Seated in front of his laptop, Archie engages in a video call with his mom. However, as their conversation progresses, it becomes obvious that Archie is clearly annoyed and eager to end the call.
"Archie, I just sent 15,000 two weeks ago. Now you're asking again?" Sasha inquired over the video call.
"Mom, Roxy has a lot of expenses-check-ups, meds, and other things," Archie explained.
"I know, pero hindi kasali dun yung pagbili mo sa kanila ng aircon and also offering to pay their bills," she said clearly annoyed.
"We already transferred them to a better hospital, offered to cover all her expenses regarding her pregnancy but buhayin sila? NO - NO!"
Archie closed his eyes, took a deep breath. "Mom, you don't understand."
"Oh yes, I do. What I'm seeing is that girl is taking advantage of you," Sasha exclaimed. "Di mo pala yan girlfriend."
"Not yet, but I have plans -" Archie paused. "Why are you getting so heated about this, are we losing our money?"
Sasha gasped, looking offended at Archie's question. "Oh no, that will never happen, sweetie."
"Then why are you acting like we're poor?" Archie asked.
"Son, your Lolo's case is getting out of hand. May mga big names, politicians ng involved. And as much as possible, we are trying to be lowkey. Possible na pati wire transfer ko sayo silipin nila," Sasha explained.
Archie rolled his eyes; it seems that there is no end to his family drama. He recalled the days when he wished he were from a different family.
"And your safety, anak, I'm scared na pag nalaman ng mga kaaway ng lolo mo na andiyan ka sa Pilipinas baka ikaw yung balikan nila."
"I can handle myself, Mom."
"Archie, just go here na with us, please. I promise we will take care of everything," Sasha asked Archie, but he seemed unfazed.
"I'm sorry, Mom, I can't," Archie replied. "Are we still talking? Need ko na sunduin sina Roxy, she has a check-up pa."
"Okay, okay, if hindi ka pa susunod dito. Better process now your college application, kaysa gawin kang driver ng magkapatid na 'yan." Sasha rolled her eyes. "I'll be at ease if at least nag-aaral ka."
"Fine! Let's just get this over with," Archie exclaimed, finally surrendering to his mom's nagging.
"Good, keep your promise, son. It's either you'll study or susunod ka dito."
"Yes, Mom. Just send my regards to Z," Archie said as he pressed the 'end call'.
Leaning back in his gaming chair, Archie senses not only the weight on his body but also the pressure he has been dealing with for some time now.
He currently resides in his condo, as their main house was sold. His mom and sister chose to move on from the bad memories associated with the house. Yet, Archie isn't complaining. This condo has become his sanctuary. During moments of frustration and drama, he recalls retreating here, taking time to think and perhaps getting a bit high to ease the stress.
Standing up from the chair, he walks towards his room to grab his keys. A smirk appears on his face as he notices the pile of unopened packages he purchased from Roxy's live selling.
"I'm such a simp," he thought to himself, chuckling at the idea of him obsessing over Roxy's live selling as Dark Gray.
Recalling a heated argument with his dad, he came to his condo to unwind and to get high, only to find his usual dealer is unresponsive. Turning to social media, he noticed a link shared by Sanya.
Hello guys, check this store out from my Roxy girl! Super cute ng items.
He saw the thumbnail featuring Roxy in a silly pose, sporting a weird hairstyle against a poorly edited background, all under the name "Roxytrends.ph."
"Pffft! What the Hell! Baduy!" he exclaimed.
He was supposed to open the link but hesitated, realizing he was using his personal account. That's when he decided to create a dummy account with the intention of making fun of the dumb looking girl in their class.
"Dark Grey." he muttered to himself, as he clicked the 'Join' button.
"Get niyo na mga bhie! Hubadera proof, rampa proof for only 300 pesos!"
His jaw almost dropped to the floor as he saw Roxy on the screen, wearing a tight leather strapless dress that accentuated her curves.
"Uy may bago tayong suki, Dark Grey new comer! Baka trip mo tong Denim Dress?"
He felt like she was speaking directly to him with a huge smile on her face that somehow hypnotized him. Without hesitation, he typed, "MINE DENIM DRESS."
"Yours na Dark Grey! Send na lang screenshot and mode of payment, are you here to stay?"
"I'm not going anywhere," he said, smiling. As her live selling continued, Archie purchased all the items Roxy showcased.
