We met by exactly 1 in the afternoon and I was already there before that time. The initial plan was to meet at our house and just walk to the cafe together since it is just walking distance from our house. But the day was scorching enough to burn our skin. So we decided to meet at the cafe instead. I was so excited about our date today because I'll see this guy again. It is odd to realize how alive and vulnerable I am with this man, and I love what we are committed to.
We brought with us his Kodak camera he bought online to use on our date and capture the memorable moments we had today. I also brought this Positive Potato stuff with a letter in it that he gave to me last week. I bring this potato stuff wherever I go as it lifts me on my dull and tiring days. This Kodak camera is actually so good, and the retro vibes it has give our experiences a nostalgic feel.
We ordered immediately when we arrived since we wanted to drink something refreshing after a long endeavor under the mad sunlight outside. It was really hot that I felt my face stinging and, for the record, it was so gloomy and raining early this morning. The weather just changed abruptly and I hate this kind of weather pattern because you can't predict it, hence, disturbing our errands and some stuff like clothes to wear and things to prepare like umbrellas and sunscreen. I have this habit that I won't apply sunscreen on my face when it is raining. Lol.
Our order arrived and I was so thirsty at that time. We ordered Aglio De Olio and Mac and Cheese for the foods since we already had our lunch at our homes, so we just ordered something light. For our drinks, a Salted Caramel Frappe and Black Forest Frappe complemented our foods and we really enjoyed them. Well, at least the drinks and the Mac and cheese. Since Aglio de Olio didn't pass my taste buds, but experiencing eating it is already enough. At least I have a concrete reason not to order it again.
We just talked while eating, although Azi doesn't talk a lot when he is with his food. But I kept on throwing him questions and silly jokes because that's how I spend my time with him. Dating in my 20's really requires effort and one of it is to prepare important questions that would give us some peek into each other and get to know each other on a deeper level. That's the goal. That's intimacy in a relationship.
After eating, we put our art materials on the table because it is drawing time. It might sound silly but we do art from time to time so we can express ourselves and use art as a healthy outlet of how we view each other. The task was to draw each other and explain why we drew it that way and why it reflects us. The answers we received really do reflect the values, efforts, and love we have for each other, and it is another way of knowing what love is in each other's perception.
Azi drew me in the most ugliest way since he is not that creative in drawing. I mean, me too, but I can illustrate with a bit of accuracy. Even if I saw myself in his drawing as a grotesque figure, I appreciate his effort in illustrating me, and he explained the figures he drew and why they symbolize me.
Picture time with our Positive Potato. We jokingly said this one's our baby for now. Lol.
After dating at the cafe, we headed to the beach, at the Lapyahan coast, to watch the sunset but the weather changed again. There was no sunset but there was love. We talked and spent our time together at the beach for an hour, let the day conceal into the dark, and headed to our homes when it started to rain. The weather pattern here in the north of Cebu is just so annoying but I’m grateful that we got home safely.
And if this is how February begins, then I already know this month will be something I will keep close to my heart. Not because everything went perfectly — the heat, the sudden rain, the failed sunset — but because love showed up in simple forms: shared drinks, silly drawings, honest conversations, and presence. If this is what constancy feels like, then I’m more than ready to welcome the rest of the love month with open arms.