WHAT REMAINS OF ME

Hinata's POV

I was grinning from ear to ear as I watched him make faces in front of me. He was telling jokes, well, the same old jokes that I had already heard multiple times. The same ones that still make me laugh out loud and give me tummy aches. 

"That was hilarious!" I commented.

"I know, right! Now, brace yourself 'cause I'll be serving you the best joke this universe could ever have," he smugly announced. He even wiggled her eyebrows.

"Oh, my! I can't even wait. I might need a cold water after this," I managed to say between chuckles and teasingly put the glass of water in front of my face. He snorted. 

"What did the bison say to his son when he left the ranch?"

"What?"

"Bi-son."

"Bwahahahahahahahahaha..."

I desperately tried not to laugh, but I failed. That sure was an epic one! My shoulders shook uncontrollably, and a fit of laughter burst from my mouth. I hit the table repeatedly, trying to release the emotion I felt in the moment. I then clutched my stomach, struggling to catch my breath. 

Minutes later, I was wiping the tears, happy tears that made their way to my cheeks. Gosh! I couldn't even remember the last time I laughed this hard. It was probably ages ago. 

"See? I told ya! Now, you can't even get over that one, and there's more to come," he added while a triumphant smile was pasted on his lips. 

"Oh, stop! I feel so embarrassed right now, drawing the attention of the people around us."

I looked around. We were in an open-air restaurant beside the seashore, and people were busy coming and going. Probably 'cause it's Friday and people just wanna hang out and unwind after a long week. Most of them were students from universities and state colleges. 

I smiled. A familiar ache settled in my gut as waves of flashbacks from my teaching era played in my mind. Those were such meaningful times. Exhausting yet rewarding at the end of the day. 

"I missed seeing you in a teacher's uniform," he chimed in, rerouting my train of thought in the present time. 

I looked at him, and he was now watching a group of students who were giggling while working on a group project. I sighed. In all honesty, I missed it too. But, I guess, being a wife changed everything. 

"Hinata, are you now ready to talk about it?" he asked with a soft tone. 

I nodded. I already saw this coming the moment I called him. I told him everything. I also told him about the decision that had been toying with my mind. 

"I've been contemplating this for a while now. You know me. I would never give up unless I knew that I still had something to fight for. But my marriage was already a dead end even before it started. I love Zeke with all my heart. God knows I love him, but I realized that loving someone who doesn't love you is a suicide. And I don't wanna die yet." I chuckled- a lifeless one. 

He reached for my hands and pinched them lovingly. He was looking at me with that familiar softness in his eyes. I was teary-eyed. 

"You know that I will always support you, no matter what. You are one of the strongest people I know, and I am very proud of you. We raised you to be someone who knows her worth. And every day of my life, I prayed that you never stop seeing that 'cause you are valued, loved, and cared for. Don't hesitate and do what you think is best for you. Your mom and I always got your back, our princess."

I nodded while crying. Hearing him say those words touched my heart. I stood and hugged him tightly. 

"Thank you, Daddy. I love you and mommy."