Everything Has Changed (On Hiatus)

IX

"Mika Aereen Reyes!"

A loud voice echoed inside the Reyes household.

A man in his 60s went down the stairs in haste with a blank expression after he called out the name of her daughter.

"Da-daddy." Mika stuttered as she stood up from the couch.

Alyssa stood up as well beside her, taking her hand and intertwined it in front of the man he assumed to be Mr. Reyes, Lito.

Lito furrowed his brow as he looked at the intertwined hands of the two women in front of him; beside him is what Alyssa also assumed as Mika's mom, Bhaby.

After a year of being in a private relationship, they both decided to introduce each other with each other's parents.

It took them long because Mika decided to do it after they celebrate their first anniversary. And now, first stop, Mika's parents.

"What is the meaning of this, Mika?" Lito raised her eyebrow.

"Dad, please let me ex—"

"Your mom just told me everything!" Lito started to pace around.

Mika looked at her mom who's looking at them with the same blank face her husband was wearing.

Alyssa was sweating all over, but she was pretending to be fine—for Mika's sake.

"You are in a relationship...with a woman?!" Lito continued.

Alyssa was about to open her mouth to defend herself and her girlfriend but Lito cut her attempt off.

"At hindi lang basta babae, you're in a relationship with Alyssa Valdez!" Lito said as he pointed his left hand at Alyssa.

Alyssa smirked in her head; Mika's dad knew who she was. Who doesn't? She came from a known well-off family from the food industry.

Mika's parents owned some coffee shops around the city as well, that's how they knew the Valdez's.

"Dad, I'm—"

"How long were you two dating?" Lito stopped pacing and faced the girls.

"A year and month this 23rd, dad." Mika answered timidly.

"What?! A year and mo—Ganoon na kayo katagal at ngayon lang kayo humarap sa amin?" Lito raised his voice a bit.

"Unbelievable!" he exclaimed before he went back to pacing.

Mika pursed her lips and bowed down, avoiding the gaze from her parents.

Alyssa gathered all the courage she could and took a long breath as she decided that it's her turn to talk.

"I am very sorry, sir. Ayaw ko po kasing pilitin si Mika na ipakilala ako sa inyo. Siya po ang pinagdesisyon ko about this. I don't want to pressure her kaya it took us long." Alyssa explained.

Lito stopped pacing around and sighed as he took a seat in the love seat near his wife.

"I don't know what to say. Are you sure about this? You know this is not normal in the eyes of other people." he said calmly.

"With all due respect sir, I love your daughter with all that I am, and I don't mind what other people say, ang mahalaga po ay tanggap kami ng mga taong mahal namin." Alyssa started to talk.

"Hindi ko po maipapangako na hindi po siya iiyak sa piling ko because it's a part of being in love, but I promise to make her cry tears of joy more than tears of pain." she continued.