The CEO's Scheme

Special Chapter: A Taste of Marriage (Part 2)

Hello, readers! This is the last part of the extras, and it will be the most special one. A Christmas treat for you all. (Sorry, my laptop broke down, I needed few days to be able to start typing again. Thank God my laptop is okay now.) So, happy holidays!

★★★

IT is two days before Christmas, but the house Aesthen’s living in still won’t lit up before her eyes. Hindi sa naninibago siya, since she really is used to dim lit Christmas.

Blancos are so used to that.

She grew up having a terrible Mom who only cares about herself. It’s a disaster. . .and it’s lonely. But not until Nix came and change everything for her.

They’ll do everything together just for the sake of Christmas at Blanco’s residence. They’d draw endless of lit up Christmas houses, pagandahan sila—paramihan.

That’s a contest, hanggang antukin sila at makatulog sa bundok ng mga papel na puno ng drawing nilang Christmas houses.

That’s their best alternative for Noche Buena, because they didn’t grow up celebrating it as a complete family, praising Lord on their dining table full of feast is never an option—not Blancos’ tradition. Then they’ll wake up the next day, do not even care if it is Christmas Day because they already slept in the whole day, just because they stayed up all night.

But Aesthen actually have this blurry image in her head where she, her Mom, and her Dad were visiting church on a Christmas day. But she was too young in that image. She didn’t know if it is a dream or if it happened for real when she was young, pero wala na talaga siyang pake. Siguro dahil alam niya sa sarili niyang imposible iyon. Malabong mangyari, kahit kailan.

Looking at this house where she is living now? Si Nix na lang talaga ang kulang upang maibalik niya ang Noche Buena na nakasanayan niya. Although the first year of their wedding, they spent their Christmas and New Year in Japan. Quite different than what she expected, but it is out of town. She never get to experience it here. . .at their home. But after her discovery of being unable to bear a child, they just stop going country after country for Christmas and New Year. She just told him that she’s tired.

This is actually the third year that they’re having a silent and dark Christmas. She will lock herself on her room, and cry her heart out.

No one will know that she’s in pain.

Napapikit na lamang siya habang iniisip niya na naman ang madilim at nakakatakot na oras ng buhay niya, dalawang araw na lang at magaganap na naman iyon.

AGAD AKONG NAPABANGON sa sofa na kinahihigaan ko nang makarinig ako ng katok sa pinto. Napakunot ang noo ko. Alam kong hindi iyon si Aries dahil may susi siya kung kaya't hindi na niya kailangan pang kumatok. Hindi ko lubos maisip kung sino ang maaaring bumisita sa akin sa kanitong panahon at araw, dapat ang lahat ay busy sa pagbili ng mga panregalo, pang-handa sa Noche Buena bukas, at paglalagay ng mga dekorasyon sa kanilang mga bahay.

Huminga ako ng malalim bago pinractice ang aking ngiti. Tila hindi na yata ako marunong gayong hindi ko na naeexcercise ang pagngiti dahil sa mga stress at pagbabago sa buhay ko.

“Sino—” napatigil ako sa pagsasalita nang pagbukas ko ay makita ko kung sino ang nasa pinto.

“Dad?” tila umagos lahat ng luha ko nang makita ko si papa na nakatayo sa porch ng bahay namin ni Aries bitbit ang isang malaking box. “Dad,” mahina kong muling bulong. Never kong inisip na masasabi ko muli ang mga salitang iyon. Pero hindi ko alam kung bakit imbis na galit at poot ang maramdaman ko ay naappreciate ko pa ang pagdalaw niya sa akin dito. After all these years. Siguro ay dahil sa panahon at dahil sa araw na ito. Magpapasko na.