"Can we please... make this work?"Paulit-ulit iyong bumabalik sa isip ko. Dad, Mom, and Daisy are still around but it was like it's just us here. It was like we were oblivious with our surroundings.Alam kong darating iyong oras na kailangan namin itong pag-usapan. Tatlo na iyong anak namin and we have to be firm on where this is really heading us. Sa utak ko, I was okay with just being a co-parent. We were working it out. I believe we have been great parents the past months.But maybe we cannot just stay like this forever. Kasi may mga batang involved. But I don't think I was ready for any talk about this, or was I? Baka tinatakbuhan ko lang din iyong topic. Maybe I'm a coward. Maybe I don't have the bones to face all of these because I was scared of where this would lead us.Pero dahil nga sa patuloy na pagtatanong sa sarili, I can't help but also wonder.Can we really make this work?I looked around and it seemed like all the people inside have sensed where our talk is going."Pwe
Good thing I gave birth naturally. Kaya mas madali kaming nakauwi ng bahay. The recovery was still quite hard, but I was glad we're finally home. Zandrey wanted to hire additional help to assist me in taking care of Baby Andrew, but I insisted on not doing that for now. Naka-maternity leave ako and Mom Emily's here to help kaya alam kong kaya ko pa naman lahat. Maybe when I go back to work, that's when we'll hire another help. Kasi for sure it will be quite handful to juggle work and take care of kids at the same time. But I still want to be as hands on as possible. Hindi ko na lang muna iisipin. I still have months to think about that.We haven't yet discuss the topic that we left off last time. Maybe he was waiting for me to open the topic first. Since ako naman iyong humingi ng oras.It has been on my head for days. Parang ayaw akong lubayan ng tanong na 'yon."Are you okay?" Mommy Emily asked. Kakatulog ng ni Baby Andrew and I was supposed to sleep as well pero hindi ako makatulo
"Ako na," Zandrey whispered when we heard Baby Andrew crying. I'm not sure what the time is right now. Ang tanging alam ko ay madaling-araw na.Thankfully, it's the start of Zandrey's day off kaya andito siya ngayon. He just got home after a long duty at the hospital a few hours ago. Pero kahit na pagod mula sa trabaho, he still insisted on taking care of the baby. Hindi naman ako mapakali kung hahayaan ko lang siya gayung hindi pa nga sapat iyong pahinga niya."Ako na," I insisted. Nakabangon na siya pero mabilis din akong kumilos para bumangon. "Galing ka pa sa trabaho. Go back to bed and sleep," matigas na sabi ko. Hindi ko sigurado kung tatablan siya 'nong tono ng pagsasalita ko. There are quite a lot of people who gets intimidated when I talk. Pero isa ata talaga si Zandrey sa mga taong walang takot sa akin.I remember back in college, when we first met, nagkapalagayan agad kami ng loob. On normal situations, that would not happen kasi hindi naman ako friendly at madali akong mak
Halos hindi ako pinatulog ng mga sinabi ni Zandrey sa akin. Ilang gabi iyong bumagabag sa akin. Sa tuwing nakikita ko nga siya dito sa bahay ay sa ibang bagay ko itinutuon ang atensyon ko. I just can't look at him because it will remind me of all the words he murmured that damn night.He was well aware na hindi pa ako pwedeng mag-engage sa kahit anong sexual stuff. Yet he teased me and made me restless for nights.I wanted to do the same thing to him, but I didn't have the chance. I was busy with the kids and there's no way I can do that."Mukha mo oy," Daisy commented. She's here at home para samahan ako. Wala kasing ibang tao dito sa bahay since it's a weekday. Hindi din naman daw siya busy kaya andito siya.Karga-karga niya ngayon si Andrew and she really loves holding the baby. Kulang na nga lang ay huwag na niyang bitawan iyong bata. Kahit na tulog na ito ay ayaw niya pa ring bitawan. Ako nga ay nangangalay agad kapag hawak ang bata pero sa kanya ay parang wala lang. Ang bilis ka
