Back In Your Arms (GM Series #4)

16

Everything is going according to our plan, so far...

Aydan has been very attentive to Mari and sometimes I wonder where his worries are coming from. Because, apparently, he has been doing a great job being a dad.

Thus, I know that his reasons are valid and I will not invalidate that.

"Tama na 'yan. Pawis na pawis na kayo," I told them—Mari and Aydan. They have been playing for hours already. Hindi man nakakapagod ang nilalaro nila pero kita ko na ang pawis nilang dalawa.

"Stop na raw sabi ni Mommy," Aydan said, picking up our daughter from the ground.

Mari immediately pouted and tried to convince her dad to play some more through pointing at her toys scattered on the grass floor of our garden.

"No, baby. You need to rest now," I said, stopping them from coming back to playing. I know how exactly Mari can convince her dad.

Mari pouted more.

"Let's rest for now, baby. We will play again later," Aydan said, kissing Mari's cheek.

I furrowed my brows. "You're spoiling her," I said. "I told you, we will not spoil—"

"Spoil her. I know, Love. But--" I cut him off this time.

"No buts, please. Mari will grow up knowing her limits and boundaries," I said.

Hindi naman na siya sumagot pa. Lumapit na sila sa akin at sinalubong ko naman sila para punasan ang pawis nila sa katawan.

"You need to rest now, baby. Remember what the doctor told you? You can't be exhausted too much or else you have to go back and stay in the hospital again?" I talked to Mari.

Tumango naman ang anak, indikasyon na naiintindihan niya ang sinasabi ko.

"But she plays with the other kids later, right?" He asked.

We invited his friends for lunch; a simple celebration of our family being complete. And luckily, his friends freed their time this whole afternoon just to be here with us.

"Yes. Of course," she replied. "But do not let them run around the garden too much, okay? Mari can't do that," I reminded him.

Aydan nodded. "I know, love." He answered. "Our Mari can play with her Ate Savy. If she can't play with the others."

"Isn't she too told for Mari to play with?"

Aydan shook his head. "Nope. Savy is a good girl. She likes playing with the other kids. She will surely like playing with our daughter."

"I hope the other kids will like Mari. She hasn't had any friends to play with since."

Aydan reached for my forehead and planted a kiss on it. "You have nothing to worry about. The kids are nice. They are all nice," he told her.

That calmed down my worries a bit. Since we decided to live together again and once came to talk about his friends and their kids, I had been wondering how they would accept Mari. I was afraid that the other kids will not like her again, Mari will be isolated from the others.

And as a mother, that hurt me a lot. I wanted her daughter to be happy; to enjoy all the big and little things she might experience. But Mari, having severe asthma, has already limited her chance to maximize everything. Mari being outcast will definitely hurt me the most that I will bring the pain the rest of my life.

But seeing how the other kids and Aydan friends accept my daughter put me to tears.

"We have been meaning to meet her! I cannot believe it is happening now," Samantha blurted. She was carrying Mari in her arms.