Through the Years

Nineteen

Greggy

It's been two weeks since that night happened. Irene and I are now living again in one roof. We decided to not talk about it first until we are both ready.

We are here now at the office, Irene's office to be exact. I am not doing anything naman but she is so busy. I am just watching her while working and I would take a picture of her sometimes.

"Love.." I called her, she looked at me and smiled. "Yes? gutom kana?" she asked, I shake my head. "Matagal pa 'yan?" I asked too.

"Mabilis na lang po, why?" she asked again and focused on the papers again. "Can we visit Papa later or kahit tomorrow?" I asked.

"Of course! Let me just finish this. It's also been a while since I last visited Papa." she answered, so I smiled.

After an hour, she's now finally done. "Done kana?" I asked as I stood up to come closer to her. "Yeah. It's so exhausting." she answered so I hugged her tightly.

I then kissed her forehead. "Let's eat first? before tayo umalis, hon." I told her, she then looked at me. "Can we? nagugutom na talaga ako, love." she answered.

"Of course. Nagpabili na ako ng food natin, ipapadala ko na lang dito. Sit ka sa lap ko, hon." I said as I sat on her swivel chair.

As she sat on my lap, she immediately encircle her arms around me. "Love.." she called me, softly. "Hmm? keep hugging me lang." I told her.

"I-go through natin yung surrogacy gusto mo? I already asked Ate how that works." she said, I looked at her.

"Ready ka na?" I asked, she smiled and nodded. "I hope so." she answered so I kissed her cheeks. "Diba DNA pa rin natin kapag lumabas yung baby right?" I asked, she nodded.

"Yep. If no donor's egg included. And if we go through the gestational surrogacy." she answered. "I want that. Gestational surrogacy so that the baby is still ours." I uttered, she smiled.

"Uwi tayo ng San Francisco, hon. So we can do that. Mas madali doon e." I uttered, she looked at me. "Kaya ba natin, hon? baka more than one year tayo mag-stay doon. We cannot travel the baby agad-agad." she said.

"It doesn't matter. I can work naman there e. What important is that we will going to have a child. So are you okay with it?" I asked, she nodded.

"Tapos, love pag-uwi natin dito... no more work na ha? stay ka na lang sa house." I told her, she then pouted. "But why? kaya ko naman e." she said.

"Okay, sa susunod na lang natin pag-usapan ha? for now, let's just have a lunch because I can already hear your stomach groans." I uttered and we both laughed.

When our food arrived, we immediately eat and Irene is so hungry to the point that she's not talking to me during our lunch.

I am just smiling at her while I watch her eat because I'm already finished my food.

After we eat, I just helped Irene to fix her table so we could finally leave after. I just gave John some instructions before we leave.

I opened the door first so Irene could enter already, I followed her then. "Manong, kay Papa tayo." I said when we are all settled on the car.

My arms are just placed on her shoulder the whole drive while she is just so focused on her phone.

We just bought a flowers and candle for Papa first before we directly went to the cemetery. Irene immediately get out of the car when we arrived.

As we reached Papa's grave, I just put near to his tombstone the flowers and I immediately lit up the candles we bought.

Can you imagine, Pa? it's just a week since I last came to you crying, don't know what to do and here I am right now, I am with the woman I love and I know you also love. The woman you treat as your own daughter. I am as happy as before again, Pa. I'm just happy that she came back. I guess, it will take very long time before I can visit you again. Don't worry, once we come back here to visit you again, kasama ko na yung apo mo, hopefully. Just stay still there, Pa. Everything's all right here lalo na si Mama. Elvi and Pat are taking good care of her. I am not missing any of your will, I am taking good care of your house, your paintings. At lagi akong nagpapabili kay Pat ng flowers tuwing anniversary niyo. Especially, I am taking good care of my wife. Just like what you said as your very last will to me.