"I can't believe Louie did this!" Nang hindi niya nalalaman! Coline was reading all of her husband's medical records, kahit yong mga deed of donation where his thumbmark is imprinted. "Bakit niyo nilihim ito?"
"It's your husband's request. Is a pa, it's in our ethics. Coline, these are very confidential records pero dahil kaibigan ko si JC at kaibigan ko rin ang asawa mo, pinaalam ko na to sayo. Hindi ka na rin iba sa kin."
"Right. Sorry I got carried away. Pagdating kasi kay Louie, nagkakaganito ako."
"Yeah. Louie told me you'd be. And knowing him, hindi niya gugustuhing ikulong mo ang sarili mo sa isang malungkot na nakaraan."
"Xi, hindi ganoon kadaling kalimutan ang asawa ko. Hindi ko kayang kalimutan ang isang taong naging kahati ng buhay ko."
"No one asks you to forget him, Coline. Life is too beautiful to dwell in the tragedies of the past. Palayain mo na ang sarili mo. Don't get stuck mourning for Louie. Go on dates!"
"Siguro nga tama ka. Pero may magkakagusto pa ba sa isang biyudang kagaya ko? Kung meron man siguro, hindi ako kundi ang pera't pangalan ko ang habol."
"Hindi naman lahat ganyan."
"Businessmen are all just the same Xi. Kunwari iibigin ka, pero di naman pala."
"Gosh! Ang seryoso mo naman."
"Because marriage is important. Minsan ko na iyong di pinahalagahan. I don't want to repeat the same mistake."
"So you're now talking about marriage, huh?"
"Of course. If I marry again, I want to marry for love to a man I love who'll also love my children."
"Then why don't you try JC? Siguro naman hindi ka ganon kamanhid para di maramdaman na may tama yung isang yon sayo."
Sinamaan niya ng tingin ang doktora who filed the records again in a rack and it made Xixi laugh out loud. "JC is a good man, believe me Coline. Mula nang mamatay si Louie, he hired a private investigator to know more about you. And right after his operation, araw-araw siyang tatawag upang humingi ng report o di kaya'y dadalaw dito at magtatanong sakin about you and the kids. He never failed even once na kamustahin ang nangyayari sa inyo. If the twins are okay, or is Lauren still crying... He's very particular to details. Those clothes, storybooks and toys... Lahat non galing sa kanya."
"L-lahat?"
"Lahat. As in all. Everything. He knows you won't accept them if you knew they're from him. Alam mo, Coline, he's one sincere man. Kung magkatuluyan man kayo, wala akong nakikitang problema."
"I thought galing sayo iyon...all these while. Nakakagulat lang."
"Ganoon kabait ang kaibigan ko Coline. Even from afar, nakukuntento na siyang malaman na nagugustuhan mo ang mga pinapabigay niya. Kahit nang magbirthday ang kambal mo. He told me to give to you the 200 thousand."
"What?! Sa kanya galing iyon?!"
How can he ever face him? Sinungit-sungitan lang naman niya ang taong tumutulong sa kanila. If only I knew about it sooner. Sabagay...it won't change anything.
Lunch break na nang lumabas siya mula sa opisina ni Xixi. Wala siya sa sailing naglakad sa padilyo ng hospital when she bumped into a hard, masculine chest.
"Coline?"
"JC."
