Agnes struggled to open her eyes, they seemed to have a life of their own, resisting her. She wanted to wake up, but her eyelids felt incredibly heavy, a sign that she desperately needed more sleep. Her body felt weighted down as well, making the simple task of getting out of bed feel impossible.
She felt as if her body had been battered. Yesterday, her workload had doubled. Their town's festival lasted only three days, and today was the final day. Islaw had pleaded with Lady Brianna for them to have even just one day off, and she had surprisingly agreed. Because of that, Agnes had pushed herself to finish everything yesterday so they could truly enjoy their day off today.
Aside from the usual household chores, Mr. Morris and Madame Beattrice had special guests from various towns, which meant an endless mountain of work had greeted her yesterday. Fortunately, she wasn't left to face it alone; Cholo was there, ready to help. Islaw, too, never left her side, helping her with everything she had to do at the plaza.
"Agnes, Agnes! What time are you going to wake up?" She felt Islaw's somewhat rough palm on her arm as he gently shook her.
"I'm getting up," she whispered, forcing herself to sit.
But as she stood, her vision dimmed slightly, and the room began to spin. She tried to take a step, but her knees trembled, and she lost her balance. Her husband immediately caught her, gently stroking her back over and over.
"A-are you okay, Agnes?" Islaw asked emotionally.
"Of course."
"D-does something hurt? Do you have a f-fever?"
"No. It's probably just extreme exhaustion."
"It's all beca-cause of Brianna! She has so many o-orders," Islaw grumbled, continuing to rub her back.
She let out a soft laugh. "It's early morning and you're already scowling. You'll grow old quickly if your brows are crossed and you're pouting this early."
"I'm just annoyed. You're always s-truggling and tired because of B-Brianna. She's bad!"
"Don't mind it. It's my job to follow her orders. Besides, I'm fine now."
"You're not okay!"
"I am. Don't worry about me," she said, standing up with Islaw's help.
"Maybe you're h-hungry. I'll prepare s-something for you to eat."
"Okay, thank you."
True to his word, Islaw prepared their breakfast; it seemed he had already finished cooking. He was so hardworking, and she felt incredibly lucky to have him. While he was busy, she headed to the bathroom to wash her face.
When she finished, she went straight to the kitchen—one shouldn't keep delicious food cooked by their own husband waiting. She was quite hungry, and she could no longer hide the fact that her stomach had been growling for a while. Before they could even start eating, Cholo arrived.
"You're here again," Islaw greeted with a roll of his eyes.
The two of them had apparently had a spat yesterday.
"Hehe, can I eat with you?"
"No!"
"Islaw, that's bad," she immediately corrected him before turning to Cholo. "Come, sit down, and let's eat."
As soon as Cholo sat, they began to eat. The food on the table was getting a bit cold, and they had somewhere to go later. Their meal was going well until Islaw started picking a fight again.
"I'm still not t-talking to you!"
"Both of you, stop it. Especially you, Islaw."
"Okay, but I'm still not t-talking to him!" Islaw whispered as a parting shot, making Agnes shake her head.
"Big sis, what are your plans for today?" Cholo asked.
"Plans? Nothing much."
"Nothing? Don't you plan to go out? I guess since you rarely get a day off, you could just rest here at home."
"W-we are going to rest," Islaw cut in.
"But Big sis, you and big brother should go on a date, even if it's just for an hour. You don't know when you'll get another break from work."
"Agnes, let's go on a date!" Islaw suddenly exclaimed.
"Hmm." She thought about it while taking a sip of water.
"Alright. We have somewhere important to go first after we eat. Then we'll go to the plaza to watch the shows. And we'll go on the rides. Would you like that?"
"Yes! I want to!" Islaw answered, stomping his feet in excitement.
"Big sis, I want to go on the rides too. I want to try the horror train, the horror house, and the carousel," Cholo added.
"Me too!" Islaw said, raising his hand.
"Sure, no problem."
"But I don't have any money, Big sis."
"That's okay, I'll take care of the fees."
"Thank you, Big sis!"
She didn't reply and simply continued eating. She thought their morning would be quiet, but Islaw started teasing Cholo again, who didn't seem to care as he was busy with his jumbo hotdog. She didn't bother scolding Islaw further since he wasn't listening.
Once they finished eating and Cholo said his goodbyes, Islaw still wouldn't quiet down. He only fell silent when she asked him to as they reached their destination: the cemetery.
"What is this?" Islaw asked, stepping on the graves.
"Islaw, that's wrong."
She took his hand and led him along. As they walked, she began to explain about the cemetery, the dead, the graves, and their traditions when someone passes away. She told him everything in front of the somewhat neglected graves of her parents.
