**Prie's POV**
"do you think they are happy cause magkakaksama na sila? I bet they are having fun." murmur ni Dino sa tabi ko.
"are you not having fun with us?" tanong ko sknya.
"Iam, but still...it's different wih Ria-Nie..." saka siya nag buntong hininga...
it's been six months since namatay si Ria-Nie...
a lot happened after that incident.
we planned and I requested na tatlong araw lang i burol ang anak ko, I can't bare seeing her inside a coffin...
It was a busy week, umuwi si Daddy at si Richard...everyone who loves me was there.
pero I didn't say a word, buong tatlong araw akong tahimik at hinidi nakakatulog ng maayos...Everything was weighing so much inside me na hidi ko na kayang makapag salita.
I thought everything was finish there...
in real life there's no real ending...
one month after Ria-Nie's death, nanganak si Izzy....
It was a hearth-breaking scene...I never thought I would cry that much.
She ask the doctors na samahan ko siya sa loob, she wanted me to hold her hands...
and she told me na gusto niya pagkalabas ng baby niya, ako ang unang makikita...
sabi niya, ngimiti lang daw ako sa harap ng anak niya...wag ko daw siyang ipakita...
it's a long delivery, and I didn't leave her side.
and just as I heard a baby cry, someone looses her grip...
hindi ko alam kung iiyak ako o ano...Izzy wanted me to be strong for her daughter...to not cry...
pero I failed her, umuyak ako ng umuyak at pilit ko siyang ginigising...
ginawa ko lahat ng hindi ko nagawa kay Ria-Nie...I tried to...pero sabi ko nga I failed.
siguro kaya niya rin kinuha yung anak niya sakin after two days. cause I'm not strong enough.
it was a total drama for Dino...
kala ko mahirap na yung pinag dadaanan ko, then I realise na mas nahihirapan pa pala yung anak ko.
He's trying hard to cope with all the mourning ang everything.
We have thre death in one month, and I know for myself na hindi ko na kaya pang mawalan ng isa pa.
last month, Gello planned na lumipat kami ng matitirahan baka next week or sa susunod na buwan kapag may nahanap na kami.
I told him na appartment nalang, I wanted to move to US na as soon as possible.
nandito kami ngayon sa harap ng puntod nilang tatlo...nag titirik kami ng kandila.
"Dino...Ria-Nie's sad too for no being with you here." lumuhod si gello sa harap ni Dino.
"I bet she is...she didn't evn remember tita Izzy. I hope tita Izzy remember to remind Ria-Nie who she is."
natawa kami ni Gelo pero may lungkot parin sa mga tawa namin.
**Gello's POV**
"Daddy!" bati ni Dino sakin, kakadating ko lang sa bahay galing trabaho.
"Hi young man...where's your mom?" tnaong ko sknya.
"I think she's on the kitchen, preparing dinner." sagot niya sakin, binuhat ko nalang siya at nag lakad kami papuntang kitchen.
"mommy! daddy's here!" sigaw ni DIno pagkabuhat ko palang skanya.
"I'm here." maikling sagot ni Prie.
tumigil ako ng nakita ko na siya, I saw how she's still awkward sa pag galaw sa kusina...
hindi ko alam kung matatawa ako o maawa sknya.
"sh*t!" mahinang bulong niya dahil hindi niya naabot yung straine sa taas ng cabinet,
"Hey woman! watch your mouth!" biro ko sknya, then walk toward her to grab the strainer na hindi niya na-aabot.
"thanks." then she smiled at me.
I grab her from the waist to kiss her, pero naunahan ako ni Dino...
"I should kiss your mom...it's my job to kiss her." biro ko sa anak ko.
"but I wantto kiss her too...and your'e not kissing her naman dati." pag dadahilan niya sakin.
No one of us, either Prie and I, commented on Dino's ability to observe that.
"I cook mac and cheese. upo na kayo." sabi niya samin bago kumalas sa yakap ko.
If you thought that we're on good terms, well we are...
pero may mga time pain na awkward kami sa isa't isa.
we tried not to, sa lahat ng nangayari samin, we tried to be with each other...
mas lalo na ako, i tried to be with her all the time, kasi kahit hindi alam ng iba, she always cry every night...
pag minsan din may pag ka possesive siya kay Dino, everytime na day off niya, she would just stay on the school gate the whole school hours para hintayin si Dino lumabas.
Her mom move back to the US para hanapan kami ng malilipatan, just like what she wanted, lilipat na kami ng US...
hihintayin lang naming mag one-year sina Ria-Nie at Izzy, then we'll move to the states.
I promise Izzy i would tell Prie the truth about our marriage, pero hindi ko pa kaya ngayon.
maybe kapag nalipasan na namin ang depression an ito.
"you okey?" tanong ko kay Prie pag kalabas niya ng banyo...mukhang nanghihina kasi siyang lumabas ng banyo.
"I'm okey...pagod lang ako sa trabaho, patapos nadin kasi yung project and all the pressure is on our team." sagot niya sakin at saka umupo sa higaan and dry her hair.
lumapit ako sa likuran niya and sinimulan kong hilutin yung likuran niya.
"hmmm.." she moan...
"does this help?" tanong ko sknya habang patuloy parin sa pag mamasahe ng likuran niya...hindi siya sumagod, pero tumango lang siya.
"higa ka, so you'll be more comfortable." sabi ko, then I help her na dumapa sa higaan namin at pinag patuloy ko ang pag mamasahe sa likuran niya.
.
.
"do you think dino will be okey without Ria-Nie?" tanong niya sakin.
"why did you ask?" tanong ko pabalik, sumilip ako sa mukha niya, I saw her lips parted a little bit and her eyes close...
"nothing...just wondering." sagot niya sakin.
tumahimik nanaman kami...
"Prie..." tawag ko saknya.
"yes?" maikling sagot niya.
"the time I told you to check on legal pap---"
"let's not talk about that...I'm deeply on stress right now." sagot niya sakin.
tumahimik nalang ako...
tama siya, it's not time for that...and I can still pull it out and bring it to a lawyer para ipa-walang bisa...
but, I have one problem...
I don't know where it is...
the last time I saw was when Izzy saw it, then I don't know where she put it.
.
"I love you Gello...nothing can change that." she said.
