LIKE I NEVER LEFT °[KathNiel] ✓COMPLETE

23. Sweet

Amara

"Good morning mommy. Time to get up." I hear indistinct voice while someone tickles the tip of my nose. "Get up mommy."

"Baby, just one more minute." I murmur mindlessly and wrap my arms around my daughter—except that it's actually not Darryl's size. Utterly shocked and scared at the same time, I automatically get up from my sleep state only to see Four's smiling face and my daughter on his side who's chuckling.

"That was epic dad, just how we want it to happen." She comments and high-fives her father. "Good morning mommy." She greets afterwards and give me her daily morning kiss.

"Good morning, my love." I say sweetly as I hug her tight. "Bakit ang kulit-kulit mo ha? Ha? Ang aga-aga pa eh."

"She's talking alien, daddy!" Sumbong niyang nagpaalala sa'kin sa nakangising daddy niya.

"Good morning my love." Four greets and kisses me on the cheeks. "How's your sleep?"

"Good." Whoa. Umiinit ang pisngi ko. This ridiculous. Parang bumalik lang ako sa pagka-teenager. "Kanina pa kayo gising?"

"No." He smirks. "Just about an hour ago." Sinimangutan ko siya dahil sa kanyang sagot. Gaya ng lagi niyang reaksiyon, tumawa siya at niyakap ako.

"I can't breathe, parents!" Reklamo ni Darryl na pumagitna sa'min. Napatawa kami ni Four at the mention of the word parents. Ba't ba kasi may anak kaming utak-forty years old? Lalo namin siyang inipit ni Four sa loob ng dalawa o tatlong segundo.

"Where's dad's kiss? Ang unfair naman na si mommy lang ang may kiss." Reklamo ni Four matapos ikandong ang anak namin. Mabilis naman siyang hinalikan ni Darryl sa pisngi ng paulit-ulit.

"How I wish all mornings are like this. This is the best morning ever." She exclaims and hugs me and her father. "I love you mom. I love you dad."

"Oh sweetheart. Mommy loves you so much." I quickly reply as I hug her. While my daughter and I have our moment, Four pinches my cheek without much force and silently mouths 'I love you'. I can't help but smile at that. Darryl is right. This is the best morning so far.

"Oh! I have to get to mama lola! We're cooking something! I am her sous chef for this morning. She's gonna be so angry." Kwento niya with all her usual exaggerated facial expressions—brows raised and eyes widened and rounded. Mabilis na bumitaw siya sa'min at tumakbo na palabas ng kwarto.

"Stop staring!" Sita ko nang marealize na nakatitig na naman si Four sa'kin suot ang ngisi niyang nakakaasar. "That's rude."

"Rude?" He moves closer to me. "You know what's rude, love? Not getting a morning kiss from someone who tells me she loves me."

Ugh. Can he move on? He doesn't have to remind me of what happened last night!

"Shut up, Palmer."

"Oh babe. You know how to shut me up." He blurts and winks.

"Wala ka talagang papalagpasing oras para lumandi ano?"

"Hmm." He pretends to be thinking and then smirks. "No. When it comes to you, flirting is just my default verb."

"Ewan ko sa'yo. Panira ka ng umaga." Pagtataray ko para maitago ang panginginit ng pisngi ko. Minabuti kong bumaba na ng kama ngunit hindi ako hinayaan ni Four. Mabilis niya akong hinila at niyakap ng napakahigpit.

"I love you, baby. I love you so much."

Oh. That's melting my heart. I just find myself next hugging him back. If I am going to lose him again, I don't know what I will be like other than devastated and empty and miserable.