MINE SLING BAG
MINE BLACK DRESS
MINE TOTE BAG
MINE BIKINI RED
"What the fuck?" Archie realized he had purchased all the items Roxy sold in her live selling. "What the hell just happened?"
"And that's it mga suki! Special thanks and special mention kay Dark Grey sa dami ng minine mo!"
Archie smiled as he heard her mention 'Dark Gray,' feeling that Roxy was directly addressing him and expressing gratitude for his purchases.
Minutes later, he received a message notification:
Roxytrends.ph: Hi Suki! Bali Php4,375 lahat, anong mode of payment mo?
Archie smirked as he recalled the things he had done as Dark Gray for Roxy. If he hadn't been caught by Z, he was confident he would still be her top miner.
Suddenly, his phone rang; it was Ria on the other line. "Oh shit." He thought as he immediately answer the phone. "Hey Ate Ria, I'm on my way na."
"Mga ilang minutes pa kaya, mainit na ulo nito ni buntis," Ria said.
Archie checked his watch. "15 minutes Ate."
"Okay, ingat," Ria said as she ended the call.
"San na raw siya?" Roxy asked with an annoyed face, struggling to zip up her denim shorts.
"On the way na raw, alam mo kung affected ka sa nabasa mo sa chat ng nanay niya bakit di mo kausapin," Ria said, engrossed in her phone.
Roxy rolled her eyes, offering no response as she forcefully closed her denim shorts. Ria gasped upon turning to Roxy, who was wearing a floral tight shirt and denim that were obviously not a good fit.
"Roxanne, ano ba yang suot mo? Puputok ka na diyan eh!" Ria exclaimed at her sister.
"Grabe ka naman ate, kasya pa naman eh," Roxy answered back, obviously offended by her sister's remark regarding her body.
"Reality check lang, lumalaki ka Roxy saka di maganda sa baby na masikip yung damit mo."
Roxy furrowed her brows, taking heavy breaths to contain her tears. The pregnancy hormones were making her more sensitive and emotional.
"Eto, papabuntis buntis ka tapos maooffend ka diyan? Magbihis ka dun, yung dress," Ria instructed her.
Roxy walked away and slammed the door behind her, while Ria rolled her eyes and shook her head in dismay.
-------------------
Archie patiently waited, leaning on the hood of his car when Ria came out from their gate with Roxy.
"Hey, sorry I'm late," Archie said as he opened the front seat for Ria.
"Okay lang, on time ka naman," Ria said as she stepped into the car.
Archie hurriedly walked to Roxy to assist her, opening the passenger seat for her. He noticed she was wearing a column dress that he thought suited her well.
"Hey, nice dress," he said, attempting to compliment her.
"Che!" Roxy shouted at him as she stepped into the car.
"What-what the hell did I do?" he asked, puzzled, but Roxy ignored him. Annoyed, he dropped his shoulders and sighed.
Both parties decided that Roxy's prenatal check-ups until her delivery will be at Makati Medical Center.
The Aguerros had already prepared everything, including the expenses, the OB-GYN and the pediatrician who will look after Roxy until the baby arrives.
As Ria tackled the paperwork, Roxy settled into a seat in the waiting area. Discomfort creeps in from her lower back, accompanied by a sudden wave of insecurity about her recent weight gain.
Last week alone, 8 pounds were added to her weight, leaving her pondering over how many more pounds might have been gained this week.
"Palapit na sa gasul si Mommy." she thought to herself as she gently rub her belly.
Glancing around, Roxy observed the hospital's superior facilities, compared to the first lying clinic she and her sister visited upon discovering her pregnancy. She remembers the frustrating wait for over an hour, only to have a brief and grumpy consultation with an OB-GYN.
"Water?" Archie offered, handing her a bottle of distilled water. Roxy glanced at him and accepted the bottle.
"I know you're always grumpy, pero iba level ng ugali mo ngayon," he said, sitting beside her. "Problema mo?"
"Wala," Roxy coldly replied.
"Wow, being pregnant makes you twice as grumpy, you know," Archie said.
"Edi wow ka din, sino ba may kasalanan bakit ako grumpy saka buntis?"
"Ho-hoy, dalawa tayo nun. Let me just remind you," Archie retorted.
Roxy remained silent, her glare enough to make Archie gulp nervously.
"Okay, fine ako na may kasalanan. So what's the problem nga?"
