Myelle
"Anak."
"Mommy?"
"I baked brownies, hindi kasing sarap ng luto mo, but close enough. Let's have merienda?"
I happily take a bite. Taste that brings me to my childhood.
"Mommy talaga, ito po ang original. Don't you remember? You are the one who taught me how to cook and bake."
"But you are now far better than Mommy."
"You will always be the best Mommy."
Mommy smiled and kissed my head. Tapos nagsalang ulit sya ng binabake nyang cookies. Baon siguro ni Aya sa school para bukas.
"Mommy, when did you knew you love Daddy?"
Mommy smiled. "When I wanted so much to run from him but I can't"
"You wanted to run?"
"Hindi naman kabaitan ang Daddy mo back then anak. Alam mo ba kung ilang babae ang pinagsasabay sabay nyang Daddy mo? Do you know that I was never his girlfriend?"
"Po?"
"Daddy and I used to be friends. Girlfriend nya yung anak ng nagpapaaral sa akin dati."
"I knew him because of that girl who was one of his girlfriends. Mabait naman si Daddy mo as a friend, maalalahanin but he got really mad at me when he knew that his girlfriend was cheating on him. Ang gusto ata ng Daddy mo, sya lang ang two-timer kaya galit na galit sya sa akin kasi di ko sinabi sa kanya na may ibang lalaki din ang girlfriend nya."
"Ang mali ko lang noon, gusto ko na si Daddy mo kaya kahit labag sa loob ko, lahat ng gusto nya ginagawa ko. I got pregnant when I was just 19, hindi pa nga ako tapos magschool noon. Ang pinakamasakit, I am not even his girlfriend and I have no claim against him."
"When I told Daddy that I was pregnant, narining ni Nana kaya naman napilitan si Daddy mo na pakasalan ako kahit di nya ako mahal kasi mawawala sa kanya ang lahat. Kasal na kami noon but Daddy never stopped seeing other girls. Alam ko naman yun, tanggap ko, hinahayaan ko lang sya. Hanggang sa muntik na mawala si Ate."
"Mommy, hindi mo po ba naisip iwanan si Daddy?"
"Hindi ko lang naisipan anak, I really did run away, kaya nga Ate just saw Daddy when she's three. And then I run away again and just returned when Ate Kaia turned two."
"Did Daddy looked for you?"
"I think so."
Mommy sighed and fix my hair.
"You see anak, when you want to love someone, you will do everything for him. You will always love until you find reasons why you love. There are no perfect marriages Myelle, kita mo nga kami ni Daddy mo lagi pa rin kami nag-aaway, hindi naman kami lagi magkasundo. Hindi naman kami plug and play. We had a lot of ups and downs and a very long adjustment period. Just happen that we are both willing to make this work. And make this marriage good. And it will only happen when you both know when to be quiet and when to speak."
I smiled. Hindi ko alam na may disagreements din pala sila kasi hindi naman namin nakikita o naririnig man lang na mag-away sila Mommy at Daddy. What we see is a couple loving each other so much.
"Mommy, if I get married, will you be happy?"
"I will be happy if you will be happy."
I smiled. If Mommy did it with Daddy, baka naman kaya ko din. Baka naman this time, I can be happy or if not me, maybe Mommy and Daddy can be happy for me.
