Story of Us

Chapter 48: Confirmation

Kinabukasan ay maaga akong nagising para pumasok sa school. Nagulat pa ulit si Mommy nang madatnan niya ako sa kitchen bar, katulad din nung dati.

"Ang aga mo na naman atang nagising? May problema ba?"

Umiling ako at ngumiti.

Mom obviously didn't buy that smile. Tumabi siya sa'kin while preparing the eggs for breakfast. Habang binabati iyong mga itlog ay kinakausap niya ako.

"You sure? Hailey, you know that I can easily read you," Mom stopped beating the eggs and looked at me intently,"I may not be a psychologist like your Dad but you're still my daughter and I know you."

Tumango ako and thanked her. Napaisip rin ako. Mom knows me very well and I can't see anything wrong if I'll tell her what happened to Zach.

Malaki pa nga ang posibilidad na si Mommy mismo ang magpumilit na dalawin namin si Zach sa ospital. I know she cares about Zach, lalo't alam kong kahit di ko sabihin ay alam niyang may nararamdaman ako para kay Zach.

Saka obvious rin naman iyon dahil hindi ko magiging official na manliligaw si Zach kung hindi ko siya gusto.

"Mom, when Dad and you were on your prime years..."

"Oh Honey, it is still our prime years. Samson and I are still young."

I giggled at Mom's obvious joke. She pouted with my reaction.

"Grabe 'nak. Just support me," She laughed too but a few seconds later, she looked at me again with her concerned eyes. Truly a mother's eyes...

"What's your question again Hailey? Something about our prime years?"

Tumango ako,"Yes Mom. Uhm, when you and Dad were still in the courting stage of a relationship..."

Mom raised her left eyebrow then burst into soft giggles. Baka daw kasi magising si Dad, mahirap pa naman suyuin iyon lalo pag naalimpungatan.

"...uhmm, if by any chance Dad is involved in an accident, will you..."

Mommy just continued to giggle,"Hailey, what's stopping you to continue your sentence? Di kita maintindihan 'nak ah... dati naman hindi ka nagsa-stutter pag may tinatanong ka sa'kin. Just imagine your questions before are about things that can't be talk about."

I pursed my lips and thought about what Mom said. This is the only time that I stuttered about questions. When my questions are about Zach and such... pag ibang topic naman ay hindi ako ganito.

"I just feel awkward asking about questions like this Mom. Hindi ako sanay... I feel like I'm getting out of my comfort zone."

"Honey, it's what you need to grow. You need to get out of your comfort zone---"

"But Mommy---"

"Shh," Mom put her finger on my lips signalling me to hush in which I instantly obeyed. Maya-maya ay niyakap niya ako, I was taken aback by surprise.

"'My..."

Mommy is patting my hair,"Ang laki-laki mo na 'Nak. I never thought na this will be what I'll feel when you're confiding problems about someone you love."

Humarap sa'kin si Mommy habang pinapalis ang mga luha sa kanyang mata. Pinunasan ko rin yung luha ko, Mommy being emotional like this is warming my heart.