Roxy remembered the text she read from his mom but decided not to talk about it. "Feeling ko kasi, inasar mo ko kanina sa dress ko."
"What? No! Bagay nga sayo eh."
"Lul, nambobola ka nanaman Archie," Roxy said, rolling her eyes at him.
"Hoy, kailan kita binola? Ever since di ko ginawa yun sayo, alam mo yan."
Roxy stared at him; he's right. Throughout their complicated relationship, he never complimented her in the traditional sense. However, he had his own way of making her feel beautiful and wanted.
"Does your back hurt?" Archie suddenly asked as he noticed her moving uneasily in the chair.
"Slight, kaya naman."
"Next time, I'll buy you a pillow or back support," he said as he gently massaged Roxy's lower back. "Sandal ka kaya muna sakin?"
"No, over my dead body-"
Archie gently took hold of her shoulder, leaning her back against his body. In that moment, Roxy felt an unexpected sense of relief.
"Oooh, thank You, Lord!" She sighed, resting the back of her head on his chest.
"I told you, arte mo kasi," Archie teased, moving closer to give her more space to lean on.
Archie simply took in the scent of Roxy's head, still catching the lingering fragrance of strawberries that he first noticed when they sat together during their supposed-to-be Collab Project.
Even now, it amuses him that his attraction towards her hasn't wavered. Aware of the boundaries Roxy has set, he can't shake off the thoughts of them being together, especially with a baby on the way.
He envisions starting a family with her, one filled with endearment and love, emotions he never truly felt on his own. He wonders if he can ever find the words to express his desires and emotions to her.
"Huy, anong nangyare sayo tulala ka?" Roxy asked, leaning her head further onto his shoulder to get a better look at him.
"Nothing, ang lambot mo kasi," he teased, playfully squeezing Roxy's side belly.
Roxy glared at him, sitting up straight and delivering a hard punch to his shoulder.
"Awww! Here you go again."
"Sige ganyanan na, yoko na!" she said angrily, prompting a chuckle from Archie as he reached out to touch her shoulders.
"Joke lang Roxy, you're still pretty as ever. But plumpier."
Roxy hit him again, making Archie laugh. Suddenly, Ria came to call them inside the clinic.
"Huy, bardagulan nanaman kayo diyan. Tara na andiyan na si doc."
Roxy rolled her eyes at him and walked away. Archie stared at her, thinking that she's still the prettiest girl he ever laid his eyes to.
-----------------
"Okay, closed naman cervix, and mataas yung matres mo," the OB-GYN said as she performed an Internal Examination on Roxy.
She removed her gloves and rubbed her hands with alcohol. "Daddy, done na IE," the doctor called Archie. "Ultrasound na tayo."
Archie peeked from behind the curtain, his face looking concerned and nervous at the same time. "Okay, how was it?"
"All good so far, etong si Daddy laging tense pag andito. Mas kabado ka pa kaysa sa Mommy," the doctor teased Archie.
"Kalma ka lang Archie, hinga okay?" Ria said to him.
Archie nodded as he walked beside Roxy, observing as the doctor applied ultrasound gel on her belly. The doctor placed the fetal dropper on her and they immediately heard a loud heartbeat.
"Oh, lakas ng heartbeat ni baby." The doctor wiped the gel from the dropper and proceeded with the ultrasound. "Okay, eto na si baby oh."
Archie and Roxy moved their heads at the same time to get a better look at the ultrasound. Both of them smiled as they saw the human-like figure moving.
"So etong stage na to, visible na yung fingers niya. Then yung size, kasing laki na siya ng singkamas. So far, healthy naman si baby."
"Okay, that's good. That's good!" Archie said, relieved. "You heard that Roxy, right? Our baby is healthy! He or she, or whatever he wants to be, has fingers na, and he's the size of a singkamas. Wait, what's singkamas?"
"Oo, narinig ko saka singkamas is yung Turnip. Kalma Archie, super excited ah?" Roxy said.
Archie nodded eagerly as the doctor handed him a photo from the ultrasound. With a huge smile on his face, he looked at it, overwhelmed with excitement.
"I'll just call Mom and Z, wait lang."
Roxy observed Archie walking away, unable to contain her smile, pleased by his reaction.
"Makatitig naman, di yan mawawala. Kalma ka lang din," Ria whispered to her.
