"Relationships don't need to be perfect, it just needs to be real."
“Sige pa… a little more to the right…more…” Matty’s voice echoed. His arms were wrapped securely around his baby sister as they both sat on the couch. He was in command tonight after Alex and Drei had asked him to do them a favor. “Oops! Sumobra! Move to the left…”
“Matt…” Alex grumbled in warning tone as he paused. They’ve been holding up this piece of 4x4 feet canvas far too long now. Manang Pilar was ironing their clothes back in her room, which is why they asked Matty to help them out.
The relaxing weekend they had spent in Tagaytay was over and they were all back to reality – work and school. And tonight was just another Tuesday night, there wasn’t any occasion to celebrate but Alex made dinner for everyone. With an hour and half to spare while they were waiting on that movie in HBO to air, they finally decided to put this piece of art on the wall.
“Sumobra nga kayo, Dad!” Matty said in his defense. He stifled a smile. “Move to the left… just a little bit…”
“Are you sure you’re helping us out?” Alex paused and turned his head briefly at the boy’s direction. “Cos it looks like you’re trippin’ on us, Matt!”
Matty let out a small laugh because clearly he was having the time of his life bossing the adults around. Even if he only got tonight as a free pass.
“Come on, enough with the power trip, Matthew,” it was Drei. The weight of the canvas was already making her arms shake. “And hold your sister properly please!”
“Okay, one move to the left na lang…” he finally said and the two followed suit. “Ayan okay na!”
When the canvas was secured in place, Alex and Drei took a few steps back to admire the view. The blank space that was just beside their LCD TV was the perfect spot and indeed, it was. The painting was stunningly dramatic as it blended beautifully with the white walls of their living room. Drei sucked in a breath and gave out a sigh of admiration. She was a sucker for arts and never in her life did she dream to own a piece for herself. But now she did. And it’s all because of this man beside her right now.
Alex placed his arm on her shoulder and brought her closer to him. “Do you like it there?”
“Yes!” she said softly. “It’s perfect!”
Drei’s 29th birthday last April coincidentally fell on a Saturday. And despite the fact that Alex kept insisting on throwing her a party in one of their fave restaurants, she declined because she opted for a simple birthday lunch instead. She woke up to an early birthday performance by a-two-men-and-a-baby band at six in the morning – Alex had his ukulele, Matty had a single bongo drum and Zooey had a pair maracas to shake. It was actually a mash up of three songs. They started with Nothin’ On You by B.O.B, then Soul Sister by Train and the last was I’m Yours by Jason Mraz. She had no idea how long they’ve been practicing it but their performance struck her speechless. The loves of her life were so amazing that it brought tears into her eyes and when the song finished, they attacked her with kisses.
Right after lunch, Alex unexpectedly dragged her out of the Crocs shop while Dan was shopping for a pair for the kids. She didn’t have a clue what he was up to and all she knew was that they were already driving South. She dozed off throughout the drive and an hour later, they were at Josephine’s in Tagaytay. Alex blindfolded her with his handkerchief when she got out of the car and led her into the garden. As the blindfold came off, Drei finally saw what was in store for her. The set up was almost similar to the one he had for their supposedly Valentine’s date and he found the perfect spot. There was a gazebo, with white drapes and rice bulb lights, and a table for two overlooking the Taal Volcano. Alex ushered her to the table and when she sat down, he made his way to where the band was set up. He sat behind the keyboard and started to play.
“You’re insecure… don’t know what for… you’re turning head when you walk through the door… don’t need make-up to cover up… being the way that you are is enough… everyone else in the room can see it… everyone else but you…”
And as he sang the first verse, the hair in the back of her neck raised. His own rendition of the One Direction song was slow and sort of acoustic one. His voice was cool and she could tell that this wasn’t an impromptu performance… he was prepared for this.
