“Nope. She’s fine, Nika. Vien is fine, safe and sound.” Halos mapatumba ako sa sahig nang marinig kong ligtas si Vien. My baby’s safe. Okay na ako nang malaman kong ligtas si Vien.Ramdam ko namang inalalayan ako ni Harvin. Pero kaagad ko ring inilibot ang tingin ko sa paligid nang unti-unti nang lumalapit ang mga Sierra sa amin, ngunit hindi ko nakita si Eros at Elio.“Si... Si Elio? Where is he? Nasaan ang asawa ko? Wala namang nangyaring masama kay Elio, hindi ba?” sunod-sunod kong tanong. Sobrang basa na ng kamay ko dahil sa kaba at takot. Nanlalambot na rin ang mga tuhod ko kung hindi lang ako inaalalayan ni Harvin at ni Ate Lily, paniguradong nasa sahig na ako ngayon.Nagkatinginan sila Kuya Errol at Kuya Reid, huminga naman ng malalim si Kuya Emman tsaka lumakad naman papasok si Kuya Ezekiel kasama si Kuya Ravi para tabihan ang mga asawa nito. Anong nangyayari?Kaagad na nagsialisan na ang mga sasakyan para iparada iyon sa parking lot, pero hindi ko pa rin nakikita si Elio.“
ELIO BLAZIEL SIERRA I stared at Nika, who had been unconsciously looking at the window. She’s been like that for days, pero gumagalaw naman ito para asikasuhin kami ni Vlad at mga pamangkin niya. Hindi din ito kumakain ng maayos, kaya nag-aalala ako. It’s like she’s here, but her mind is somewhere else, lost in all the pain and worry. And as much as I wanted to reach out, to help her, I didn’t know how. Pero mas lalo akong nag-aalala sa kanya nang hindi ko man lang ito nakitang umiyak, at pagluksahan ang pagkawala ng anak namin. I didn’t know she could be this strong. Stronger than me, even. Or maybe she’s just pretending to be strong—for me, for Vien, for Vlad, and for Harvin, Haven and Harry. I admire her. I admire every fiber of her being, her resilience, her courage in the face of everything we’re going through. She’s the rock holding us all together, and I’m in awe of her strength. “They took Vien for ransom, Elio.” Eros said as he walking towards me holding his phone. Na p
VERONIKKA ELYSE LAURIER I heaved a sigh as soon as the rain poured down on us. Tag-ulan na naman at eto ang pinakaayaw ko sa lahat. Aside sa nakakalimutan kong magdala ng payong, ay may naaalala ako. Hindi naman sa pinakaayaw, ang dami lang naganap nang gabing iyon na hirap parin akong paniwalaan iyon. My ex-boyfriend cheated on me while my mom was on the verge of dying. We broke up under the heavy rain, both soaking wet, and my heart was torn into pieces. Basag na basag ako nang mga oras na iyon. Hindi ko na alam ang gagawin. Akala ko ang taong mahal ko ay siyang magbibigay ng saya na siyang nag-aalis ng mapait kong nakaraan. Even though he knew my past experiences, my pain, my sufferings, he still chose to cheat on me. Ang lala lang kasi sa limang taon kayong nagsama, hinayaan kong lokohin niya ako, padamahin na mahal niya ako, at ako lang wala nang iba. I was overwhelmed with frustration, questioning why everything had happened to me. I found myself in tears, standing at the ed
Vien was deeply engrossed in playing with her dollhouse, arranging miniature furniture and dolls with meticulous care. She eagerly beckoned Vlad to join her, despite his initial reluctance. "C-come on, V-Vlad! It's fun," she urged, her eyes sparkling with excitement.Vlad hesitated, eying the dollhouse skeptically. "But Vien, this is for girls," he protested, crossing his arms.Vien frowned slightly, her brow furrowing in determination. "I-It's okay, Vlad. L-Let's just play together," she said still stuttering but trying to speak.After a moment of consideration, Vlad relented with a small sigh, realizing how important this was to Vien. As they started playing, Vien's infectious laughter filled the room, temporarily lifting the weight of their challenging circumstances."Tha-that's n-not h-how to do it, V-Vlad." I observed gently as I watched Vien patiently guide her brother through assembling the dollhouse."You're really good at it, Vien." Komento ko. Sumilay sa kanyang mukha ang sa
