A Deal is a Deal

Chapter Forty Three - Still the Same

Chapter 43

 

Gaby’s POV

 

Hindi siya makapaniwalang andito na sa harap niya ang kanyang anak. She momentarily forgot the scene inside the dining hall. Nakalimutan niya ang kanyang mga kuya, sina Piey at Jenni, si Sheila at Maddie, at ang kanyang pinakatagong sikreto tungkol sa kanyang anak na bago lang nabunyag.

“G-Gavin.” Gumagaral ang boses niya habang tinatawag ang pangalan ng kanyang anak.

Biglang humagulgol si Gavin at tumatakbong lumapit sa kanya. “M-Mommy! I m-miss you s-so much!” Kaagad niya itong niyakap at kinarga. Gavin was clinging to her as if she was his life source.

Hindi na niya nakayanan ang sarili at tumulo na ang mga luha sa kanyang mga mata. She missed him so much! Higit sa dalawang linggo silang hindi nagkikita sa personal at gusto na niya itong mayakap at mahalik. Gavin was her everything now. “I miss you too, baby. Mommy misses you too so much.”

“M-Mommy, I love you. Please don’t leave me again?” Sabi nito sa napakahinang boses. Malapit siyang napahagulgol dahil ramdam niya ang hinanakit ng kanyang anak. This was actually the first time they were apart from each other. Buong akala niya’y pagkatapos niyang makausap ang kanyang papa at mga kuya ay matatapos na din ang lahat at makakauwi na kaagad siya sa Chicago. But she was wrong. Hindi niya kayang iwanan ang kanyang papa sa ganitong estado. He was dying.

Tiningnan niya ang mukha ng anak. “Oh no, baby. Mommy never left you. Why would you think of that?”

“You said you will be home within a few days after leaving Chicago right? But you went away more than two weeks! I t-thought you didn’t l-love me a-anymore.” Humagulgol na naman ito sa pag-iyak. Oh my poor baby. Niyakap niya ito ng mahigpit.

“Mommy will never leave you, Gavin. You are my life and I will always love you to infinity and beyond. I promised you that remember?” Pag-aalo niya sa anak. Tumango naman ito pero hindi na nagsalita. Hindi niya alam pero patuloy parin sa pag-agos ang kanyang mga luha. Maybe she really missed her son so much.

Ilang minuto din silang tahimik. Biglang bumigat si Gavin sa kanyang pagkakakarga kaya alam niyang natutulog na ito. She took a deep breath before turning around to look at her brother’s faces. Tiningnan niya din sina Piey at Jenni na hindi parin makatingin sa kanya ng diretso. The only one smiling inside the room was the teary-eyed Maddie. Even Sheila was just looking at her with a blank expression. “I know I have a lot of explaining to do. But—”

“Why did you lie to us?” Putol kaagad sa kanya ni Kuya Albert. Hindi naman ito mukhang galit. He looked more disappointed than angry.

“I honestly wasn’t thinking clearly that time. I w-was still angry at G-Greg when I said that.” Nauutal na paliwanag niya. Hindi niya gustong bumalik sa pangyayaring iyon. It was still very fresh from her memory.

Nakita niyang bahagyang umiiling si Kuya James. “Pero bakit mo kami pinaniwala na nagkaroon ka ng miscarriage? Bakit di mo kami sinabihan na buhay pa ang bata sa sinapupunan mo?”