“Baby you light up my world like nobody else… the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed… but when you smile at the ground it ain’t hard to tell… you don’t know… oh… you don’t know you’re beautiful…”
Her heart started to pound wildly in her chest while she listened. Time and time again he would close his eyes, feeling the melody and the song while he sang. Then he’d open it and look at her straight in the eye.
“If you only you saw what I could see… you’d understand why I want you so desperately… right now I’m looking at you and I can’t believe… you don’t know you’re beautiful… oh, that’s what makes you beautiful…Ohh… you don’t know you’re beautiful…”
He was singing this song exclusively for her and no one else. It was after dinner when he brought out his gift. She didn’t know what it was at first but when she finally tore the wrapper open, her eyes started to become glossy and for the nth time that day she cried. It was the mother and child painting that she saw almost two years ago when they had their first date at Java Jazz.
“You sure it’s okay?” he checked again as they gave themselves a few moments to gaze at it. “Cos if it’s not, we could still move it a little to the—”
“It’s perfect right there!” she chucked his chin, her fingers feeling the roughness of his day old stubble. She snaked her arm around his waist and squeezing him tight. “Thank you, bubba!”
The painting was called "Complete" by the artist named Mayumi. She could still remember how she instantly felt drawn to the symbolic artwork from the moment she laid her eyes on it. The essence of motherhood captured beautifully on canvas.
“You’re welcome!”
“You’re spoiling me and it’s not good!” she said, facing him.
Alex has been giving her lavish gifts and it seemed like he’s getting used to it. First it was the Pandora bracelet he gave her last Christmas, then the flowers he gave her before Valentine’s Day, the expensive dinner and weekend getaways, and now this painting that she had no idea how much plus that dinner date they had for her birthday. He was spending way too much for her and somehow, she didn’t like it that way.
“Well I like spoiling you!” He kissed her forehead. “And I could do it every day!”
“Bubba, please don’t!” she protested. “Ang gastos mo kaya!”
“Hey, I just wanted to make your birthday special…”
“Like this painting and that dinner in Tagaytay? You’re a big spender!”
“So what? It’s all worth it and I’d do anything to make you happy!”
“You don’t need to spend a lot, you know,” she told him “Just being with you and the kids is enough to make me happy.”
And hearing her say it made his heart beat faster. “I love you!”
“I love you, too!” she smiled and tiptoed to place a kiss on his lips.
“Yuck!” they heard Matty say. “Cover your eyes, Zoe! You guys are kissing again!”
Zooey did what she was told, covering her eyes with her eyes. “Yak! Yak!”
“Dad! Please! Ewwww!” Matty cried out and Zooey took her hands away from her eyes to see what was wrong. “Stop niyo na nga yan!”
It was Alex’s turn to get into Matty’s nerves by pretending not to hear and brought Drei closer and kissed her some more. He opened one eye to sneak a glance and saw Matty cringing at the sight of them. They both love to mock their little guy. The two laughed in between kisses and Zooey giggled along with them.
“So just being with me and the kids makes you happy, huh?” Alex repeated as he glanced at her direction. He was checking up on his email on his computer.
Drei was inside the bathroom, she had just finished cleaning her face. It was already past ten when the movie ended. The kids were asleep and they were back inside their room getting ready for bed.
“Oo naman!” She stepped out of the bathroom and met his gaze. “Little things make me happy! Why?"
Alex stood up and inched towards her. His eyes smoldering as he took in her pink tank top and plaid flannel pajamas that hang low on her hips. Seeing that to-die-for boyish smirk of his, she already knew what was going on inside his head. He pulled her close to him and the scent of her new body wash made him groan.
“I want to make you happy tonight.”
She smiled. “Oh please do!”
***
The Quality Department office was filled with people on a Friday morning. It was an hour before lunchtime when Alex showed up with Zooey in her baby sling. The little princess was creating a fuss and the silence that was hanging over the administrative floor was temporarily replaced with coos and giggles from the staff.
