Giving In

Chapter 9

               It was mid week already and the bubble they built around their little family had to disappear sometime. The two days they spent trying to get along for the sake of their daughter was better than Mari expected. She appreciated the fact that Liam really was trying to make it up to them. And he had enough tact not to expect her to have sex with him, regardless of what he told her on the morning after she got drunk. Binigyan pa siya nito ng sariling kwarto.

Liam was having his breakfast habang pinapakain naman ni Mari ang kanilang anak. Their daughter kept gurgling "mama" kaya inis na si Liam sa kanya. Kahit anong pilit nitong turuan ang anak ng "dada," di pa rin gumagana. Mabuti na lang at tumigil na silang magsumbatan dalawa.

"Sorry, kailangan ko na talagang pumasok sa trabaho ngayon. Dad has been calling me nonstop." It was obvious he didn't really want to go to work, wala itong gana kumain na para bang sinasadya bagalan ang pagkain. Even if they were going to work things out, they couldn't isolate themselves from his family. And he had other responsibilities.

Umiling si Mari. Natapos rin ang pagpapakain niya sa anak kaya tinawag niya muna ang yaya nito para paarawan ang bata at para makapag-usap sila ni Liam.

She gave him a reluctant smile. "It's okay. And I have to start looking for another job sooner or later. Maybe I'll start today but online muna. Wag mo kaming alalahanin. Di ko itatakas si Kara. She's grown so attached to you already even if you've been together for just a few days," Mari said wistfully but without the resentment. She really could see that her daughter enjoyed her father's company. And Liam really was trying at hindi rin to nauubusan ng pasensya sa anak, kahit magmukha itong ewan tuwing may hawak ng mga laruan. Bumabawi talaga siya sa oras na dapat nandun siya.

"Mari, you don't have to work, at least not yet. Dito ka muna," pakiusap ni Liam pero umiling lang ulit si Mari.

Huminga si Mari ng malalim. Liam just didn't get it. "I can't depend on your generosity and your guilt forever Liam. So don't expect me to. Whatever we have right now, I'm not expecting it to last forever. Pero di yun dahil sayo so wag ka masyadong magalit diyan," dagdag ni Mari nang makita ang pandidilim ng mukha ni Liam. "We weren't in a real relationship when we made Kara. I know you said you wanted what we never had back in college but things have changed now that you know about her. We can't just try this at pag nagsawa ka na, biglang ka na lang mawawala para bumalik sa totoo mong buhay. And I can't expect you to support me financially. We're not in that kind of relationship."

"Mari, I don't know what's running through your head right now, pero di ako magsasawa at di ako mawawala. Alam kong sandali pa lang tayo magkasama ulit but I have every intention of making this permanent. Kung gusto mo talagang magtrabaho, bumalik ka na lang sa kumpanya, bakante pa rin ang posisyong iniwan mo," inis na sabi ni Liam. And he realizes that he has to put more effort para maniwala si Mari sa kanya pero sandali pa nga lang sila nagkakasama, iniisip na agad nito na maghihiwalay lang rin sila.

"Liam, bata pa tayo. We're both not even twenty five yet. You can't say things like that and don't mean them. It's too soon to give assurances like that. Remember, we have Kara now. Siya ang masasaktan kung sakaling di natin mapanindigan tong relasyon na to," paliwanag ni Mari. But Liam wasn't having any of it. Di maintindihan ni Liam kung anong pinaglalaban ni Mari. And he didn't have the time to argue with her now. Nasa may pinto na sila ng bahay at. "My sisters are probably coming over today. They're basically nice people, spoiled brats nga lang. Don't worry, they're not like our mother." Tumango na lang si Mari. Kinuha ni Liam ang anak nila mula sa yaya at hinalikan ito sa noo bago binalik sa yaya na pumasok na sa loob kasama ang anak nila. Bumaling naman si Liam sa kanya at agad siniil ng halik ang labi.

Mari didn't see that coming. Liam kept his hands off her ever since they met again. But the taste of his lips was so sweetly familiar. Di na niya nagawang itulat ito palayo. "Stop overthinking. We're going to be okay," bulong nito sa kanya. She was still in a state of shock so she just nodded her head. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips again bago tuluyang umalis.

