"Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long after the mood when you said it has left you."
"Yes, babe?" Jeannie answered in an almost whisper, trying her best not to wake the little boy who's fast asleep by her side on their bed. She was already home after leaving Drei and Alex behind a while ago.
"Why are you whispering?" Johan asked baffled. Earlier today his wife told him that Drei needed someone to be with her for her Ultrasound appointment and he told Jeannie to go. She needed all the support she could get and they're doing their part to give it to her. After all, Drei is family already. And now here he was calling to check on them on how it went.
His wife chuckled. "Because our little boss is asleep, hon... I don't wanna wake him up!"
"Teka, bakit nasa bahay ka na?"
Jeannie slowly got out of bed, placed some pillows over at Uel's side and then she scurried out of the room. "You won't believe who appeared out of nowhere kanina!" she blurted out as soon as she closed the door behind her.
"Hold on a sec! Appeared? Who? Akala ko ba sasamahan mo si Drei?"
"Makikinig ka ba sa akin o hindi?"
"Fine... okay, I'm listening..." he sighed.
"So ayon nga, hon... pa alis na kami eh then biglang..." she paused as she recalled the memory.
"Babe? Hello? Anong nangyayari sa'yo?" Johan asked as a deadbeat silence came on the other line. "Babe?"
Then Jeannie let out a shrill cry. "Oh my god, babe!"
"What the hell is happening to you? Ano bang nangyari? Is Uel okay?" his voice was worried.
"Kalma!" she interrupted. "Kinikilig lang ako, babe! Ayiiiiiieeeeee!"
"Nanunuod ka naman ba ng One More Chance?" he guessed. Jeannie's always like this when she's focusing on something and talking to someone on the line. Johan just frowned as he visualized his wife going mushy again as she watches this John Lloyd – Bea movie for the thousandth time. "Babe, ano na? Bakit ka kinikilig? Sabi ko na nga ba John Lloyd na naman yan eh!"
She snickered. "Hindi ah, pero what I saw earlier was sort of like that... mala One More Chance ang peg!"
"Hindi ko gets, babe... kaya please paki explain ng mabuti... utang ng loob!" he was massaging his forehead now, knowing how Jeannie loved doing the beating-around-the-bushes thing.
"I never thought your asshole of a best friend could come into his senses..." she started and his wife caught him there.
"What do you mean? Si Alex?" his wife caught his attention there. Alex? How could that be when his best friend has been out of reach for almost a week already since that Sunday night when he left? Johan found it impossible. "So you're saying that –"
"Alex was there paglabas namin ng gate, babe! Nagulat kaya kami ni Drei!"
Now that seemed impossible to believe. "Bakit nandoon siya? Why was he there?"
"Aba malay ko! Di ba dapat ako magtanong sa'yo niyan?"
"Babe, ang tagal na naming di naguusap... I told you that... kahit nga sila Pao at Mickey di siya macontact eh..."
"You told me that?" Jeannie wondered. "When? I don't remember!"
"I did, Babe... nakalimutan mo lang siguro..." he paused and contemplated at the thought of Alex being outside Drei's house. That's something. "O, tapos? What did he do?"
"Wala naman masamang nangyari... he just said he wanted to talk to her... and..."
"And? Did they?"
"Kinikilig ako, Babe!" she swooned. "Tapos, ayon nag tinginan silang dalawa na parang pareho nila nakita ang multo ng isa't isa..."
"And? Nag-usap ba sila?"
"Alex looked wasted, babe... parang he was bumming around for more than a week... and..."
"Babe... you're not answering my question... nag-usap ba sila?"
"Ahehehe sorry babe, hmmm... ayon nga, iniwan ko silang dalawa... umuwi ako..." she pointed. "Naisip ko kasi na magandang pagkakataon din naman na I'll leave them together... so that they could talk..."
"So?"
"Di ko na alam kung ano nangyari after that, di din nagtetext si Drei eh.... I wonder what happened, Babe. Nag away na naman kaya sila? Or nagkabati na?"
