29-08-2025, 06:59 AM
(This post was last modified: 29-08-2025, 06:59 AM by matiba2025213. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 28: Cinema (Act 16)
Rizal’s voice broke the heavy silence, his tone soft but tinged with curiosity. “Can you feel the baby moving yet?”
Lina blinked, caught off guard by the question. She placed a hand on her belly instinctively, as if the motion could shield her from the intimacy of his inquiry. “Yes,” she admitted after a pause, her voice quiet. “It’s faint, but it’s there.”
Rizal’s eyes lit up with a childlike excitement, his lips curving into a small smile. “Wow… that’s amazing. Have you..uh...have you felt it move today?”
She nodded, her fingers tracing an absentminded circle over her stomach. “Just a little while ago, actually. It’s like… tiny flutters. Like butterflies but… deeper.”
Rizal leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on her belly as if he could see the movements through her sweater. “That’s incredible,” he murmured, almost to himself. Then, hesitantly, he added, “Do you think… I mean, would it be weird if I....” He trailed off, his cheeks flushing a deep shade of red.
Lina raised an eyebrow, already guessing where this was going. “If you… what?”
He swallowed hard, his fingers fidgeting in his lap. “If I could… touch your belly? Just to feel it? I’ve never been this close to a pregnant woman before. It’s kind of… fascinating.”
Lina hesitated, caught between politeness and the sudden awareness of how invasive the request felt. “I don’t know, Rizal,” she said slowly, her voice tinged with unease. “The movements are still really faint. You probably wouldn’t feel anything. Maybe in a few months.”
Rizal’s face fell slightly, but he nodded quickly, as if trying to mask his disappointment. “Oh, right. Yeah, of course. That makes sense.”
There was an awkward pause before he suddenly perked up again, a new idea sparking in his eyes. “Hey, do you have time to grab coffee or something? There’s a café just around the corner. My treat. I just got paid, so…” He shrugged, trying to sound casual, but there was a hopeful edge to his voice that made it impossible to ignore.
Lina glanced at her watch, her mind racing for an excuse. “I should probably get going,” she said, her tone apologetic but firm. “I’ve got errands to run, and Rahim’s expecting me.”
“Please?” Rizal interjected, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “I don’t have many friends, Lina. I’m kind of… a loner, I guess. It’d be nice to just talk for a bit.”
The vulnerability in his words struck a chord in her, and before she could stop herself, Lina found herself nodding. “Okay,” she said reluctantly. “But just for a little while.”
The café was small and cozy, with warm lighting and the faint aroma of freshly baked pastries lingering in the air. They found a table in the corner, away from the handful of other patrons. Rizal ordered a cappuccino and a slice of chocolate cake; Lina opted for herbal tea and a croissant.
As they settled into their seats, Rizal leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “So, how are you coping with the pregnancy? Is it… hard?”
Lina sipped her tea, considering the question. “It’s different,” she admitted. “Some days are easier than others. The fatigue is the worst part right now.”
Rizal nodded sympathetically. “I can’t even imagine. But you seem like you’re handling it well.”
She gave him a small smile. “Thanks. It’s not always easy, but… I’m managing.”
The conversation shifted then, drifting into lighter topics at first...Rizal’s job, his hobbies, his lack of a social life. But soon, the tone grew more personal.
“Do you think it’s weird that I’ve never had a girlfriend?” Rizal asked abruptly, his voice tinged with insecurity.
Lina hesitated, caught off guard by the sudden shift. “Not necessarily,” she said carefully. “You’re still young. There’s plenty of time.”
He frowned, stirring his cappuccino absently. “But I feel so behind, you know? Like everyone else has already figured things out, and I’m just… stuck.”
Lina studied him for a moment, her expression softening. “You’re not stuck, Rizal. Relationships take time. And honestly, it’s better to wait for the right person than to rush into something just because you feel like you’re supposed to.”
He looked up at her then, his gaze earnest. “When did you find your first boyfriend?”
The question caught her off guard once again, but she answered anyway. “I was about your age, actually. Maybe a little younger.”
“And… what was that like? Your first relationship?” He was leaning forward now, his curiosity palpable.
Lina hesitated, unsure how much to share. “It was… sweet,” she said finally. “We were both inexperienced, so it was kind of awkward at times. But it was nice to have someone to talk to and spend time with.”
Rizal nodded slowly, as if filing away every word. “When did you first… you know…” He trailed off, his cheeks turning pink.
Lina raised an eyebrow. “When did we first what?”
He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh… hold hands? Or… kiss?”
She couldn’t help but laugh softly at his nervousness. “Holding hands was pretty early on. The first kiss… well, that took a little longer.”
“How long?” Rizal pressed, his eyes wide with fascination.
“A few weeks,” Lina admitted, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that this line of questioning was crossing a line.
But Rizal wasn’t done yet. “And… what about sex?” he asked bluntly, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Lina’s eyes widened in surprise, her cheeks flushing. “Rizal…”
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, holding up his hands in apology. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just… I don’t really have anyone else to ask these things, you know? And I thought… maybe you could help me understand.”
She exhaled slowly, torn between discomfort and a strange sense of responsibility. “It’s… complicated,” she said finally, choosing her words with care. “Everyone’s experience is different. For me, it happened when I was ready—when I felt comfortable and safe with my partner.”
Rizal nodded thoughtfully, his expression serious now. “Was it… scary? Or painful?”
Lina hesitated, her fingers tightening around her teacup. “A little,” she admitted quietly. “But it gets better with time and experience.”
He opened his mouth to ask another question, but Lina cut him off gently. “Rizal,” she said firmly, “this is starting to feel a little too personal.”
He looked chastened immediately, his shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to overstep.”
