Marco
I really did not want to leave her alone, so the quickest way I could think of is to order food for delivery. There was a nearby wine shop and I made a mad dash to buy champagne, in case things out good so we can celebrate, then ran to the convenience store for beer and ice cream, in case Anna and I need to commiserate.
"Are you sure, Anna?" Her mother, Beth, was asking when I returned.
"I need this, Mom. I'm sure."
Both ladies turned when they saw me and I could tell Anna was stressed. Her father, Gerry, was standing by the window, smiled and said, "So ano? Congratulations nalang."
Her mother asked to speak to me privately, so we headed out the hallway and walked.
"I'm surprised at this, Marco and right now I'm not sure how to take it," She started. "But, Anna has always had a mind of her own and contradicting her decisions has just made her want to do them all the more... so I will accept this as is."
"Thank you-" I said, but was immediately cut off.
"For now." Tita Beth looked at me and sighed. "Your relationship has no foundation and my daughter is a complicated individual, and I'm not saying that is a bad thing. She's intelligent and stubborn and I would not want her to be any other way. But I know that it won't be easy to even try to understand her. All I ask is you try. Be patient. And if you could not do it, if you want to give up... I'd understand. But don't hurt her, just give her back to me."
I knew then I respected Anna's mother and would forever hold her in high regard. "Yes, Tita."
Anna's mother smiled wistfully, "Welcome to the family then."
"Okay na po sa inyo?"
"Yes. But I have a lot of other siblings, Marco. Sa kanila ka matakot," Tita Beth chuckled.
True enough, days later I met them - six of Tita Beth's siblings, Anna's dozen cousins, both siblings and their families... but more of that later.
After her parents left, we headed to see my mother and sister.
"Marco, baka magalit sila," she worried. "What if they don't like me?"
"If they don't like you, they have two years to put up with you then problem solved. Naisip ko pala, maybe we should just limit your interaction with them."
"Ha? Why?"
"So that they won't have a chance to adore you! Para madali maghiwalay," I said.
I saw some surprise - and a bit of pain? But that quickly disappeared. "Oo nga. That's best."
Before I could say anything further, the car pulled up at my mom's house and we saw someone familiar at the gate.
"Philip!" Anna greeted, happily.
"Buntis ka ba?!"
"Ha?!"
"Bakit agad agad yung kasal?" Her cousin scowled.
Anna looked at me questioningly. "I told him before we left the States."
"Hindi naman kayo magboyfriend so sinong nakabuntis sayo?" Philip continued to interrogate Anna.
"Hindi ako buntis, ano ba," Anna said.
"Eh bakit kayo kinasal ng ganyan kabilis?! At ikaw," Philip turned to me. "Sabi ko tulungan mo, hindi ko sinabing pakasalan mo."
Anna rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Stop with the melodrama, Dude. Hindi bagay. I won't go into details but Marco and I agreed on this, okay? Besides, are you even seriously mad?"
