Everything Has Changed

XXV

Patricia turns the lampshade on and puts her eyeglasses on the side table. She's ready to sleep but the twins get in her room. "Oh? Why are you still awake?"

The twins approach her and lie down beside their mother. Each on each empty side. Pippa puts her arm around Patricia's waist.

"Asus.." She plays with her daughter's hair. "Bakit nag lalambing ang mga anak ko? You can't sleep ba?"

"We just wanted to ask something..." -Dylan says. "We heard you and Papa talking outside his house yesterday."

She looks at her son, a bit surprised.

"Were you fighting?"

She gulps. "No, honey. We were just talking about something serious."

"Your past?" -Pippa butts in. "You were talking about your past, right? You told him you could've stayed here in the Philippines for him.."

She looks at her, frowning. "Since when did you learn to listen to other people's conversation? Didn't I tell you that's rude?"

"We only heard that, Mama. And... Also the part when you asked if Papa loves Stacey." -says Dylan. "So you were talking about your past AND Stacey?"

"Mama, we're getting bigger and bigger already. Isn't it time for you to tell us the truth na?" -Pippa asks.

"What truth?"

"The answer to our forever question. Why did Papa and you break up before? Why did you leave him?"

"Don't even try to change the topic or pretend you're already sleepy, Mom." -Dylan warns her. "That's really unfair."

Knowing that she doesn't have any choice, she decides to finally talk about it with her children. She breathes deeply. "Your Papa and I broke up before because..." Wait, don't tell me you're going to tell them that he cheated on you? She talks to herself on her mind. That's not true, right? Migo explained it to you already, more than twice! Don't you believe him yet? "We broke up because we had a huge misunderstanding."

Pippa frowns. "What misunderstanding was it?"

"Well... I thought he was cheating on me that time so I got really upset and angry. Then your nana found out about it and she decided to fly to Europe right away because she was upset too." -she explained.

"Didn't he follow you?"

She shrugs. "He said he did look for me but he didn't find me. The world is a huge place, sweetheart, you know that."

"So did he know about us?" -Dylan asks. "Did he know that he has children with you?"

She shakes her head. "I thought not telling him that I was pregnant that time would be the best choice. I thought it was the best revenge I can get." She sighs. "But I was wrong. I only thought of myself. I didn't think about him or even about you. I never thought you'd still ask where your Papa is because I wanted to be the best mother I can be that you didn't have to look for a father anymore."

"You mean to tell me, he didn't really cheat on you nor he knew that he had us?" -Dylan asks again.

"Gosh, Dyl, aren't you listening?" -Pippa tells her brother. "Sleepy ka na 'no?"

"It's just that... Dave told me a different story. The opposite to yours, Mama."

She frowns. "What did he tell you?"

"That Papa cheated on us and that he knew that he had children but he didn't want to take care of us because he didn't love us. And that's why he broke up with you and you left the country."