DAYS passed, and I felt like I was living in a dream. Being Reeve's wife is a great feeling, no doubt. He wasn't kidding when he told me he wanted to work out our marriage. Because of his unceasing efforts, I learn how to be comfortable around him.He was able to melt my guard down.I smiled as I breathed through the cold night as I leaned on the railings of our balcony, watching the dark yet peaceful sky as it gave me peace after a long day of tiring work at the hospital.I'm wearing my usual pajamas— a pair of yellow satin shorts pajamas and a short sleeves button-down from my favorite brand. Since the fabric was satin, humahaplos sa balat ko ang malamig na simoy ng hangin.Narinig ko ang pagtigil ng tunog ng shower mula sa loob ng kwarto— his done taking a shower. My heart started to pound when I heard a door opened and closed. Kinagat ko ang labi ko at napainom sa gatas ko nang biglang pumasok sa isip ko ang taong nasa loob ng kwarto at nagbibihis ngayon.Ilang araw na kaming mag
DOC RJ, the senior physician, gave a twenty-minute orientation talk before we started transiting for our two hours journey up the mountain of Arayat, Pampanga. After the orientation, he introduced each one of us to each other since we came from different departments.Apat kaming license physician na nag-volunteer; two were surgeons, which includes me, two internal medicine doctors, four registered nurses, two licensed dentists, and two dentistry students. The rests were five nursing students.The whole trip was a hassle because the road was bumpy, but this kind of trip was worth it, especially when the reason was good.We arrived in one of the barangay in Arayat, Pampanga, just before dinner, and we were immediately greeted by Conrado, the barangay captain of their barangay. Conrado and some of his tanod prepared food for us in his humble abode to welcome us to their barangay."Maraming salamat po at ang baranggay namin ang napili niyong tulongan," magalang na sambit ni Kapitan Conrado
"ARE you sure you're going to join the medical mission in Mount Arayat, darling?" Tanong ni Mommy for the fourth time.I am here in her office after I discovered there will be a medical mission for one week for the indigenous community in Mount Arayat, Pampanga. Since I was in college, nakagawian ko na talaga ang sumali sa mga medical mission para tumulong sa mga nangangailangan.When I went to the States, hindi ako nakapag attend ng mga medical mission dahil naging busy ako sa medschool. Ngayong ganap na akong doctor, I want to continue what I've started.I feel like I was born to help other people."Yes, Mom. I really wanted to join the medical mission this year. 1 week lang naman 'yon, mommy. You know how much I love helping indigenous people, right? So, please let me join this one," I heard her sigh before she pushed the form in front of me."Fine. Go, write your name in the list." I beamed and quickly scanned the written names that would be volunteering in the medical missi
DAYS went by, and today is our fourth day here in Arayat, Pampanga. Nakakapagtataka na makitang nagkakagulo sa labas especially sa covered court. My eyebrows knotted when I spotted two pickup trucks and a familiar black mercedes benz in front of the court. The people, whether young or old, are lined up inside the court as if there's a celebrity inside."Doc! Good moning po," sabay-sabay na bati sa'kin ng mga student nurse nang makita nila akong papalapit sa pwesto nila.My lips peal a smile. "Good morning. . . What's happening in the court? May artista ba? Bakit ang daming tao sa loob?"They glanced at each other before they turned at me, smiling. "Hindi po artista pero mukha pong artista! They're having feeding program po,"My heart melts at that thought. "Really?""Opo, dra. . . May feeding program po sa covered court,""Oh," namangha naman ako. "Should we help them?" I asked."Sige po, dra. . ." We sauntered inside the covered court, and the first thing I saw was the logo of the
