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Chapter Thirty-six
In Love
"Looks like...you've fully accepted your daughter..." Noah said suddenly.
Nanlaki ang mga mata kong tumingin sa kaniya. He's talking to Aaron. Bella didn't hear because she's already busy with the things Noah gave her. Naglalaro na rin siya doon sa mga bago niyang toys.
Aaron's lips parted too and he didn't expect what Noah just said to him as well. We did not expect how Noah was acting now. "What?" Seryoso siyang tumingin kay Noah.
And Noah just shrugged his shoulders a bit! "Didn't you doubted Teen and Bella before?"
"What do you mean?" Mapanganib nang nilapitan ni Aaron si Noah sa kinatatayuan nito.
Maagap na akong pumagitna. "Aaron, Bella's still here. Noah, what are you doing?" Mariin kong pigil sa kanilang dalawa. Hindi ko rin maintindihan si Noah sa ginagawa at sinasabi niya ngayon.
Napatingin na rin sa amin si Bella. We already caught the child's attention. Umalis ako sa gitna nina Aaron at Noah. Mabilis kong nilapitan ang anak ko at dadalhin ko na muna siya sa kwarto niya.
"Mommy..."
I carried her up in my arms. "It's all right, baby. Ninong and your Dad will just...talk about something. Adult stuff." I tried to explain to her and made her understand the situation in a different way. "Mommy will bring Bella to her room for now."
My daughter nodded. "Okay, Mommy..."
I brought Bella to her room. Medyo malayo na ito sa living room kaya siguro naman kahit magkasigawan pa doon ay hindi na maririnig ng anak ko. And I opened my laptop that I also left here in her room. I opened youtube for kids and made her watch some videos there, too. And she enjoyed it right away at katabi na rin niya ang favorite doll niya na bigay sa kaniya ni daddy.
"Mommy will go back to Daddy and ninong now... I will also start preparing dinner! Kaya dito ka lang, ha? Mommy will just call Bella when dinner's ready..."
"Um-hum, Mommy!" Halos hindi na rin niya maalis ang tingin niya sa pinapanood na cartoons.
Tipid akong napangiti sa anak at lumabas na rin agad para balikan sina Aaron at Noah. Kabado ako. Nasa pasilyo pa lang ako palabas ng living room ay naririnig ko na si Noah.
Naabutan kong kinuwelyuhan na ni Aaron si Noah. I covered my parted lips with my palm when I witnessed how Aaron punched Noah in the face!
"Teen deserves better than what you're doing to her. Wala kang balak na pakasalan siya? Bella's growing up—"
"And you think you're better than me?" Aaron cut him off.
Natahimik si Noah.
"Who are you, anyway? Hindi mo ba naiisip na masyado kang nanghihimasok sa buhay namin? This is mine and Tristeen's life with our daughter. If you know a thing, that's not enough. It doesn't give you the right. You don't know everything."
"Aaron, Noah! Tama na, ano ba kayo? Bakit kayo nag-aaway dito? Maririnig kayo ng bata!"
Aaron turned to look at me. "I'm sorry. Where's Bella?"
Napakurap ako. "She's in her room..."
Tumango si Aaron at pinuntahan na ang anak namin. Iniwan kaming dalawa ni Noah doon sa living room.
"Teen—"
"I think you should leave for now, Noah..."
Nagkatinginan kami. His eyes widened, and there was already a cut in the side of his lips caused by Aaron's punch. But I don't know what to do about it now... Hindi ko rin nagustuhan na parang biglaan niya na lang kinompronta nang ganoon si Aaron dito sa bahay namin at nand'yan pa ang anak ko.
We went out. I planned to walk Noah to the elevator still. Gusto ko rin siyang kausapin pa sa nangyari ngayon. Hinarap ko siya. Natigilan din siya at nag-angat ng tingin sa akin. He looked guilty now. "I'm sorry, Teen..." aniya.
"Bakit mo ba ginawa iyon?" I asked him.
"I only said the truth. Totoo naman na halos hindi niya tanggapin ang pagbubuntis mo noon." he reasoned.
We did not talk about this before. Siguro ay nasabi sa kaniya ni Ninang Patricia at nalaman din nito kay Mommy na best friend niya... I shook my head. "You don't know everything, Noah... Siguro nga nangyari iyan noon. Pero matagal na and we're trying to move on from it now. Aaron's a good father to our daughter." I said.
Noah shook his head, too. "Pero, Teen, you don't deserve this. Lumalaki na ang anak mo at mukhang wala pa rin siyang balak na pakasalan ka?"