Johan sighed. "Babe naman kasi bakit iniwan mo si Drei with Alex! Eh for all we know galit pa yun sa isa... naku!"
"Babe, Alex looks different... alam mo yun, he looks so calm... like a 'changed-man-standing-in-front-of-you' calm... like he really wants to sort things out with her..."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, babe... if he was still angry I could've called you already... but he wasn't, like I said... calm... like he took a bottle of mood stabilizers!"
As Johan ended the call, he found it hard to believe what his wife just said. Alex looking calm was hard to picture when the enraged vision of him was still stuck in his mind. His forehead creased.
He glanced at an old picture of him and Alex on his desk. They were both eight years old during that time. Their arms hung on each other's shoulders, their face covered with mud after their soccer practice and they were both smiling. Could it be that his best friend had cowed his fear of change? He wasn't sure. Change would be good for Alex. He just hoped that his best friend felt the same.
"Where do we eat, Drei?" he asked. The awkwardness between them was suddenly gone and he felt much better that they were getting comfortable with each other again. Just like the old times, he thought. But somehow the thought about the two of them just like before gave him that weird familiar rush thru him. After the ultrasound earlier, Alex made her choose where she wanted to eat.
"I want Conti's!" she said excitedly. "Darn! I can't stop thinking about their Beef Salpicao! Gusto ko yun!"
"Whoa! Early dinner?"
"Eh gusto ko kumain ng Beef Salpicao eh!" she frowned. "Tapos yung Mango Bravo nila... tapos yung Apple Pie!"
Alex just shook his head in disbelief as Drei went on and on about what she'd like to gobble up at Conti's. All the pregnancy myths he's been hearing about were true, that pregnant women can eat like a lion and here beside him was the living proof! He suddenly found it amusing as he listened to her. Did he have a choice? Of course not! They were headed to Conti's at Serendra when they were caught in a little traffic jam at the C5 road. Drei suddenly felt tired so instead of heading to Conti's, where they agreed to eat, they ended up at Alex's condo.
Drei dashed right inside his bedroom the moment they got to his place. She wanted to sleep and just runaway to slumber land. He followed suit and there he found her slumped on his bed fast asleep like a log. He smiled at the sight of her as she was surrounded by his pillows and was snoring lightly. He lit his dim lights, turned on the AC and headed out to the kitchen.
She dozed off for almost an hour and then she woke up to a vigorous kick from the little miss inside her belly. One kick got her eyes open but she didn't bother. Second kick made her murmur as she turned to one side and practically ignored the little miss. She was still sleepy. Then the third kick came and it was a lot stronger than the first two.
"All right!" she surrendered. And then a three more followed as if her little girl knew that she was still on bed. Drei got the message loud and clear, the little miss is hungry so she slowly sat up and wiped the sleep off her eyes. "Gising na po, gising na!"
She took a moment and looked around the room. The clock on Alex's beside table said 7:30 PM. It was pretty much the same as the last time she was in here and it still smelled like him – like fresh linens – but something caught her eye on one corner. It can't be, she thought to herself unconvinced as she stood up and went closer. The vision was much clearer. It was a crib. A white, wooden crib. He was trying to make it clear now and all she needed to do was believe it. But not quite yet, she thought.
Drei tried to brush the curiosity aside about why there was a crib in his room. She could save all her queries for later as she headed for the door. A delicious smell engulfed her senses when she stepped out of the room. It made her mouth water and she was sure enough that the little diva in her belly was as hungry as she was. Food, she thought. Definitely food! She found the dining table all set and suddenly Alex appeared from the kitchen holding a large, transparent tureen with a lid in his hands. He paused as he saw her standing by the couch.
"Hey sleepyhead!" he greeted, giving her a crooked grin. Then he placed the tureen on the table. "How was your sleep?"
"Bakit di mo ako ginising?"
