Stonehearts 7: Ruby

Forty

"Lil sis, okay lang bang nakatayo ng matagal? I mean your feet is going to swell because of. . ." Claus stopped talking when I pinned him with a death stare. He instantly raised both his hands, palms up, in surrender. "Ang sasabihin ko lang naman na baka mapagod paa mo." He continued.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Bakit ka nga ba nasa Manila ka pa? Di mo pa ba na-mi-miss ang Baguio?"

Umiling siya saka uminom sa iced tea na hinanda ko para sa kanila. "Nope, I'm staying here until the baby arrives."

Overbearing.

Really.

I stopped working when I hit the third month of my pregnancy. I don't even know why they call in morning sickness, because I was spilling the contents of my gut every hour or so. I was also growing irritable in the smallest of things and mostly lethargic. Minsan nakakatulog ako sa desk ko sa opisina ng hindi ko namamalayan. Malala na rin mood swings ko, salamat na lang talaga sa Diyos dahil binigyan niya ako ng maintindihan na mapapang-asawa.

"Can you deport him off to Baguio, Sage? I don't want to see him here." Reklamo ko kay Sage na tinawanan niya lang.

"No can do, lil sis. The more people are here, the more you're safe." Dagdag pa niya. Bakit nga ba ako umasa na kakampihan ako ng taong 'to.

"At bakit naman ako hindi magiging safe? Eh, halos nakabuntot nga sa'kin si Bryce kahit saan ako magpunta."

"Where he is now then?" Claus countered.

"Pinabili ko ng singkamas."

"Exactly my point." Claus dead-panned, scooping fishball and chicken ball in his mouth.

Hindi ako mananalo sa taong ito kaya inirapan ko na lang siya at nanahimik. Sakto rin naman ang tawag ni Aly. There's less and less drama in her life now a days. Kung ano man ang ginagawa ni Evan, he's doing it right. The ring on her finger states that, too. Yup, she finally agreed on marrying him. Hindi nga lang daw sila magpapakasal agad-agad. If I understood it correctly, they'll wait until both their companies settles the partnership before they go saying their 'I do's'. Probably, it will happen a year or so.

"Glad you called. I have unwelcome visitors as of the moment and they're annoying me." I greeted her.

Her contagious laugh echoed, "Arcie-bear, eveything annoys you these days. Minsan nga nag-aalala na ako na baka sa sama na ng loob mo napaglilihi 'yang inaanak ko."

"Thanks for picking my side, bestfriend." I sarcatically replied.

"Anyway, I just called to check in on you. Bryce mentioned that your RBCs took a downward plunge."

I sighed. Bryce been freaking about it ever since we got the test results two days ago. Kahit na ilang beses ng sinabi ng OB ko na hindi niya kailangan masyadong mag-alala. At sa tingin ko, nabanggit niya rin 'yon sa tatlong lalakeng nandito't nakikikain ngayon sa bahay namin.

"I'm fine. It's not that low. Saka normal daw 'yon sa buntis sabi ng doctor ko. Kaya nga double dose ng iron ang iniinom ko ngayon."

"Just be careful, mmkay? When are you free? Gusto kong magpunta sa inyo, I miss caressing your baby bump."

"Bukas, wala akong gagawin. You can sleep here if you want. Papalipatin natin si Bryce sa guestroom and we can sleep together sa master's."

"I love the idea! Okay, tomorrow it is. See you then. Love you!"

"Same here, Aly."

As soon as I drop the call, I noticed Sage staring at me. I raised one eyebrow at him, instantly picking up where his head is. "Nope, hindi ka pupunta rito bukas." Matigas na tugon ko.

He tried his best to imitate Chihiro's puppy dog face. "Why not? Bakit bawal ko pa rin makilala or makita man lang 'yang bestfriend mo? It's not like I'm going to do anything. And like you said, she's engaged already. I just want to meet her."

I sipped on my juice and tapped on my laptop. Training my eyes on the gadget, I start to ignore his efforts into pushing me to say yes.

"Lil sis, it's rude to just stop listening when someone is talking to you, you know." Muling tawag niya.

I shooed him with my hand. "I'm done talking. Just stay away from my bestfriend. Marami namang iba diyan. Go and concentrate your energy elsewhere."

"Dick energy, you mean." Claus jibed, earning him a smack at the back of his head.

The two started arguing, so I tuned off and started browsing the pictures from Kuya Cael's birthday that Ate Era had tagged me. I can't help but smile at some of the wacky photos. Hindi ko nga napansin na nasa likuran ko na pala si Reid at nakiki-tingin din.

"Who's that?" His deep voice also caught the two idiots arguing making them stop.

It was an all girls picture, we're seated on one of the poolside tables with our hands raising our glasses for a toast. Sage and Claus also assumed position beside him, suddenly intruiged.

"That's Sapphire. Kuya Cael's cousin." Sagot ko.

Claus whistled. "My, my, my. Nag-bibinata na ang kaibigan ko, at last."

Reid grunted his response then I heard another blow and then Claus wailing in pain. Mukhang binatukan nanaman siya.

"What about her? You knew her from somewhere?" Sage inquired, halatang interesado rin.

"No." Maikling sagot ni Reid saka umalis sa likuran ko. He again occupied the sofa he vacated earlier, took out his iPad and started tapping on it. The conversation is finished for him, dahil nagsimula nanaman siyang magtrabaho.

Pero mukhang malayo pa sa dalawa na tapusin ang usapan dahil muling nagtanong si Claus.

"Bakit nga ba, Reid? It's not common for a woman to catch your attention. So put us out of our misery and just answer the lingering question."

Reid stopped swiping on his iPad before he slowly raised his head and pinned Claus with an angry scowl. If we don't know him well enough, that look had us retreating back to safety.

"She's Cael's cousin, baka nakita niyo na siya from one of the parties Ate Amy held from the past. Since once upon a time they were engaged, too." Sage uttered, maybe trying to placate Reid's souring mood.

"O baka naman naging kliyente na niya si Reid. She's a veterinarian and she owns a clinic." I added, remembering Reid owning a 7-year old Maltese.

Our gazes again focused on Reid who's now staring at his phone. "There's a glimpse of a tattoo from how she's positioned. What does it say?" He rather asked.

I pinched my eyebrow together. Sapphire was wearing one of those dresses with low cut sides. I zoomed in on the photo and read the only word her clothes revealed. "Brave." I announced.

When I again looked at him, he was already staring at me. He didn't say anything more but for the rarest of moment, an expression registered on his usual blank face; shocked.

Before any one of us can comment, Bryce breezed inside the room and sought for me immediately. After planting a kiss on my lips and on my six months baby bump he looked around and drew his eyebrows together in confusion.

"What did I miss?"

I smiled at him sweetly, "Nothing. Paki-balatan na lang 'yong singkamas. Gusto ko ng kumain."