Playing For Keeps (Book 2 & 3)

2. Chapter 12.

"Sometimes two people don't need an end.. They only need a new start."

"Ginabi ka ata," Des remarked as soon as Drei stepped inside the house. She found them – Ate Des, Kuya Aldrin and Matty – huddled on the living room couch watching some teleserye on TV. "So ano na nangyari sa lakad mo? Everything okay?"

"Well," Drei started as she placed her purse on the empty single sofa nearest to her. Then she smiled at the three set of eyes that was waiting for her to continue. "It's a baby girl!"

"That's great, Drei!" Kuya Aldrin said and Ate Des agreed as they congratulated her.

"Akala ko baby brother!" Matty frowned. He stood up, made his way towards his Mom to give her a hug and then glanced up to meet her eyes. Drei just smiled and gave him a kiss on the forehead. She knew how much he's been wishing that it'll be a boy. Then he cupped Drei's bulging belly. "It's okay na girl ka, baby. Kuya will still take care of you."

"But you can't make me play with your dolls, okay?" he added as he gave the little bump a kiss. "Because Kuyas are boys and boys don't play with dolls!"  The adults in the room just chuckled at what he said.

"So it's okay that you'll be having a baby sister?" Drei asked and then he nodded. "It will be fun, trust me!"

"Teka tawagan ko si Mama!" Des said excitedly as she grabbed her phone from the coffee table and stood up. "Naku maeexcite yun pag –"

"Good evening po!" a voice suddenly said and they all turned to see Alex who was standing by the door behind Drei, hands shoved in his pockets. Des just arched a brow at him. 

"Ay... Ate Des this is –"

"Yeah, Alex, right?" Des blurted out finishing her sister's sentence.

"Nice to meet you," Alex said holding himself back from using "Ate Des". Des was a petite woman in her late thirties, sharing the same features that of Drei's. He cleared his throat as he shifted from one foot to the other and attempted one of his mega-watt smile, which she returned with a blank stare and a nod. Alex's great when it comes to meeting other people's family. He was charming enough to win over most anyone. And well, he has already proven that to be true because his friends' family adored him. But as Des looked at him with such open suspicion combined with a peculiar kind of mistrust, he suddenly doubted his ability to charm off this one.

"Glad you finally showed up!" she said, there was a hint of sarcasm in her voice though she managed not to make it sound that way. He felt his face getting hot. And from that point onwards it was pretty clear that Des didn't like him at all.

Drei just widened her eyes at her sister, which Des returned by rolling her eyes. And then Drei pointed at the man who was beside her sister. "And that's Kuya Aldrin, husband niya!". Both men shook hands.

"Nice to meet you po!" Alex said trying his best not to be distracted by the look on Des' face. It suddenly made him feel uncomfortable.

"Likewise, Alex!" Kuya Aldrin said cheerfully not minding his wife who was eyeing Alex like a prey. "Maupo ka!"

                                                       

             Matty stared at the familiar face to whom the voice belonged to. Standing tall in his black shorts and V-neck grey shirt, he wasn't a stranger. But as he inched closer beside his Mom inside their living room while he was talking to his Tito Aldrin, he suddenly felt that he didn't know him at all. Only three things came into his mind at that moment. One, he was his baby sister's Dad. Two, his Tita Des didn't like him at all. And three, the combination of one and two was pretty much the reason why his Mom was in trouble. Even if nobody admitted to him the real reason why, Matty's little gut feeling told him it was all because of this man. His Tito Alex.