Playing For Keeps (Book 2 & 3)

2. Chapter 6.

"Sometimes it's not about what you say, it's about what you don't."

 

 

 

Two months after...

         

Drei hadn't expected to see everyone up so early on a Saturday morning. But then a smile curled up her lips when she stumbled upon what was waiting for her on the table – hot pandesal, butter, eggs, rice, bacon and some meat loaf. The perfect breakfast, she thought. The Buenaventura household usually don't do breakfast on a Saturday morning, they do brunch since everyone usually wakes up at around eleven and Saturdays are usually the time they Skype with everyone in San Francisco – her Ate Camile and husband Kuya Bob, her nieces Dix and Issa, and her parents, Judy and Fred. It's been a ritual that they've been doing ever since their parents left for the States last year.

But as her parents learned about the news that Drei was expecting another little one on the way, her mother was ecstatic. Yes, ecstatic and her Dad joined in as well. Their parents were always supportive of them especially with how they lived their lives. Both Judy and Fred, who've been married for almost 45 years, both an alumni of U.P Diliman, were modern, open-minded people and as parents, they were, as what their girls' friends would call, cool. And their family was crazy and fun, especially that their Dad is a really cool guy.

For a brief moment it got Drei thinking if there was an occasion or something she had missed. There was none that she could remember, for today. Her gaze shifted to the Ipad was already set up on the table and then to the seven year-old who was grinning like crazy. He really planned this, even synchronizing the time zone for their Skype call. It was already 8 o'clock in the morning here, so it's 5 o'clock on a Friday afternoon in San Francisco. "Did you like it, Ma?" he asked.

But before she could even say anything, Ate Des already cut her short. "Buti na lang at bumaba ka na, kanina pa yan!" Ate Des said, resting her head on her husband's shoulder and Kuya Aldrin groaned in agreement. They both looked like they were woken up unexpectedly in this time of the day. The two have been married for almost four years already, both working as an accountant in the same company but then they still haven't got a child of their own. Des has been diagnosed with a PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) which is why they've been having a hard time conceiving. "Dapat daw antayin ka, kaya halika ka na at umupo ka na dito at kanina pa din naghihintay sila Mama sa Skype!"

"Wow, Kuya!  Ang galing mo naman!" she said. Matty grinned proudly and waggled his eyebrows as if saying 'Yes, I did'. Then he reached out and ushered her to the empty chair beside Des. The fact that her son woke up in the wee hours of the morning to have this all ready for everyone was enough to make her smile. As she sat down, she wrapped an arm around her little boy and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Kuya... I'm so proud of you!"

"Welcome, Mom! Tinulungan ako ni Manang Rose," he said, then he leaned closer to her tummy. "Good morning, baby!"

Drei could feel the little one flustering inside her belly as it heard Matty's voice. Yes, good morning indeed, she thought. She cringed and let out a breath, it must have been her rib or lung or whatever organ inside of her that this little creature was pushing. Stretching those baby legs and letting her know that it was awake already and ready for a meal. "Yes, boss, kakain na tayo," she muttered under her breath and rubbed her tummy.

"Hello, you guys!" her Mom said cheerfully. Her sister Camille and her family were out in L.A visiting her in-laws, so it was only Mom and Dad today on Skype. "Wow! Early breakfast, that's a first!"