CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
All you wanted was to protect me.
"Mommy!" malapad na ngiting salubong sa 'kin ni Ram. Pati ako mismo, nadala ng ngiti niya.
Agad siyang tumakbo papalapit sa 'kin at yumakap sa binti ko. Mas lalo akong napangiti.
"Thank you for bringing him back," I said, glancing at Ressler. Nodding his head, he flashed me a smile. Inakyat niya na sa kuwarto ang mga gamit nila ni Ram at naiwan ako sa sala kasama si Ram.
Ram really loves me. No'ng hindi pa kami okay ni Ressler, hindi ko lang pinapakita sa kanya pero sobrang lapit talaga ng loob namin ni Ram sa isa't isa. Kapag wala si Ressler, nasusulit ko ang oras kasama si Ram. Pero no'ng mga nakaraang buwan, lumayo ang loob sa 'kin ni Ram dahil nakita niya kung paano kami mag-away lagi ni Ressler. Lumalaki na rin kasi siya kaya nagkaka-idea na siya sa mga nangyayari sa paligid niya.
And that time, no'ng naaksidente si Ram, that was because of me. Pinagalitan ko kasi siya that time, sinabi ko sa kanya na kahit kailan hindi na kami magkakaayos ni Ressler. Sumama ang loob sa 'kin ni Ram no'n kaya siya naaksidente.
And now, I'm not alone anymore.
I'm with my family.
Buti nga pinayagan ako ni Doctora Lagura na umuwi muna, basta raw pupunta pa rin ako sa kanya regularly. Kasi kahit papaano ay bumuti na ng konti 'yong pakiramdam ko.
"Mommy, are you okay?" tanong sa 'kin ni Ram habang sinusubuan ko siya ng cookies. Nakakatuwa dahil diretso na siya magsalita. Sa bagay, three years old na siya kaya hindi naman talaga nakakagulat na diretso na siya magsalita.
"Yes. More than okay. I just missed you, baby," nakangiti kong sagot ko at saka ko siya hinalikan sa pisngi.
"Is Daddy okay too?" biglaan niyang tanong.
"Yes, baby, he's okay. Why do you ask?"
"His eyes are sad, Mommy. Earlier while he was driving, he was just . . . lonely."
Natigilan ako.
Hindi pa rin ba kami okay? Pinapakita niya lang ba sa 'kin na okay na kami dahil ayaw niyang ipakita sa 'kin na nasasaktan pa rin siya sa mga nalaman niya?
"Mommy, what happened to your hair? You lost some," komento niya habang nakatingin sa ulo ko.
Tipid ko siyang nginitian. "Do you want to play in your room?" pag-iiba ko ng usap. Agad siyang tumango at excited na sumama sa 'kin paakyat sa kuwarto niya.
Pagkahatid ko sa kuwarto niya, masaya siyang tumalon-talon sa kama niya at niyakap ang mga unan niya.
"I love you, baby," sambit ko bago ako pumunta sa kuwarto namin ni Ressler.
Nakita ko siyang nakasandal lang sa kama habang nakaupo siya sa sahig. Nang mapansin niya ang presensya ko, agad siyang tumayo para umupo sa kama.
"Ram told me everything," he said, giving me a half smile. "He told me how you cared for him and kung ano'ng mga lagi niyong ginagawa 'pag wala ako."
Umupo ako sa tabi niya at nanatiling nakikinig lang sa kanya.
"I was too stupid to hate you for not being a good mother to him, I'm sorr—" I shut him up with a kiss. I don't want to hear him apologize to me again because he doesn't have to.
He kissed me back, wrapping his hands around my waist, moving it to my back.
I pulled myself up to straddle him. He let out a soft moan when I did that. Catching our breath as we stopped kissing, we stared at each other's eyes.
"Please stop apologizing to me, babe. Can you do that?" I asked, resting my forehead to his.
"It—It's just that, I hated you all this time. But you . . . all you wanted was to protect me," his voice cracked.
"It was my choice, Ressler."
He was about to kiss me again but his phone rang.
I was about to get his phone to hand it on him but he stopped me.
Pulling away from our position, he reached for his phone and walked out of the bedroom to take the call.
Not knowing what the hell just happened, I just stared at the door, waiting for him to come in.
As soon as he finished talking to whoever that person is, he marched to his closet to change his clothes.
"Who called you?" I asked, trying to sound calm.
"A friend from work," simpleng sagot niya saka siya nagbihis sa harapan ko.
It feels like it's not just a friend. How he acted when I was about to get his phone tells a different story.
"Saan ka pupunta?" tanong ko ulit sa kanya.
"We have our company dinner tonight. My boss will be there so I have to be there too."
Is he saying the truth?
BINABASA MO ANG
Smile For Me, Ressler
Romance|| Published under PSICOM || Tamara didn't want her husband to know that the day he married her was also the same day she was diagnosed with cancer. Disclaimer: This story is in Taglish Status: Completed ***Now available at National Book Store, Expr...
