To Love Again

Resemblance

This chapter I wrote for @Djaylo because we are both green with envy since we couldn't join in the festivities of ADNFEST. I wrote this in under 2 hours. So no edit. Please take it as it is. Thank you!

Strong and suggestive language.

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Teodoro and Maine stayed for a bit by the poolside, just catching up on each other. Well, Maine really was just trying hard to distract her father from asking too many questions regarding Richard. Yes, he had mentioned more than once that he knew what the red marks were but honestly speaking, Maine wasn't sure if he really knew the extent of it. For all she knew, he probably just thought they made out and not actually had sex. Because his reaction was a little bit too tame in Maine's opinion.

A good 30 minutes probably passed when Teodoro's phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket, looked at the call display then looked to his daughter, before answering.

"Hello mahal. Yes. She's fine. Here talk to her" and he promptly handed the phone to Maine.

"Hi Nanay *pause*, I'm okay. I just wasn't feeling good yesterday and this morning *pause*. I'm sorry Nanay. Yeah I forgot to charge my phone and it must've ran out of battery. *pause* Yes, Nanay. Tatay told me about the apartment. What? Why?" Maine looked to her father as she was listening to her mother on the other side. "Oh okay. Of course. Yeah, sure. Okay, here's Tatay" Maine readily handed the phone over to her father.

"Yes, mahal. Uh huh. Oh okay. See you soon" and Teodoro ended the call.

"Is she really downstairs?" Maine asked.

"Yap. She's waiting for me to go get her. And nope, she's not leaving until she meets your boss" Teodoro replied.

"I know" Maine answered defeated. "Well, Tatay, let's not keep the queen waiting. If you don't get her now, she'll come up herself and knowing her, she'll probably get on the wrong elevator, get off the wrong floor and end up getting lost inside this building" she added with much exaggeration.

Father and daughter went back downstairs together, Teodoro heading to the elevators and Maine heading to Bella's room. She needed to let Richard know that her mother is on her way up.

Maine reached Bella's room and gently pushed the door open. Her vision was met with Richard on the rocker singing softly, with Bella wide awake in his arms, playing with her father's shirt. It was such a sweet father and daughter moment that Maine didn't have the heart to interrupt. She stood by the doorway, just enjoying the sight. And for a minute, just for a minute, she imagined a family of her own, with her husband and child doing the same. She must've let out a sigh or a noise because both Richard and Bella turned her way which actually caught Maine off guard. It's one thing to be caught staring but another thing to be caught day dreaming. So she cleared her throat a few times before she walked further into the room. Bella instantly lifted her hands up wanting to be picked up by Maine and the latter obliged.

"Hello princess Bella. I've missed you. Did you have a good nap?" Maine cooed while positioning Bella in her arms, making sure not to tangle the IV lines.

"Maymay" Bella answered back as she stroked Maine's cheeks.

"Oh princess. Are you trying to say my name? Yes baby, I'm Maine."

"Maymay" Bella uttered again but this time making it sound more like 'mommy'.

Richard remained seated just watching the interaction between Maine and his daughter. In the last four weeks that Maine have been taking care of Bella, the relationship between them have blossomed into more than just nurse to patient. Maine cared for Bella like, dare he say it, her own child. It's one thing to see a nurse care for the patient but it's another to see do it with so much love and devotion. Richard had congratulated himself many times over; that he didn't make the mistake of picking Maine to care for his daughter.

As much as Richard hated to interrupt the two, he had to ask.

"Maine? Is your father gone?"

"Uuhhhmm, well. Yes and no."

"What does that mean? Yes he's gone but no he's not gone?" Richard asked, confused more than ever.

"Uhhhmmm. Well, he left but he'll be right back...with my mother." Maine answered softly.

"WHAAAATTT?!?" Richard exclaimed a little too loud that Bella got startled. Maine soothed the little girl in her arms while placing a distance between her and Richard. "What?" Richard asked again, softer this time.

"Yeah. Nanay was already waiting downstairs so Tatay went to go get her. They should be here any minute now" Maine explained.

As the words were stumbling out of Maine's mouth, Richard's face became more and more red. He clearly was on the verge of panic. He barely survived the short interaction with Maine's father and now add her mother to the mix. Shit! I'll surely crap my pants! Fuck!

"What are we supposed to do now?"

"Relax Mr. Faulkerson. If you were able to survive Tatay, Nanay would be a walk in the park. My father is a lot more perceptive than my mother." Just as Maine said that, the intercom buzzed. "That's probably them now, asking for the lift."

Richard moved to answer the intercom. "Hello" he squeaked out.

"Mr. Faulkerson. It's Nicomaine's father again."

"Oh okay sir" and Richard pressed the in button but he didn't move from his spot after. Maine felt a little guilty for putting Richard through this but truthfully, she wanted to see this side of him too. The panicky, at a loss for words side. It might be a little extreme because it involved her parents but in a way, she wanted a little payback for last night. Yes she was a willing participant all throughout but dammit, it hurts between her legs till now. Richard was so sure of himself last night that seeing him restless made the evil side of Maine clap in glee. And just to add more salt to the wound, Maine stated nonchalantly.

"By the way, my father was lying about me breaking into hives when I'm stressed. That never happens. NEVER!"

"You mean to tell me, he knew this whole time that those aren't hives. That they are...you know... uuhhhmm" Richard stumbled.

"Yes. He knew that these are hickeys, or bite marks or, love bites or whatever they're called, all along. He was just trying to catch us incriminate ourselves" Maine explained.

If Richard was scared before, well he is fucking terrified now! Yeah asshole! You were fucking brave last night, weren't you?

"Alden. Can you help me with Bella's IV pole. My parents are most likely about to step out of the elevator any minute now. We need to meet them" Maine requested as she started to move towards the hallway. However, she turned back when she didn't see Richard move. "ALDEN! Help me!" Well that got his attention. He unplugged the machine and pushed the IV pole behind Maine.

They made it to the elevators just in time as Teodoro and Maryann Mendoza stepped out.

"Anak" Maryann uttered as she spotted Maine. She was about to hug her daughter when she noticed the child that Maine was carrying. Maryann looked down and stopped in her tracks. She was taken aback by how much the child reminded her of her first born.

"Nanay. Nanay?" Maine asked noticing how her mother became pale all of a sudden.

And Maine watched helplessly as her mother lost consciousness.