"For us, when someone d-dies, we just b-bury them under the s-sand and cover them with seagrass. But we are s-sad."
"Is that so?"
"Hmm-hmm. W-we don't make beds for them anymore. There's no s-space," he said, making her laugh softly.
"Islaw?"
"Hmm, what is it?"
"Now that I've shared the story of my family with you, and since I've introduced you to my beloved parents, I'd like to know the story of your life."
"Me? I'm going to tell a s-story?"
"Yes. We've known each other for almost a year now, and we've been together for quite a while, but I still don't know much about you, your kind, or your family."
"Why are you only a-asking now?" he muttered with a slight pout.
Agnes couldn't help but laugh softly, Islaw was being quite moody. But a moment later, her smile faded as the bracelet Islaw had given her came to mind—the one she had taken from the mermaid on the shore, the very first one she had ever seen.
"Islaw, you said before that you knew the owner of this bracelet. I could really feel the pain you were in when you saw it."
She carefully removed the bracelet and showed it to Islaw, who froze, his eyes turning soft and distant as he stared at it. Right then, her heart sank. What if that mermaid had been truly special to him? What if she had held a piece of Islaw's heart? It was painful to think about.
"I m-miss her."
"You miss her?" she repeated softly.
Her heart felt as if it were being shattered by what she heard.
"I guess... that mermaid was very special to you." She forced a gentle smile.
"Yes, she was v-very important to me. I miss her so much, Agnes." Islaw's eyes began to well with tears.
"I know it hurts to lose someone you love, and you can't stop those traitorous tears from falling. But be brave, Islaw. I know you can get through this."
"It hurts so m-much... I love her v-very much."
Agnes felt as if she were frozen to her seat. Her grip on the bracelet tightened as she watched her husband's face, which was marked by intense sadness and pain. She was hurting for him, yet she couldn't understand why she felt a pang of jealousy.
It wasn't a good feeling.
"Agnes, I want to s-see her again."
"I'm sorry, Islaw. Even if I wanted to grant your wish, I can't."
She couldn't help Islaw find the mermaid he longed for because she hadn't heard anything about her for a long time. She didn't know if the mermaid they found on the shore had been buried or if the scientists working for the Acostas were still experimenting on her.
"Why? Let's f-fnd her."
"I'm really sorry," was her only reply.
"She is my only s-sister."
"W-what?" Agnes sat up straight in shock. "That mermaid was your sister? She wasn't your girlfriend or... your wife?"
"Agnes, aren't you my w-wife?"
She was left speechless, unable to answer. She was truly stunned to find out her assumption was wrong. For a long time, she had thought the owner of the bracelet was Islaw's lover; it turned out to be his sister. But on the other hand, she felt his pain even more deeply now.
He had no idea his sister was gone.
"Islaw." She wrapped him in a tight hug.
That was the only thing she could do to ease his heavy heart.
They stayed like that for a long time amidst the quiet shadows of the cemetery, a silent promise of support passing between them. Agnes knew that while she couldn't bring back what he had lost, she could give him new memories to hold onto.
By the time they reached the center of the town, the somber atmosphere of the morning had completely vanished, replaced by the electric energy of the festival's final night. The air was thick with the scent of grilled street food and the distant, chaotic melody of the carnival's loud speakers.
Islaw's mouth was wide open as he looked up at the towering rides. He was completely mesmerized by what he saw, seemingly amused by the reactions of the people on the various attractions. Some were laughing, some were crying from intense nerves, some were fainting, and others looked like they were about to throw up.
Even Agnes couldn't help but feel happy. Tonight, she would experience things she had never done before, like playing at the fair and going on rides. Thanks to Islaw, she finally had a day of rest.
"What are we riding first?" Cholo asked excitedly.
"I-I'm scared." Islaw's hand felt cold as he gripped hers.
"Come on, Islaw and Cholo. Our very first ride will be the carousel. Those are fake horses, and they're powered by a machine."
"They might k-kick us and t-throw us off."
"We told you they're fake, Big brother," Cholo said, scratching his head.
"They're still h-horses!"
"That's enough. It's the final night of the fair, are you two really going to fight? Let's just enjoy ourselves."
Agnes practically dragged the two of them toward the entrance to get on the carousel. Since it was the town festival, all rides, shows, and food were free, but they had to present their special fair tickets to enter the attractions and access the food buffet.
She smiled as they were let inside, it was just a matter of her and Islaw getting settled before the carousel started. She secretly smiled when Islaw lifted her up—as if they were newlyweds—to help her reach the fake horse she was to sit on.
