Excess EXes

19

"ready na ba lahat?" rinig ni brent na tanong ni ricci sa event organizer, the woman nodded and spoke to her headpiece about asking updates from the bride.

"Kanina ka pa kumakain dyan." Ricci noticed, brent snorted and rolled his eye, lalo pa niyang isiniksik ang kamay niya sa pringles

"bat kasi hindi niyo pinakita sa akin si anikka?" Brent asked, ricci rolled his eyes and he really wanted to strangle brent.

"again, it's her na ayaw magpakita. Ayoko siyang pilitin, it took me a year to convince her to go home and come to my wedding." ricci stated and grabbed the Pringles from brent's hand.

"A year?? Eh three months ago ka lang nag propose ah?" brent said, ricci nodded.

"Oo, tapos you think i'm gonna ruin that? para lang sayo?"

"si anikka pa rin ba cci?" Seryoso ang pagtatanong ni brent, he even sat up straight, ricci looked at him through the mirror.

Isang maliit na ngiti ang sinagot ni ricci, not showing his teeth or any happiness. Mabuti na lamang ay wala pa yung videographer at photographer.

"I love betina, she's the mother of eyana, I learned to love her sa tatlong taon ni eyana sa mundo. Eyana is my number one" ricci said, smiling at the thought of his daughter "but anikka, anikka will always be my dream, anikka is the one i'll always look for"

"then why marry betina?" Brent asked, helping ricci with his tie.

"Because the last time that I saw anikka here, she told me si brent lang, wala nang iba pa" ricci said with a sad smile, nilagay ni brent ang kanyang kamay sa balikat ni ricci.

"If anikka decides that she still wants to be with you, take care of her na brent, wag mo na hayaang umalis pa, because I really think na nauubusan na kayo ng oras, baka hindi na maging mapagbigay pa ang mundo, baka tuluyan na kayong paglayuin nito." brent hugged ricci.

The sudden flash surprised the both of them, nandito na pala yung photographer and then came in rasheed, prince and other friends of ricci to take photos. Ricci smiled, this was his day.

But Brent was his best man, always.

"Tita ikka" eyana said, raising her hand for anikka to carry her. Sinamaan ng tingin ni bets si anikka, telling her not to pick up eyana.

"Mama told me not to carry you baby eh." Anikka said, sticking her tongue out at betina.

"ibibigay na namin yung gift ni ricci, okay lang ba?" Anikka asked, picking eyana up and grabbing the paper bag of a designer watch.

"sandali lang anikka." tawag ni betina, lumingon si anikka at yakap ang isinalubong ni betina kay anikka.

"salamat sa pagbibigay mo." bulong ni betina, "you'll always be in ricci's heart but thank you for giving him to me, salamat dahil pinigilan mo siya na sundan ka sa spain, salamat kasi you endured the loneliness para lang maging buo kaming tatlo."

"betina, you deserve to be happy." Sagot ni anikka, but umiling si betina.

"You deserve happiness more than I do anikka. I think it's time for you to be truly happy na." betina said, kumunot ang noo ni anikka.

"I found a lot of surrogate mothers and a lot of adoption agencies, kaya niyo pang maging pamilya ni brent anikka, may pag-asa pa." betina started, eyana muttering words that no one understands. "Go and see brent."

And anikka did, with eyana in her arms she knocked on ricci's door, biting her lip, eyana was singing into the unknown which made anikka calm down a bit.

"hi." anikka said, she saw brent first, and she swore that her heart skipped a beat.

"hi." sagot ni brent, smiling as soon as he heard anikka's voice, wala pa ring pinagbago si anikka, except that her hair was shorter.

"Marry me?" Brent badly wanted to ask, but he shook that thought away from his mind. "Pasok ka?" He offered and he carried eyana para hindi na mahirapan pa si anikka.

"Oh, regalo ni bets sayo." anikka said, giving ricci the paper bag, ricci smiled as anikka went straight to the pringles.

The videographer directed ricci to read the note inside, brent was covering eyana's mouth. And while ricci was reading, brent looked at anikka, anikka who was admiring ricci and his love for betina, not knowing na siya pa rin naman ang lamang sa puso nito.

"I love you so much" brent heard ricci read, kaya napatingin siya rito, but when he turned his gaze to look back at anikka, she was already looking at him.