"Ang sarap ng tulog mo eh, I didn't want to wake you up," he claimed as he walked towards her. Then he leveled with her tummy and stroked her belly. "Hi Zooey!" he whispered and then a kick came to life.
Alex grinned in amazement as he felt his little girl responding to his voice. Another one came and followed by another. He sure knows that this wasn't the first time she kicked but it was a first for him. He had a lot of firsts today. The first time to see her on screen and then this. He suddenly felt proud and overwhelmed at the same time. He didn't want to miss any firsts anymore after this.
He glanced up at Drei who was cringing. "Is she like this? I mean does she respond to everyone who talks to her?"
Drei cringed some more as the kicks grew stronger. "Yeah, especially when she knows who the voice belongs to or if she likes you. She's very interactive!"
"So kilala niya boses ko?" he asked, narrowing his eyes on her, his hands still on her tummy. Drei nodded and an intrigued smile quirked up on his lips. "Papaano?"
At first she hesitated because it just felt embarrassing telling him how this little miss knew his voice. But then again, what the heck!
"Remember before..." she started and then Alex got back on his feet. He arched his brows at her as if waiting for her to finish. "We used to do some voice notes whenever we're too lazy to type?"
Yes, they did and he remembered those late night conversations that they'd have after he'd take her home. All the flirting and the 'I miss you's' suddenly made him want to smile but he didn't. Instead he narrowed his eyes on her, feigning a straight face. "What about it?"
"Well, I kinda..." she could feel her cheeks burning. He was looking straight at her and she did her best to look away. Then she resigned and rolled her eyes. "I saved it... not purposely but it was on my phone..."
It intrigued him. "Wow, you saved it so you could hear my voice? Tsk tsk I never knew you got it bad for me!"
"I did not!" she protested and this earned him a shove on his chest. "Ang kapal ng mukha mo ha! Di ko nga alam bakit nandoon yun! Nakita ko lang! Kapal!"
She threw in some punches on his chest and just he laughed at her reaction. Then Alex caught her hands and looked into her eyes smiling smugly. "Siguro pinaglilihi-an mo ako kay Zooey ano? All that time that we weren't together, huh? Kaya siguro galit na galit ka sa akin no?"
Well it was true, most of it but she didn't flinch. She stared back at him with her brows furrowed. "Di ka pa din nagbabago! Ang kapal ng mukha mo talaga Alexander! Dumoble lang lalo!"
"O bakit totoo naman ah, sabi ni Doc kanina kamukha ko daw anak ko... di mo ba nakita sa ultrasound kania?" he declared. "Ayaw pa kasi aminin eh..."
Their faces were inches apart and she could feel his breath. Then he glanced at her mouth then back into her eyes suddenly remembering the last time he kissed her. Drei sighed and that was the time he came back to his senses, trying to free herself from his grip and interrupting his mini reverie. "Alam mo nagugutom na ako kanina pa..."
"Oh, sorry..." he apologized. Was he still drawn to her? He wasn't so sure of himself because for all he knows Drei was still an exception to him. He set the thoughts aside. Its Zooey, not Drei, he reminded himself as he ushered her to the table.
They agreed to have dinner but the fact that Alex was the one who made the dinner, made Drei's knees go weak. This is the third time, if she's not mistaken, the third time that he cooked for her. She savored the unexpectedly delicious meal he prepared tonight – Sinigang na Baboy. The soup was creamy and it has the perfect sour taste, just as she liked it. It was actually one of her favorite comfort food, which Alex didn't know of course. And now was she sat there and eating her meal with gusto, she couldn't help but admire his culinary skills.
"Sorry it wasn't Beef Salpicao," he apologized. "Sinigang na baboy lang kaya ng powers ko eh.."
All she could do was smile. She gave him an A for his effort on this meal. Now she was convinced that besides the fact that Alex can be an egoistic jerk with a Greek god face, he has a soft spot and well, he is a great cook. And that suddenly made her wonder if he does this with all the women he's been with. She was sure enough that they enjoyed it as much as she did right now. After they finished dinner, Alex stood up and disappeared into the kitchen. A few seconds later he appeared with a mini Mango Bravo cake with him.