"This is fun! I'm d-dizzy, I'm going to t-throw up!" Islaw exclaimed by the time the wooden horse finished its rotations.
"Well? Can you handle more? We're just getting started."
"Agnes, I'm d-dizzy."
"Dizzy? We haven't even finished two rides and you both look like you're about to collapse."
"It kept spinning and spinning, Big sis. Even our vision is spinning. We feel like everything around us is going in circles."
"That's not true, Agnes. My w-world only spins around you," Islaw said, attempting a wink that resulted in both eyes closing.
"Nice, Big brother. So corn."
"Corny," she corrected.
"Same thing, Big sis."
"You guys are so weak. That was just the carousel, it spins slowly. Let's go over there." She pointed with a smile toward the horror train.
"W-what is that? It looks like fun. It's a t-train, right? I've never r-ridden one. I've only ever been in a car." Islaw said.
"It's fun to ride. Very exciting," Agnes said with a grin, leading the way.
After showing their tickets to the assistant in charge, they boarded the small train. From inside, Agnes immediately noticed the actors dressed in scary costumes, ready to jump out. She couldn't wait to see the reactions of her two companions, especially Islaw.
"Why is it so dark?" Cholo asked as the train began to move.
"Because they have a surprise, Cholo."
"Really? Agnes, I want a s-surplise too," Islaw added, shaking her arm.
"Surprise, Big brother. Surprise, not surplise."
"It's the s-same thing. Your E-English is wrong too!"
"Hey!"
Islaw was about to argue further, but a loud scream escaped both him and Cholo when people wearing terrifying masks suddenly jumped out to scare them. Agnes couldn't stop herself from laughing as the two began to panic as if they were losing their minds.
"Wahhh, Big sis!"
"Ahhh, ackkkkkk! I'm done! There are so many ghosts, Agnes!" Islaw screamed.
"Big sis, help!" She burst into laughter as Cholo started wailing in fear.
She was about to hug the boy to comfort him, but the costumed actors jumped out again and started tugging at their clothes. In his sheer terror, Islaw scrambled onto her lap and shoved his head inside her shirt to hide.
"I-Islaw!"
"No fair!" the other one sobbed, hugging her as well.
"I'm done, there's a g-ghost!" Islaw screamed, clinging to her even tighter.
No matter how hard Agnes tried to calm them down, it didn't work. They only screamed louder because the further the train went, the more intense the scares became. By the time their ride ended and they were sitting on a nearby bench, the two were still trembling with fear.
"Exciting, right?" she teased.
"You're bad, Agnes!"
"Seriously! You tricked us, Big sis."
She didn't answer immediately because she couldn't stop laughing. She could see in their eyes that they were not amused with her. But she also knew their sulking wouldn't last long. She simply waited for them to calm down.
"Big sis, I'm just going to find my parents at the gambling stalls. You two go ahead and ride the others." Cholo said once he had composed himself.
"Alright, Cholo," she called out as the boy quickly ran off.
"No fair! He left me with you. It's s-scary." Islaw pouted.
"Oh? Since when did you become afraid of me?" she asked in surprise.
"Now! The things we r-ride are s-scary. I'm done, I'm not happy anymore!"
"But you and Cholo were the ones insisting we go on the rides, right?"
"I just don't want to anymore," was his final answer.
Agnes sighed and didn't argue. She suddenly felt that she might have overdone it; instead of making them happy, she felt she had ruined their special day—especially since this was Islaw's first time experiencing a festival. She felt a sudden pang of guilt.
Biting her lip, she looked around. Perhaps they could just watch people pass by. She wasn't planning on getting up, but then she noticed a lake shimmering under the lights in front of them.
It wasn't just any lake, there were swan-shaped boats available for rent. She stood up and stood on her tiptoes to see the sign posted by the railing. In large letters, it read: Swan Lake.
"Why, Agnes?"
"Let's go there," she said, pointing.
It was a bit of a struggle to get Islaw to the entrance because he seemed traumatized by the previous rides. But she was going to make it up to him now. She wouldn't do what she did earlier, she would take Islaw to a place that would calm them both down. She would take him on a swan boat.
"We don't accept tickets here, Ma'am. I'm sorry."
"I see. How can we ride the swan boat then?" she asked the attendant.
"You need to pay. It's two hundred and fifty pesos per person for thirty minutes. Only two people fit in one boat, and it's paddle boats."
"That's expensive!" she exclaimed.
"It is a bit pricey here at Swan Lake because you're renting the boat. But there are lights and music while you're out there. We also serve cocktail drinks and finger foods. There are various canapés to choose from. It's worth it, Ma'am."
