"Lupita." Nadine said as she sat on the seat next to me. The kitten resting on my lap looked up and stared at her with wide, curious eyes. I did the same, and I watched her as she stuck her tongue out at the feline.
"What?"
"We'll call her Lulu." Her finger went to pat the kitten's head. It leaned towards her touch, and she smiled at this response. "Short for Lupita."
"I don't get it." It was true. I had no idea what she was talking about.
Her eyebrows pulled together as she gasped. "Seriously, James? The actress?"
I shook my head and shrugged. "I don't know her."
She pouted her lips in disappointment then spoke, "Sayang, maganda pa naman." Her hands went to cup around the tiny ball of fur. "Lulu-bear. You like that, huh?"
She continued making faces at the kitten, and I just sat there and studied her features. One might think that I have memorized every detail of her face since I see her almost everyday, and I also thought I already did, but for some reason every time I look at her, I notice something different. Like how she doesn't have dimples but when she smiles, cute, tiny curves appear on her face, just below each cheek. Or how the folds on her chin become visible when she gives the camera a tight-lipped smile. One time I annoyed her on purpose just to remember where exactly the crease on her forehead appears when she pulls her eyebrows together.
Today, it was her baby hair. She had lots of them just beneath her hairline. Some were long enough that they hang loosely in front of her forehead, others were so short and fine they were barely noticeable.
Her head perked up, and our gazes met. "Why? Is there something wrong?"
With your face? No. It's perfect. "Wala," I told her with a smile.
She took the kitten in her hands and held it against her chest. "Ay, alam ko na. Stormy."
"Why that?"
"It's short for Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All!" She held the kitten's paws and slightly swinged them from side to side. "You like that, Stormy? You do?"
Trying to suppress a full-blown smile was impossible while I watched her talk to the kitten like this. Her voice switched from normal to this small voice she uses when talking to babies and her dogs, and it was delightful to witness.
"Hmmm. How about we call you Snow White? Snowyyy!" She beamed as she stroke the kitten's shiny, black fur.
"Snowbear?" I suggested, and she bursted out laughing.
"What even-," She started giggling, again. "Ginawa mo namang candy!"
"Well, I like the sound of that." I meant Snowbear. And your laugh, too.
"We are so not going to name her Snowbear." She rolled her eyes at me and made faces at the kitten. We.The two of us. I was starting to think I need to make a list of the sounds I like. It would definitely contain the sound of Nadine saying 'we.'
"Okay. How about Beyoncé? Ooohhh, then we'll call your kitten, Jay-Z!" I clapped my hands, satisfied and proud with the names I came up with. "Wait, is it a boy? Where is your kitten anyway?"
"It is a boy, and he's in the car with my little sister. Mimi likes him. The moment Donna gave him to me, parang ilang seconds ko lang nahawakan then kinuha na niya." She chuckled. This time, she let the kitten lay on its back while she gave it a belly rub. "But! We're so not going to name them that. Magkapatid sila. Incest?"
"Fair point well made." I nodded in agreement. The kitten was obviously enjoying the free massage Nadine was offering. "Blue Ivy na lang? What do you think?"
"Yeah, that's cute! Kapareho ng eyes niya." Her fingers traced an invisible line between the kitten's eyes. "Awww, you pretty little thing!"
"Oh my God, guys." Our heads turned towards the dressing room door, where the voice was coming from. "Ang cute niyo. Para kayong parents na aliw na aliw sa newborn niyo."
That one would definitely be included in the list I was talking about. Nice one, Donna!
"Donna talaga!" Nadine said as Donna walked in. "Dami mong alam."
Donna came closer and her eyes landed on the kitten on Nadine's hands. "Awww, you've met your mom na pala baby girl!"
Another one made it to the list. I want to hug Donna right now.
"Mommy ka diyan!" Nadine half-yelled, but she was grinning.
Donnalyn took my kitten in her hands and started talking to it. "Tell your dad na wag muna magparty-party ha? Pamilyado na siyang tao. He has two mouths to feed na. Mahal ang milk. Diapers. Grooming. Schooling niyo pa." Her fingers moved down to scratch the kitten's neck. "Since your mom is busy working with your dad, kelangan niyo ng yaya. Another gastos. So you tell your daddy to behave ha? Tama na tambay sa Privé."
The kitten looked at Donna all throughout her speech, gaze fixed on her lips. Then the most curious thing happened-much to our surprise, the kitten meow-ed like it understood what Donnalyn said, and we all laughed 'til we're breathless.
"May name na siya?" Donna asked after her breathing returned to normal.
"Blue Ivy." Nadine and I said at the same time.
"Eeeee! Look at you guys, para kayong proud parents. You came up with that? Together?"
I looked sideways to meet Nadine's eyes and we both nodded. " Stop. Being. Cute. No, I mean go on." Donna said in her little girl voice. She gave the kitten back to Nadine. "Dyan ka muna kay mommy mo. Kelangan na umalis ni Ninang Donna kasi she has work. Behave ha."
Donna bent to place her cheek against Nadine's. She moved closer to me and did the same. "Bye, you guys. Stay cute."
"Thank you again for the kids-I mean kittens, Donna." Donnalyn's eyebrows shot up with surprise for a moment, then she waved as she went out of the room.
Nadine handed Blue to me and I let her sit on my belly. However, after a few seconds she stood up and went back to Nadine's arms. Nadine let out a giggle and said, "Awww, she likes me."
Not only the kitten, Nadz. Also the owner. They both like you.
I stared at Blue curled up in a ball on Nadine's lap. "Maybe we should call her Cess."
"What?" She gave me a piercing stare. "Why?"
"Short for Princess."
"Dude, ang labo mo." There was a trace of frustration in her voice.
"What? Her mom is my queen. It's fitting and proper."
The furrow between her eyebrows disappeared the moment she understood what I said. She kept biting her lower lip and setting her mouth in a thin line, obviously trying to hide a smile, while she ran her fingers down the kitten's spine. "Wag na. Queen din naman si Beyoncé eh. Queen B, pwede na. I'd love to be her kahit kunwari lang."
My smile grew upon hearing the last sentence. The list was getting longer, and I love it.
I inhaled a few times while I compose myself. "Bigyan naman natin ng name yung sa'yo."
"He already has a name."
"Oh." I felt my heart sank. I was hoping we would think of the name together, but... tough luck. I tried to hide my disappointment by asking, "Ano pangalan?"
"JJ." She wrote two J's in the air with her index finger.
"Bakit yun?" I asked softly. She turned to face me and gave me one of her warmest smiles. But even that couldn't make the bitterness I felt go away.
"Napakaantukin kasi. Kaya ayun, I named him after his dad."
"Huh?" I felt my pulse race, both from excitement and fear. I'd like to believe I was the dad she was talking about. But I didn't want to get disappointed for the second time today.
"James Junior. Kaya JJ."
And suddenly I wasn't so mad that she named the kitten without my help.