Agad ring pumasok si Mari sa bahay at nakita ang yaya na hinahanda ang mga susuotin ni Kara. "Lina ako na magpapaligo sa kanya. Kumain ka muna tapos pakihugas na lang ng mga pinggan."

Ngumiti naman ang yaya. "Sige ate," paalam nito at bumalik na sa kusina. Mari didn't how she would have survived without that girl.

When she done giving her baby a bath and had her dressed, Mari could hear the voice of the yaya calling for her. "Ate may naghahanap po sa inyo, dalawang babae! Kapatid daw ni Sir Liam," sabi nito. Agad naman siyang bumaba kasama ang anak.

She smiled timidly at them as they all went to the garden in the back. "First of all, I would like to apologize for our mom's behavior last Sunday," sabi ng nakababatang kapatid ni Liam na si Katrina. She looked so guilty. Liam was right, they were nowhere near being like their mother. "There was no excuse for her behavior," dagdag pa nito.

Ngumiti na si Mari. "It's okay. Really. Her reaction didn't really come as a surprise," sabi na lang ni Mari. She didn't want to say anything more to appease them. Magiging kasinungalingan lang yun. What she said was the closest to the truth as she could get.

Nangangalay na si Mari sa pagtayo habang karga ang anak kaya umupo muna siya saglit sa couch sa gazebo. "Can I carry her?" tanong naman ni Katrina. Tumango naman si Mari at inabot ang anak. Kara was such a well behaved child. And she was so trusting. Walang problema sa kanya kung sinong kumakarga sa kanya. If only that kind of innocence lasted for ever. "Anong buong pangalan niya?" tanong ni Katrina while moving around, carrying the baby.

"Kara Marisse," nakangiting sagot ni Mari. "I didn't use your last name but Liam's name is on the birth certificate as her father," pag-amin ni Mari.

"Oo nga pala," sabat ni Victoria, "May mga dala kami para kay Kara and for you as well. Nasa sasakyan." Sabi nito. Nagkataon naman na lumabas si Lina para sa magwalis ng mga natuyong dahon. Tinawag ito ni Mari para palapitin. Inabot naman ni Victoria ang susi ng sasakyan na dala nila magkapatid. "Pakikuha nga nung mga dala namin, nasa backseat siya," nakangiti nitong utos. Tumango na lang si Lina at tinanggap ang susi. "Liam said not buy too much toys kasi nakapabili na siya sa amin nung kakabili niya ng bahay. He did say na ibili kayo ng groceries coz you both haven't found the time yet to go grocery shopping."

"Salamat ah," sabi ni Mari. She honestly didn't expect Liam's sisters to be this nice to her. "We really didn't have the time. Busy kami pareho pag-aayos nitong bahay at kung anong groceries meron kami ay paubos na."

Katrina was busy playing with Kara kaya sila muna ni Victoria magkaharap ngayon. "So, mind telling me the story between you and my brother? He said that the reason he just found out about Kara was because you both misunderstood each other but it was mostly his fault."

"Well, you could say that, but I'm guessing he underestimated the entire story. Ganito kasi yan, I told him I was pregnant. He was in a state of shock I guess and he had an exam to study for nung sinabi ko so agad rin siyang umalis na halos walang sinabi kundi pag-usapan lang naming soon. But we were both waiting for each other to make contact pala. When he finally decided to contact me, I changed my number, deactivated all my social media acocunts, umalis na ako sa dorm and you know the school doesn't give out their students' address to just anyone. Di rin kasi ako tumira sa bahay namin during my pregnancy so even though he found my house, he couldn't have found me and my parents refuses to give anyone my whereabouts. I don't know why he assumed I had the baby aborted or nakunan ako pero it's too late now to wonder."

Napatango si Victoria, realizing how big an asshole her brother was. "At least things are finally working out for the two of you know," sabi nito.

Mari just nodded, pretending to agree. Coz in all honesty, she still wasn't sure if she and Liam were really working things out.

Author's Note:

Twice lang nagshut down laptop ko, yeeey. Achievement na yun hahahaha.

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