Exactly on a Sunday, Andrew turned a month old. Wala naman sana kaming balak na mag-party o kahit anong medyo bongga kasi hindi niya pa naman 'yon maaalala. But Daisy being Daisy, she was able to pursuade me into having a gathering for Andrew's 1st month. Kami lang naman daw, simpleng dinner lang, at photography sesh.Uso kasi ngayon iyong creative na pictures when a baby turns a month old. Kung ano-anong pakulo nga iyong nakikita namin online while we were trying to look for an inspo. Gusto nga sanang gayahin ni Daisy but I stopped her. As much as possible, gusto ko iyong simple lang.The theme for this gathering is baby blue. Lahat ay kulay baby blue iyong suot.Before the dinner, the photoshoot will take place. Gusto ko sanang kami lang din iyong mag-picture since we have decent phone cameras. But again, Daisy being Daisy, she hired a professional photographer. Gumastos pa talaga siya para dito."Ay, ang pogi!" she commented when she saw Andrew wearing the little baby blue polo shi
He kissed me again as hungrily and I kissed him back just as passionately. I missed him so much and I just wanted to stay in this room and just do things with him. Pero hindi kami pwedeng magtagal dito. We have people waiting for us sa labas.I was already feeling so hot all over me, pero hindi pa pwede. I know he misses it too kasi ganoon din ang nararamdaman ko. But we really cannot do this.Ibinaliktad ko iyong posisyon namin, with him now the one being pinned to the vanity mirror. Our kiss continued. Wala sa amin ang may planong tumigil sa paghalik.It was me who started planting kisses on his neck. I made sure I made sounds while doing it to him. Since we did not have that much time, I went down and quickly unbuckled his belt. I looked up and saw his amused face. Napangiti na lang ako.I pulled down his pants as well as his boxers and started stroking him. I looked up while doing it kasi gusto kong makita iyong reaksyon niya habang ginagawa ko iyon."Fuck..." I heard him mutter.
It took me months before I was able to gather all the courage I have in my system. Ang akala ko nga ay baka weeks lang iyong aabutin. Pero inabot iyong ng dalawang buwan. Yes, 2 months of trying to gather all my courage.For someone who's not as affectionate and expressive, mahirap talaga para sa akin ang magsabi ng nararamdaman. Kaya siguro inabot ako ng dalawang buwan bago ko napagdesisyunang kausapin na si Zandrey tungkol sa plano ko. I have to tell him everything first, and then we'll just proceed when we decided."You behave, okay?" I told Andrei. Ngayon ko lang ulit siya naihatid sa school, Ngayon lang din ako nakapag-drive ulit. Andrew was left with Mommy Emily at home. Wala kasi iyong mga kasama namin sa bahay dahil pinagbakasyon ko muna, while Dad is also at work. Mabuti na nga lang at bakante si Mommy Emily.My maternity leave's also ending soon at malapit na rin akong bumalik sa trabaho kaya napagpasyahan kong dapat ay masabi ko na ang mga gusto kong sabihin kay Zandrey. Il
Everything has been so tough for me and Zandrey the past months. May mga sakit na pilit naming iniwasan. Maraming alaalang gustong kalimutan. Maraming pangyayaring sumubok hindi lang sa katatagan namin as a co-parents, but also as individuals.I was at the peak of giving up the idea of a complete family. But he came into my life again. It was rough, definitely rough and tough for him. Ilang pagpipigil ang ginawa ko. But he still made it into my life. Alam kong malaking desisyon iyong tanggapin siya muli sa buhay ko, sa buhay ng mga anak namin, but I feel like so far, it’s one the best decisions I’ve ever made.When he asked me to give him a chance, to give us a chance, it took me a long time to reply. Kasi ayaw ko nang magpadalos-dalos. Pinag-isipan ko. Tinimbang ko lahat. Hindi lang kasi sarili ko iyong maapektuhan dito, kundi pati na rin ang mga bata. Thinking about it all led me to say yes.I am giving us a chance.We had a deal though. We'll try to make it work for as long as we c
