Her parents exchanged meaningful looks before smiling at them. She caressed Bea and the latter glanced at her hesitantly.
"It's alright, babe. They're happy for us," she prodded.
Bea's head throbbed immensely. She hasn't been this nervous and terrified in her entire life. Nothing seems to be fine because Jho's parents weren't responding.
"Welcome to the family, Beatriz. A very wise choice by our daughter indeed," John said after he heaved a sigh of relief.
"At last, mapapanatag na ang loob namin ni Tito John mo, Bea. Akala namin habang buhay walang mag-aalaga sa kanya," Jho's mother gladly admitted.
The tension in her body washed away as she heard the approval of Jho's parents. Jho was just observing her reaction and was waiting for her girlfriend to loosen up.
"Sabi ko sayo they'll love you like they love me. Baka nga mas favorite ka na ngayon," Jho stated jokingly.
Bea chuckled while rubbing the corner of her brow. Everything is surreal – they're official and things are doing well for them. In her mind, she thanked God for surpassing another hurdle with Jhoana. Ever since she and Jho were seeing each other, it brought her closer and closer to Him. It was the Jhoana effect and she changed for the better.
Thank you for her. She happily thought.
"The pleasure of taking care of Jho is all mine po. I'll do my best to be better for her every day." She flashed a genuine smile and gazed at Jho and found her grinning widely.
Jho was admiring how Bea talks about her – the way her lips moved, how her voice sounded, the way the corner of her eyes crinkled as she smiled upon saying her name – and she couldn't suppress her smile.
"Are you laughing at me?" Bea asked her.
"No, no. Go on. Tell them more. They want to know more."
It was just her excuse to stare at Bea a little longer. The other one was convinced and started sharing the usual stuff they do and how long they've been together. They were actively conversing and from the outsider's perspective, it was like Bea was the daughter and not Jhoana.
Charmer. Her mind whispered.
--
"So, babe mo na ako ngayon?" Bea asked the moment they hopped inside the car.
Even though the car was dimly lit, she could see that Jho is flustered.
"Pwede namang hindi na babe if it sounds-"
She made an effort to lean her body towards Jho and stole a kiss. She laughed at the sight of the other's reaction – her eyes were wide and round. That earned her a slap on the arm.
"Chansing mo," she complained.
"Gusto mo naman. And babe," she prolonged the last word, " alam mo naman na I can't keep my hands off of you."
Jho pouted and met her loving eyes. "How about I call you honey? Mas sweet pakinggan."
She stroked her chin a couple of times, pondering what cute name they could use. Well, honey is indeed a sweet one and babe seems to be overrated.
"How about we make each other nicknames? I could call you Lulu and you can call me Bee."
Confusion was all over her girlfriend's face. "Lulu? San mo nakuha yan? I can understand Bee kasi Bea ka naman and people call you that too."
She chuckled then pinched Jhoana's cheek. "Haaay, you little adorable thing. Lulu as in Louisse."
The smaller girl rolled her eyes in disgust. "Sa lahat ng pwedeng itawag sa akin yan pa!"
