"Goodnight, mama." Aika ended the call with her mama. VP Leni wasn't even shocked when Aika called to tell her about staying over at Nat's.
"I feel like I just committed a crime..." Nat laughed nervously as Aika snuggled into his arms on the sofa.
"Maybe you should follow me home tomorrow and kneel for forgiveness..." Aika joked.
"Anything for you..." Nat rested his head on Aika's shoulder and closed his eyes.
"What are you thinking about?" Aika asked softly after a minute of silence.
"You." Nat hummed as he opened his eyes and looked Aika in the eye.
"About how much our lives have changed with you around. About how much love you and your family have shown us. About how happy Jamie is around you. And about the possibility of this being a norm in the future..." Nat knew he was being cheesy.
"I'm flattered but honestly, the past few months have really felt like a whirlwind for me too..." Aika thought back to the time she first met Nat and Jamie.
"Can you promise me something?" Nat bit his lip nervously as he asked.
"Hmm?" Aika assumed Nat was going to throw a cheesy joke again.
"If there ever comes a time where being with me hurts you or your family, let me go." At Nat's words, Aika felt her heart stop for a second.
"What do you mean? Let you go?" Aika wanted an explanation.
"Aika, listen. I love you. I really do. And that's why the last thing I ever want to do is hurt you. I know very well that I'm not the guy that everyone expects as your other half. Not when you're this amazing..." Nat hated himself for spoiling the mood.
"If you love me, then shouldn't you fight for what we have instead of letting go?" Aika didn't understand why Nat was suddenly feeling defeated.
"Because fighting also means hurting others and you in the process. You, your family, Jamie and my family...everyone will get hurt because my selfishness." Nat sighed.
"And so you think letting go of me and your happiness will solve everything?" Aika broke away from Nat. She was getting frustrated at him.
"One person getting hurt beats hurting everyone else..." Nat got up and approached Aika.
"What makes you think that you're going to be the only one hurting? What about me? Is losing you supposed to not hurt me?" Aika raised her voice slightly.
"I just don't want you to have to make a painful decision between me and your family, if that day ever comes..." Nat had tears in his eyes.
"Why do you think I'll have to choose? Why can't we have both? If you were going to give up on us this easily, we shouldn't even have started!" Aika was equally emotional.
"Tita Aika...Daddy? Are you guys fighting?" Jamie's voice was heard through the open door.
"Hey sweetie, Daddy and I were just talking...sorry for waking you up. Come, let's get you back to bed." Aika brushed past a teary-eyed Nat and gave Jamie a strained smile.
~
"Did Daddy make you cry? If he did, I'll scold him for you..." Jamie noticed the tears in Aika's eyes.
"I'm okay, sweetheart..." Aika quickly wiped her tears and covered Jamie with the blanket.
Even as Jamie drifted off, her fingers were tightly wrapped around Aika's, as if finding comfort and security in the latter. Aika stared at the tiny hand holding her and subsequently, the pictures that decorated Jamie's room...they were snapshots of all their outings together.
YOU ARE READING
Beneath The Surface
RomanceAika Robredo was a poster child: with a Masters from Harvard, a respectable career trajectory and dependable eldest daughter of the Robredo family. Everyone was telling Aika that all she had left to do was finding her 'dream guy' to settle down with...