"And now for dessert, Miss Buenaventura!" he said charmingly as he placed the cake in front of her. "Just like you wanted!"
Drei's face lit up with amusement as her eyes feasted on Conti's famous dessert. She let out a soft scream of excitement while she took a slice. Then she took her first bite, chewing it with delight with her eyes closed. A smile came across Alex's face as he watched her, fascinated with how she relished each bite.
"Thank you for this, Alex!" she remarked. "Gustong gusto ko talaga to..." then their gaze met. "You don't have to do this you know, nag abala ka pa... but thank you! Thank you for dinner and thank you for dessert!"
"No probs, Drei...besides I don't do this often." he suddenly blurted out. Taken aback with what just came out of his mouth, felt suddenly embarrassed. It was the truth though, that he doesn't do this often. Actually, he never cooks for anyone but himself. But with her, he didn't know why he did this out of the blue. For what? To impress her? Why would he even exert that effort for her? And then he reminded himself again that this wasn't about the both of them, this was about Zooey.
"I-I mean... syempre busy ako, so I don't have time to cook, ngayon lang ako nagka free time..." he added. "So I was wondering, pwede na ba tayo mag-usap?"
"Ah yes... sure! Mabuti you reminded me... shoot!" she answered as she was attacking her second serving of Mango Bravo. "Ano pag uusapan natin?"
Alex sighed. "I've been doing a lot of thinking these past few days, Drei and I really think that we should make it work..."
"Okay... make what work?"
"Like sinabi ko sa'yo kanina... I want you to give me a chance to be a part of Zooey's life... and I meant every word I said kahit alam ko na nahihirapan kang paniwalaan ako... so this is me being serious here, Drei..."
He was right though, everything that happened today seemed surreal on her end even if a few hours have already passed.
"And by this chance, I want to be there every single step of the way..." he added.
"And I'm giving you that chance, Alex," Drei pointed out. "I am, right now..."
"When I said that I want to be there every single step of the way..." he repeated and Drei looked at him puzzled. At some point, she suddenly didn't get what he meant. But she waited for him patiently to go on. "I want to be able to take care of Zooey, Drei..."
"And hindi ko naman inaalis yung karapatan mo na maging ama sa anak mo eh... what made you think that I won't let you take care of her?"
"I want you guys to move in with me..." he asserted.
And by that she was stunned. "You're joking right?"
He shook his head. She just stared at him, as seeing him for the first time. "Alex, do you realize what you just said?"
"Yes."
"Are you out of your mind?"
"No." he confirmed then he stared deep into her eyes.
"You want me, no, us, to live with you?" she repeated and he nodded. "Under the same roof?" Another nod came from Alex.
The look on his face says it all. He was serious and it suddenly gave her the shivers. He wasn't kidding, she thought to herself.
"I know what I said and I'll say it again... I want to be involved in raising my child, Drei..."
"And you are... you made it clear already and I am letting you be involved," she explained.
"But I want more, Drei... I want you guys to live with me... "
Moving in would work best when two people are emotionally involved, it wasn't just a simple sleepover. Playing house. They'd be breathing the same air, contained in the four corners of the same room. It would mean waking up every day seeing his face and his ego all in one place, and it would also mean adjustment, the word suddenly seemed scary. She moved in with Anton before right before they had Matty. They had a commitment with passionate declarations. They were in love and they wanted to raise a family. But with Alex it was different story. They we're just having a child together. No romance, no love, nothing. So far what they have now is a rational list of possibilities of being a responsible parent to their unborn child. But then it seemed so easy for him to just say that out loud like in the most literal sense.
"This isn't a good idea, Alex..." she said in exasperation. " How do you see this playing out? Us moving in with you? And you think this would work out best for us?"
If you come to think of it, it's very simple and it could be answerable by a yes or a no but then again, it isn't just as simple as that. Moving in with someone whom you're not emotionally involved with would just mean disaster on Drei's end. Being involved is easy but moving in wasn't.