It’s been a while since Drei’s colleagues have last seen her and everyone, including Peter and his colleagues in the IT Department, were eager to see her bundle of joy. The little darling was charming everyone around and her parents stood there watching proudly while she was showing them what she got. And it was evident that she was enjoying the spotlight!
“Bubba, kain ka na,” Alex told her as soon as he finished his meal. “Labas muna kami ni Zoe!”
“Okay,” she smiled at him.
They were in one of the restaurants in Serendra having lunch with Tessa, Rachel and Peter. When he lifted Zooey out of her high chair, he leaned and gave her a peck on the temple before they went outside by the fountain.
“Ang tamis!” Tessa commented as soon as Alex was out of sight. “Iba na talaga pag lumelevel up na!”
Drei just made a face. “Tigilan niyo nga ako! Ayan na naman kayo eh!”
“Are you forgetting that you owe us an inside scoop?” Peter pointed at her. “Ano yung mga flood niyo sa wall ng isa’t isa ha? Anong mga kener yun? Umamin ka na!”
“Oo nga, Drei, ano yung ILY?” Rachel wondered and Peter glanced at her in horror.
“What’s happening to you, Rach?” he exclaimed. “Ano ba ang ILY ha, Inday?”
Rachel shrugged. “Slow ako sa mga acronym na ganyan eh! Ano ba yun?”
“Kung si Drei nag goglow dahil in love siya, ikaw naman nagiging slow! Gahhd Rach! Where have you been?!” he said in an attempt to bring her back into her senses. Rachel began to date Ronald shortly after their Valentine’s Day date and pretty soon they became a couple. Rachel shrugged and Peter turned to Tessa. “Ikaw nga kumausap sa alaga mo! Nase-stress ako sakanya! Kaloka!”
“Nag 'I love you' na si greek god Alexander kay Drei,” Tessa informed.
“Ay!” Rachel giggled. “Kailan pa?”
“Again, Rach, where have you been?” Peter repeated. “It’s all over Facebook! Diyos ko po!”
“I didn’t know! I mean, I wasn’t that aware!” Rachel said in her defense. “Duh?”
“And you guys are talking about me like I’m not here,” Drei said caustically and shook her head in disbelief. “Kayo na talaga!”
“Andito ka ba ha? Have you seen that look on your face lately, mars?” Peter cocked his brow at her. It made Drei rummage through her purse for her compact powder to examine her face.
“Walan aman ah! There’s nothing wrong with my face!” she pointed out.
“Yes, there is!” he contradicted. “So are you gonna spill it or not?”
Drei snickered at her friend’s remark. The weekend in Tagaytay was certainly a memorable one because it was the first time that Alex had told her the three magical words that she’s been waiting for that for the longest time. Nothing’s changed between them, except that now she knew what she was and where she stood in his life – the girlfriend he loves. The thought of it made her smile like stupid again.
“There’s nothing to spill, guys!” she looked at friends. “Yun lang naman, he said that he loves me…”
“Happy ka naman?” Tessa asked.
“Happy is an understatement!” Peter corrected. “It’s more than that... she’s ecstatic!!!” Then he gave Drei a once over. “Look at you… all glowing… and mind blowing sex is written all over your face…” She smacked his arm and he just snickered.
“Well,” she sighed in contentment. “I couldn’t ask for more!”
“Kasal na lang kulang!” Rachel added. “Ano pa hinihintay niyo?”
“We don’t want to rush things,” she answered. “I told you guys that… 4 months palang kami… tapos kasal agad?”
“If you really look at the bigger picture,” Tessa began. “You guys already have a romantic history… then Zooey came, he asked you to move in with him… and everything that’s happening now with the two of you is kinda like a formality na lang…”
“Oi teka, when we moved in together we were just friends,” she corrected. “We were no longer in the dating realm, not romantically involved, FYI.”
“But!” Peter joined in. “You guys weren’t over each other yet during that time. The unresolved chemistry and sexual tension was still there! Even if you won’t admit it Drei… we all sensed it! So it wasn’t over!”