VERONIKKA ELYSE LAURIERKaagad akong napaupo sa gilid ni Sir Elio at kinuha ang phone ko to check on him. Napapoker-face nalang ako nang makitang tulog na siya. Humihilik pa. This guy is unbelievable!After what happened earlier, tutulungan lang ako?! Wait—what do you expect, Nika? A sex after the kiss?! Nakakahiya ka!I called Manong Jules to help me carry Sir Elio to his bed. Nang makasiguradong maayos na itong nakahiga ay chineck ko narin siya kung ayos lang ba siya. Mukhang ayos naman. Lasing lang.I called Doc Yasmir to ask something."Yow! This is Hira, Nika. Whatsup?" Napatawa ako dahil sa inakto ni Doc Hira. Para lang siyang bagets kung makipag-usap kaya mahal na mahal siya ng lahat kasama na si Doc Yasmir."Doc! Ano kasi," napatingin ako kay Sir Elio na mahimbing na natutulog."Si Sir Elio po kasi..." nagdadalawang-isip kung sasabihin ko ba."Com'on, Nika. Time is running and you know how much time is so-so-so precious to us. So, spill it.""He kissed me." I bluntly said. Nak
VERONIKKA ELYSE LAURIER Ilang minuto akong nakatitig kay sa kanya nang bumukas ang pintuan ng kwarto niya. Sabay kaming napatingin ni Sir Elio doon at nakita namin ang nakangising si Ate Tri. "Ang tagal niyo, akala ko gumagawa na kayo ng milagro!" "Ate Tri/Tri!" We said in unison. Ramdam ko ata ang pamumula ng pisngi ko sa sinabi ni Ate Tri. "What? You're both adults!" Ate Tri said mischievously. Bigla akong nakaramdam ng kakaiba nang ramdam kong biglang lumamig at nang mapatingin ako kay Sir Elio, malamig na itong nakatitig. Feel ko sobrang dilim na ng aura niya. "Demetria." Tawag sa kanya ni Sir Elio. Bigla namang nagsitaasan ang buhok ko sa katawan ng tawagin si Ate Tri sa kanyang buong pangalan, aside, it was too deep, too cold, sobrang nakakatakot din na halos manginig na ang buo kong katawan dahil sa boses niyang iyon. "Com'on, Elio. Your kids are waiting for you," malumanay na sabi ni Ate Tri. Nakangiti siya na para bang hindi natatakot kay Sir Elio. Maybe she's used t
ELIO BLAZIEL SIERRAI was frantically pacing back and forth as Nics was inside the bathroom, testing the pregnancy test. She'd been showing signs of pregnancy, so I bought a test just to be sure.I was too afraid, knowing that my Veronica shouldn't bear a child. Yet we did that, with such caution.We've been married for two years now, and we both wanted to have a child. I was afraid. But my Veronica wants to have a baby, and we'll be focused on her health as soon as she gets pregnant.The seconds felt like hours as I waited, my mind racing with worry and hope. I heard the bathroom door creak open and turned to see Nics stepping out, the pregnancy test in her hand. Her eyes met mine, filled with a mixture of fear and anticipation.She took a deep breath and held up the test. "It's positive," she said softly, her voice trembling.A rush of emotions overwhelmed me—joy, fear, excitement, and anxiety all at once. I crossed the room in a few strides and wrapped my arms around her, pulling h
VERONIKKA ELYSE LAURIERI woke up early to do my morning exercise and yoga. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft golden glow through the windows. I grabbed my yoga mat and headed to the exercise room, eager to start my routine and clear my mind.As I entered the room, I froze, my eyes widening in surprise. There, in the center of the room, was Sir Elio, running on the treadmill. He was topless, his muscular chest glistening with sweat, and he was wearing only a pair of loose workout pants. The rhythmic sound of his feet hitting the treadmill's surface echoed in the room.I stood there for a moment, unable to look away. His intense focus and determination were palpable, and the sight of him in such a raw and unguarded state took my breath away. He hadn't noticed me yet, so I quietly unrolled my yoga mat in a corner, trying to compose myself.As I stretched and started my yoga poses, I couldn't help but steal glances at him. His movements were fluid and powerful, with each