Set seven years into the future, let's all meet and love Thirdy, Charm and Seb Faulkerson.
This book is inspired by a story I wrote on Payb Takes.
I originally posted it as a special monthsary update but the part has gathered a lot of great comment...
A week after Thirdy's accident, a cast has been fitted on his right arm. Despite his efforts to keep the struggle of having it on, his difficulty to go about his activities as normally as possible is very evident specially to his Mom, Maine.
M made sure to help RT around and to help him get used to the cast. The added duty has kept M's hands full. Even after filing for a leave from EB, between watching and nursing Seb, helping RT around, taking care of Charm, overseeing the household and being a good wife to R, M could hardly juggle all the tasks needed to be done.
"Hon, do you need me to get your iPad for you?" M asks RT after reading him a book.
M is in RT's room trying to entertain him. The little boy has been asking for her a lot since the accident. Thirdy is a smart, generous and patient Kuya but when he's sick or hurt, he is still Mama's little boy.
"No, Mama. I'm tired. Can you stay with me while I take a nap?" RT rests his head in M's arm and hugs her.
"Sure, hon." M kisses her son's forehead and hums a song to help him fall asleep.
Charm creeps in her big brother's room and sits beside M.
"Mama, Seb is cwying. He won't stop. Nanay asked me to call you." C whispers, cupping a tiny hand on M's ear while doing so.
M checks on RT and sees that he has already drifted of to sleep. She smiles and whispers back to C. "Thank you, sweetheart. I will go and see what Seb needs." M gently pokes the little girl's nose and kisses her forehead.
M slowly slips away from RT and talks to C. "Let's go, sweetheart."
"Mama, can I stay hewe with Kuwa? I take caye of him. See?" C shows M her Doc McStuffins costume.
Oops! Ang larawang ito ay hindi sumusunod sa aming mga alituntunin sa nilalaman. Upang magpatuloy sa pag-publish, subukan itong alisin o mag-upload ng bago.
M smiles. "Oh, look. Out little Doctor Charm. I'm sorry, sweetheart. Mama was looking at your pretty face so I didn't notice your white lab gown and stethoscope."
"Ste... Ste... Mama, what's a sesoscope?" C frowns.
M covers her mouth as she giggles so as not to wake RT. "Sweetheart, a stethoscope. This..." She picks up the instrument and shows C. "This is a stethoscope. It's what doctors use to listen to your heartbeat. Remember how Tita Doc uses that when she checks on you?"
"Ah, yes, Mama." C beams.
"Very good. Now, you can stay with Kuya but you have to be very quiet. We don't want to wake him, okay?"
"Okay, Mama. I pwomise." C whispers holding her right hand up.
"Thank you, sweetheart. I'll be right back. I love you." M kisses Charm's cheek.
"I love you too, Mama."
M leaves the room to check on Seb.
Charm sits quietly on the bed beside RT, trying her best to stay quiet as she plays with her stethoscope. First listening to her own heartbeat then placing the end to her arms and her hands and her tummy. The rumbling sounds startle Charm. She suddenly moves and accidentally hits Thirdy's right arm.
RT awakens and grumbles. "Chaaarm!"
"I'm sowwy, Kuwa. I'm sowwy."
"Where's Mama?"
"Seb was cwying. I take caye of you, Kuwa. What do you need? You want miwk? You hungwy? You want to pway?" C asks, frantically going around the room to grab stuff for her Kuya.
"Nothing. Go away, Charm. I want Mama." RT says showing his annoyance.
"But I take caye of you, Kuwa. Mama's not here."
"I don't want you here, Charm. Go away!"
"Kuwa, I'm sowwy... I'm sowwy..." C begins to cry sob and cry.
"Go ahead. Cry. That's all you do."
C bawls and buries her face in her hands.
"Charm? Thirdy?" R arrives from work and goes straight to RT's room to check on him.
"Papa!" C runs to R. R takes her in his arms and carries her back to RT's side. "Ssssshhh... It's alright, sweetheart." He gently rubs her daughter's back to soother her.
"What's going on, buddy?" R asks RT.
"Charm hit my arm, Papa. I was just sleeping then she hit me." RT says.
"Is that true, sweetie?" R asks C while brushing her hair away from her face.
"I didn't mean it, Papa. It was an accident." C tells R between her sobs and with tears flooding her face.
"Kuya, Charm says she didn't mean it. See? She just wants to take care of you."
"I do, Papa. I told Mama I take caye of Kuwa while she takes caye of Seb." C sobs.
"Did you hear that, Kuya? See how Charm loves you?" R asks RT.
RT looks at Charm but doesn't speak.
"You love Charm too right, Kuya? Do you really want to see her crying like this?"
"No, Papa." RT answers quietly. He looks at C, holds out his left hand and pats his sister's hand. "Sorry I yelled at you, Charm. I love you."
C sobs and wipes her tears. "Sowwy I woke you up, Kuwa. I wuv you."
R smiles. "I love you both. We all love each other so you should not be fighting like this okay?"
"Okay, Papa. Come here, Charm." RT smiles.
C carefully scoots over to RT's side. RT hugs her and C hugs her brother back.
"Wait. Papa wants a hug too." R wraps RT and C in his arms.
"Uy, what's this? We want to join too." M appears at the door with Seb in his arms.
R stretches out one arm to M and smiles. "Hali kayo dito, Love."
M smiles and walks over to RT's bed and squeezes in to the family hug with Seb.
"Thank you for everything, Mama. I love you." RT kisses M's cheek.
"I love you Kuya, Papa, Charm and Seb. I'm happy to do the things I do because I know they make you happy." M then whispers to R. "I'm not sure what all the crying I heard earlier was about but Thank you, Love sa pagaayos nun." She smiles and lightly kisses his lips.
R grins giddily and says, "You're welcome, Love. Kwento ko sa'yo mamaya. I love you more and more." He then presses a loving kiss on M's lips.
"Do you need anything, Kuya?" M asks RT.
"I'm okay, Mama. Also, you can go and find time to rest now. Papa can stay with me." RT suggests.
"Are you sure, hon? Love, okay lang?"
"Oo naman. I will take care with Kuya and Seb. We will play some games together. You go with Doctor Charm. She was really good in taking care of Kuya Thirdy. Right, Kuya?"
"Yes, Mama. Charm did great." RT beams.
"Okay. Enjoy, your playtime, boys." M then gives Seb to R and takes C in her arms. "So, Doc Charmaine, what do we do now?"
"We go to youw woom, Mama. You will sleep and I will sing you a song and take caye of you." C states authoritatively.
M giggles and says. "Yes, Doc." She then kisses R, RT and Seb before walking out of the room, with Charm's little hand held tightly in hers. 💖👪💖
