Am I allowed to fall in love with him?

Chapter 10

Dwayne’s POV

Pagkapasok ko ng gate, tumakbo agad si Cade sa akin at nagpakarga. Kaagad ko namang pinaunlakan.

“Morning Tito Ninong! Why you happy and smiling big, like this?” Ang lapad-lapad ng ngiti niya tapos humagikgik.

Sa kanya cute tignan, pero kung ako? HAHAHA. Mukha siguro akong tanga o baliw.

“Talaga? I’m smiling that big? Something good happened kanina e.”

“Sabi Tita Jan, you went to Tita Candy?” Tita Candy ang tawag niya kay Des. Malapit na sa pangalang Cassidy, pero iba dahilan kung bakit yun ang tawag ni Cade sa kanya.

Ang galling nga ng utak ng bata na ito e. Di niya alam pangalan ni Des dati, pero tanda niyang binigyan siya ng candy. Kaya yun na ang kinasanayan niyang tawag kay Des.

“Yup.” At napangiti na naman ako. Pinaupo ko siya sa swing, at tinulak-tulak ito. “Do you like Tita Candy?”

“Opo!” He screamed breathless.

“Dahil sa candy?”

“Di po. Tita Candy is nice and lagi pa naka-smile! Yun iba girls, ayaw sa kids. Siya at friends niyo lang ni Mama’t Papa, gusto magplay with me. Why po?”

Tumigil ako and forcefully stopped the swinging motion. I squatted in front of my contented nephew.

“Kasi I like her too, buddy.”

“Like? Parang like ni Mama si Papa, tas ganun din si Lola’t Lolo. Parang ako kay Tita Candy? Parang yung iba girls sayo, Tito Ninong?” takang tanong niya.

I ruffled his hair, “Yep, baby, parang ganun na nga. Parang ikaw may crush sa nursery, diba?”

Tumango siya nang sunud-sunod. Parang kelan lang pinapalitan ko pampers niya, tapos ngayon, may crush-crush nang nalalaman.

Tinawag na siya ni Ate Janie, dahil may appointment sila sa pedia ni Cade.

Everytime I see Cade, it makes me want to have a family of my own. Kaso tama pamangkin ko, most of the girls I dated, they don’t usually like kids. Unlike Des.

Siya kasi bunso sa kanila, so that could explain her affinity with children, lalo na sa mga baby. She sometimes tend to spoil them rotten.

I chuckled as I imagined this home filled with my parents’ grandchildren.

My parents would be holding my children lovingly, while I hold in my wife in my arms. And the look of contentment evident in her face as she smiles back at me? That would be wonderful.

No one else could complete that perfect image in my head but one person, Dessie.

Damn. Sabi nila if you’re thinking of babies with a girl, then you’re in deep.

Well, maybe I am. I’m liking it anyway.

I better use the solitude of this place at my advantage. Kailangan ko pagplanuhan ang panliligaw ko thoroughly.

I’m gonna show her I deserve her and that she deserves me. I’m gonna prove to her how different I am from the rest. I’m gonna win her over, and I won’t let her regret it. The clear image in my head is my motivation. Her smile, her laugh, the mini-Des and mini-me we could have, everything.

I need to surprise her, show her a different side of me.

Lucky for me, ex niya ang best friend ko, and I know kung ano mga pagkukulang niya. And whatever he did for Des, lalamangan ko yun. I’m not competing with him. I just want to make her happy. And I never want to see her in pain. I saw what it did to her, and I did not like it one bit. Pero ang drawback ng pagiging bestfriend ng ex niya? Laging papagitan samin yung lalakeng yun. Kahit wala siyang ginagawa. Hayyyy!