I STILL can't move on from what he said earlier. . . He wants to court me— as in me, his wife. A crew from his team called Reeve so he had to go back inside the covered court while I was left with my fellow volunteers.Pagkaalis na pagkaalis ni Reeve ay nagpasabog sila ng sunod-sunod na tanong sa akin. I don't have any choice but to answer all of them with a little white lie. I do believe that lying is not always wrong.I have to tell a lie to protect the truth.When we had lunch, I was really surprised because there were silver containers on the long wooden table from Zuriel's. I did not expect that he would come here just to ask if he could court me. It feels strange seeing him here for that reason. As usual, ang kasama ko mag lunch ay ang mga kapwa ko volunteers. Nandito rin sina kapitan conrado at ang iba pang tanod para makasabay namin kumain. When Reeve came back, all of my fellow volunteers sent their gratitude to him for the food. They welcomed him with open arms as he tal
THE SUN arise with warmth and tranquillity. I woke up lightly, and this kind of morning was the best way to exercise and explore the beauty of this barangay. I quickly turned my head when I heard a knock on the wooden door.Nadatnan kong nakatayo si Reeve sa may bukana ng pinto habang nakahalukipkip. Ngayon ko lang napansin na humahaba na pala ang buhok nito habang suot ang gusot na puting sando at dark blue boxer shorts. Nalipat ang tingin ko sa malapad nitong balakat at ang namumutok nitong braso.The tiny hair on his legs looks sexy.Nang mas bumaba pa ang tingin ko sa katawan niya ay napalunok na ako dahil sa halatang umbok nito sa harapan ng kanyang boxer shorts. Damn, that bulge inside his boxer shorts!"Are you done staring at me, wife?"Napakurap-kurap ako at napaangat ang tingin sa mukha ni Reeve nang marinig ang kalmado ngunit malalim niyang boses. His voice took on a familiar cocky lilt.I raised my eyebrow even as the heat of embarrassment prickled my skin. "What are you
LEILA, the granddaughter of the old lady we helped, thanked us for helping her helpless lola. Kinuha ko ang contact number niya para makakuha ako ng update tungkol sa lola niya. I want to know if she's okay.Pagkatapos ko ilahad sa kanila ang buong nangyari kanina sa palengke ay naghanda na kami para sa medical mission ngayong araw. Reeve, went back in the tiny house para magluto ng lunch namin."Maraming salamat po sa libreng check up at sa libreng gamot, doc." This is the last sentence I heard for our medical mission today.Time passed, and the sky turned pinkish purple as the sun slowly disappeared from the horizon until the sky turned black. What a wonderful sight to behold."Wife, It's dinner time," "Oh? What's for dinner?" I asked as I looked back at him. Nakatayo ako sa may harapan ng bintana habang pinapanood ang paglubog ng araw."I cooked Bangus belly in Teriyaki sauce, and cauli rice. I also made a steam banana bread," he retorts. Natakam naman ako kaagad sa putaheng nil
TRUE to his words, nanligaw nga si Reeve. Never in my life has someone courted me, but I'm not saying that I didn't experience having blind dates. I did have a few, maybe five or seven blind dates courtesy of my mom. When I started studying in medschool, doon ako literal hindi nakapagdate or nakapagflirt dahil masyado akong engrosed sa pangarap ko.I was too busy achieving my dreams to date and think about men.And somehow, I don't feel like dating because of what happened in the past that involved Reeve and me."Wife, your necklace." The bubble inside my dead burst when I heard Reeve's deep voice.I blinked when he fixed my necklace because it was on backward. He also strokes back my baby hair that was covering my face. Tumitig siya sa'kin saglit bago tumaas ang sulok ng labi niya."There you go," he muttered."T-Thanks." My cheeks flushed. His small gesture really makes me awe-struck.For me, those small gentures are more genuine than the grand gestures since you can plan or sche