Agnes was about to refuse and pull Islaw away, but she stopped when she looked at Islaw's handsome face. He was staring at the lake, his eyes sparkling as the lights reflected in them.
She saw the smile on his lips. She could see the sheer joy he felt just by looking at the water. At first glance, she knew he was captivated. After all, it had been a long time since Islaw had been near the water; he surely missed it.
She didn't hesitate to pull five hundred pesos from the small wallet hidden in the pocket of her long skirt. Afterward, a man helped them into a swan boat with two seats. They just had to pedal to move around.
"Wow, it's so b-beautiful here," Islaw said with a wide smile and a calm voice.
"Islaw?"
"Hmm?" He turned to her.
"How do you feel right now?"
"I'm okay now, Agnes."
"The water is very gentle, isn't it?"
"Yes! I am v-very calm because of this w-water."
She chuckled, and he laughed too.
"Islaw, don't you miss the ocean? Your kind beneath the sea?" she asked, making Islaw pause.
After a moment, he spoke. "I miss them v-very much. But I love you, and I won't l-leave you."
"I-Islaw."
She couldn't find the words to respond. She hadn't thought about that—that Islaw never even considered returning to the ocean because of her, because he didn't want to leave her. Why hadn't she realized that?
"It would be okay with me, I would understand."
"I know. I know how u-understanding you are, Agnes. You're my wife, I know you. But I still don't want to l-leave, because I'm your husband. Husbands and wives don't leave e-each other. I won't leave you because I love you."
"Islaw." She couldn't help but hug him and burst into tears.
She was truly lucky.
In that moment, surrounded by the gentle lapping of the water against the swan boat, Agnes realized that while she had saved him from the shore, he had saved her from a life of fear. They drifted in silence for the remainder of their time, letting the music from the plaza fade into a peaceful hum as they simply held onto each other.
The excitement of the fair eventually wound down, the bright neon lights of the rides replaced by the natural glow of the moon as they made their way back to the quiet sanctuary of their home by the sea. The transition from the noisy, crowded streets to the rhythmic sound of the waves felt like a long-awaited exhale.
Agnes stole a glance at Islaw, who was sitting beside her on the sand. They had just returned from the plaza and were now at the shore to enjoy the breeze and look at the beautiful ocean. The surface of the sea was shimmering under countless stars.
It was so beautiful, surely anyone who saw this view would smile and be enticed to stay outside. But she didn't know why, instead of looking at the sea, her eyes were fixed only on Islaw.
"Agnes, the sea is b-beautiful, right?"
"Very," she answered, still not looking away from him.
"When there's a c-chance, I'll take you under. We'll watch the f-fish swimming happily and the seagrass that seems to dance." He turned to her excitedly.
"Really? You plan to take me to your home?"
"Of c-course! You told me b-before, your home is my home. So, my home is your home t-too."
"Thank you." She gently placed her palm on his cheek.
Without a word, she kissed him on the lips.
"Let's go inside," she whispered softly after Islaw kissed her back.
Islaw didn't say a word and simply nodded slowly. They both stood up from the sand and walked into the house hand-in-hand. She smiled as she accompanied Islaw into the bedroom and stayed by his side.
"My Islaw?"
"What is it, my Agnes?"
"I'm ready," she said firmly.
"Ready for what?"
"I'm ready to fulfill the dream you've had for so long. To have a child and build a happy family."
"R-really?!" he asked, overjoyed and seemingly unable to believe her, just to be sure.
"Yes," she whispered, and she kissed Islaw slowly but with all her love.
The kiss deepened, turning from a gentle promise into a desperate, grounding heat. Agnes reached up, her fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer as if to bridge every inch of space between them. Islaw responded with a soft, shaky breath, his large hands coming up to cradle her face.
Slowly, without breaking the connection of their lips, he guided her back toward the bed. They sank into the mattress together, the old springs creaking softly beneath their weight. The moonlight filtered through the window, casting long, silvery shadows across the room and illuminating the wonder in Islaw's eyes as he looked down at her.
His touch was hesitant at first, his fingers tracing the line of her shoulder as if she were made of glass. But as Agnes arched toward him, seeking his warmth, his confidence grew. He leaned down, his lips moving from her mouth to the sensitive curve of her neck, sending a shiver through her entire body.
"Agnes," he murmured against her skin, his voice thick with an emotion so raw it brought tears to her eyes once more.
She pulled him down to her, her arms wrapping tightly around his broad shoulders. In the quiet of the room, with only the distant sound of the waves crashing against the shore, they let go of the world outside. There were no more orders from Lady Brianna, no more secrets, and no more fear. There was only the two of them, finally becoming one in the soft glow of the night.
She was ready for their intimate moment.