Stephen King once wrote: "Books and movies are like apples and oranges. Both are fruit, but taste completely different."
Raelle understood this truth very well. Because even with her level of active imagination, some movies were able to capture her attention. If she had watched horror movies, she had read horror books as well. And they both always gave off a different vibe.
However, at the end of the day, neither a book nor a movie was enough to enthrall her or pull her into their own world. She was always like an uninterested bystander. It had nothing to do with the skills of an author or the actors who played the roles in the movie. She just could never bring herself to put herself in the shoes of the characters she read or watched.
But as she glanced at her husband, she realized that he definitely wasn't like her. Just a moment ago, he was laughing hysterically and now, he was crying silently. For a moment, she even wanted to ask him if he was alright. She looked at the scene playing on the screen before looking back at him. She honestly couldn't understand what was worth crying over exactly?
"Don't look at me like that," said Shui Xian to Raelle as they walked out of the cinema.
"I feel like I got to know something new about you today," stated Raelle honestly.
"Oh, let me hear about it," said Shui Xian as he pulled her into a cafe for a coffee.
"You get emotionally invested with fictional characters," answered Raelle.
Shui Xian pressed lips together, "I can't deny that. I do get emotionally invested to the point that after reading a certain book, I felt completely empty for the next whole month."
"Hubby, before watching a movie, you always check the tags?"
Shui Xian nodded his head and frowned, "How do you know that?"
"Because from what I can see, it seems you avoid tragedy tag," said Raelle matter-of-factly. "You don't like sad endings." She wasn't asking him, she was telling him that.
Shui Xian chuckled gently, "Baby, your senses are too keen and dangerous." He didn't deny her words but said, "But you're right. I don't like sad endings. I believe one tragedy in my life was enough."
"Tragedy?" repeated Raelle. "Are you referring to your first marriage?"
Shui Xian looked up at her and nodded his head, "Wasn't it a tragedy? I heard somewhere that if the two people who really loved each other can't make a relationship work, that really is a tragedy." Raelle's lips parted as if she wanted to say something and Shui Xian interrupted her with, "I believe you won't agree with me on this. After all, to you, a relationship should not be solely based on love."
"I won't comment on your relationship but I will comment on your wish for happy endings," started Raelle. "Don't you think it's unrealistic to wish for happy endings? You're calling it the end, how can you call the end 'happy'?"
"It's not like I'm running after happy endings in my life," said Shui Xian. "But I'd still want to invest my feelings in a movie or book that has a happy ending for the peace of my mind."
"You mean it's just an escape?"
Shui Xian smiled at her, "Why do you think people enjoy novels or movies? Aren't we all looking for an escape from reality? We want to get lost in the world created by the author and forget about the world we are living in." He placed his hand on hers as he went on, "But I believe you don't understand that. You have never found yourself in such a situation." He held her hand up and kissed the back of her hand as he added, "I won't comment on anything else but you have made me realize that what I really needed in my life wasn't a happy ending. It was the new beginning that I got with you."
"So, do you believe we can be together forever?"
"If it's you, I'm willing to at least believe that we can be together forever. The least we can do is believe, you know."
"Why do I think that you're looking at me like I'm your happy ending?"
Shui Xian's smile widened, "I certainly want it to be that way." His fingers rubbed her hand as he asked, "Do you want to know why?"
"Why?"
"Because you're like the story who has no ending. Either it's happy or sad. It's nothing to you. And since you've left so much blankness in your story, I can fill those blanks however I want to. Either with happiness or sadness, it all seems up to me. And for the first time, I am the one in control. I like this feeling."
"Do you know I can't understand your words?"
Shui Xian laughed out, "There are certain things you say which I can't understand as well. But it doesn't really bother me." He stared at her saying, "It allows me to interpret your words however I want to."
"But I don't like interpreting things the way I want," said Raelle. "I want to understand your words."
Shui Xian tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, "You should rest once in a while. It's okay to not understand everything in life. Don't be so hard on yourself all the time."
"My psychiatrist had told me for years to try to understand people and cater to their needs. And you're telling me to stop trying to understand everything? Who should I listen to?"
"I don't know about the world but I'd never ask you to force yourself to understand anything about me. It's okay to not understand some things. We are only human. There is only so much we can do." His thumb rubbed against her cheek as he added, "And you have already been doing your best for years.. Even I feel tired, for you now."
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