Always And Forever

Little game.

A/N: This chapter is the main reason why I decided to revise everything. Ganda ng imagination ko neto eh.😭 Hindi ko lang talaga na deliver nang maayos back then.

"How 'bout you?", Bongbong gently swirled the wine in his glass. "Why don't you have kids?"

It was Leni's turn to smile faintly. "I never really planned on becoming a mother."

She rested her elbows on the table and looked at him. As if it was the most normal conversation. "I grew up without mine."

Bongbong listened patiently.

"My lolo raised me. He loved me...In his own way?", she chuckled softly. "But he wasn't exactly the affectionate type."

The breeze carried the silence between them for a second.

"Nung bata ako. I promised myself na if ever I become a mother, I'd hug my kids everyday. I'd tell them I love them every chance I got".

A quiet laugh escaped her. "I wanted them to have everything I never had".

She took a deep breath before continuing. "Then, life happened. Mes school. Residency. Fellowship. I buried myself in work. Tapos somewhere along the way."

She looked him in the eye.

"The thought disappeared"
"Because of work?"
"No", she shook her head. "Because I realized I don't know how to be a good mother."

Her voice barely above a whisper. "Di ko nakita eh. I never had one".

A lone tear escaped her eye before she could notice. She quickly wiped it away. "Sorry"

Bongbong didn't speak immediately. Instead, he reached across the table and gently laid his hand on top of the wooden surface. Palm facing upwards.

Leni looked at it. "Ano?"

"Nung bata rin ako", he slowly smiled. "My mom and I used to play this game."

"What game?"

"We'd hold hands", he wiggled his fingers. "And pretend we were somewhere else".

She raised an eyebrow. "Gusto mong mag holding hands?"

He laughed. "When you say it like that ang weird pakinggan".

She couldn't help but laugh with him.
"It is"
"It kind of is"

Another comfortable silence.
"But humor me?"

Leni looked at his hand for a few second, before eventually placing hers on top of his. Their fingers instinctively intertwined.

"Now what?"
"Close your eyes". She gladly obliged.
"So", he started their little game. "What do you hear?"
"The waves"
"What else?"
"The music, the wind"
"And what do you see?"

Leni paused, then a picture suddenly replaced the dark image. "The sunset. A small house"

Bongbong smiled, looking at her finally picking up. "Ano pa?"

"A garden, flowers"
He chuckled, "May aso ba?"
She chuckled too, "Meron"
"Isa?"
"Dalawa"
"Konti naman"
She smiled wider, "Tatlo"
"Ayun. What else do you see?"

Leni stayed quiet for a while. At this point, Bongbong absentmindedly drew circles on her hand. Then...

"Children".

His smile slowly faded into something softer.
"Anong ginagawa nila?l
"They're chasing each other."she laughed quietly. "One of them keeps falling"
"And?"
"Someone's picking him up"
"Who?"
Her voice slowly trailed, "Home".

He didn't asked another question. He simply watched her. The candlelight flickered across her face as the breeze playes with the loose strands of her hair.

For Leni, it was only a game. For Bongbong, it was the closest he'd ever come to see the future.