Mateo really did go to main city.
One dawn, he just suddenly came to her and told her that he would be going then.
Since wala din namang magawa si Yumi, she just nodded her head then and asked him to go back quickly.
The next morning, she realized, he didn't even bring Ivan nor Antoine with him.
She suddenly felt having a headache matapos siyang sermonan nila Kami, Rui at ng mga kuya niya.
"I didn't reject the mission without any reason at all." Kami said.
"I know. But he insisted."
"Then you should have tried harder to convince him otherwise." Kunot noo namang sabi sa kanya ni Rui.
"That lad is stubborn. What do you think I can do against his will?"
"Maybe a little show of feelings towards him. He is your husband. I saw him put great efforts just so you could be comfortable. Can't you give him a little bit more?" Daichi scolded her.
Yumi pursed her lips.
She couldn't do this anymore! All of them are scolding them because of Mateo. Even her brothers.
Tch! That man! How dare he put her in this situation?
"Yumi, are you not worried about Mateo? He should be home the other night. But see now, it has already been two days but he is still not back. Normal wives are going to be worried death by now." Mahinahong tanong naman sa kanya ng Kuya Asahi niya.
She looked away when he tried to look directly in her eyes. Then began scratching her nose.
Well... As he said, normal wives...
Was she a normal one?
Plus, why would she really worry about that lad? It wasn't like he was a weak person. Maybe he just encountered something along the way, that's why he got delayed.
"Mateo's a man. In the first place, we are already aware that the main city is very dangerous. But he still goes there on his own. If he cannot do the mission, then he should have not insisted to go there at all. Don't bully Yumi. She's pregnant. Have you forgotten?" Koshi finally stepped between them, even glaring at their lots who were scolding her.
Yumi almost cried.
Finally! Someone had taken her side!
And as usual, it was her Kuya Koshi. She was glad! That despite him being under Mateo's tutelage for years, at this point of time, he would still take her side, no matter what.
Unfortunately, that also started the word war between Koshi and Daichi. One was saying that they were spoiling her too much and the other was pointing out that Mateo should have not done it only to worry people.
Naturally, it gave Yumi's more headache.
"Enough!" She finally got between them. "Ai-ya... You are giving me headaches! You don't have to argue about this thing really. Just trust Mateo. He isn't some weakling. He will go home eventually."
After that, she stood up and walked out the office. Sakto namang pagbukas niya ng pinto ay naroroon si Amelia.
"Mama..." Yumi was pouting as she hooked her arms to her.
"What? Pinagalitan ka na naman ba nila?" Then she gave a look to the lads within the room, who were suddenly too busy to look back at her.
Yumi nodded.
Amelia smiled and tapped her head.
"Stop scolding a pregnant woman, you dolts." She gently told the lads.
"B-but..." Daichi wanted to complain but Amelia just gave her a look.
After that, inalalayan na niya si Yumi paalis doon.
Yumi looked back to them only to give them a gloating smirk.
Tch! This immature lady!
They wondered how could she really be a mother of three.
They all had ugly expressions except for Koshi who just chuckled.
Yumi was still Yumi.
***
It was in the middle of the night but Yumi was still awake.
And no. It wasn't because she was waiting for Mateo.
But rather, Amie was keeping her awake.
She would only stop crying and sleep when she was in her arms. And so she carried the little thing and sat on her rocking chair.
It was past midnight when Amie finally seemed not be waking up to cry. She placed her back to the crib and went out again to close the window.
At that moment though, she felt something wrong around her.
She quickly took her hidden blade and met that shadow which suddenly came to her.
But fortunately, she stopped right away and didn't really stab hard because that person happened to be Mateo.
Yumi was so surprised to see him she wasn't able react quickly.
Meanwhile, Mateo chuckled as he pushed down gently her hand with a blade.
"Don't stab me, Little wife." He said in a hoarse voice.
After that, he placed his head on her shoulder.
A little move but it caused him to groan.
