Dearly, Detested

dieciséis

"Mahal?" Greggy softly called as he fixed his bow tie. Irene looked at him with a confused face, "Hmm?" She hummed. "Bakit?"

He held her hand, lifted it to his lips, and planted a soft kiss on the back of her hand. "Magpakasal tayo ulit..." He proposed.

Irene furrowed her eyebrows, looking at him, shocked? Amused? Bewildered? She slowly withdrew her hand from his grip, "Huh?" She asked.

"Well... Yung unang kasal natin hindi naman yun para sa atin talaga eh... It was more of a show than a wedding." He explained, "Pwede naman after you give birth..."

With Irene not saying anything, Greggy took this opportunity to kneel down in front of her. They were inside their bedroom, getting ready to go to Ilocos to tell the whole family about the gender and here they were, Greggy proposing once again to Irene.

A little bit intimate and much more genuine than before.

"Starting all over again means to start from the very beginning. Let me marry you again, Irene, and know this is true. This is not going to be some show to show the people. Tayo-tayo lang. Us and the people we treasure. Would you take the leap with me?" He pulled out an old familiar black ring box and opened it, lifting his arm to her.

She looked at him, still confused and shocked on how fast the things went. But as she laid her eyes on the empress cut diamond ring, her tears began to form.

"We don't have to, mahal..." She smiled at her. He looked at her confused, "We don't have to marry?" He frowned.

She giggled softly and smiled, "We don't have to wait until I give birth, mahal."

"What do you mean?" He asked her. "We can get married while I'm pregnant, mahal... Andami ng gagawin after I give birth, wala na tayong time niyan..." She smiled and cupped his face with her hand.

His eyes then widened in surprise, "You mean... That's a yes?" He asked with a grin.

"Yes na yes." She chuckled and looked at the ring, "That won't slide into my finger itself, won't it?" She smirked as she pointed at the ring. "Nako... Pano ba yan? Andami ng singsing sa kamay ko."

"Gusto mo lahat ng daliri mo may singsing?" He smirked as he slid the ring on her left ring finger where her other engagement ring and wedding ring were sitting pretty.

She chuckled and shook her head as Greggy stood up from his knees. "I love you." He leaned in to place a quick kiss and smiled.

"I love you more." She scrunched her nosed and looped her arm on his neck. "I love you most." He smirked.

And then came a knock. Once. Twice. Thrice.

Irene sighed and went away from Greggy's embrace to see who was knocking. She pulled the door open to see Marilou. "Ma'am, nandun na po ang van, ready na daw." She informed.

"Ah, sige. Pakisabi pababa na kami. Salamat." Irene smiled and closed the door again. She turned around to see Greggy holding their hand carry bags. "Halika na..." He nodded once.

"Wala ka nabang nakalimutan?" She asked as she rested her hand on her belly. "Sa CR wala ka nang nakalimutan?" She asked again.

"Wala na. Okay na." He assured her and held her hand. "Let's go na... Naghihintay na sila sa'tin dun." He smiled at her and opened the door for the both of them.

"Are we telling them we're getting married again?" She asked, "Ikaw, gusto mo ba?" He asked back.

Irene scrunched her nose, "You're answering my question with a question." She clicked her tongue. "Pero yeah, let's tell them na lang para isang bagsakan ng news." She smiled.