"I was the one who called off our engagement before, Noah."
Mukha siyang nagulat.
I sighed. "Hindi sapat na may nalalaman kang isa o dalawang bagay lang tungkol sa amin ni Aaron para umakto ka na nang gan'yan." Tama si Aaron. Hindi naman talaga alam ni Noah ang lahat lahat sa amin.
Noah wasn't there when I saw Aaron crying while watching our daughter sleep in his arms. Naalala kong bagong panganak pa lang ako noon. Gabi na noon at dim na ang lights sa loob ng private room ko sa hospital. I was asleep and when I woke up there I saw him cried because he was too guilty...
"Aaron..." marahan kong tawag sa pangalan niya.
He turned to me from watching our daughter sleep. Mabilis din siyang nagpunas ng luha niya.
I smiled weakly. "Are you all right?" I gently asked him.
Maingat niyang binalik ang natutulog na anak namin sa hospital crib nito. "Yeah... I'm all right." Tipid siyang ngumiti nang bumaling sa akin. And then he continued watching Arabella there. "I'm an asshole, Teen. I know I don't deserve you and our daughter..."
"Aaron..."
Umiling siya. "Our daughter doesn't deserve a father like me who even tried to deny her." He gritted his teeth and acted like he hated himself.
Pagkatapos ay tumingin siya sa akin. "But, please, give me another chance. I want to be a better man for you and Arabella. I want to be a good Dad to our child..."
Tumango-tango ako sa sinabi ni Aaron. "You will be a good father, Aaron. Alam ko..." Namuo na rin ang luha sa mga mata ko.
With the little light in the room I saw how tears shined in Aaron's eyes as he looked at me. "I'm sorry... And thank you." He smiled...
Ngumiti na rin ako sa kaniya.
"So if what you are trying to do right now...is to remind me of his mistake... I know that. I am aware. And I also know how much Aaron regretted it. He's been doing his best to make up for it. Especially for our daughter..."
"But...Teen," kinuha ni Noah ang kamay ko at hinawakan.
My eyes widened a fraction and I looked up at him from our hands. "Noah..."
"I've been in love with you. Why can't it be me?" he said it like it's painful. Like he's been in pain.
Nakatingin lang ako kay Noah at nakaramdam din ng guilt para sa kaniya. "I'm sorry..." nasabi ko rin. Alam ko rin naman sa sarili ko na may kasalanan din ako sa kaniya. Wala akong sinabi sa kaniya noon pero siguro nga ay napaasa ko rin siya... "I'm sorry, Noah. I did that with you in the past because...I was not thinking right... Hindi ko pinag-isipang mabuti iyong nangyari sa atin noon...o ang ginagawa ko noon. I was such a brat."
"And I'm sorry for hurting you..." I said it.
Tahimik lang kaming nakatingin sa isa't isa pagkatapos.
Noah's shoulder fell and he looked like he's been weakened.
"Noah," Ako naman ngayon ang hinawakan ang kamay niya. "You can't continue this... We can remain friends because I care about you, too. Malapit sina ninang at Mommy sa isa't isa... And you're also my daughter's godfather now. I hope we can end what happened in the past here..."
"You still love him?"
Bahagya akong nagbaba ng tingin. Nabitiwan ko na rin ang kamay niya.
"I get it..." he whispered.
Nag-angat muli ako ng tingin kay Noah.
"I'm sorry... I panicked. I thought I finally had the chance to you... But I was wrong. I get it now." Nag-angat din siya ng tingin sa akin at nagkatinginan kami. "I'm sorry I wasn't thinking right. Is Bella okay?" Para siyang natauhan ngayon lang.
Tipid akong ngumiti sa kaniya. "She's fine... Noah, I know you will meet someone who's really meant for you... Just look around you..."
Lumunok siya. "This won't happen again, Teen. I'm sorry..."
When I turned around after Noah left, I saw Aaron already standing there just a few steps from where I stood. My eyes widened seeing him there. He must have heard mine ang Noah's conversation just while ago.
Pero naisip kong imbes na talikuran niya ako ngayon...na mas in-expect ko pang gagawin niya... Hindi niya ginawa instead he stood there and waited for me. He waited for me and Noah to finish talking...
"I was worried so I followed after to look for you..." he said.
"Aaron...are you all right?" I checked his face if he has some cuts like Noah...pero mukhang wala naman siyang galos. He looked perfectly fine...
Unti-unti akong lumapit sa kinatatayuan niya. Hanggang malapit at kaharap na namin ang isa't isa.