Rule #3: Changing The Rules

[50]

Chapter 50

Kandong ko ang anak namin habang naglalaro ito sa cellphone ng Daddy niya. Today is one of our family days with the Montereals and Villadas, held in Tria and Trent's new mansion.

Yakap ni Janelle ang anak na si Muse habang nag-uusap naman si Carter at Joax sa isang tabi. Daphne's with Jaguar, feeding him while her husband is muttering things to her ear that made her blush. Naglalaro naman ang iba pang pinsan nina Ardie.

"Ah!" reklamo ni Ardie at yumakap sa akin.

"Why, baby?" tanong ko at niyakap pa siya dahil bigla itong nalungkot.

"I lost, mommy..." he pouted.

Napangiti ako at hinalikan ang ulo ng anak ko.

"That's life, baby. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win..."

Ngumuso siya. "Why can't I always win?"

Bago pa ako makasagot ay binuhat na siya ng Daddy niya. He kissed the side of our son's head and chuckled. Lagi niyang pinangigilan si Ardie dahil tumataba pa ito. Maski ako gustong-gustong pisilin ang pisngi niya! Parehas sila ni Jace na matataba ang pisngi!

"Because life is not fair, Ardie. Not all things would go your way. Instead of sulking about your loss, you learn from it. Figure out where you went wrong and work from it, so you won't repeat the same mistakes..." sagot niya sa anak namin.

Sinimangutan ko siya. "Prince! Panira ka talaga, eto na nga lang ang oras na sumasama siya sa akin!"

He chuckled and kissed my cheek. Janelle giggled while Muse watched us with her curious eyes. She really looks like Janelle with her doe eyes but hazel colored from Iñigo.

Naglakad silang dalawa sa iba pang mga bata. Ardie clinged to his Daddy and started asking him things. Hawak ko lang ang cellphone ni Prince at nilagay ito sa tabi.

He tells me his passcode, in case I need to look for something on his phone. Hindi ko rin naman hinihingi dahil ayokong isipin niyang possessive ako sa kanya. I learned better now...

Life has been going well ever since Daddy's case ended. Nawala na ang away sa mga Marchelli at Gallego. I haven't talked to Mommy, Daddy or even to Tito Vance, ever since.

I just don't want to come to a time that I have to choose. They all have their own faults and I don't condone any of them.

It makes my heart warm to bond with them, like this. Mapayapa at masaya ang mga batang nakikipaglaro sa isa't isa. Kung sana, nanatili nalang akong ganito.

I don't regret anything though. All of that happened, because it had to happen. I have Ardie and I couldn't imagine life without him and his Daddy.

Napatitig sa akin si Janelle, bago ngumiti.

"Nagkausap na kayo ni Daddy?" she asked.

I sighed deeply.

"I haven't. I can't just accept that, you know? Kasi nagtaksil silang dalawa. He cheated on your mother and my mother cheated on my father."

Muse played with her hands and grinned widely at her. Napangiti si Janelle, pero bakas pa rin sa mata ang lungkot.

"Was he ever a good father to you?" hindi ko mapigilan ang itanong iyon.

He treated me like his daughter, all this time and I thought that it was just because he's nice. Iyon pala siya ang totoo kong ama at matagal na nilang tinatago ang katotohanan sa amin.

"He was... but I h-hated how h-he ignored me." she bit her lip.

It was really traumatizing for her, having gone through all that pain. Nawala pa si Joaquin at wala na siyang makapitan noon.