Unseen chapter: The Honeymoon We had fun in the night market and so did the bonfire party with the other guests. Nakainom din kami ng authentic Mexican foods at alcohol. Nauna na akong maligo sa asawa ko't nag-aayos pa 'yon ng mga pagkain na pinauwi sa amin ng mga mababait na staffs. I was patting my damp, long hair when I caught a glimpse of the thin, vulgar, red lingerie that Khrizanta had gifted me. She told me to wear it on our honeymoon. I don't know what got to me, and I brought it with me. The chills the lingerie gives me make my blood rush in my veins quicker. I shut my eyes, and the moment my eyes opened, I found myself bravely wearing the lingerie. Tinignan ko ang sarili sa salamin. From the boobs down to my thighs and bottoms, it fitted me so well. My confidence increased rapidly the longer I stared at myself. I took my make-up kit and looked for a bold colour of lipstick. I picked the one with a red shade and spread it on my lips. "This must make him drool, rig
Unseen chapter: The HoneymoonI woke up the next day without my husband on the bed. Bumangon ako sa kama at napangiti nang maamoy ang mabangong amoy na nanggagaling sa niluluto niya.I stretched up my sore muscles before tidying up the bed. After that, I marched towards the bathroom and took my time doing my morning rituals.I grabbed my phone and walked towards the glass door of the balcony, pulling it open. Tumapak ako palabas at pinagmasdan ang tanawin. I took a sigh of amazement as the view in front of me took my breath away. The immaculate cerulean blue water of the sea is screaming tranquillity. Hindi masyadong malakas ang alon sa dagat. I can see people enjoying their day at the beach.I sat on the rattan couch while holding my phone. Nakahinga ako nang maluwag nang makitang may update na si Mommy tungkol kay Killian. Apat na messages 'yon at may kasama pang attachments.Mommy sent me pictures and a short clip of Killian's day without us. They went to church this morning and a
Unseen chapter: The Honeymoon For my first outfit, I wore a ruffled sleeves white dress that reached above my calves. I turned my dark hair into a low bun with a few thin hairs dangling on both sides of my face. I applied light make-up as it suits me very much. Hindi na ako nagsuot ng mga alahas at tanging wedding ring namin ni Reeve at ang hikaw ko ang suot ko. Reeve was wearing a black button-down short sleeve and white trousers. The first four buttons of his shirt were opened, revealing his hard chest. Kumakapal na rin ang buhok ni Reeve. Simula noong mag retired siya bilang lieutenant-colonel, nagpapahaba na siya ng buhok. But hubby continued getting faded haircut as I told him I love seeing him with faded hairstyle. Reeve and I entered the highly recommended Mexican restaurant near our hotel called Riviera Maya restaurant. The restaurant itself has a modern Mexican interior and an overlooking ocean view. A server immediately introduced himself and guided us to our tabl
Unseen chapter: The Honeymoon "Hubby, do you think it's really okay to leave Killian? What if he cried because we weren't there for him? What if something bad happened to him while we were away? What if the breast milk I prepared ain't enough?" I asked worriedly. "Do you want us to bring him? We can go back and get him," he asked back. We are now in the car, travelling to the airport. Hindi na namin sinama si Killian at baka magdalawang-isip pa ako na hindi tumuloy. I don't want to leave our son. I am too worried about him, but at the same time, I want to be with Reeve, just the two of us, on our honeymoon vacation. I sighed and shook my head. "I want to, but this is our vacation as husband and wife. I just can't stop thinking and worrying about our son. Ito ang unang beses na iiwan natin siya sa loob ng apat na araw," He reached for my elbow and tugged me so I could face him. "Wife, don't worry too much about Killian, okay? He's in the good hands. Your parents want to ha
Unseen chapter: The Honeymoon "Hubby, do you think the 20 million we donated to the kids and families in Palestine is enough, or should we add at least 10 million more?" Reeve's strong arms immediately caught my waist. He pulled me and let me use his lap as my chair. My heart instantly leapt with his move. "Wife, 20 million is enough. We still have Ukraine and another country to send our donations, remember?" "Yes..." "So, we have to save..." I felt his hand squeeze my waist. "Baka mamulubi naman tayo niyan," My lips parted before I chuckled. "Hindi naman siguro, hubby." He bowed his head in silence before he burst into laughed. "You are not sure, wife." I felt his lips on my cheek. "Have you told Killian about our plans?" I sighed upon remembering that. Reeve and I will fly to Mexico this week for our honeymoon for our second wedding. Today is our real honeymoon because when we first got married and had our honeymoon, we were both drunk. Last month, our wedding
