Almost, But Not Quite (COMPLETED)

Epilogue (Part 2)

#ABNQEpilogue Epilogue (Part 2)

I woke up feeling nauseous. My head felt like it was being smashed in half. I tried to speak, but my throat felt so dry. At bago pa man ako maka-galaw ay may mga boses akong narinig.

"Has the doctor said anything?" I heard Saint's voice. "Mom's asking for an update."

"No, but they already did a test," Psalm responded. And when I felt him about to look my way, hindi ko alam kung bakit bigla ko na lamang ipinikit ang mga mata ko. "God, I told her to take it easy. She's always working herself too much."

"Maybe," Saint said. "But... I remember Mary fainting before. This situation just feels a lot like déjà vu."

I didn't know what was happening... Or maybe I did know. But I kept silent. I wanted to hear Psalm's answer... I needed to hear his answer.

"What are you talking about?" Psalm asked, as if Saint was being subtle with what he was trying to imply.

"I am suggesting... that maybe... since you're almost 30, in case you forgot, that maybe Joey is pregnant."

Naka-pikit ako, pero damang-dama ko iyong bilis ng tibok ng puso ko. Naka-pikit ako, pero tila gusto kong idilat ang mga mata ko para lamang makita iyong ekspresyon sa mga mata ni Psalm.

Ano'ng iniisip niya?

Ano'ng sasabihin niya?

Ano'ng gagawin niya?

"I mean, granted that Mom will definitely be mad at you for getting Joey pregnant before marrying her, but a baby's a blessing. She'll get over it," Saint continued after we got nothing but deafening silence from Psalm's end.

Tahimik akong naghintay sa kung ano ang sasabihin niya. Gusto ko kasing malaman... Paano kung buntis nga ako? Paano kung magkaka-anak nga kami? Ano'ng gagawin niya?

"But I think it's better that you get engaged before you tell Mom about the baby. Just to calm her down," Saint continued, but when he got no response from his brother, still, he continued. "Wait... you're marrying her, right? Because we'd all been waiting for years, Psalm. We know it's Joey for you, but for some reasons, you still won't marry her."

I bit my lip so hard to stop myself from doing anything. I wanted to calmly listen because this was the question that I was very hesitant to ask. Na bakit nga ba hindi niya ako magawang pakasalan? Ano ba ang plano niya? Hanggang gaano kami ganito katagal? Hanggang kailan ko siya ipagtatanggol sa mga magulang ko? Because I was running out of excuses to defend him na kung bakit hanggang ngayon, wala pa ring nangyayari.

Kung bakit hanggang ngayon, hanggang dito pa rin lang kami.

"I will... I just..." he trailed, but a minute passed, and I got nothing.

"You just what?" Saint asked.

I felt Psalm's hand gently caressing my hair. I felt his eyes on me. I felt him leaning in and planting a kiss on my forehead.

"I'm just scared."

"Of what?"

"Of her," he said. "I'm just scared that... that what if another Marcus comes in her life? What if... what if she does that to me again?" He paused. "I'd die, Saint. I'd die if she does that again."

"Isn't that all the more reason why you should marry her? So that she'd be yours? Legally?"

"Being married doesn't save you from being cheated on. If someone wants to cheat, she'd find a way. No amount of commitment can stop someone from cheating if she really wants to."