F.L.A.W Series Book 3: RUBY

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Do you want coffee, juice-" alok ni Ruby na kaagad namang pinutol ng lalaki.

"I want my wife." Hindi kaagad nakasagot si Vix doon. "Can you give it to me?"

"Percy, what are you doing here?" She asked but she couldn't meet his eyes so she pretended that she was busy clearing the table.

"What do you think? Do I need to spell it out for you?" He seemed a bit annoyed. "I didn't fly thirty-six hours for you to offer me some drinks."

"Narito ka ba para makipag-away sakin?" inis niyang baling sa mister.

Bigla namang nagbago ang itsura nito at bumuntong hininga muna na tila ba napapagod.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be sarcastic. I just didn't expect your reaction." And he stepped closer to her. "I'm here to ask you to come back home. The kids need you- I need you. Please, let's fix this."

Ngayong kaharap na niya nang mas malapitan ang asawa ay mas natitigan na niya ito. Halatang kulang ito sa tulog at mukhang pumayat rin ng kaunti. Hindi na rin nakakapagshave dahil tinubuan na ng balbas at bigote ang lalaki. Nakaramdam siya ng awa para sa mister dahil alam niyang siya ang dahilan kung bakit ito nagkaganoon.

"I'm sure you'll all be better off without me. Puro kapahamakan lang ang dala ko sa pamilya natin. I almost put our kids' life at risk because I couldn't handle my own emotion. I don't want you to get involve with my miseries in life. You deserved to have a life that is free from harm-"

"I was never free from harm and you know that. I am a law enforcer and danger is part of my job. I can conquer anything as long as you're with me. The kids are suffering because you were gone. Alam mo bang madalas umiyak si Seph at sinisisi niya ang sarili niya kaya ka umalis?"

"What?" Bigla siyang nag-alala nang marinig ang tungkol sa anak. "It's not her fault."

"But she thinks it's hers. She's too young to understand what's happening around her. She needs you, Vixyn."

Napayuko siya dahil naroon pa rin ang pangamba niya at pagdadalawang isip.

"I'm sorry for doing this, for causing you and our kids distress." Her hands are trembling. "I was being selfish, right? Sarili ko lang ang iniisip ko, inuuna ko yung nararamdaman ko kaysa sa inyo. I was too focused on fixing myself but I am ruining our family." She's almost hysterical. "And now, you're all suffering because-"

"Ssshhhh.... stop,stop." Pagpapakalma ng mister sa kanya. "It's not your fault either. There's too much on your plate and you're hurting. And I am one of the reasons why you're hurting. I'm sorry." At saka siya hinatak para yakapin. "I'm the one who should be blamed here. I should've been more open to you, I should've been honest. I shouldn't have taken you for granted. I kept on saying that you and the kids are my priority but my actions were the opposite. I'm sorry."

Kumalas si Vix sa pagkakayakap ng asawa upang makita niya ang mukha nito. Hinaplos niya ang pisngi kaya't napapikit ito. Hinaplos din niya ang panga nito na tinubuan na ng manipis na balbas.

"It looks like you forgot to shave. Your stubbles have grown." Aniya.

"I don't care how I look anymore." Anito habang nakapikit pa rin. "I don't care about anything else than to bring my wife back home." At yumuko para ipatong ang ulo nito sa balikat niya. "I missed you so much, Vix. It's been hell for the past weeks that you're gone. I couldn't focus on work, on the things I must do. I wasn't doing a good job being a father, they both still want you."

Siya na ang yumakap sa mister dahil ramdam niya ang paghihirap nito sa mga linggo na wala siya.

"As a father, you only want to protect them, to keep them safe always. And you did that." At saka niya sinilip iniangat ang mukha nito upang magtama ang kanilang paningin. "You protected our children from danger-... from me."