Yumi frowned at once.
Mateo was wearing an all black and she could guess that he even had a black mask before he entered.
She reached at his body, first at front and then at the back, before she finally found what she wanted to find.
"Little wife, you must have missed me a lot. But I don't think this is the right time to molest me... Ouch..."
"Mateo, what's this? Why are you bleeding?" Yumi asked him coldly.
"I wasn't careful enough, I guess."
Yumi's jaw clenched but she held her anger inside. And yes, she was really angry at Mateo this time.
Mateo also felt that he was in trouble and so he tried to appeal to her better side.
"A-anyway, I was able to save that Sancho. You are right, he doesn't betray us. But Don Enrico found out that he isn't loyal to him since he attempted to release Doña Silvanna and Sedric. He put him in jail and got him tortured. He was badly injured but you don't have to worry. I save him on time."
Then he reached for Yumi's face and caressed it. "See, Little wife, I can accomplish things for you. You can entrust me anything too."
He even managed to smile and looked directly at her. Meanwhile, Yumi met his eyes... his tired and very exhausted eyes.
She wanted to say a lot but she held it in for the meantime.
"What are you still mumbling things there? Let's go in the room. I will tend your wounds."
Mateo smiled, reached out for her and kissed her forehead.
"I miss you, Love."
***
It was a rough night both for Mateo and Yumi.
Turned out, all of his wounds were at the back. Most of them were from bullets. Daplis lang naman lahat. But what made Yumi felt angry the most was that arrow shot he received. It almost hit one of his organs. And he just broke off that arrow just like that.
She could only imagine the pain while he was trying to get home with that wound.
Stupid guy, ugh!
Anyway, she tended his wounds, even stitched and bound them carefully in the end. After that, nakatulog na din ang lalaki.
She figured, he must be really exhausted after those days he went alone for this mission.
The next morning, Mateo woke up feeling as if a huge boulder was on top of his body.
He was used with wounds anyhow. Actually, they were not really that extreme. They bleed a lot but they were all just shallow wounds. In the past, he had more critical ones but see, he was still alive and kicking.
And he could have easily treated them himself but he wanted to see how Yumi would react if he was wounded.
After all, he had seen her worry to several men in her life but never towards him.
She didn't disappoint him last night though. His lips hooked up a little.
Anyway, the moment he sat on the bed, he was stunned to see Yumi na nakaub-ob sa gilidan ng kama.
Mateo felt touched but he also worried for her at the same time. She must have slept uncomfortably all night, sitting like that. His poor pregnant little wife...
He was about to get up on bed and carried her there instead but she woke up first.
"What are you getting out of the bed now? You are still injured. Go back and rest."
"Why didn't you sleep beside me?"
"Amie was also waking up last night. She might be feeling that something has happened and that you are wounded because she couldn't sleep well."
Mateo didn't know what to say after that.
This was the first time she had taken care of him for real. What's more, she did that while taking care of their daughter.
He wasn't complaining though. He loved taking care of her and Amie. He loved taking in charge of their family.
But right now, all he could think of was how much warmth he felt after she did so.
So this was what it felt like to be cared of by his little wife.
What Mateo didn't expect though was Yumi's next action.
She stood up and made Mateo go back in bed again.
Then she suddenly laid beside him and hugged him.
Mateo blinked.
"You are a stupid man, you know." She said.
"I... guess I am."
"This is why I do not entrust any mission to you. If it was Kami or Rui, they knew exactly when to back down. But you..."
"What did you say?"
He was about the break the hug and see Yumi's face but she only hugged him tighter.
"He is not worth any of your wounds, Mateo. You should have just abandoned him. I hate it. I hate seeing blood on your body. I hate seeing those wounds. I hate that they caused you pain. I regret not stopping you in going to that mission. I should have tried harder."
Mateo took a moment to absorb what Yumi was saying. But after he did so, a happy smile broke out on his face and he too hugged her back.
***