Tú Eres Mi Sol

LXV

The whole house was festive. Everyone was in cheerful spirits. One wouldn't think that it was already 12 midnight

Everyone chatting and laughing.

A loud voice was heard,"Hellooowwww... EBIBODIEEEEEE!!!"

"Yaya! Nicola!!! Bakit kayo andito?" Dei asked Yaya Pinky

"Umiiyak kasi yan, nagwawala. Hinahanap..."

"Hinahanap mo si Auntie Dei, Little Nicola..." Dei opened her arms to hug Little Nicola

"Noooooooooo" the kid sat on the floor, kicking and throwing a tantrum.

"Yaya, anong nangyari?"

"Kasi Dei, hindi naman ikaw ang hinahanap ni Nicola e."

"Ha, Sino pala? Bakit kayo nag-biyahe pa papunta dito?"

"Si Richard. Yung boyfriend niya daw?"

"Sinong Richard? Si RJ?"

"Oo, Dei. Nagwawala, hindi na mapigilan tumawag kami kina RJ, sabi andito nga daw kayo. Pinapunta na kami ni Coleen kasi hindi makatulog yung baby e."

Richard walked to the entrance of the living room where Dei, Yaya Pinky and Nicola were. The kid immediately saw Richard, she stopped crying.

"Uncle Awwwj! Uncle Awwwwj!"

Richard kneeled to talk to Nicola. "Hello my pretty Nicola. Did you miss Uncle RJ?"

"Carry?"

Little Nicola nodded enthusiastically.

Richard carried the little girl to where the rest of the people were.

Little Nicola wouldn't let Richard out of her sight and she didn't want ladies touching him, too. The little girl was territorial of Richard. Not even Dei could get near Richard.

***

"Hijo, nakatulog na ba?"

"Opo, Mom. Binabantayan ni Yaya Pinky." Richard said to his mother

"Bakit ka daw hinahanap, Hijo?"

"Sabi ni Yaya Pinky, Mom. Simula noong binisita ko noong isang araw, hinahanap daw ako. Kasi nakipaglaro ako sa kanya. Sa tingin nila, nagseselos daw si Nicola sa new baby."

"Ah, normal yun."

"Ang alin, Mom?"

"Nagseselos kasi yung mga bata when there's a new baby in the family"

"Nangyari ba sa amin yun?"

"Oo, even though we made sure that Rob and Lia understood na there's a new baby in the family when I was pregnant with you, when you were brought home, they didn't want to play with you at first. They said na I couldn't fetch them from school because I was with you."

"What did you do, Mom?"

"Dad and I took them out on a mini-date. We told them kahit may new baby na, we still loved them. Have you noticed that Dad would take each of you on a date, once a month na kayong dalawa lang? And I would, too, the month after? It was a conscious effort on our part to make sure na you kids know that we're always there."

Richard hugged his mother. "Thank you, Mom. Kahit alam ko na super busy kayo ni Dad, you still made time for us."

"Mom, asan pala si Dei?"

"Nagtatampo ata Hijo"

"Ha?"

"Hindi ata sanay."