The mall was bustling with people—weekend crowds flooding the stores, eager to enjoy their shopping spree. The Chizmozas were in their element, weaving through the crowds like seasoned pros. Sheena was leading the charge, phone in hand, scouting for good deals and TikTok-worthy spots. Maloi was right behind her, chatting loudly, while Gian and JR trailed in silence, though JR's occasional quips would send them all into fits of laughter.
Today, though, wasn't just about buying a LEGO set that Gian had been eyeing for weeks. Oh no, today was different. Today, they were also on a mission to gather some *chismis.*
They had codenamed her "Dug," a playful inside joke they never fully explained. And Dug was always interesting to follow.
"Uy, Gian, excited ka na ba sa Lego mo?" Maloi teased, nudging Gian's arm as they entered Toy Kingdom. The store was huge, with shelves towering with colorful toys, action figures, and stuffed animals. They passed through aisles of dolls, remote-controlled cars, and building sets.
"Huh? Oo naman," Gian muttered, eyes gleaming as he spotted the LEGO section at the far end of the store. His excitement, however, was short-lived.
"Wait, wait!" Sheena suddenly stopped in her tracks, grabbing Maloi's arm dramatically. "Tignan mo!"
Maloi whipped her head around and froze. Gian and JR followed suit, their eyes landing on a familiar figure—a woman they instantly recognized as Dug. She wasn't alone. With her was a little girl, around four years old, with adorable pigtails, wearing a pink dress that matched her sparkling shoes. The girl was clutching a stuffed unicorn in one hand and holding Dug's hand with the other.
Maloi, Sheena, JR, and Gian exchanged wide-eyed glances, barely able to contain their excitement.
"Girl... si Dug!" Sheena whispered excitedly, almost hopping in place. "*Oh my God, with a kid pa! Anong bago to?*"
Before anyone could respond, the little girl tugged at Dug's hand and looked up with big, curious eyes. "Momma, where is Daddy?" she asked, her voice sweet but loud enough to be heard by the nosy Chizmozas.
Sheena's jaw dropped, her hand shooting up to cover her mouth. "*Did you hear that?!*"
Maloi turned to the group, her eyes bulging. "*Momma?! Daddy?!*"
Gian, who had been the calmest, now looked like he'd seen a ghost, his mouth hanging open in shock. JR stood frozen in place, eyes glued to the scene unfolding in front of them.
Dug bent down to meet the little girl at eye level and gave her a soft, reassuring smile. "Di ba momma already told you that Daddy will be busy at work today?"
The little girl pouted, hugging her unicorn tighter. "But baby Maxene needs a family day," she whined, her lips quivering like she was about to cry.
Maloi, Sheena, JR, and Gian all gasped at the same time, ducking behind a nearby shelf of board games, trying to remain unseen. JR was the first to whisper, "*Wait, wait, wait, did she just say Maxene?*"
"*Teka lang...*" Maloi hissed, her brain spinning as she processed what she'd just heard. "*Nagka-anak sila?*"
"*Holy cow!*" JR whispered, eyes wide, clutching the edge of a shelf for support.
"*Gago, ganun pala sila ka-lowkey!*" Sheena breathed out, fanning herself as if the revelation had been too much to handle.
Back with Dug and Maxene, Dug crouched down and gave her daughter a hug, pulling her close. "*Momma and Daddy will make bawi to our baby Maxene on Sunday, okay? We'll have a family day, promise.*"
Maxene looked up at her, her pout softening. "Okay, momma," she murmured, still a little sad but clearly comforted by Dug's words.
Maloi was practically vibrating with excitement as she turned to the others. "Girl, did you see that? She's so natural! *Parang ang galing niyang mag-mommy, 'no?*"
Sheena nodded rapidly, her hands clasped together in awe. "Girl, *bet ko si Dug mag-mommy! Grabe, ang lambing niya kay Maxene. Sana all!*"
"*And look at Maxene!*" Maloi added, her voice rising slightly with excitement. "Kamukhang-kamukha ni—"
Gian put a hand over her mouth quickly. "*Shhhh!*" His voice was a panicked whisper. He was clearly still processing the fact that they were eavesdropping on what looked like a very private moment. But he couldn't deny it either—Maxene looked eerily like someone they knew very well.
Maloi pulled Gian's hand away from her mouth and whispered exaggeratedly, "*OMG! May anak na sila?! Paano hindi natin nalaman 'to?!*"
JR was still standing there, his hands on his head like his brain had short-circuited. "*Grabe. Di ako makapaniwala, man.*"
The four of them continued to follow Dug and Maxene, peeking around shelves and hiding behind stuffed animals as the mother and daughter wandered through the store, moving from aisle to aisle. They watched as Dug knelt down in front of a display of Barbie dolls, her voice gentle and playful.
"Do you want to pick a new doll, baby? *Baka gusto ni Winnie ng bagong playmate*?"
Maxene's face lit up, and she clapped her hands. "*Yes! Winnie needs a Barbie friend!*" she said excitedly, grabbing the closest doll that had blonde hair and a pink dress.
Maloi and Sheena exchanged looks of amazement. "*Grabe, girl, ang cute nila. Si Dug ang perfect mom talaga.*"
Sheena nodded, her voice softening as she watched Dug interact with Maxene. "*Totoo, nakaka-proud.* You can see it in her eyes, *mahal na mahal niya si Maxene.*"
JR, still in a daze, whispered, "*Pero paano?* As in, *kailan 'to nangyari?*"
Gian, still the silent observer, just shook his head, overwhelmed by what they were witnessing.
They followed Dug and Maxene as they moved from the toy section to the plushie area. Dug picked up a huge stuffed unicorn and held it up for Maxene to see.
"Look, baby! *A new friend for Winnie!*"
Maxene giggled, clapping her hands again. "*Momma, it's so big! Winnie will love it!*"
Dug smiled warmly, her face softening as she held the unicorn close. "*Then this one's for Winnie. But you have to promise not to make tampo with Daddy, okay? He's working hard so he can buy you all the unicorns and toys you want.*"
Maxene's pout returned for a moment, but she quickly nodded. "*Okay, momma. I won't be mad at Daddy. But I want a family day with Daddy and Winnie soon!*"
Dug hugged Maxene tightly, her voice gentle and filled with love. "*Promise, baby. We'll have our family day soon. Just be patient, okay?*"
From behind a nearby display, Maloi, Sheena, JR, and Gian were watching everything unfold with wide eyes, their hearts practically melting at the sight.
Sheena wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. "*Grabe, 'te. Ang sweet ni Dug kay Maxene. Hindi ko kinaya.*"
Maloi nodded, her voice a little shaky from the emotion of it all. "*Tama ka girl, parang sobrang hands-on siya as a mom. Ang galing! Kaya pala ang tahimik niya lately.*"
"*Galing ng pagka-lowkey ah,*" JR added, still reeling from the shock. "*Sobrang sneaky nila. Di ko akalain, 'pre.*"
As the Chizmozas continued to follow Dug and Maxene, they saw them head to the cashier, where Dug paid for the Barbie doll and the gigantic unicorn plushie. Maxene's smile was as bright as the sun as they left the store, hand-in-hand.
The four friends exchanged glances once again, still in disbelief at what they had just witnessed.
"*Kamukha talaga...*" Maloi whispered, her voice trailing off as they continued to follow Dug and Maxene, determined to uncover even more *chismis* about this secret family.
