My Antagonist Wife *completed*

Forty Six

"Tara na, Jac. Puntahan na natin si baby Raffy." Yaya sa akin ni Jerod. Naiwan ang mga friends namin sa hospital room ko. I am not dischrged yet, but Jerod insists on visiting Raffy.

"Bakit ba kasi hindi pa ako dini-discharge? Ano ba'ng problema?" Hindi ako sinagot ni Jerod. Ngumiti lang siya at hinila ako sa hallway kung nasaan ang nursery room.

Kumatok siya sa window glass ng nursery room. Lumabas ang isang nurse at tinanong ang pangalan ng baby na gusto naming makita. Maya-maya pa ay nakita namin siyang may tulak-tulak na baby na nasa loob ng isang incubator. My chest was constricting in pain. Hindi ko maipaliwanag ang nararamdaman ko. Naiiyak ako at nanlalamig ang dalawa kong mga kamay.

"Raffy..." Bulong ko habang humihikbi. I can't contain what I'm feeling. Hindi ko alam kung masaya ako o nalulungkot.

How I wish she was Thereeze. How I wish she was my child. Pero hindi. At okay lang iyon basta she's safe. And sa tingin ko, hindi pa ako ready na magka-anak. I haven't forgiven myself fully sa nangyari kay Thereeze kaya hindi ko alam kung paano ko ihahandle kapag nabuntis ako. But I still want to have my own child someday.

"How I wish she was Thereeze." Nagulat ako sa biglaang pagsasalita ni Jerod. I looked up to him and he was crying.

"Rod..." Hindi ko alam ang sasabihin. Hindi ko in-expect na iiyak siya ng ganito.

"I always wonder kung ano kaya'ng itsura niya if she was alive. She would've been three years old by now. Ang saya-saya siguro nating tatlo. Siguro kung hindi ako pinangunahan ng galit, nabuhay sana siya. I'm sorry, Jac." She held both of my hands and kissed them.

"Rod, it was my fault. Please stop taking the blame. I was the mother. I was at fault. Hindi ko inisip ang kalagayan niya at mas inuna ko ang sarili ko." He was shaking his head.

"I was the father, Jac. Mas inuna ko ang nararamdaman ko ng mga panahon na iyon. I was supposed to protect you and Thereeze. I was supposed to protect my family. Ako dapat ang umayos ng lahat, but I let you slip away. I imagined Thereeze shaking her head in disappointment. I'm sorry, wife. I'm really sorry. Please, please forgive me. Let's start anew." I hugged him tight. He kissed my forehead and what he did next made me froze.

"Rod naman." He knelt in front of me with teary eyes.

"Marry me again, Jac. For real. In front of Raffy, our god daughter, Thereeze, our daughter up there, and our friends." Lumingon ako sa likod. It's unbelievable how they managed to enter the scene without getting noticed. "Please marry me." My lips were quivering. He held out the ring and smiled at me with tears in his eyes.

"Why? Bakit, Rod? After ng lahat ng nangyari, bakit ako? Bakit ako pa rin? Bakit hindi na lang iba? Sobrang broken kong tao and I might take years to get repaired-" He shook his head which made me stop.

"We'll repair you. We're in this together, Jac. Mula ngayon, sasamahan na kita. Ako na ang kakampi mo. Ako na ang gigising at magpapainom sa'yo ng gamot when your nightmares haunt you. Ako na ang bantay mo kapag natatakot ka. Magkasama na nating dadalawin si Thereeze tuwing death anniversary niya. We'll get tattoos together. We'll travel the world and give Thereeze siblings." Binatukan ko siya sa huli niyang sinabi.

"Kahit kailan ka talaga, Rod!" Sigaw ni Vince sa likod. Narinig ko naman ang tawanan ng iba.

Nilingon ko sila at ang karamihan sa kanila ay umiiyak. Pris and Lara were giving me a thumbs up which means I should say yes. Shaun and Greg were smiling at me while nodding their heads. I nod in response.

"Yes. Let's get tattoos and travel the world, Rod." We both shed a tear while he was putting on the ring.

"Buti naman tinanggap mo. Ang mahal no'n, wife." He was holding on to his chest.