because she didn’t want you to see her suffering in her disease.”

She has a point. But I still couldn’t accept the fact that Dad didn’t told me about it. I was lost in my own thoughts when I felt Claire patted my back. She has this sympathetic look on her face.

“I’m sorry for what happened, Darren. I wish I was already there during that time... I wish I was there to comfort you...”

I could see that she’s fighting the urge to cry. I pulled her closer to me and hug her tight.

“Shhh. Don’t cry. I’m the one who supposed to be crying right now.” I chuckled.

“Sorry. I just... I couldn’t help it.”

“Please don’t keep apologizing for the things that you didn’t do, wife.”

“I’m sorry–” I cut her sentence by putting a finger on her lips. I smile at her.

“I’m having a hard time finding the one for me because I thought that no one can surpassed my mother’s place in my heart. I keep on looking for someone with her resemblance but I couldn’t find any. It turns out that I didn’t need to look... Cause I need to listen to my heart. What it beats, and what it wants, is you, wife. This,” I pointed my chest. “This keeps on shouting your name, Claire.”

Her eyes were now filled with tears. I gave her a kiss on her forehead before saying another word.

“You will always be my epitome of beauty, wife.”