Time flies so fast because Killian is growing so fast. Killian is now ten months old, and in two months, he will turn 1. He can now crawl and stand on his own. He also have two primary teeth in front of his gums. He likes to explore and be mobile the reason why we've put up safety barriers in his nursery room. Killian giggled as I tickled him gently on his chubby neck. His little chuckles are sound to my ears. I can't help but chuckle while watching him. May dalawang ngipin na siya sa harapan, making him more adorable. "You like it when Mama tickles you, huh?" I gently said and kissed him on his forehead. "Mama and Papa loves you so much, baby. Don't grow up so fast, please?" Killian made a random sounds as if he was talking back at me. Napangiti ako pinunasan ang namumuong laway sa gilid ng labi niya. Saktong lumabas si Reeve galing bathroom nang magsalita si Killian sa unang pagkakataon. It wasn't the first time, but it was the first he uttered clear words. Most of the time,
ON our second day, we went to the French Aquarium in Le Bon Marche. Kirsten and Killian enjoyed their time there since they had some activity regarding sea creatures. We also went to some high-end brand shops to buy pasalubong. Then, we went to the Eiffel Tower. Tomorrow, we decided to visit the Disneyland Paris. I was staring at the magnificent view of the sunset when I suddenly craved steak. I wanted to eat steak, but not the usual steak that was cooked by a normal chef. I want it to be exceptional! I pulled the hem of Reeve's jacket. I looked at him in doe when he glanced at me in confusion, yet his aura looked radiant. Palibhasa, natuloy kami sa pagdidilig kagabi. And I swear it was so good that we had four rounds! "Hmm? What does my wife want?" he asked while grinning. "I want steak for dinner." He looked dazed. "Steak? I knew a steak restaurant in the corner," he says. I shook my head in disagreement. "No! Gusto 'ko luto ni Gordon Ramsay! I want him to cook the steak
After over 16 hours of non-stop flight, the airplane safely landed at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Reeve got our luggage on the carry-on while I readied the kids to disembark the plane. But before we leave, lumabas si Dad mula sa cockpit para batiin kami. I was mesmerized seeing him wearing a pilot uniform. May mga ibang crew ang napatingin sa paglapit ni Dad sa amin. Dad gave me a peck on my cheeks before he tapped Reeve's shoulder. "Lolo, you're here! You are amazing, Lolo! You navigate this big aircraft by yourself!" Killian jaunty says. "Thank you, buddy," sagot ni Dad at bahagyang ginulo ang buhok ni Killian. "Lolo is a pilot?" Kirsten innocently says. Dad nodded, chuckling. "I am, sweetheart. How's the flight?" he asked cooly. "The flight was fine, Dad. Thank you for landing us safe," sagot 'ko. "Of course, sweetheart. That's my job, to make you all safe in the air and to make sure the plane will safely land on the runaway," he answered. "You're so cool, Lolo!
DAYS and weeks went in the blink of an eye. Last two months, we celebrated Killian and Kirsten's birthday. And now Reeve and I will celebrate our 7th anniversary as a husband and wife. We've been married for 17 years, but we are celebrating the anniversary of our second marriage. . . "So. . . You'll be back next month?" Mom asked in curiosity. I nodded with a subtle smile. "Yes, mom." "Ingat kayo doon, okay? Message me after the airplane lands at the airport," she said, making me nod. "Don't worry about us, Mom, we will be fine," I assured her. "I'll miss you and these two adorable children," she says and proceeds on hugging Killian and Kirsten. "I'll miss you both, sweetie pie," she says. "I will miss you too, Lola pretty!" Killian muttered. "Love you, Lola," Kirsten says, kissing mom on the cheeks. Nakangiti ako habang nakatingin sa kanila. When the boarding was announced, we knew we needed to let our feet walk until we reached the inside of the plane. I was pulling o