Over The Rainbow (COMPLETED)

Little Blessings

Year 2023, Faulkerson home:

M sits on the couch in the family room with Seb on her lap.

"Hello, baby. Ang laki mo na. Look at you. Five months na. Soon you'll be running around the house with Kuya and Ate."

Seb coos and giggles in response to M's words and her wacky faces.

"Ma... Mah... Ma... Mah... " The baby blabbers as he touches his mother's face.

M laughs as Seb's drool-drenched fingers poke her cheek, nose and eyes.

"I love you, Sebastian Siegfried. Laway and all." M whispers softly as the little baby smiles and his big brown eyes light up.

M smiles back, rubs her nose on his little button smeller and plants a soft kiss on his pinkish dimpled cheek.

"Nakakainggit naman." R beams as he enters the room, just home from work.

He sits beside his wife and places one hand over her shoulders as the other scoops around Seb's back.

"Kumusta kayo dito, Ma?" R asks as he plants a quick peck on her lips. He then looks around. "Sina Thirdy at Charm?"

"Okay naman kami, Pa. The kids are with Nanay and Tatay. Sinundo kanina. Ipapasyal lang daw."

"Oh, bakit di kayo sumama ni Seb-Seb?" R asks as he pinches  their little baby's cheek.

"Tulog pa kasi si Seb kanina tsaka sandali lang naman daw sila." M responds.

"Talaga ba?" R squeezes closer to M and brushes his nose on her cheek. "Uhm... Gaano kasandali, Love?"

M giggles as R presses soft kisses on her ear.

"Hala siya! Huy, Mister! Si Seb oh."

"Matutulog na siya, Love. Di ba baby? Matutulog na ang Seb-Seb?"

M laughs. "Not a chance. Kagigising lang niya, Love."

R pouts. "Baby naman eh. Sleep ka na ulit."

M grins. "Ang kulit mo, Love. Ang cute cute mo din pero si Seb ang plywood mo ngayon."

"Haaay... Kung ganito ka-cute ang plywood okay lang. Pero... Pwede naman isang kiss di ba?" R wiggles his eyebrows.

"Is that right? Can Papa have a kiss, munchkin?" M playfully asks their baby boy.

Seb throws his fists in the air and squeals.

"Oh pwede daw, Love." R grins.

M smiles at her husband and wiggles her eyebrows. "Yes, Love.  Pwede daw."

"Yes! Thank you, baby." R grins giddily as he caresses M's face and stares deep into her eyes.

R then slowly inches his face closer to M's and kisses her lips lovingly.

"I love you." R whispers as their lips pull apart.

"I love you more."

"Mama! Papa!" Charm yells as she enters the house and runs around trying to find them.

"In here, sweetheart." M calls back.

Charm comes rushing in seconds later with Thirdy right behind her.

The two kids go straight to their parents and baby brother to hug and kiss them all.

"So, where's Nanay and Tatay?" M asks.

"Andito ako, anak." TD responds by the doorway.

R and M with Seb get up and walk to TD to kiss his hand.

"Tay, si Nanay po?" R asks as they walk back to sit down.

"Ayun. Sinundo ni Dean. Hinahanap daw ni Coleen."

"Bakit daw po, Tay?" M prods.

"Magpapaluto daw ng turon sa Nanay mo. Ewan ko ba nabibili naman yun pero ang gusto si Meann pa magluto." TD says shaking his head.

"Tay, pagbigyan niyo na po. Naglilihi eh." M smiles.

"Mama, what's na-lilihi?" Charm frowns as she gets up on her Dad's lap.

Thirdy turns his attention to the conversation too as he sits beside his Grandpa.

"Well, uhm, sweetheart. Lihi happens when a Mommy and Daddy is expecting a new baby."

The little girl's eyes widen in awe. "Tita Ninang is having another baby?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Right now, there's a little baby growing inside Tita Ninang's tummy just like when you, Kuya and Seb did in my tummy." M touches her belly and smiles.

"What happens then, Mama?" Thirdy asks.

"Well, Kuya, as the baby grows inside the Mommy's belly, her body changes to make room for and take care of the baby. She will need to rest and eat well, sometimes asking for very specific food just like Tita Ninang now. Most of the time Mommies get upset or get sick as the changes happen but that only means that the baby is growing well so it's important to give the Mommy and the baby inside her all the love and support we can give." M explains.

"Mama, what did you like to eat when I was in your tummy?" Charm smiles.

"Aha, let's see. While you where growing inside me, I always asked Papa for pineapples from Tagaytay."

"Yup. It has to be from Tagaytay. Can't be any other kind and Mama liked them served in cream cheese." R adds.

"Pineapple and cream cheese? Yucky!" Charm grimaces.

"It's actually really good, sweetheart. You should try it sometime." M teases. She knows how much their little girl ironically dislikes the fruit.

"Eeewww... Mama, please... No... Bleh... " Charm pouts.

"Okay, sweetheart. Not yet." M smiles.

"Didn't you get sick when you had me, Mama?" Thirdy asks with concern.

M smiles and sighs. "You were my first one, honey, so it wasn't easy for me. I was also very busy working that time and yes, I did get sick. A lot. That's also probably why we had you sooner than expected. Papa was with me all the time though and Nanay, Tatay and Popsie with all your Titos and Titas were always there for us too. We had a lot of love from family and friends." M reassures their son.

"I'm sorry, Mama." Thirdy looks down and pouts.

"Hey... Come here, honey." M calls their eldest child.

The little boy slowly moves to M's side. M then wraps one arm around the little boy after she adjusts Seb on her lap.

"It's not your fault, hon. Papa and I prayed very hard to have you. So when Papa God blessed us and answered our prayer, we were ready. We were very happy and grateful. Mama was ready to go through all that. I expected it and I prepared for it and I loved going through it because I knew the little blessing that is Richard Faulkerson III will be all worth it. I knew that after all of it, I will get to hold you in my arms and look at your handsome little face." M smiles and touches the little boy's cheek.

"Having you, Charm and Seb here with us is so much worth more than all that. I'm so grateful and proud of your Mama for being to brave and amazing." R smiles and gathers his family in his arms. "We love you so much, kids. I love you and your Mama so much."

"We love you too, Papa. Thank you for taking care of us." M says.

"And thank you for being the best Mama in the universe, Love." R adoringly kisses his wife's temple then holds her and their children in a tight embrace.

TD watches them with a contented smile knowing that his daughter has been blessed to have a beautiful family of her own. ❤👶❤👪❤🍃❤