TW: Abuse, ViolenceZandrey's POVI was almost running late for my next class. Naharang kasi ako nina Jed at Dominic. Nag-aayang makipag-group date. To avoid prolonging the conversation, I just agreed to go. There's no harm in it. Besides, I might benefit from it. In whichever way, I'm not sure. Lagi lang naman akong game sa mga buhay nila. Lately, all I did was study and go home when I have the chance. I can't mess this up. Not when I don't want to be under my dad's roof anymore. Kaya kailangan kong pagbutihin ang pag-aaral. I know he has the wealth, but I don't really trust him in giving it to me as his heir. Baka may iba siyang anak, so I have to do well on my own. I don't really need his money.I passed by the Library since it was the closest route going to our building. But it was quite packed with students so I bumped into a girl."Are you okay? I'm so sorry," I quickly said. I helped her picked up her things that fell on the floor. When I looked up, I almost stopped.Man, she's
"Does your tummy still hurts?" Andren asked. He's holding a book while looking at me. Napansin niya sigurong napapangiwi ako."Konti. Pero hindi naman gaano," I replied."Mom, why don't you go to the hospital?" Andrew butted in. "Hindi pa naman siguro ako manganganak. Mararamdaman ko naman 'yon," I murmured. I inhaled-exhaled. This month's gonna be my month. We'll finally going to have our baby girl.Zandrey and I had been married already for 8 years. We already have three boys. And finally, after several years of waiting ay magkakaanak na rin kami ng baby girl. I was actually waiting for this. And it indeed came."Asan ba ang Kuya niyo?" I inquired. Andrew and Andren looked at each other. "Where's Andrei?" I asked again."Umakyat ng ligaw," Andrew replied laughingly. My eyes widened because of what I've heard. May nililigawan na ang anak ko nang hindi ko man lang alam? God, he's just sixteen!"What?" I asked, a bit panicking. Hindi pa siya pwedeng magkagirlfriend! Hindi pa siya pwe
"You may now kiss the bride," the priest said. Dahan-dahan niyang itinaas ang belo ko and smile lovingly at me before brushing his lips to mine. "I love you so much," bulong niya when he hugged me. I returned his hug, even tightier."I love you more," I replied. I felt him kissed the top of my head."Hey, stop that. Picture muna," Daisy exclaimed after that long moment we just had. Naghiwalay na kami mula sa pagyayakapan and smiled at each other.We took pictures and a lot of pictures. We wanted to have as much documentation as possible. Masasabi kong ito na talaga ang isa sa mga pinakamasasayang araw ng buhay ko. I believe this is what Zandrey feels as well. Today, we just really happy because after everything we went through, all the backwards and forwards that came in between, we are finally here and are officially married.I am Maria Airaleen Alfonso-Del Fuerto now. And I think what a beautiful name that is.Who would have thought na ang dating "group blind date" lang sana at mau
It took him weeks to fully recover from everything. He had to go to a lot of therapy to fully recover. Mabuti na lang at walang ibang na-damage sa kanya. He still has to stay at home for some more time though. But that's okay. As long as he's okay and still breathing.He already knew about my pregnancy . I will never forget the huge smile on his face when I show him a picture of the sonogram. Thank God my body also recovered kaya wala na akong problema sa pagbubuntis.We decided to have the wedding after I gave birth to the baby. Ayokong malaki iyong tiyan ko kung ikakasal ako. We agreed to it and I know we're all set for that. Kailangan din munang manganak ni Daisy because she still wants to be the one who will organize it for us.We're currently in bed, both ready to sleep when I felt him hug me. Nang lingunin ko siya, nakita kong nakangiti siya sa akin."I can't wait to marry you," he mumbled. Natawa na lang ako. We're still quite far from the date we initially set.I remember when
Iyak ako nang iyak habang nagmamaneho si Thaniel. We were still an hour away from the hospital where Zandrey is. At hindi na ako mapakali. No one would tell me what's really his condition and my heart can't stay still. "Ai, please don't forget you're pregnant. Makakasama sa baby 'yan," Thaniel said, his eyes, still focused on the road. Ilang beses na niyang sinabi 'yon, pero kahit anong gawin ko, hindi pa rin ako matigil sa pag-iyak. Hindi ko alam kung paano kakalma pagkatapos ng nalaman ko. I can't help but blame myself for everything that happened. Kung hindi ako nagmatigas, siguro ay walang away at hindi mangyayari ito. From time to time, I text Daisy or Dominic for update but none of them has replied to my messages. Hindi na ako mapakali sa kinauupuan ko. Kung pwede lang paliparin itong sasakyan, kanina ko pa ginawa. Hindi ako relihiyoso. I don't pray as often. I don't call Him all the time, but at times like this, I have no one call but Him. Alam kong ang daming nangyayari t
