A Promise on the Sand (Isla de Negros Series #2)

Chapter 36

CHAPTER 36
Pizza

"They're here?"

Nabalik naman sa ulirat si Ayla nang magsalita ang kanyang ina sa kabilang linya. She kept pressing the hot chocolate drink in her palms.

"Don't tell dad. He might do something if he knows."

"Of course, he should know!"

Hindi naman siya sumagot at napakibit-balikat na lamang.

"This is our granddaughter we are talking about here," Althea added as she crossed her legs.

She was still in the middle of thinking about the embarrassment she had been through last night and this morning when her mother spoke again.

"You should talk to him, then."

She looked up to her mother whose face was already hot mad through the screen of her phone.

"We're not talking," tamad na sagot niya rito. "He doesn't even allow talking about his daughter."

"'Your' daughter. Ayla, anak mo rin 'yon."

She just shook her head lightly, getting rid of the thoughts that kept messing on her head.

"If you're not talking to him about your daughter, I'll talk to him then."

Napaayos siya ng upo. "Ma, look. Kaya ko na, okay?"

She paused for several seconds before speaking again.

"This is my family. This is my problem. Kaya dapat lang din na ako na rin ang bahala rito. I can handle this."

Althea's face softened before releasing a breath, giving up.

"Are you sure about that?"

Napatango naman siya bilang sagot. She even smiled to remove the worries away her face. Napainom naman siya sa kanyang hawak na inumin.

"I trust you in this. At saka, baka hindi ka rin naman mahihirapan. We know how much Sancho loves you."

Muntik na niyang madura ang mainit na iniinom.

"Ma, naman."

"What? Totoo naman, ah. Even you know that."

She wiped her mouth. "It was all in the past. Ma, kung alam mo lang kung gaano siya ka-cold sa 'kin ngayon. He even barely talked about our past... He's really mad at me."

"That's the point, anak."

Her forehead creased as she sat properly. "What do you mean?"

"Make him fall in love with you again."

Her jaw fell at that thought. It sounded absurd and funny.

"Ma, hindi na ako high school, okay? And what you're suggesting is not easy. Hindi mo pa nakikilala ang bagong Sancho."

Napaayos din ito ng upo at kinuha ang kanyang cellphone. Tumayo ito at dumako sa kanilang balkonahe.

"Kaya nga, anak. Ikaw ba, may naisip ka ba na paraan para makita mo ang anak mo? Hindi ba wala? Eh 'di, ang gawin mo, bumalik ka sa rason kung paano nabuo ang anak niyo. Hindi ba dahil nagmahalan kayong dalawa? You fell in love with each other!"

She almost winced to hear those things from her mother. Pero may ideya na ring pumapasok sa isip niya. And that was...not a good thing. Because if her mother would keep insisting that it was a good idea, then she might as well just do it. No matter what it takes.