Moonlight Romance

The wind blew gently and the coconut trees danced to it, waving their leaves in appreciation of the moonlight's golden glow. The sound of water rustled, bouncing off the river bank and rolling back into the depths.

Underneath a coconut tree, a few meters away from the river bank, two figures snuggled closely, their whispers carried by the night.

"You know, this will be my first kiss," Caro confessed, her gaze locked with her boyfriend's eyes.

"Yes, and I feel very lucky to be the one stealing it from you," Uduak replied, tracing her lips with his thumb.

Caro yearned for this kiss, but she wanted to savor the moment, ensuring it wouldn't fade like a dream. She wanted it to linger, forever.

Their embrace tightened as they drew closer, Caro's eyes shifted from his lips to his eyes and back again to his eyes. How would those lips feel? Soft and wet, or perhaps rough and dry? They looked so plump and pink.

She closed her eyes as he leaned in, their noses touching. The sound of his heartbeat filled her ears, and a rush of adrenaline surged through her body from head to toe. Her heart raced three times faster than normal. With parted lips, she eagerly anticipated her first kiss. After a few seconds of waiting, she opened her eyes, only to find Uduak staring at her with wide, silly eyeballs.

"Are you serious? How can you tease me like this?" she exclaimed, pinching his cheeks.

"Ouchh! Babe, that hurts," Uduak winced.

"Not as much as what you just did. How could you make fun of me?" she pouted.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have opened my eyes. But babe, you looked so adorable while trying to kiss," Uduak chuckled.

"Leave me alone," Caro pouted, which only made Uduak laugh even harder.

"Let me go get us a steak. I'll be back for our moonlight kiss," he said, pecking her on the cheeks.

Caro sat alone on the soft mat. Her radiant beauty glowed softly under the gentle moonlight, casting an ethereal aura around her.

"It is very simple to be happy," she said, blushing like a teenager in love.

She lay down on her back. Supporting her head with her palms she gazed at the moon and stars. She closed her eyes and felt the gentle breeze from the river caressing her face.

She took a deep breath, and embarked on a journey down her memory lane.

---

"You're such a promiscuous girl, Caro," her stepmother's voice echoed.

"You were supposed to clean the church and come back immediately. Why are you returning this late?"

"Aunty, I'm sorry, please. We had to wash the altar clothes too," Caro pleaded.

"Liar! Why should I even care? You're not my child, and you can do whatever you want. One day, you'll get pregnant, and I'll kick you out of this house. Mark my words. You'll graduate high school with an unwanted pregnancy, trust me," she sneered, pushing Caro roughly aside.

"This is always it. Every time Caro you'll get pregnant. God forbid! I will never have a child out of wedlock. I will graduate high school with excellent grades," she said, to herself.

Caro began to subconsciously fear men, which turned into a strong repulsion towards those who showed interest in her.

She tried dating during her university days, but none of the relationships lasted more than two weeks.

During her 29th birthday party, her father asked about her boyfriend. She couldn't bring herself to admit that she didn't have one. She knew he would not believe her anyway. However, in reality, there was no man in her life at all. But she told him that she and her man were taking things slowly and that he would meet him soon.

"You only live once, my daughter. Ask him to take the necessary steps. You're not getting any younger," Her father advised.

Caro wasn't sure if any man would love her for who she was - someone who felt stiff and aromantic. She didn't have any romantic feelings towards men. She felt emotionally detached.

Anyway, this was before she met Uduak at a coffee shop. They were both loners, sitting opposite each other at different tables.

Coffee is therapeutic for her, it calms her troubled mind and relieves her of every stress. She noticed the man at the other table was also finding comfort in his coffee. She liked that they were in the same world at that moment.

However, she didn't appreciate the way he was looking at her. She thought about walking over to confront him, but instead, she decided to give him a stern look to keep his distance.

She looked straight at him, into his eyes, and her countenance gradually shifted, from anger to pure astonishment.

Two beautiful forest-green lenses were staring back at her. It felt like a fairytale like she was gazing at a handsome fairy prince. The man smiled, revealing a set of sparkling white teeth, and then he did something she didn't like - he winked at her.

Her heart skipped and she became very uncomfortable, she quickly finished her coffee, rushed out of the shop only to find the forest green-eyed man by her car.

This man, Uduak, introduced himself and turned out to be the most patient man she had ever seen. He told her she could love and didn't need a therapist.
Whenever she gave him attitude, he would say
"I love you just the way you are, believe me."

He became her therapist and healed her with his words of love and acts of kindness.
He accepted her, held her hand, and guided her to discover the beauty of life. She was lost, and he found her and brought happiness into her life.

She realized that love is beautiful and peaceful, just like this serene night.

"Uduak is an angel." She said, to the moon.

“You are right Honey” Uduak teasingly replied, handing her a full steak.

"Thank you for coming into my life," she said.

"You don't have to thank me. You've made me the happiest man on earth," replied Uduak, their eyes locked, like high school kids.

"I've told my father about our engagement. He said you can come see him whenever you want," she said.

"We should see him next week," said Uduak, leaning closer to her. He paused and watched her yearn for his kiss.

He gave her a peck on the lips, and she pouted, then smiled at his amused face.

"I love you so much, Caro," he said, gently caressing her neck with his hands and lightly, he brushed his lips against hers. This sent shivers through her nerves, shivers that made her whole body tremble for more.

”I love you too dear” she whispered with a soft trembling voice. His fast-pounding chest lifted the butterflies in her stomach. She felt the warmth of his skin as their bodies pressed against each other.

He kissed her softly, and she surrendered her ego, her walls, her whole self. It was the first time in her life that she melted into someone, something she thought she would never be able to do.

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