His Mariposa (Camilo Madrigal x Filipina!Reader)

CHAPTER 65

The music has stopped. Apparently that was the last song on the disc. The crackling of the record as it continued silently forced her father to get up to turn it off.

Y/N propped her chin on her knee and looked at him.

She smiled to herself, when he made those old man sounds as he sat back down on the plush couch.

"Tay?", she asked, looking him in the eye.

"Hmm?", Ernesto hummed his question, returning the small smile.

Y/N kept staring at her father, searching for the words to say. But her father spoke before she could.

"You want to go after your brother, don't you?", He asked. Y/N, numb as she was,  had the nerve to make a bitter joke.

"Which brother?", she said, immediately realizing her mistake when her father froze in shock.

"Tay, I'm just joking. I know you're talking about Koy", she said, guilt rising in her as she saw the weakness growing behind her father's eyes.

Ernesto swallowed dryly, trying not to jump to conclusions as he took his daughter's hand in both of his.

He massaged her fingers in an attempt to stall himself from breaking down.

"Please", he whispered, feeling her squeeze his hands back.

"Please tell me you weren't thinking of-"

"I promise you, Tay", Y/N cut his shaky plea with her strong tone.

"I'm not leaving", she said, looking at him with teary eyes.

"Even though I know it'll bever stop hurting, I'm never going to leave you", she said, her bottom lip quivering at her own words.

"And I don't think I could leave Koy ever again", she huffed out bitter laughs even though silent tears started running down her face.

"Ay, anak ko", Tatay said, immediately cupping her face, moving to sit beside her and let her lean onto him.

Y/N's sniffs turned into loud sobs, all the emotions she's shut out for the day hitting her like a tidal wave.

Her body shook in her Tatay's strong hug, her sobs were loud and ugly, and her hands were stuck to her arms, gripping like a vice in a failed attempt to ground her.

She felt her father shush her in her ear, kissing her temple and telling her it's okay. It's okay, anak. Tatay's here and I'm never gonna leave you. Not if I can help it.

Y/N cried until her teeth were numb, until it was hard to breathe. Tatay was hugging her so hard that it hurt.

When they finally calmed down, they just stayed there, Y/N in between her father's arms, while she curled into a ball like a baby. Tatay had leaned onto the couch's backrest and was now just rubbing Y/N's arm while he let the tear tracks dry on his face.

He sighed and gave Y/N one last kiss on the crown of her head, "I have to check the stew", he said, and Y/N got up with him to wash her face in the sink, rubbing cold water on her red-rimmed eyes.

Now that they've let their emotions out, the quiet felt different. It still felt heavy but a bit more free.

It felt like how a normal rainy afternoon should feel like, with a parent preparing some hot food and the little kids playing in the rain.

Tatay removed all the firewood from under the stove and doused them with water before throwing them out.

Y/N just watched the rain fall outside the windows.