The Accused (A Series #1)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"You need to stand up."

Tinatagan niya ang sarili na sabihin iyon. Matapos ang ilang minuto na pagsuko sa sakit, ay kailangan nilang matauhan ulit. The pain may be part of their realities now, pero hindi sila dapat mamuhay doon. There's more to to life than living with despondency.

May nakita siyang isang grupo ng kabataan na palapit sa kanilang pwesto kaya she tried to hoist him up. Nakaluhod pa din ito at nakuyuko. Tahimik nalang ito at mahihina nalang ang paghikbi.

Mabuti nalang at di na niya kailangang ulitin ang sinabi dahil tumayo na ito at bumalik sa pwesto sa tabi niya.

"I'm sorry—"

"Stop. Kanina mo pa 'yan sinasabi. I know you're sorry pero wala na 'yang magagawa, tapos na."

She did not want to sound rude but that was just all she could say. The more that she get to hear it from him, mas lalo siyang nasasaktan.

He looked at her apologetically, instead. She was not used to that kind of expression from him so maybe that was the reason why she felt regretful all of a sudden. To brush the uneasiness away, she looked back at the sea.

Andoon na ang grupo ng mga kabataan. Ang iba ay nagtatampisaw na. She just took them as a distraction to the scene she created between Calev and hers. A good distraction at that.

"I don't know what's your plan after but I hope that includes you, not taking away Aurine from us," she unswervingly stated. She looked at him with no fear in her eyes. She needed to appear strong or she would waver. "She knew that Finno was not her biological father. We explained that to her this early and she was so smart to catch it all up. But... I do not know how she would take it if she would meet you and more so, if you would take her away from us."

Nakitaan niya na kaonting gulat ang mga mata nito but then it softened after.

"What does... she know about me?" There was uncertainty in his voice and like he was being careful or he would trip.

"She just know that you are not here with us. She did not ask for more."

Pain crossed his eyes. He bit his lip for seconds as if thinking what to say next. She just waited for him to make up his mind.

"Four years ago, you told me that... that you would name our baby Ceresse if it would be a girl. When you asked me the last time if I remember, I do. That made me have second thoughts about it because I remembered it clearly. Ceresse, that was what you told me. I never thought that you would change it... but you did."

She was taken aback and for a second, she forgot who she was talking to. Our baby, he said it. Her heart swelled upon the mention of it and the fact that he did not forget. But how... how could he remember it?

Nakatataak na kasi sa isipan niya noon pa lang, na hindi ito naniwala sa sinabi niya o wala itong pakialam kaya di na din siya nag-abala pang alamin kung ano ang nangyari pagkatapos ng sabihin niya ito dito.

"I did not change it."

"But your husband did," he said spitefully.

"Hindi rin. He did not change it, he just added. My daughter's name is Aurine Ceresse."

Natigilan ito sa sinabi niya. Napatitig lang sa kanya at mukhang di alam ang sasabihin. She smiled at him shortly.

"You see, my husband is not that bad kaya hindi ko malaman kung bakit mukhang inis na inis ka sa kanya. Hindi naman kayo nagkita at naging magkalaban sa rehab noon 'di ba?" She chuckled a little to make the conversation light. But then she may have done the wrong thing... or must she say, said the wrong thing.