Aira's POV I decided to take a vacation. Alam kong hindi dapat ako nagbabakasyon ngayon sa dami ng mga dapat gawin sa firm. Pero kailangan ko 'to. I needed to go somewhere so I can clear my head. If I don't do this, I might explode, so I needed a relaxing place where I can fully be alone with myself and my thoughts. "Siguro ka bang okay ka lang?" Thaniel asked. I asked him for help in booking a room in his resort. It was very last minute and I hate to take advantage of our friendship, but I just really need this right now. "I'll be fine, Thaniel," I responded. Mukhang hindi pa rin siya kumbinsidong okay lang ako. There was something in his face. I tried to smile at him pero mukhang naging ngiwi iyon. "Ang creepy," he commented. I rolled my eyes at him and he just laughed. "Siguradong okay ka lang mag-isa dito ha?" "Oo nga," I replied. "Just call me whenever you need anything, okay?" "I will." I shooed him away once again. Mukhang ayaw niya kasing umalis. Kailangan ko nang map
I woke up with a heavy head. Para akong dinaganan ng ilang daang sasakyan. I couldn't even stand up from my bed because of the heaviness I feel. "I cooked some soup. You should have some para mabawasan ang sakit ng ulo mo." I looked up and saw Mom standing beside me. When I looked around, I realized I was at my old unit. Wala na akong maalala kung paano ako nakauwi dito. "Si Dom na ang nag-uwi sa 'yo dito kagabi. Lasing na lasing ka," she stated as she walked towards me. Pinaurong niya ako sa kama saka siya tumabi sa akin. "Ano bang nangyayari, Zandrey? May problema ba kayo ni Aira?" Gulong-gulo na ang isip ko. Nauubusan na ako ng lakas sa tuwing naiisip ko ang mga nangyayari. Aira's still not talking to me. Her father punched me in the face. And now, I'm about to tell her Mom that I hurt her daughter.Why is this happening to me?"Come on, you can tell me everything, Zandrey," she murmured.I took a heavy breath before I started telling her everything that happened.It was not ea
I know she's hurting because of what she witnessed. I was hurting too because I unintentionally hurt her. Kahit gaano mo pala iwasan iyong mga bagay na pwedeng makasakit, you would still end up hurting them. Pero alam ko sa sarili kong wala akong kasalanan. I was just a victim too and I wanted to explain myself to her. But she's not giving me any chance to explain at all. I understand her, but I am also being put in a helpless situation.The entire time I was still busy at the hospital, maya't-maya pa ring pumapasok si Aira sa isip ko. I was so distracted at work that I just wanted to take the rest of the day off. Kaso hindi pwede. Walang ibang on-duty na doctor. So even if I really don't want to wait, I just did. I can't run away from my responsibilities here.When I got home, it was already late, and she was already sleeping. She locked the door. She must ahve forgotten I have a key so I opened it as slowly as I can.My heart instantly ached upon seeing her form lying on our bed. I
Aira has been so cranky these days. Madalas kaming hindi magkaunawaan, but I always make sure we still end up making up at the end of the day. Ang hirap kapag may galit o tampo siya sa akin. I feel like anytime, she'll push me away and I cannot go back to her. Konting pagkakamali lang ay natatakot na ako. Natatakot kasi akong mawala siya. One weekend, we had a beach getaway with our family and close friends. Pagkatapos lang iyon ng mga busy na araw. We thought everybody just needed a rest from everything. I know I do, kaya nang magka-chance ay pumayag ako. Daisy and Dominic announced their pregnancy. I'm so happy for them. Madalas kasi akong kausapin ni Dominic tungkol doon. After they their first baby, they had a hard time conceiving. Ngayon ay makakahinga na siya nang maluwag kasi dumating na ang panahon para sa kanila. The kids were already tired from swimming in the sea. Maging ako ay napagod din kaya agad akong nakatulog. But I woke up in the middle of the night. Naalimpungata