“Tama si Pete,” Rachel agreed. “It’s like all this time we were all just waiting for the both of you to realize that you’re in love with each other, well, Alex especially.”
Everything her friends said was true and they do have a point. Sure she has been in love with him for so long but she was not the kind who’d beg for a man’s affection. She expected their lives to go back to normal when she was supposed to move out when her maternity leave ended. But it seemed that fate had a different plan because all it took was Caroline’s mini vacation with them to make them stay in one room. In that span of weeks, it made them both realize the truth that they still had that gravitational pull towards each other – a connection. It was just lurking and waiting for one of them to start the fire. And everything that has happened has been very unexpected.
“And you guys are saying, what exactly?” she narrowed her eyes at them.
“What we’re saying is… ano pa ba ang hinihintay niyo? Pasko? Bagong taon? End of the world?” Peter asked and the girls chuckled. “What’s keeping you guys from tying the knot? I mean after everything you've been through, isn't that where this should be headed?”
“We’ll get there,” she answered with a smile. “When the time is right.”
They will. She fervently hopes for it though she knows it would take time but Alex was worth the wait. She has been trying her best to keep everything smooth between them and the last thing she wants is to pressure him into doing something that he is obviously not ready for yet.
Despite the fact that they were in a committed relationship, she knew that this was all new to him. Sure he had a string of non-committed ones, but this one was far different from the rest especially now that he told her that he loves her. And even if he doesn’t say it out loud to her, Drei knew that this is a great deal to him and she didn’t want to scare him away. Besides, they still had a long way to go and she has yet to know who he really is. Patience is a virtue and she needs lots of it.
***
“Bubba,” Drei called out holding two different brands of corned beef in her hands. “Which one do you—”
She turned to see Alex, Matty and Zooey getting lost inside their little bubble again. The little girl was sitting on the grocery cart while Alex was showing her some pictures on Matty’s IPAD.
“Where’s the cow?” she heard Alex say and Zooey pointed at the picture. “Good job, pumpkin!”
Hearing her father’s remark, Zooey smiled and her eyes disappeared. She giggled and clapped her hands. They’ve been engrossed with the new app for kids that Alex downloaded a week ago and the little girl loves it. At 10 months and a half, she’s becoming as smart as her brother. Like Matty, she loves to read and they see to it that she gets to read one book a day. Besides that, she’s beginning to understand many simple words and phrases; and nowadays she is as restless as could be. She loves to crawl or walking around in her walker or holding onto her parents’ hands. A few hours ago, they were at her doctor’s clinic for her routine visit. But they found Dr. Rona Mitra, who was filling in for Dr. Samantha Miranda, who was in California for a conference. Drei took a leave for the afternoon for her check-up and it was almost 4:30 when they finished.
No wonder they didn’t hear me, she thought to herself while she saw what father and daughter were up to. They were caught up looking at the animal pictures. But instead of being grouchy over it, Drei found herself smiling at the sight of them. Who would have thought a guy like him, who thinks of himself as a mess and lacking the parenting gene, would be able to pull this one off? Alex was doing a great job for a first-time dad and she was overwhelmed at how he is handling the kids.
“Bubba?” she called out. Alex glanced up to see her holding two cans of corned beef in her hands. “Argentina or Pure Foods?”
“Ano yung linuto ni Manang Pilar kahapon for breakfast?” he asked. “Cos it tastes better, bubba.”
“Ah, you like that?” Alex nodded in response. “Okay.”
She placed the other one back in the shelf and got five more cans of the brand he liked. Right after they got Matty from school they headed to Glorietta for an early dinner and now, they were doing some groceries before heading home. The hypermarket was full of people when they got there since it’s a Friday night. They started at the aisle where all the canned goods were. She glanced at her list to cross out the one she just got.
“SPAM or some meat loaf?” she asked.
“SPAM!” Alex and Matty said together.
