Why Not Me (why can't it be me?) [Vini & Dalilah]

Kabanata 16

The heavy and painful weight that had been burdening my chest the past days suddenly lifted up after the doctor had delivered that unexpected news.

“Twins? Is that even possible, Doc? I mean, how?” Mumeee asked. “And why didn’t you notice the other baby during the ultrasound?”

“First and foremost, we apologize for the oversight on our part. During the ultrasound, one of the babies seemed to elude detection. Our attention was primarily directed towards addressing the ectopic pregnancy, causing us to miss the presence of another baby,” the doctor explained.

Tahimik akong nakinig sa usapan nila habang nakapatong ‘yong palad ko sa tiyan ko. I could not explain the joy in my heart. It was as if God had granted me a second chance to strive for the better, and it seemed like I found a new purpose in life and that was to give my absolute best for this precious baby in my tummy.

“Doc, can you reassure us that my daughter and her baby are safe this time? Is heterotopic pregnancy a dangerous condition? What exactly is it about? Please, enlighten us, Doc. Ngayon lang namin nalaman na may ganito palang pagbubuntis,” Mumeee kept asking and worrying. Samantala, si Dee-dee ay humawak naman sa balikat ko, bahagyang pinisil, at saka nginitian ako na tila ba nagsasabi na magiging maayos ang lahat.

“It means pregnancy with twins, but one embryo implants in the uterus, while the other implants outside, typically in the fallopian tube. It is a rare condition, and only two out of ten women experience this,” explained the doctor. “But there is no need to worry now. We’ve already removed the other pregnancy that posed a danger to your daughter’s health. However, she will need to be extra careful, especially considering her young age.”

“Oh, my God! Thank you so much, Doc,” Mumeee exclaimed as she clasped her hands together like in a praying position.

“Do you want to know the gender of the baby?” the doctor happily asked.

My parents eagerly nodded their heads, seemingly more excited than me.

“It’s a baby girl,” sabi ng doktor.

Mahigpit na niyakap ako ng mga magulang ko noong umalis ang doktor. Mumeee was tearing up with so much joy. However, I rarely saw Dee-dee shed tears before, as much as possible, he would not show it to us. But now, he was freely showing us this vulnerable side of him.

And they were happy tears.

“Dal, what is it now? What are your plans? Alam kong magulo pa ‘yong mga bagay-bagay sa pagitan ninyong dalawa ni Vini, pero kailangan niyang malaman ang tungkol dito. Have you already told him about the ectopic pregnancy?” Mumeee asked.

“Can we not bring up that godforsaken asshole in our conversation, Kalilah?” Dee-dee said with a deep frown.

Malalim na bumuga ng hininga si Mumeee habang pumipihit paharap kay Dee-dee. I watched as she reached for his hand that was coiled in a tight fist.