"Yes..." he gazed into her eyes. "I think there's a chance and we can work it out..."
There was always a chance, Drei thought. Just not a very good one. Living with Alex under the same roof was something she couldn't fathom. But despite that, the thought suddenly intrigued and frightened her all at the same time. If she'd allow this chance to take over, it will turn things around. This chance will involve a lot of trusting and that entire emotional diarrhea that goes along with it. Worst, this chance will make her hope.
Hope for the two of them. It'll spark that plug of hope inside of her and she didn't want to go through that same process again. Not this time around.
"Ganoon lang ba kadali yun, Alex?" Drei questioned. It was the first thing that came out of her mouth after they've been staring at each other in silence for almost five minutes. The words still swirled around her head, making her feel dizzy. She placed her right hand over her temple and massaged it. "You made it sound so easy na parang makikitulog ka lang eh... I'm telling you it's not that simple..." she added.
No matter how much the idea was intriguing and at the same time tempting, Drei wasn't going to let her impulsiveness take over. She was vulnerable and right now, he is taking advantage of it. "I really don't see why you don't want to give this a chance, Drei?"
"Because this idea is crazy, Alexander!" she whined. "Madaling sabihin pero mahirap gawin. You're taking advantage of my situation!"
"I am not okay!" he shot back then he got up and placed himself at the vacant chair beside her. He moved himself closer. He thought of this for quite some time now and he was serious about it. But he never felt more sure than ever right after seeing his little girl back inside that 4D ultrasound room this afternoon. "Listen, I want this... and I am all in, Drei... if I commit, I give a hundred percent..." he added, letting out that word commitment suddenly made him remember Cheska and how much he gave her his one hundred percent and more. Swallowing all that dignity and pride as he endured the embarrassment to please her.
"What do you know about being committed, Alex?" her expression sharpened. Drei knew that she wasn't in the position to judge him but she just had to let it all out. "Anong alam mo tungkol dun? Have you ever been in a committed relationship? Cause the last time I checked you're allergic to commitments!"
Even if her remark darted through him he kept his cool. She had all the reason to doubt him because after all, what she said was true. "I had one girlfriend, Drei. One." He revealed, taking a shot of honesty. He was aware that he was unfolding a side of him already to her.
"One? Seriously?" she repeated as if it was the most impossible thing to believe but then again it was possible. After all, she never knew that side of his world. He gave her a nod. "One serious relationship in your lifetime?" Alex nodded again. Wow, she thought. She didn't need to know the rest because she already knew. One serious relationship and the rest were just a variety of flings – yeah, his flavors of the month!
"And that was the last time I... let myself be committed to someone." He added. "I am committing myself to this, Drei... committing myself to you..."
For a moment there, she swallowed. Committing myself to you, it sounded so nice that it made her heart skip a beat.
"Define commitment."
"Commitment on being a responsible father, a full-time father. Committed to provide you with all the help that you need – financially and emotionally. I'll take care of your bills when you deliver, for Zoey's future. And I'll be your partner in every possible way... kung gusto mo ng driver for your appointments, taga masahe, taga bili ng pagkain pag bigla kang nagutom in the middle of the night, taga laba kasi tinatamad ka na, taga luto, punching bag, sound board... name it, Drei and I will be that guy...I'll take care of you... I'd like it if Zoey takes my name, pero di kita pipilitin if ayaw mo... this is all I have..."
Puwede mo din kaya akong mahalin? She thought as she looked at him. She bit her lip. He was holding her hands, rubbing her knuckles with his thumbs. Alex was saying all the right things, but more than that he seemed to believe them. Which made her want to believe him.
"I'm serious. I know you have your family and friends, but they all have lives of their own... You need someone to depend on. I've already missed a few months, at least makahabol man lang ako sa natitirang tatlong buwan bago lumabas si Zoey.... This is me, making up to you.. and I am offering and committing myself to be that guy..."