She grabbed two cans of the original one and two of the ones with less sodium. Then she got the other canned goods they needed – sardines, tuna, and pork and beans. When they were done, they headed to another aisle where the baking products were. Matty trailed behind them with a small cart of his own. He took a box of waffle and pancake mix off the shelf since he promised to cook breakfast for them on Sunday.
“Is that enough, Kuya?” Alex asked after seeing what the boy had placed inside his cart. “Dagdagan mo yung waffle at pancake mix mo.”
Matty did what he was told while Drei scanned through her list again to see what she needed for the apple pie recipe that Alex’s Tita Chi has sent her in her email. She stood by the shelf to decide which brand of all-purpose flour she needed. When she was already settled with her choice, she got some brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
“You done?” Alex asked as he moved closer to her.
“Bubba, do we need whip cream… chocolate syrup… and strawberry syrup?” She was looking at them, still undecided whether she should get them or not.
“Get some,” he answered briefly.
“May pag gagamitan ba tayo?”
“Pwde natin gamitin mamaya if you like,” he whispered in her ear, then she glanced at him. She was speechless for a second. He wiggled his eyebrows at her and the thought of how they could use it flashed on her mind. Her cheeks flushed and Alex grinned deviously at her. “It’ll be fun.”
“Why do I have to deal with your perverted mind?!” she whispered back, noting that Matty is not far from them.
“Kunyari ka pa! Gusto mo naman!” Alex chuckled and planted his arm on her waist. She nudged him with her elbow.
“Whatever!” she retorted.
“Just kidding, babe!” He kissed her temple. Drei suddenly remembered that Matty was making waffles so she grabbed one of each – whip cream, chocolate and strawberry syrup. “Pero pwde natin talagang gamitan yan…”
She shook her head in disbelief and let out a laugh. “Ay ewan ko sa’yo! Halika ka na nga!"
Biscuits and bread were next on their list and so they headed to where it was. Alex got some biscuits for the kids and a loaf of brown bread.
“Kuya, what else do we need?” Drei asked Matty.
“I still don’t have my milk and Zooey’s… and you need to get some chicken and pork, Mom.” He told her. “Can I get our milk na lang?”
“Go ahead, Kuya.” Alex told him. “We’ll be in the fish section… we’ll wait for you there.”
Matty made his way to the dairy products section while Drei and Alex went to some fruits and vegetables. The aisle was on the opposite end but first he went to get Zooey’s milk and diapers in the baby section. He glanced at the list he had and noted what he needed to get. Drei had specified the brand and the size. He placed the diapers and the milk on his cart. Then he made his way to the dairy products for his milk. There was a couple ahead of him and he saw that they got four cartons of the same milk product that he drinks.
“Sana meron pa,” he mumbled to himself as he walked towards the shelf where it was placed. There was only one carton left and he smiled to himself. “Yes!”
But just as he grabs a hold of it, another hand landed on top of his. He looked up and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw who it belonged to.
***
Alex took his time watching Drei while she took her time picking out some ripe mangoes from the fruit stand. Her brows knitted as she starts scrutinizing one after the other. This woman whom he adores so much never fails to amaze him with the littlest things she does. Even if they’re literally together every day, still, he gets this squirmy feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever he looks at her. And just like Drei, being with her and the kids is enough to make him happy.
“What’s wrong?” she asked glancing at his direction. She was done picking out the mangoes. And she has that quizzical look in her face that he finds so cute. “May problema ba, bubba?”
Alex grinned at her. “Nothing.”
“You sure?”
“Yup.”
“Then why are you looking at me like that?” she wondered, tearing her gaze away from him as she inched towards the next stall where the oranges and apples were.
“Like what?”
“Like, I dunno…” she paused for a second, glanced back at him and lifted her shoulders. “You always have that look on your face. I always catch you looking at me like that… it’s like there is something going on inside that head of yours that I do not know about…like you’re scheming!”
He gave her a half-lidded gaze. “And that scares you?”
“Bubba, it’s creepy… in a stalker kind of way! So yeah, it scares me!”
