The Heart Hitter (Completed)

Epilogue - Bull's Eye

"Papa! Papa!"

I saw my six-year old daughter running towards me. I am at the garden with Cliff, Lei, and my five months pregnant wife, Belle. She's carrying our fourth child and it's one of the reason kung bakit nandito sina Cliff. They're visiting us since they just arrived from their month-long vacation in Hawaii with their kids. Dinalhan din nila ang mga bata ng pasalubong.

Napatuwid ng upo si Belle mula sa pagkakahilig sa'kin nang kumandong sa akin ang anak naming si Jill. She was our youngest. WAS because as I said, buntis si Belle.

Itinaas ni Jill ang kanyang kamay at itinuro sa akin ang daliri niya na may suot na singsing. "Look, Papa! Clyde gave me a ring. Ang sabi niya po, he'll marry me when I reached the legal age. Kailan po ako pwedeng pakasalan ni Clyde, papa?"

Sinusuklay ni Belle gamit ang kanyang kamay ang hanggang batok na tuwid na buhok ni Jill. Jill is so adorable and smart... At super madaldal. Maybe because when Belle was pregnant with her, gusto niya laging makita o makausap si Emmery. Belle even made her as one of Jill's godmother, which was not a surprised for me. Mula sa panganay namin na si André hanggang kay Judd, always complete ang attendance ng mga kaibigan namin kapag binyag.

But what the fvck?! Kasal agad?

Pinisil ko ang ilong niya. She smiled. "You can't get married without my consent. Kapag sinabi kong pwede na, pwede na. Pero kapag hindi, hindi pa pwede."

"That's unfair, pare." Cliff interrupted. "What if Clyde really wanted to marry her at age 18? Huwag ka namang kontrabida." Pagtutol ni Cliff. Sinabayan pa niya ng isang tawa.

Kinurot ni Lei ang tagiliran niya kaya napangiwi si Cliff. "Huwag mong igagaya ang anak mo sa'yo. I don't want Clyde and Clay to be as aggressive as you. Bad influence ka!"

"Oo nga, Cliff. Buti nga nakuha mo na ang 'yes' ni Lei after how many attempts. Mapangahas ka kaya. Matanglawin!" Dinagdagan pa ni Belle ang pang-aasar kay Cliff. Nag-high five pa silang dalawa ni Lei.

Tiningnan ko si Jill na iniikot-ikot ang singsing sa kanyang daliri. It's not appropriate for a little girl to hear the conversations of adults.

"Baby girl, did you already read the book Tita Lei bought for you?" Nag-angat ng tingin si Jill saka umiling bilang sagot.

"Mag-uusap lang ang mga adults. Doon ka muna kay Ate Lyka mo. She will read the book for you. Okay?" I smiled at Jill.

"Yes, Papa! Copy!" Hinalikan muna niya ako sa pisngi pati ang kanyang Mama bago bumaba at patakbong nagtungo kay Lyka - Cliff and Lei's eldest child and Clyde's twin sister. They are fraternal twins. I think, it runs in Cliff's family - ang pagkakaroon ng twins - since he has sisters who are twins.

As I watched Jill sat beside Lyka, I noticed the four boys playing scrabble. It's Clyde and Clay against my sons, André and Judd.

André is nine years old while Judd is seven. I wonder what words are they using for they are just kids. Unlike Cyde and Clay, who is ten and nine years old, respectively.

But what I realized most was that time passes by swiftly and everyday, there's always a change. Kahit ang pagmamahal ko kay Belle, nagbago rin. Dahil mas lalong lumalim at tumindi ang pagmamahal ko sa kanya. Kahit ngayon na napaka...

"Julian ko, I want a foot massage. Para kasing namamanhid na ang paa ko. Tapos pakikuha ako ng cupcake. Please? Thankyou! Samahan mo narin ng dalang fresh milk nina Lei." Belle all said that with a puppy-look effect. Even she won't do that, susundin ko parin naman ang hinihiling niya.