"Anong kalma, pinagsasabi mo ate," Roxy said, frowning.
She took a deep breath, a lingering sense of confusion in her feelings. Despite it all, she felt a reassuring sense of relief, knowing he's still here.
-------------------
On the way home, Ria and Archie engage in a little chat about what to expect during Roxy's second trimester, with Roxy sitting in the passenger seat.
Casually scrolling on her phone, she receives another notification from her group chat with Sky and Tim.
Sky: "@ Roxy baka pwede magparandam, tagal mo ng di nag cchat dito."
Tim: Huuuy, galit ka pa ba sakin? kala ko goods na tayo? 🙁
Roxy immediately closed her Messenger, feeling pressured talking to them, especially given her situation.
She then checked her Facebook and came across updates from her batchmates: Sanya passing the Ateneo's entrance exam, Sky passing PUP, Kenjie's selfie at FEU, and Tim sharing his experience about the entrance exam at UP Diliman.
Suddenly, anxiety and jealousy washed over her as she realized her classmates were moving forward with their lives.
"Oo nga pala Archie, anong plano mo mag eenrollment na, stop ka ba muna this sem?" Ria asked Archie.
"Oh right, I forgot to mention pala. I'll be enrolling this sem, Mom wants it kasi." Archie answered.
Roxy stared at Archie, shocked to learn that he would be enrolling this semester. Her chest tightened, overwhelmed by a rush of emotions.
"Edi good, kaysa naman wala kang gawin diba?" Ria said. "Ano kukunin mo na course?"
"I haven't thought about it, ikaw Roxy? Tingin mo what course suits me?" Archie said, turning to Roxy as he watched her through the rearview mirror.
Roxy stayed silent, and he noticed her efforts to contain her tears. Upon reaching their house, Roxy swiftly stepped out of the passenger seat.
"Hay Archie, kausapin mo yun may topak nanaman," Ria said. "Wala na ko energy, medyo nababara ko siya lately eh."
Archie nodded and followed Ria inside their home. He proceeded to Roxy's room, where he heard her soft sobs. Planning to knock, he noticed that her door was already open.
"Roxy?" he said as he opened the door.
"Oh?" Roxy responded, seated on her bed with her back against the headboard and legs stretched out.
As he sat beside her, he couldn't help but notice the slight swelling in her legs and feet, along with her growing belly. Gently, he wiped away her tears with the back of his hand.
"I'm sorry Roxanne." Archie said.
"Oh, bakit ka nagsosorry? Wala ka naman kasalanan."
"I told you na sasabayan kita sa college, tapos eto mag eenroll ako. I'm such an asshole." he said, leaning against the bed's headboard.
"Ano ba, para ka naman ewan. Okay lang yun, di naman pwede tumigil yung buhay mo dahil samin ni baby diba?" she reassured, taking a deep breath.
"Malungkot lang ako, kasi magka college kayo habang ako eto-." she paused, collecting her thoughts. "Pinili ko to, eto yung consequences ng mga desisyon ko. So magiging okay din ako."
Archie stared at her with a mix of sympathy and guilt in his eyes. "I'm really sorry Roxy, it was mom's condition para di ako sumunod sa US, pero if I were to choose gusto ko magfocus sa inyo ni baby."
Roxy remembered the message she saw on Archie's phone from his mom. "So ayun pala yun."
She smiled, realizing that Archie had once again acted out of character, all to keep his promise of staying by her side throughout her pregnancy.
"Oo na, Archimedes, naniniwala na ko na magsstay ka dito, at grateful ako dun." she said, giving him a reassuring smile.
"Alam mo, sa sobrang random ng character development mo. Maniniwala na ko na naiinlove ka na sakin." Roxy said attempting to tease Archie to lighten up the mood.
Archie's expression softened as he heard Roxy's words, his expression mirroring the one he had when she first asked him if he liked her.
"Yes, I do, Roxanne." he confessed.
AU NOTES:
Thank you for reading chapter 2! Sabi ko diba slow update to, haha thank you sa mga nakaabang. This story will be just a few chapters, kaya as much as possible mahaba and well detailed kong sinusulat yung each chapter.
Again disclaimer, if may mali ako about the check-up scene. Di po ako OB-GYN based lang po yun sa naresearch and na experience ko. Hehehe.
So enjoy niyo ang chapter! Enjoy this song while reading. ❤️