LIKE I NEVER LEFT °[KathNiel] ✓COMPLETE

6. Morning

Amara

Nakatulog naman ako ng maayos kahit papaano kagabi. Gaya ng nakasanayan, maaga akong gumising samantalang parehong tulog pa si Darryl at Four. Malapit ng mag-seven. Male-late na ako sa trabaho nito. Nang tumawag si kuya Theo, pumunta ako sa balcony para sagutin 'yon. Aaah. This is still my favorite spot in his room. From up here, you can see the neighborhood or the sunrise every morning. Beautiful.

"Nandiyan parin ba kayo Amara?" Kuya interrogates as I answer his call. He's so good at this—checking my whereabouts. Pakiramdam ko, naging teenager ulit ako e. Yong sobrang bantay sarado sa kanya.

"Kuya. Tulog pa ang anak ko. Ano'ng gusto mo gisingin ko at nang magtantrums na naman?"

"Umayos ka diyan, Mara. Baka naman gusto mo na ulit ibalik ang Palmer na 'yan sa buhay mo—"

"Ugh. Can you stop? Aminin na natin kuya, he's destined to know about our daughter. He's an asshole but he still deserves to know about her. But that doesn't mean, I'm letting him in my life again like nothing happened. I am not that stupid."

"Good. Umuwi na kayo. You have a lot of explaining to do. Kung hindi lang bumagyo kagabi, baka sinugod ko na kayo diyan."

Hala siya. Napairap ako sa sinabi niya. Ang OA talaga minsan ng Tobias Junior na 'to.

"Kuya? Alam na ba nina mama?"

Nag-anniversary vacation kasi ang dalawa. Next week pa sila uuwi but if they knew by now about what happened, uuwi 'yon agad-agad.

"Hindi pa. At nagtitimpi lang akong sabihin. Kaya umuwi na kayo dito ni Darryl bago pa magbago ang isip ko." Pananakot niyang hindi nagpatinag sa'kin. Ganyan lang talaga siya, ang hilig manakot. Pero alam ko namang pipiliin niyang gawin 'yong magpoprotekta sa'kin sa anuman.

Pagbalik ko ng bedroom, wala na sa kama si Darryl. Nakahiga na siya sa couch, nakayakap kay Four. Naninikip ang dibdib ko habang pinapanood sila. That would have been sweet if only our situation is different.

"Mommy." Tawag ni Darryl na nagpatayo sa'kin ng maayos. "Dad sleeps like a log." She comments and giggles afterward.

Yeah. He always sleeps like that, baby. Pero alam kong ang tagal niyang natulog kagabi. Nagising nga ako bandang alas tres at gising parin siya.

"Darryl, let your daddy rest and let's go home."

"Can I just stay here mom? Daddy can drive me to dance school later." She requests but I'm, not in my sane mind, going to allow that.

"No. Darryl, if you keep disobeying me because of your daddy, I will be angry."

Pouting and in fake teary-eyes to back up her act, she climbs down the couch.

"Wake up daddy."

"Darryl, stop it."

"I wanna hear him say good morning to me." She reasons which made me guilty and sad and angry for one reason. I can feel now my own tears forming around my eyes. Pagdating kay Darryl, wala akong hindi naiiyakan. She's my world.

"Daddy—" My daughter flinches when Four moves. She looks at me with a wide smile and then returns her attention to him.

"Oh, love." Four murmurs when he sees us. I immediately stand up and take a few steps backward to observe distance between us. "Good morning, munchkin." He greets our daughter as he gets up. His eyes are still sleepy with his eyebags more evident now.

Pinaupo niya sa hita niya ang anak namin. Nakakainis tingnan ang mga ngiti niya. Alam kong masaya lang siya na nakikita niya ang anak namin. That's exactly the point. I despise him and I don't want him to be happy.