There was another awkward silence before Rizal spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s just… I don’t want to mess things up when it finally happens for me.”
Rizal’s voice broke the heavy silence, his tone soft but tinged with curiosity. “Can you feel the baby moving yet?”
Lina blinked, caught off guard by the question. She placed a hand on her belly instinctively, as if the motion could shield her from the intimacy of his inquiry. “Yes,” she admitted after a pause, her voice quiet. “It’s faint, but it’s there.”
Rizal’s eyes lit up with a childlike excitement, his lips curving into a small smile. “Wow… that’s amazing. Have you..uh...have you felt it move today?”
She nodded, her fingers tracing an absentminded circle over her stomach. “Just a little while ago, actually. It’s like… tiny flutters. Like butterflies but… deeper.”
Rizal leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on her belly as if he could see the movements through her sweater. “That’s incredible,” he murmured, almost to himself. Then, hesitantly, he added, “Do you think… I mean, would it be weird if I....” He trailed off, his cheeks flushing a deep shade of red.
Lina raised an eyebrow, already guessing where this was going. “If you… what?”
He swallowed hard, his fingers fidgeting in his lap. “If I could… touch your belly? Just to feel it? I’ve never been this close to a pregnant woman before. It’s kind of… fascinating.”
Lina hesitated, caught between politeness and the sudden awareness of how invasive the request felt. “I don’t know, Rizal,” she said slowly, her voice tinged with unease. “The movements are still really faint. You probably wouldn’t feel anything. Maybe in a few months.”
Rizal’s face fell slightly, but he nodded quickly, as if trying to mask his disappointment. “Oh, right. Yeah, of course. That makes sense.”
There was an awkward pause before he suddenly perked up again, a new idea sparking in his eyes. “Hey, do you have time to grab coffee or something? There’s a café just around the corner. My treat. I just got paid, so…” He shrugged, trying to sound casual, but there was a hopeful edge to his voice that made it impossible to ignore.
Lina glanced at her watch, her mind racing for an excuse. “I should probably get going,” she said, her tone apologetic but firm. “I’ve got errands to run, and Rahim’s expecting me.”
“Please?” Rizal interjected, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “I don’t have many friends, Lina. I’m kind of… a loner, I guess. It’d be nice to just talk for a bit.”
The vulnerability in his words struck a chord in her, and before she could stop herself, Lina found herself nodding. “Okay,” she said reluctantly. “But just for a little while.”
The café was small and cozy, with warm lighting and the faint aroma of freshly baked pastries lingering in the air. They found a table in the corner, away from the handful of other patrons. Rizal ordered a cappuccino and a slice of chocolate cake; Lina opted for herbal tea and a croissant.
As they settled into their seats, Rizal leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “So, how are you coping with the pregnancy? Is it… hard?”
Lina sipped her tea, considering the question. “It’s different,” she admitted. “Some days are easier than others. The fatigue is the worst part right now.”
Rizal nodded sympathetically. “I can’t even imagine. But you seem like you’re handling it well.”
She gave him a small smile. “Thanks. It’s not always easy, but… I’m managing.”
The conversation shifted then, drifting into lighter topics at first...Rizal’s job, his hobbies, his lack of a social life. But soon, the tone grew more personal.
“Do you think it’s weird that I’ve never had a girlfriend?” Rizal asked abruptly, his voice tinged with insecurity.
Lina hesitated, caught off guard by the sudden shift. “Not necessarily,” she said carefully. “You’re still young. There’s plenty of time.”
He frowned, stirring his cappuccino absently. “But I feel so behind, you know? Like everyone else has already figured things out, and I’m just… stuck.”
Lina studied him for a moment, her expression softening. “You’re not stuck, Rizal. Relationships take time. And honestly, it’s better to wait for the right person than to rush into something just because you feel like you’re supposed to.”
He looked up at her then, his gaze earnest. “When did you find your first boyfriend?”
The question caught her off guard once again, but she answered anyway. “I was about your age, actually. Maybe a little younger.”
“And… what was that like? Your first relationship?” He was leaning forward now, his curiosity palpable.
Lina hesitated, unsure how much to share. “It was… sweet,” she said finally. “We were both inexperienced, so it was kind of awkward at times. But it was nice to have someone to talk to and spend time with.”
Rizal nodded slowly, as if filing away every word. “When did you first… you know…” He trailed off, his cheeks turning pink.
Lina raised an eyebrow. “When did we first what?”
He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh… hold hands? Or… kiss?”
She couldn’t help but laugh softly at his nervousness. “Holding hands was pretty early on. The first kiss… well, that took a little longer.”
“How long?” Rizal pressed, his eyes wide with fascination.
“A few weeks,” Lina admitted, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that this line of questioning was crossing a line.
But Rizal wasn’t done yet. “And… what about sex?” he asked bluntly, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Lina’s eyes widened in surprise, her cheeks flushing. “Rizal…”
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, holding up his hands in apology. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just… I don’t really have anyone else to ask these things, you know? And I thought… maybe you could help me understand.”
She exhaled slowly, torn between discomfort and a strange sense of responsibility. “It’s… complicated,” she said finally, choosing her words with care. “Everyone’s experience is different. For me, it happened when I was ready—when I felt comfortable and safe with my partner.”
Rizal nodded thoughtfully, his expression serious now. “Was it… scary? Or painful?”
Lina hesitated, her fingers tightening around her teacup. “A little,” she admitted quietly. “But it gets better with time and experience.”
He opened his mouth to ask another question, but Lina cut him off gently. “Rizal,” she said firmly, “this is starting to feel a little too personal.”
He looked chastened immediately, his shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to overstep.”
There was another awkward silence before Rizal spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s just… I don’t want to mess things up when it finally happens for me.”
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