“Even if I have dirt—”
“Stop it, Alexander.” She warned him. “Don’t get me started on that again!”
Alex laughed. “Praning!”
“Then why are you looking at me like that?”
“Masama bang titigan ang girlfriend ko?” he asked, closing the gap between them in one stride. Drei made a face because he was getting mushy again. He tucked a strand of hair in her ear, tilted her chin and looked at her fondly. “Ganda ganda kaya ng baby ko and ang swerte ko talaga!”
Back when he asked her to move in with him last year, Alex had only one agenda in mind: to help take care of Drei before Zooey comes along. He wanted to be her person. It was a practical setup and it was all because of the fact that he wanted to be a responsible parent to their first born. He was offering her everything she needed - financial support and the whatnots – except his heart. Love wasn’t in their option or even the idea of entertaining a possibility of it flourishing between them. But while they were contained in the four corners of their unit – breathing the same air, seeing each other first thing in the morning and again before they sleep – things shifted drastically before they even knew it.
Asking Drei to move in with him was the first step in redeeming himself after saying all those hurtful words to her that afternoon when she told him the news. Isolating himself and mulling things over for a week made him realize everything. He wanted to be there for Drei because he knew that she needed someone to be there for her. It was the right thing to do. The whole idea was absurd and if Johan hadn’t pointed it out, he wouldn’t even realize it. Because never in his lifetime did he ask a girl to move in with him, let alone a former conquest of his. Maybe he saw this coming despite the fact he’s been so sure of himself that time that he would never fall for her. As they lived through teach day while enduring each other’s craziness under one roof, it seemed that fate was calling the shots. She struggled not to fall for him even more, and Alex, on the other hand, was unconsciously falling harder for her each day.
“You’re getting mushy again,” she chuckled. “Nakaka-quota ka na, bubba. Magkaka-diabetes na ako niyan.”
“Mushy daw ako pero kinikilig ka naman!” he said smugly. “You just don’t want to admit it but I know that you like it whenever I'm mushy! Ha!”
Safely seated on the grocery cart, Zooey watched her parents getting themselves into a friendly banter. She giggled along as if she understood what they were talking about. Then Alex looked at her.
“O what do you say, pumpkin?” he asked and Zooey looked at him attentively. “Di ba Mommy likes it when Daddah is corny?’ Zooey babbled her reply. Alex smiled and turned to Drei. “See Zooey agrees with me, bubba!”
“Magsama kayong mag-ama,” she surrendered and went back to what she was doing earlier.
Alex chuckled, obviously winning this round and getting into Drei’s nerves. Then he offered his hand to Zooey for a high-five, which the little girl excitedly obliged.
“You love Daddah talaga, pumpkin?” he told her. Zooey nodded. “I love you, Zoe!”
She giggled and then with her little hands, she cupped her father’s face and kissed his lips.
“Bab Daddah… bab!”
Drei went on getting some more fruits and vegetables for them, especially now that Zooey is enjoying her solid foods. When they were done, they headed to the meat section to get some pork and chicken. And then lastly, they proceeded to the fish section. While Drei started browsing through the different kinds of fish and other seafood available, Alex continued to scan around looking for Matty. The boy’s been gone for almost ten minutes already and he was starting to worry. He took his phone out from his pocket and started to call. Matty answered the other line and he told Alex that he was on his way to them.
“Sino tinawagan mo?” Drei asked.
“Si Matty, ang tagal kasi, kanina pa yun,” he told her. “Okay na ba lahat, bubba?”
“Baka may idadagdag ka pa na isda, piliin mo na.”
Alex looked around. “Bubba, magdagdag ka ng pusit, we can cook it as adobo…at saka yung crabs… tagal na natin di nakakain ng steamed crabs eh…bigla kong na-miss…”
Then he checked their cart one last time to make sure that everything they needed was already there. Everything in their list was there, except for the bacon, eggs and hotdogs. He moved closer to Drei.
