Bullet

Chapter 34

NADIA

NAALIMPUNGATAN ako nang may maramdamang humahaplos sa mukha ko at sinundan iyon nang malambot na bagay na pumatong sa noo ko---labi. Lips. Someone kissed my forehead. That scent, that familiar scent. My heart quickly tightened upon smelling that familiar scent of my husband.

Idinilat ko ang mga mata.

"V-Val..." My voice broke.

He smiled softly. "Aurora."

I lifted my hand and caressed his bruised cheek. "Sabi mo galos lang! But look at you! Y-you look wasted, you look, you look very, very hurt, Valente..."

Nagawa niya pang tumawa. Hindi ko mamamalayan na umiiyak na pala ako kung hindi niya iyon pinahid mula sa pisngi ko. He wiped off my tears and kissed my lips gently. He looked down at my stomach and caressed it.

"I'm here now. I'm home, Aurora." He uttered weakly. "Just like I promised."

Just like he promised.

Agad ko siyang hinila at mahigpit na yinakap. I buried my face on his neck, and closed my eyes. I have him in my arms again. Nayayakap ko na ulit siya. At umuwi na siya sa akin. Valente came home just like he promised. Valente came home alive to me just like what he told me he'd do.

Wala ng mas sasaya pa kaysa sa araw na ito.

"Baby, I'm scared,"

"Hmm?" Tanong ko. "Saan ka takot?"

"Your tummy. Baka maipit. Our child."

Those three short sentences made me chortle. Kaya binitawan ko na siya. I stared at his hazel eyes and cupped both of his cheeks. "They will be fine, Val. Our babies won't be hurt, yinayakap mo lang din naman sila, diba? Don't worry. They won't mind at all."

His head slightly tilted, as his lips slightly curved upwards. Nakita ko agad ang pagdaan ng pagkalito sa mga mata niya.

"Come again? They? Babies?"

Mahina akong humalakhak. I pinched the tip of his nose. "Hindi mo pa pala alam. I never got the chance to say it to you, at gusto kong sabihin sa'yo nang personal. I think this is the right time to tell you that..."

"That...?" He asked eagerly.

"That we're having twins!"

His eyes quickly widened the moment I told him that. Kaya lumawak ang pagkakangiti ko at nanatiling pinagmasdan ang mukha niya. His reaction is priceless. Halatang gulat na gulat ito at nakatulala lamang sa akin.

When I ruffled his soft hair, that's when be blinked multiple times.

"We're h-having twins." He even stuttered, as if he can't believe what he just heard from me. "We're having twins, Aurora. It means we're not only going to have one kid, we're having two kids! We're going to have two kids, Aurora! We're already going to have children!"

Nangingiti ako na tumango sa kaniya. The joy and shock were laced in his voice, and his eyes. They were twinkling. Hindi ko alam kung pinaglalaruan na naman ako ng imahinasyon ko pero ang alam ko ay nakakahawa ngayon ang kasiyahan ni Valente. He really looks and sounds so happy when he heard about our twins.

Mula sa pagkakaluhod ay napatayo siya. "I feel like jumping, Aurora. I want to jump and shout. Is this what cloud nine feels like?"

I snorted and laughed loudly.

"You're laughing," He mumbled softly. "Don't laugh at me, wife." Pero mas natawa ako nang hawakan niya ang magkabilang pisngi. "My cheeks feel hot. Am I blushing?"