Yes, Baby. No, Daddy.

Chapter 19

Note: I am not promoting any religion. If you find the suggested music above offensive for your own religion, you are free not to play or listen to it. If you find the following scenes not appropriate for you to read feel free to skip the part or chapter.

Tremble

The hardest thing in changing is that when people keep on questioning your genuineness. It has been weeks since the New Year came. Justine feels it every single day as people that barely knows him judge him as he change.

Changing alone is hard enough. Ang paglayo sa nakasanayan at gawing tahanan ang bagong mga gawi ay hindi biro. But there would always be people who will keep on questioning, mocking and who wouldn't believe in your intentions.

Justine wanted people to see that he's a new man. He wanted them to know that he is worthy of Stella's love for him. That he isn't just the man they knew from the past, that he can change. His heart is breaking every single time that people are questioning his whole being and even his love for his wife.

Siguro nga kahit anong gawin mong pagbabago pero kung sarado ang isipan ng mga tao na nakapaligid sa'yo ay mahihirapan silang makita ito. People will only see what they want to see. They will only open their eyes on the things that feeds their egos. They wouldn't care if you're hurt, because what they only see is their own grief, their pain.

But there are people like Max and Celine then there's Stella. They are there to support him with the change that is coming to his heart and soul. Even though everyday is a life battle, they believed in the best in him. Even he did all them wrong, they still didn't doubt the change that is happening to him.

They have the heart that represents God well. The three of them are the personification of God in his life. Even though darkness still hunts him every single night, when he remembers every single thing that these three has done for him, may it be big or small, it encourages him to keep moving forward.

"Are you ready, baby!" Stella asked as she fixed the sleeves of his polo.

Justine nodded. "Kahit hindi sigurado, oo. And'yan ka naman 'eh."

Stella smiled at that. "Just be yourself in front of your daughter, okay?"

Honey is still not comfortable with his presence. Every time he tries to say hello to his own daughter when he joins Max and Celine when they fetch her at school, the little girl would only give him a small smile and would cling to her mother like a koala. He can see fear in his eyes with his presence. Justine can see that Honey feels like there's a need to protect her mother whenever he's around them.

The way Honey reacts to his presence is a constant reminder that forgiveness doesn't equal to trust. Celine and Max have already forgiven him but Honey is still distant from him. Just the way she looks at him makes him feel bad.

He has already accepted that he is a sinful man. He lived most of his life makings sins and repeating them again and again. When he thought that everything was over for him, Stella came. Even though with her sharp words, she has constantly reminded him that he is a good man of his own, he just needs to accept it.

Acceptance is always the first step. In everything that we do, accepting whatever circumstance it may be, it will lead to a better path.

Stella and Justine sat at the second phew. In front of them were Max, Celine and Honey. He smiled when he saw that the little girl seems excited on attending the gig.

They're at His Life Wildfire and it is his fist time to come to a place like this. Everything is new to him. He had only attended masses on a catholic church but never did he saw himself in a church that has a concert stage in front.