My Only Exception

Chapter 1

"Dada? Dada's here?"

"Where's the pizza?"

She immediately looked up and saw where the question came from. She smiled when she saw him.

"So you are here, that's why the little boy is all smiles when he went down," she smiled at him.

"His caretaker called me. Said she has an emergency to go to. I came rushing here to see the young man. We played, and he just finished his milk. Right, baby?" he said and patted his head lightly.

"Yes," Cali agreed. "Did you bring home pizza, Nanay?"

"Yes, honey. Let's go munchkins!" she gladly ran with her boys going to the kitchen. Cali consumed a slice and ate some pasta. It was already 6 PM and it was the time that Cali watches his favorite cartoon show. She cooked dinner while he joined the little boy watching.

Past 9 in the evening, she tucked him to bed while he read bedtime stories to Cali. He was asleep in thirty minutes.

"Let's talk outside," she told him and he obliged. She took two wine glasses with her and a bottle of red wine. She settled it down on the wooden table beside the wooden two-seater swing.

"How was your day?" she sat beside him.

"It was good. I had a lot of fun with Cali. I needed to stop him from running around before we both end up being punished by his Mom," he teased her.

"Thanks for looking after him today. I know I'm the one who's supposed to do that but I got stuck on that meeting," she explained.

"It's okay. I love Cali. There's nothing to explain. How did the meeting go?"

"It was okay. I earned a nice check. I'm saving it for Cali," she said.

"Hey, hey... I told you that I would handle that," he stopped her.

"No," she said and held his hand. "I'll do that part."

"Cali's mine as much as he is yours," he told her. He wanted to take care of all the needs Cali has but she stops him all the time.

"I know, I know. But I'm his Mom," she said.

"I'm his Dada," he rebutted. "Anyway, what happened during the meeting?"

She paused and went into deep thinking. She had been thinking about it the moment that she went out of the publishing house.

"I'm going somewhere... To promote the book," she said and started playing her nails. She was squirming.

"Well, that would be good. At least, you can earn more. Cali would be happy to travel with you," he said.

"That's the thing... I don't know if I can bring Cali with me. I mean, I have to leave real soon and Cali does not have his passport ready yet. I don't know what I would do," she told him.

He also paused to think of the best resolution. "I can see after him for the meantime."

"No. That's too much. We cannot take you away from your work that long. I would be away for two months. I can't be away from Cali that long," she declined.

"Where are you heading to?"

She just looked at him and she started biting her nails. She didn't say anything.

"Okay. I know. I know," he understood. He didn't say anything for a while. "I have a suggestion though."

"What?"

"You'll go ahead of us then Cali and I would just follow you after a week or two until his papers are all set," he answered.

"You will come with Cali?"

"Yes. Why not? It's been a while since I last have been home. I miss my Mom too," he explained. "I'd see them."

"If I say yes to that, no one's going to look after my boy,"

"I will."

"I do not want to bother you Seff, please. That is not an option. No. You wouldn't look after Cali," she declined.

"Raffy," he called her. "Do not once and for all be stubborn. You do not have any choice. You cannot have people fly miles away just to look after Cali for a few weeks."

         

                 

••

"Say goodbye to Nanay now," Seff told the kid as he carried him on his arms. His face cannot be painted and he wasn't smiling since last night.

"Babe? Are you mad? Please don't be," she hugged him. "I would be gone for just a while but Dada would look after you. You'll have more time to play."

Cali still didn't speak.

"How about this," she tried to bargain him. "Once you and Dada follow me, you c-can see and v-visit your Lola. I mean, D-Dada's Nanay and Dada," she stuttered.

"Really?" the kid's face brightened up when he heard what she said. She nodded. "Thank you Nanay!"

She returned the hug Cali gave her. Seff looked at her as if asking if she is sure with what she just said but she didn't say anything.

"Seff... Please take good care of him," she reminded him.

"I will. Relax," he smiled.

She nodded and took a deep breath before going inside the airport.