Drei felt overwhelmed. Everything was happening too fast. Worse – she was tempted. Hearing a guy like Alex saying he was "all in" was a diving-over-a-cliff-without-bothering-to-look-first moment.
"So were committed?" she clarified. Well she didn't want to assume.
"Yes, but of course, not in a romantic sort of way or anything. Committed to being parents... I am not asking you to marry me... I am just being honest here... I want my daughter to have a family. I know you want this, too. I know you have a good childhood and I didn't. My childhood was a mess and I don't want that to happen to Zoey.."
Of course, committed to being parents, she took a mental note of that. She knew enough to be aware that Alex, despite how messy his life was, keeps his word. A while ago he revealed a part of him that she never knew. He didn't trust people easily maybe because of a traumatic past but he was letting her into his world. And by that she didn't know if that was a privilege or a curse.
"You are aware that by us moving in, things will change on your end... you won't be able to bring your women back at your place..."
"Who told you I bring women at my place? I never bring women at my place... in fact you're the first one I ever brought back to my place..."
It was another shocking revelation that left her mouth hanging open. "Right... so what's our set up, Alex? I mean, honestly we're not dating... we're not a thing anymore... And it's actually one of the reasons that I am disagreeing with your idea, Alex..."
She felt the frustration caving in on her already but the expression on Alex's face didn't change – determination. Determined to convince her that this was worth a shot. On a practical level, having someone to depend on while raising Zoey would be amazing. She was already convinced that he's being responsible and supportive. On the personal side, this idea was another disaster waiting to happen and here she was trying to oppose the idea. Why? Because it's just not a good idea. Why? Because it will make things much complicated. Why again? Because she was still in love with him and living with him will totally make her forget that she should be moving on already. Note to self: Not a good idea, she thought.
"But we're friends, Drei... I mean, we had that sort of thing, you know, a few months ago but we're friends now, right?"
She contemplated on it even more. It wasn't love and she understood that. Maybe not for her but for their daughter. And it was enough.
"This is a practical set-up, Drei. We're friends who are having a kid... A win-win situation. Take me as your... pregnancy buddy... No emotional hang ups and all that. No expectations. No promises. Which is much better than being romantically linked to each other. After all this, we'll still be able to date other people when we're ready, you know..."
That almost made sense. A practical set up. A practical set-up based on a mutual need and decision to become responsible parents wasn't a bad thing. But the whole idea of playing house with him was kind of exciting. Temporary but exciting. Not to mention frightening. But she believed that he would take care of her and Zoey and that was just impossible to resist.
She sighed.
"You're scared aren't you?" he said, probably sensing her hesitation
"Of who?" she asked suddenly puzzled. "Of you?" she shook her head in disbelief and then raised an eyebrow on him. "Why would I be scared of you?"
A smug look appeared on his face. "Baka takot ka kasi baka ma inlove ka saken?"
"Wow! This is too much!" she declared and they both chuckled.
"Hey, this is worth a shot, Drei... please?"
"I'll think about it, Alex."
He was offering all – financial security and all the whatnots – except his heart. He wasn't offering her love. At least he was honest about it. Love wasn't in their option. But this wasn't about her. Practical, she needed to be practical. And this was completely the wrong time to be thinking with her heart. But what if she falls for him even more?
"Ang tahimik mo ata?" Alex wondered, glancing over at Drei. They were driving their way out of Fort Bonifacio and making their way to Guadalupe. It seemed that she was lost in her thoughts again as she looked out on the window. Alex instinctively placed his hand on top of hers, giving it a little squeeze and that was the only time she turned to face him.
"You were saying something?" she uttered smiling faintly at him.
"Sabi ko ang tahimik mo..." he repeated. A look of concern came across his face as he gazed at her. "May problema ba?"
Drei sighed. "I was just thinking..."
"About?" he studied her.
"The things we talked about a while ago sa bahay mo..." she expressed and a worried look swept over her face. "Hindi kasi ganoon ka dali yun eh..."
