Romancing the Devil

CHAPTER 38

Nanatili nga roon si Callum, ayon sa kagustuhan niya. Wala naman din akong nagawa dahil ayaw rin siyang paalisin ni Hestia. Halos hindi na nga maalis ni Hestia ang tingin sa kaniyang ama. Naglalaro sila pero ang mga mata ni Hestia ay nasa ama lang niya.

Hindi ko naman mapaalis doon si Callum dahil baka magwala si Hestia. Napahinga na lang ako ng malalim habang pinagmamasdan sila mula sa pang-isahang upuan.

I don’t know yet if I felt relieved, but I’m kind of bothered. That Callum might be always here whenever he wanted. I don’t want my daughter to hope too much from her father. Though, Callum is still in a verge of shock that suddenly, he became a father of a three year old girl. In just a snap, he suddenly have a big responsibility to this little girl. I sighed heavily.

Pumunta ako sa kusina para gawan sila ng meryenda. Alam kong hindi aalis si Callum dito ngayong araw. At alam kong kahit hindi niya isatinig, alam kong may plano siya. After making orange juice and get a cookies, I went out of the kitchen. Ang mga kasambahay ay nakamasid lang, hindi nagsasalita o nang-iintriga man lang. Indeed, they’re well disciplined like what my grandmother said.

“M-Magmeryenda muna kayo,” sambit ko bago inilapag ang tray na may meryenda.

“My,” I look at my daughter whose still looking at her father even if she’s talking to me.

“Yes, baby?” I asked in a soft voice.

Callum look at me with gentleness as I softly said that to my daughter.

“Daddy . . . looks like me.” Then she turned to me.

I bit my lower lip, not wanting to agree with her.

“I just got youl lip, mommy.” she innocently added. “And the shape of youl face.”

Callum chuckled and pinched Hestia’s nose lightly, “silly, you still look like your momma, baby. You see, whenever you look innocent, curious, sweet, and whenever you smile . . . you look like your momma.” Then, he caressed her soft cheek.

Hestia giggled and look at me. Then she went out of the couch to hug me. I hugged her back and kissed her hair.

“I love you, baby.” I whispered.

She get back to her father and excitedly talk to him. I can see how her eyes glistened with so much happiness, it pinched my heart. She’s just three but intelligent, the moment she learned things back in America, she never mentioned her father or asked where her father is. She never pressure me to make her father meet her. She never asked for more but a care from me. But I never expected to be this happy for her at this moment . . . with her father. She never asked for a complete family.

I never opened any topic about her father to her but I know she’s longing for him. And now, I realized . . . she wanted it but never asked me for that, she kept quiet and observed everything.

Hindi ko namalayang namamalisbis na pala ang luha sa aking mga mata habang nakatulala sa kawalan. Hanggang sa maramdaman ko na lang ang medyo magaspang pero malamyos na kamay na humawak sa aking pisngi.

I look at Callum who’s wiping my tears away gently. His eyes held seriousness, gentleness, and worry and a mixed of unknown emotion. I bit my lower lip and look down to my hand, where my daughter is holding it gently.

“Why awe you cwying, Mommy?” Hestia asked innocently.

Pilit akong ngumiti sa kaniya, “I . . . I’m just happy, baby.” I kissed her forehead.

“’Coz Daddy’s with us now?” Hindi ako sumagot, nginitian ko lamang siya habang pinagmamasdan ang maamo niyang mukha. Bakas sa mata niya ang pag-iyak kanina but she kept on smiling.