"Angel..." Nagulat ako ng yumakap siya sa akin mula sa likod. I turned my head to Wayne who now had his chin resting on my shoulder.
Hinalikan ko siya sa gilid ng noo niya. "Pahinga ka muna. Kanina ka pa trabaho ng trabaho."
"I have to make sure everything's perfect." He kissed my shoulder. "Ano'ng oras na pala? We still have to pick Therese up from school. Kumain na lang tayo sa labas bago umuwi."
I smiled and nodded my head.
We headed straight to Therese's school after finishing our work. Nakapili na kami ng location para sa itatayong bar-lounge at iyon ang pinagkakaabalahan namin ngayon. Wayne was the owner of the largest, well-known chains of party nightclubs in the Philippines. He was good with what he was doing at hindi na ako nagtataka kung bakit lumago ng ganito ang negosyo niya.
"Mommy, Daddy Wayne!" Therese ran towards us when she saw us. Yumakap siya sa amin dalawa at binuhat siya ni Wayne.
"Mommy didn't make any dinner tonight so we're going to eat out. What do you want for dinner?" Wayne gently asked.
"Umm..." Therese thought. "I want some pizza and some ice cream!"
"Pizza and ice cream it is then." Wayne smiled.
Pumunta kami sa isang pizza restaurant kung saan napili kumain ng dalawa.
"Why do you always call Mommy Angel?" Therese said, chewing on her pizza.
Wayne looked at Therese and smiled. "When I met your Mommy that's when I started believing in angels. How can someone not believe in such beautiful beings when a sample of their kind is right in front of you?"
His eyes averted to me. Napakagat ako sa pang-ibabang labi ko at sinubukan kong pigilin ang kilig ko. Oh Wayne and his words...
"Ikaw talaga. Kumain ka na nga." Naiiling na sabi ko. He gave me a wink and turned his attention back to Therese.
"Mommy, can Daddy Wayne and I play first. I want to play in the arcade!" She muttered.
"Kakain na tayo, Therese." Sabi ko.
"The arcade is just right across. Maglalaro muna kami habang naghihintay ng orders natin."
"Please, Mommy?" She pouted.
"Fine. Pero sandali lang kayo ha?" I sighed.
"Yay! Let's go, Daddy!" She hopped out of the booth and tugged Wayne's hand. Tumakbo sila papunta sa arcade
"Seeing them together, the two of them, always makes me feel warm inside. Hindi niya tinratong iba si Therese. He treated her like a real daughter. Hindi ko na naman maiwasan maisip kung paano nga kung anak talaga namin si Therese at natupad namin ang pamilyang pinapangarap namin noon. Muli akong napabuntong-hininga. There was no room for regrets. Kahit maglumpasay ako hindi ko na maibabalik ang panahon.
All I could do now was to make the best of what we had.
Sa sampung taon na magkahiwalay kami ni Wayne, no one and nothing had even come close to the way he makes me feel. I knew no one ever would.
"Tanya?" I was sucked out of my thoughts when I heard a man's voice call my name.
"LUIS?!" Napatayo ako mula sa kinauupuan ko.
He smile but his eyes were sad. "Hi."
I didn't know how to react, seeing him again after a lot of years. Libing ni Nanay noong huling beses ko siyang nakita.
"Hindi ko akalain na magkikita pa tayo. Kumusta ka na?" Tanong niya sa akin.
I swallowed. "Okay naman. Ikaw?"
Chapter Thirty Seven
Start from the beginning