Napaka... palautos. Ngayon lang naman siya nagkaganito. I asked her OB at ang sabi, normal lamang daw iyon sa buntis. At mas mabuti na raw ang pagiging palautos niya kaysa sa ibang mga nagbubuntis na nagkaka-morning sickness at halos walang ganang kumain. So at the end, I got used at Belle's utos-dito-utos-doon attitude. Mawawala rin naman daw ito right after her sixth month.

Inaasar pa ako ni Cliff dahil nagiging 'under' daw ako. Well, I love being under... Under Belle's naked body.

Dahil sa sinabi kong 'under Belle', nakurot na naman ng mahal kong asawa ang precious pisngi ko. Pansin ko rin na pinanggigigilan ni Belle ang parteng ito ng mukha ko.

Pabalik na ako mula sa pagkuha ng hinihinging cupcake at fresh milk ni Belle nang mapatingin ako sa malaking portrait namin ni Belle na nakasabit sa may living room. It's a photo of us in our first wedding where Belle rest her head on my shoulder and we both holding each other's hand. The wedding that took place in a hospital's parking area. Kapag naaalala ko ang pangyayaring 'yun, napapangiti na lamang ako. Ang weird yet I don't regret doing it in an unusual place. I have to seize the day. If you can do the things that you can do today, do it. Bakit ka pa maghihintay ng bukas?

As I said earlier, that was our first wedding. The second one took place here in AmorCruise. Belle just wanted a simple church wedding and I granted her request dahil 'yun din ang plano ko. Then she moved in with me while Mamita moved in with Granny. Bakit pa kami lalayo? At isa pa, ayaw ni Belle na gumastos pa para bumili ng bagong bahay lalo na kung may dalawang bahay naman na nakahanda para sa aming dalawa at sa bubuuin naming pamilya.

It made the two, beautiful, old woman happy. In fact, they're again on a vacation in Australia. Reward daw nila sa sarili nila for completing their mission as cupids. I wonder how those two manage to travel thinking they're on their 80s already.

My thoughts were interrupted by Belle's voice. She's calling me. Tumakbo ako papunta sa kanya dahil baka ano na ang nararamdaman niya. Nang makabalik ako sa tabi niya, I asked her what was the problem. At napangiwi ako nang malaman ang dahilan ng pagtawag niya.

"I want a gallon of durian ice cream, bok." She pout.

Belle still calling me 'bok' even if nine years have passed. But she isn't my princess anymore. The moment she said yes to me, she became my Queen.

"Mukhang malayo ang lalakbayin mo, pare." Pang-aasar ni Cliff. Binato ko sa kanya ang paperbox na pinagbalutan ng mango pie na dala nila. Tumawa lang ang loko ngunit kaagad ding napalitan ng pagngiwi ng kurutin ulit siya ni Lei sa tagiliran. Now, it's my turn to laugh.

Naramdaman ko naman ang pagkapit ni Belle sa braso ko. "Sorry, Julian, ha? Nagki-crave lang talaga ako ngayon ng durian ice cream. Sorry kung masyado akong palautos."

Hinalikan ko siya saka hinaplos ang mukha niya. Bumaba ang kamay ko sa kanyang nakaumbok na tiyan. "It's okay. You don't have to say sorry. You know I love you kaya kahit anong utos mo, susundin ko."

"Thank you, Julian. Salamat sa pagtitiis sa kakulitan ko at ni baby. I love you." She kissed my cheek. "Durian ice cream, ha?"

I smiled at Belle. Siguro nga tama sila, na isa akong Heart Hitter. Dahil nagawa kong tamaang muli ang puso ng babaeng mahal ko kahit na ilang taon kaming nagkahiwalay. But on second thought, mukhang ako talaga yata ang tinamaan. Belle hit straight to my heart. Bull's eye!