It has been two years since I was invited to live with the Pink Panther, we have totally adapted to each other, we have had our little clashes from time to time, but nothing that made us hate each other for more than five minutes; I admit it was hard for us to say “I’m sorry” to the other, but we have learned to communicate better and understand each other, we are the best of friends, he even gives me an allowance so I can spend in things that I want. I have learned more about house maiding, from cooking to cleaning to laundry, we do the chores together, sometimes at the sound of jazz and Mancini, turning the cleaning into a dance. We have traveled to many places, and having all kind of weird and crazy adventures, it looks that wherever we are, something psychedelic awaits us, but one thing I never learned was driving, I think I’m not made to be behind a steering wheel.
One day, after returning from the beach, we watched a movie on the TV, the movie was an adaptation of a fairy tale titled Cinderella, it was the first time I saw anything about that fairy tale, but I couldn’t believe what I was watching, because the situation was very similar to the one where I met the Pink Panther, in some aspects, I could identify with the main character, the main difference is that I had no step mother or sisters who made my life miserable, I was alone; I didn’t went to a dance to forget the sufferings of my life and met the prince by accident, I wanted to meet the handsome prince; she lost a slipper that allowed the prince to find her and marry her, I didn’t lost a slipper, and the prince couldn’t recognize me, I didn’t marry with him, but still, I have been living a very happy life with the Pink Panther, he was my prince. At the moment I thought that, my mind raced on a thinking track that had never been before, the Pink Panther has been a good friend and I love him, but it never crossed my mind to ask myself if I had romantic feelings for him. We go almost everywhere together, we spend most of our time together, we sleep on the same bed, but we have just hugged, we live as if we were already married, except that we don’t kiss or… something else. My face turned red, the Pink Panther noticed it, and asked me if I was ok, I turned to him nervous.
We have known each other for two years, we practically just have to each other, we have always kept our promise to support each other, and we have, we know we can rely on each other, but for the first time, I wasn’t sure; “I just, had an idea, but I’m afraid to share it”, that really worried him, it was the first time I tell him I was afraid to share what I have in my mind, he said that hearing me say that makes him to be worried, but he will still be there here for me; “Is just that I’m afraid if I say it, it will affect in a negative way the relationship we have”, he asked if was really something that bad, I negate, I took a deep breath, and I started to talk with some fear, because this was going to be the most difficult talk I have ever had with him; “Seeing the movie, and how similar was to how we met, made me compare it with my experience, but at the end, Cinderella marries her prince, I have lived with my prince for two years, and have been the most happy and wonderful days of my life, but I didn’t marry him”; I have never seen his eyes so open before, and placed his head on his hands, thinking about what I said; “Sorry, what I meant to say is that, we practically live as if we were married, we rely on each other, we do almost everything together, I just wondered if things would be any different if we were really married, but maybe the only differences would be that we would be romantic towards each other, and maybe, having kids that would be ours (sigh) wow, I feel more relaxed after taking all that out”, I said in an attempt to make the situation less… Weird? Stressing?, but I felt better, still, the Pink Panther was seeing to the void, thinking; I pushed myself against the back of the sofa, hugging myself, looking at the void, worried, and not knowing what to do, Did I ruined our friendship? Will he leave saying he needs some time alone?, Should I leave?. Then, he cleaned his throat, and I turned my head towards him, then he admitted that he has had the same idea maybe once or twice, but he said nothing because our friendship was the best thing that has ever happened to him, and he likes to have me around, and maybe being partners in life wouldn’t be a bad idea. My heart beat faster than never in that moment, and I’m pretty sure I had a very dumb smile in that moment, then he suggested we should go to look for the rings tomorrow, and marry that same day, we’ll need to look for a priest who can marry us in the spot, and also a Civic Register judge, and hope that the last one doesn’t delay too much.
I was so happy that I hugged him so strong that I think I almost broke one of his bones. Now that we were officially and suddenly engaged, to have to wait to do all of that felt like the time was moving slower, when he mentioned a wedding dress, I told him it was not necessary, “I don’t mind not to have a wedding dress, especially if that meant to wait longer to be married, but there was one thing I’ll like, I want our first kiss be when the priest says you can kiss the bride, can we wait until then?”, the Pink Panther said yes with a smile, he could free his arms from my hug, and hugged me back, saying that tomorrow will be the beginning of our new life.
We couldn’t close our eyes in all the night, we were looking at the ceiling holding hands, we were so excited that I think we slept with our eyes open.
