19 - Mama

Thaddeus's eyes, filled with tears and regret, met mine with a profound sadness that pierced through me. It hurt me to see him like this, so vulnerable and torn. He was always transparent with me, and that honesty was one of the things I loved most about him. Kasi hindi ako manghuhula, para malaman ang mga sakit o kung ano pa mang nararamdaman niya.

I'll still be clueless if he doesn't say a thing to me. Tulad nang mga panahong nasa ikatatlong taon na kaming nagsasama. He became distant.

But now, the question remained—how much could I really know if he kept his pain hidden?

"I don't want you to hate your father, Cali," he said quietly, his voice trembling as he sat on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees. He ruffled his hair, a sign of his distress. Seeing him like this was a stark reminder of how complicated our situation had become.

Palagi nalang ba kami magsasakitan? Hindi na ba kami sasaya?

It seemed like we were stuck in a cycle of pain and misunderstanding. I want