If Only (Rainbow Series #1)

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Ewan ko kung bakit pero pinamulahan ako ng mukha nang marinig iyon.

Napalayo ako kay Lily at umiling. That was nothing.

Iniwan ko sila doon. Lumabas ako kaagad ng CR. The air was suffocating. I need to breathe.

"Ate Bea!" tawag ni Lily habang tumatakbo papunta sa akin.

"Hey, careful!" sabi ko bago hinawakan ang cute niyang kamay.

Inabot naman ni Ate Geline ang shades ko na muntik ko ng maiwan. Isinabit ko nalang ito sa may damit ko.

Natutulala ako habang naglalakad kami palapit sa escalator. Can I turn back? I don't think I can talk to her again this soon.

"Faster, ate Bea! Let's go to mommy na!" tuwang tuwang akay ni Lily habang nakasunod sa amin si Ate Geline.

I sighed. Looks like there's no turning back now.

Nasa escalator na kami ng muli akong gapangan ng kaba. Oh fuck. I loosened my grip on Lily and tried to withdraw from her hold but she just tightened it. I sighed again.

"Okay ka lang, Ma'am Bea?" tanong ni Ate Geline nang matulos ako sa kinatatayuan. Si Lily naman ay nagtataka lang na nakatingin sa akin habang pasulyap sulyap sa stall ng mommy niya na ilang metro na lang ang layo sa amin.

"Ate Bea, let's go na po?" Lily asked in a very sweet voice that made me melt.

Fine. We've come face to face already so might as well sort things out this time. But the question is, can I forgive her?

I gathered all my willpower and led Lily towards her mom... My ex.

I stopped again midway that made Lily looked up at me. She then looked at me sympathetically after a second.

"What's wrong, ate Bea? You don't want to talk to my mommy?" Tanong niya sa nanginginig na boses. It sounds like she's trying so hard to prevent herself from crying.

I sighed again. Nilingon ko si Ate Geline sa gilid ko na pinagmamasdan din ako.

I bit my lower lip. I can feel myself sweating from thinking too hard whether to advance or retreat from this battle.

Then it dawned on me. The only way to fully recover from my past is to confront it so that I could peacefully live in my present.

Nang makapagpasya ay inakay ko na ulit si Lily na tuwang tuwa na naman. Habang palapit ay natanaw ko din sila Iris at Cy. Si Cy ay busy katulong ni Haley sa pag-asikaso ng customers habang si Iris naman ay busy kumain ng tarts. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin dahil talagang nagawa pa niyang makikain?

Naramdaman ata niyang may nakatingin sa kaniya kaya napalingon siya sa gawi amin. She just gave me a peace sign and continued eating.

I frowned. What the hell, Iris. Ang tapang talaga ng hiya neto.

'Di kami masyadong makalapit dahil may bumibili pa kaya nag-hintay nalang kami sa tabi. Mukhang 'di pa din naman alam ni Haley na nandito na kami malapit. Although I'm sure as hell that she knows I'm here and why I'm here. Si Iris pa ba? Pasmado bibig no'n.

I lowered my gaze because I refused to looked at that woman. I sighed again for the nth time.

Nakatingin lang ako sa magkahawak naming kamay ni Lily. How ironic, it's as if I'm scared to let go of her hand like how I'm scared to let go of her mom years ago.

Ironic it is. Years ago, it was my girl's hand that I'm holding, now I'm holding her daughter.

I caressed her hand. Is it possible for a person to fall in love three times in his lifetime? Cause I think I just did. After lots of heartbreak, I've fallen in love with this little girl and found my reason to genuinely smile again. This time around, it's not her mom but Lily that I love.