The truth is her head was still spinning over that 'proposal' Alex made earlier back at his place and she just hated the fact that he was saying all the right things. True, she needed someone whom she can depend on despite having her family and her friends around. Because it's different. It's different when you really have that someone who can attend to your needs, someone who can really take care of you. Every single pregnant woman needs to have their own someone to rely on.
And now she couldn't help but think about Anton and how he was so supportive during the time that she was pregnant with Matty. Anton was her person. And now here comes Alex, the cold-hearted-allergic-to-commitment-and-relationship father of her little diva, wanting to be that person for her. His idea was actually very practical and if only she wasn't in love with him, things would be much easier. But Drei has to credit Alex for his honesty that he doesn't want anything more than this practical arrangement he's offering her. And he was right, that they're better off as friends, it makes things less complicated. After all, they had the same goal: becoming a responsible parent to Zooey.
They both fell silent throughout the ride and Alex tried his best to keep his mouth shut. He already said what he needed to say. If Drei was hesitant or skeptical about his offer, he couldn't blame her. After all, he was the one who said that he couldn't handle this kind of responsibility. It wasn't his call anymore, it was already Drei's and he didn't want to appear all needy and desperate even if he already was. So the least he could do now is to keep his fingers crossed that she'll agree on his proposal. Patience, he thought. He needed to be patient.
"Take your time Drei," he finally said as they came to stop in front of Drei's house. He didn't want to pressure her and right now she's probably weighing her options. He was already done with laying out his proposal to her and now comes the second part. He needed to talk to Drei's family about his plans, which is why he was here. "Just promise me you'll think about it, please? This is worth a shot and this is why I'm here para harapin ang pamilya mo."
"I'll think about it okay? Pero hindi ito ganoon ka dali, Alex," she told him. He missed out on something, she thought and it's actually one of the most important person in her life. "Baka may nakalimutan ka..."
"Nakalimutan?" he asked with his forehead creasing. Alex tried his best to recall if he forgot something but nothing came to mind. "Teka what do you mean?"
Drei sighed as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "You know that I can't come alone, Alex... na kailangan ko pa i-consider yung desisyon ng isang importanteng tao sa buhay ko..."
"I don't understand... that's why I'm here right so I could talk to your sister and sa parents mo..."
"They won't have a say on this, they will just tell you that it's still up to me..."
"Then that's great... so I'll just have to give you more time, Drei to think about it..."
Drei shook her head in disbelief because it was obvious that he obviously forgot this one important person in her life. "You didn't get me, did you?" He shook his head. "Did you forget that I come with a package?"
And the baffled look on Alex's face said it all. "Si Matty... you forgot that I still have Matty to consider..."
And then it hit him. "Oh f*ck!" he swore under his breath.
"You know that I can't leave him behind if I ever agree on this, Alex... That's why I keep telling you that this isn't easy..."
Her words were more of a challenge rather than a statement. He suddenly felt foolish for forgetting the other guy in her life. "I'm sorry, Drei... I didn't mean to—"
"It's okay. I don't blame you or anything. If you take me and Zooey, you have to take Matty, too... Kaya mo ba?"
With so many thoughts in his head, he literally forgot that she had a seven year old son from her ex boyfriend. Matty. Of course, she needed to consider Matty. There was more to the equation than Drei and Zooey, there was Matty. How could he forget that Drei came in with a package? The questions were now aimed at him. Was he willing to accept this new challenge? Could he take it?
He swallowed an imaginary lump on his throat as he looked at her. Just when he thought that he got everything all planned out, things became suddenly different and it was harder than he thought.
Take it or leave it?, a voice in his head echoed. Are you willing to get more than what you've bargained for?
==============================
[Music: Your Heart Is An Empty Room by Death Cab For Cutie]
Playing For Keeps © 2013 C.Ellaine. All Rights Reserved
All rights reserved. The author retains all copyrights in any text, graphic images and photos in this book. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by ant means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.