Maine was busy sweeping the garage area when she heard the gate bell ringing. She placed the broom down and came out, only to see a woman in maid uniform waving at her. Maine smiled and quickly opened the gate to let her in. But much to her surprise, the other maid wasn't alone. A little kid ran in and went straight to the front door.
"Ikaw ba si Maine?"
"Opo."
"Hello ... ako nga pala si Loleng ... ako yung maid nung lola ni Sir. Makakasama mo ako dito hanggang makapag-adjust ka."
"Nice to meet you po," Maine replied and they did a quick handshake.
"Nice to meet you din, iha," Loleng told her. Maine was genuinely happy that she wouldn't be dealing with RJ alone.
"Yun nga pala si Kirby. Siya yung aalagaan mo." Loleng then said, pointing at the little boy who just went inside.
"Siya yun? Ay, ang cute!" Maine gushed. She quickly saw the similarities between him and RJ.
"Oo nga eh ... pogi na mabait na matalino pa."
"Nasaan po yung nanay?"
"Ah ... nag-abroad ... iniwan yung anak niya kay Sir. Hindi pa ba niya na-kwento sa'yo?"
"Hindi pa po eh," Maine said, suddenly curious about RJ's life story.
"Ganun ba? Sigurado naman akong sasabihin din niya sa'yo yun. Tara na? Madami pa tayong gagawin."
"Ay, oo nga po pala," Maine replied. And with that, she left Loleng and returned to the garage to continue her chores.
--
It was already lunch time when RJ woke up again. He slowly sat up and rested his back on the bed's headboard. The events of the last 24 hours changed his life forever. And as much as Richard would like to pretend that it was all a dream, he knew he couldn't. Because it did happen, he instantly became a father.
After a few minutes of stretching his arms and legs, Richard got dressed and walked out of his room. He went downstairs and saw Kirby playing on the couch.
"Daddy?!" he asked in a slightly excited tone.
"No ... go away." He replied and walked straight to the kitchen. There he saw Loleng and Maine cooking meals for their lunch.
"Good morning, RJ." Loleng greeted him.
"Good morning din, Manang." He replied and opened the fridge. RJ pulled a pitcher of cold water out and looked at Maine.
"Nakausap mo na ba si Kirby?" Richard asked.
"Opo, sir. Mabait po siya tsaka kamukha niyo po."
"Right," Richard answered. After drinking water, he went back to the living room and sat next to Kirby. His eyes wandered and saw the toys Kirby was playing with.
"Do you like your Yaya?" he asked.
"Yes ... Ate Maine? She will take care of you, do you like her?" Richard asked again. This time, Kirby looked at him and nodded. Richard smiled and patted the little kid on the back.
"But she likes you too."
"What?"
"She likes you."
"How did you know?" Richard asked, suddenly intrigued that his son would say such thing.
"She thinks you're pogi ... just like me."
"Does she ... huh? Okay ... uh, buddy, do you wanna go to the mall later? I'll buy you toys." Richard told him. Kirby's face lit up and his mouth formed a wide grin.