“Bubba, we’re still missing something here… kunin ko muna baka makalimutan na naman…”
“Oh, don’t forget the ice cream okay?” she reminded him as she took over the grocery cart. “Get a Rocky Road and a Double Dutch, babe, please?”
“Okay noted.” He said and then he went his way.
He ended up consuming almost ten minutes of his time deciding on what type of bacon he should be getting. He wasn’t normally like this. He usually just grabs one and pays for it. And why he was acting like this now was because of the woman he adored. Drei is his total opposite. She takes her time whenever they’re doing the groceries and she takes her time in choosing and comparing one brand after another.
“Why do you do that, bubba?” he asked her one time.
“I dunno I got used to it,” she shrugged. “I don’t want to spend money on something I wouldn’t eat, sayang lang.”
He wrinkled his nose at her. “You’re weird.”
“Which is why you’re crazy about me!” she smiled at him smugly.
Drei has been growing on him and it was no surprise that he was letting her. He didn’t mind all the changes that have been happening in his life right now. This was good for him. She was good for him. At last he surrendered mulling over what to get, so he grabbed all the three kinds of bacon that was in front of him – Honeycured, Maple flavored and the ordinary ones – and placed it inside the grocery basket he took along with him. He was about to get the ice cream when a variety of frozen street foods caught his attention – kikiam, squid balls, fish balls, chicken balls and the likes. He could still remember how he and his friends used to love them back in college. Smiling at the memory, he added one of each he found. It would be nice to munch on these for their Friday night movie later instead of Popcorn.
Everything he needed was there plus the frozen street food that they’ll be feasting on later for their movie night. He was sure Matty would love this and so will Drei while they watch Men In Black 3 tonight. He passed by a shelf of condiments and there he remembered to get a bottle of ketchup and sweet and sour sauce.
“Bacon… eggs… hotdog… cheese dog… ice cream…” he mumbled to himself as he made his way back to the section where he left Drei, checking one last time. Finding that everything he needed was already there, Alex looked up and stopped on his tracks.
Just a couple of steps away from him he saw Drei chatting and smiling at a guy who he doesn’t know. Even if he could only see the guy’s back, he could tell that they were obviously talking. For a moment, he stood there camouflaging in the crowd as he watched them talk. Could it be some other guy trying to hit on her? Because it happened most of the time whenever they go out. He leaves Drei for a while then when he comes back some random guy would come up and try to make a move on her. So this might be one of those? Maybe. But then he saw Matty standing beside her and was obviously enjoying their conversation too.
Matty knows him?
His brows furrowed as he scanned the recesses of his brain for an answer. Who was this guy? Why the hell is Drei and Matty so glad to see him? Could it be one of Anton’s friends? Anton’s cousin? He could be someone she knew, he thought to himself but his gut feel said otherwise. This was someone she knew too well judging from the way her eyes danced as they were talking. Now the guy saw Zooey sitting on the grocery cart while she held onto Cookie. He said something to her, she grinned and then she lifted her arms to him as if wanting him to carry her. The guy didn’t refuse as he lifted his little girl out of the grocery cart and carried her into his arms. His jaw clenched as he gripped the basket’s handle tight. Seeing how his family reacted to that stranger suddenly made him uneasy and he didn’t know why. Feeling all caveman and territorial, Alex inched closer to them.
“Oh there you are,” Drei said when she saw him stopping beside her. “What took you so long?”
“I got some ketchup.” He answered with a straight face while he kept his cool.
Then he finally turned his attention to the guy that stood right in front of him and carrying his first born. He cocked a brow when he saw how Zooey seemed to like him and Matty seemed oblivious of his presence. What was happening? Whoever this stranger was he seemed to be great with kids.
“Ah that’s why!” She smiled at him. “Anyways, I’d like you to mee—”
“You must be Alex,” the guy acknowledged giving him a knowing smile.
“Yeah.” Alex gave a still nod. His face a deadpan.
Then he held out his hand. “I’m Perry.”
***