Chapter 5

Gabby was woken up by a text message tone on her phone. 6 AM. 

There were not that many people na tatawag o nagte-text sa kanya nang ganoon kaaga. 

She opened it. 

This is Matt Wilson. Call me once you read this. 

Agad na napaupo sya. Napasapo siya ng noo. She looked at the curt message on her phone again. She didn’t know how he got her number but a man like him looked like he had means. She just held on to her phone. Kailangan nya pang mag-isip.

Inayos niya ang kumot ng mga anak and tip-toed to the bathroom and freshened up before she went to the kitchen. 

She put the phone on the counter and made coffee. She was making batter for pancakes when her phone buzzed with an incoming call. She knew it was him pero sinilip nya pa rin. She pressed the volume key so it would stop buzzing but did not receive the call. 

She made herself pancakes, picked up her coffee, and brought her breakfast to the nook near the glass wall overlooking the city below. This was also the twin’s study area. She looked at the colored drawings on the wall. She can clearly see the distinction between Chico’s work and Mango’s. Chico’s was very neat while Mango’s was playful at may mga lampas pa.

Nanginginig ang kamay na dinampot nya ang tasa ng kape. She put it down again.

Calm down, Gab. 

She went back to the counter to get her phone. First things first, she needs to check the emails that she has sent several nights ago. 

5 missed calls. ‘Yon agad ang tumambad sa notification sya. 

Napapitlagsiya nang tumunog ito ulit. Another text message. 

I’m not a very patient man. You better call me or you’ll meet my lawyers.

Gabby seethed. Nainissiya sa message na pinadala nito. 

I already saw you’ve read my messages. You better call me now because my lawyers work even on a weekend and any time that I call them.

Naiinis na pinindot nya ang call button. 

“How-How dare you threaten me!” Gabby did not hold back once Matt picked up the call. 

“Good that you called. Let’s meet.” sagot ni Matt. His lip curled in a half-smile. 

“You can’t order me around, Mister! I have never seen you before last week and you know that. Stop the harassment or ipa-pupulis kita.” 

“Matt. Just Matt.” And on a more serious note. “You better be good to me, Gabby” 

Gabby had goosebumps nang marinig ang pangalan nya. He just whispered her name like a caress. 

“Stop this!” 

“You met my friends last night and were in a hurry to leave when you knew I was coming. I saw those kids already and I know they are mine.” 

“You can’t - You can’t just say they are yours just because they look like you,” hindi na mapigil ni Gabby ang magtaas ng boses. 

“You will not leave if wala kang tinatago.” 

“Please. I don’t have time for this.” 

“You will make time for me, Gab, or I will take them away from you.” 

“Stop! Stop the threats!” Nanginginig ang boses na sagot ni Gabby to Matt. Pinipigil ang luha sa pagpatak. 

“Mommy!” 

Napalingon naman si Gabby to the direction of the rooms. Chico was standing a few feet from her. Hindi nya man lang namalayan. 

“I have to go,” she said to Matt sa mas mahinahong boses.

“I will pick you up later,” sagot ni Matt

Gabby took a deep breath. “Just - Just send the address.” She said and immediately turned off the phone. Hinarap nya agad ang anak. 

“Who was that, Mommy?” Tanong ni Chico. “You were angry.” Nangingilid ang luha ni Chico. 

“No, Chic. Sorry. Did I wake you up?” 

Umiling naman ito. 

“It was nothing,” ulit nya sa anak. She picked him up and brought him to the kitchen. She warmed a glass of milk for Chico and made him pancakes, dinamihan nya na at alam nyang susunod na din si Mango. 

Gabby’s phone buzzed with a text message notification. 

Will pick you up at 6 PM. 

—

Matt felt like he couldn't be alone. Sa mga ganoong panahon, he always found himself driving to Lucas’ house. Maingay, magulo with the kids around. 

The gate opened as his vehicle neared at dire-diretso na siyang pumasok. He ran up the few steps of stairs from the vehicle parking to the main door. 

Nakangiting mukha ni Lexie ang bumungad sa kanya pagkabukas ng pinto. 

“Kuya!” 

“Hey, Kiddo!” He looked down at Lexie’s big tummy. Buntis na naman ito when the twins were just 2-years old. Lexie’s hair was disheveled. 

“Did I interrupt something?” Tanong ni Matt while already walking in. 

“No,” sagot ni Lexie. 

“Yes,” sagot naman ni Lucas. He got up from the sofa and put on a shirt. 

“Wrong timing?” Nakangising tanong ni Matt, he knew he guessed correctly nang makita ang pamumula ng mukha ni Lexie. 

Binato naman ni Lucas ng throw pillow si Matt. 

Matt caught the pillow and placed it back on the sofa. 

“What’s that picture about?” Tanong ni Lucas. 

He followed Lucas to the kitchen. 

Matt sat on the stool fronting the large kitchen island first. 

“I think they are mine.” 

Lexie placed a cup of coffee in front of Matt while Lucas brought out a pan. 

“I’ll make breakfast, Babe.” 

Matt watched as Lucas whispered to Lexie. 

Lucas waited for Lexie to step away first before he continued talking to Matt. 

“Those kids are what? Five or four years old? You need to get a DNA test.”

“Five.”

“You were still in a relationship with Jessica then.” 

“We already cooled off.”

“Not really. You were trying to patch up your relationship with her.”

Napabuntung-hininga naman si Matt. His love life was not as stellar as he wanted. Not everyone will have a love story like Lucas and Lexie’s. They are both thirty-four but Lucas was happily married with three kids and another one on the way. Pero alam naman ni Matt that Lucas was not judging him but he was always the voice of reason as long as it didn’t involve his wife or his kids. 

“Gabby is not one of those women,” Matt said. Hindi niya alam why but it made him feel good. He would be stupid if he had let her go if he had met her before. 

“Then how? Did you have a stash of your sperm somewhere?” 

Hindi naman sinagot ni Matt and tanong ni Lucas. “I’ll have them even when they aren't mine.” 

Napataas naman ang kilay ni Lucas and smiled broadly. “Will your parents accept them?”

“I’ll make them.” 

“You sound very serious.”

Natigilan naman si Matt. “It feels different,” Matt said after a while. 

Lucas just watched his friend. He had eggs ready already and he started to fry some bacon. 

“How did you know?” Tanong ni Matt

“Are we really going to have this conversation and we are not even drunk?“ 

Matt rolled his eyes. “You were the one who was always sure it was Lexie for you.” 

“I asked her once why she loves me.” 

“And?”

“She said no reason, she just does.” Tiningnan muna ni Lucas si Matt before he continued, “because when there are reasons, then when the whys are gone then the love is gone.”

“Was that her answer?”

Lucas had a huge grin, “Yes. And that's how I felt too.”

“Daddyyyyy!!!” 

Narinig naman nilang sigaw from the second floor. 

“Get the boys. I’ll finish this.” Utos ni Lucas to Matt. 

Matt got up and climbed the stairs. Hindi nya naman mapigilan ang mapangiti when he saw the twins waiting at the top of the stairs. The once-grand stairs had baby gates at the top step para hindi maka baba ang mga ito. They were holding on to the rails like prisoners wailing for freedom.

“Daaaa-“ sabay na naman na sigaw ng mga ito. They stopped mid-shout when they saw Matt. 

"Maaattttt!" Lynx called, isa sa mga kambal. 

"Lynx, what did mommy say?" Ani Lexie na karga-karga ang anak na babae ni Mark at palapit ito galing sa direction ng mga kwarto.

Mark was also following with Leon in his arms. 

"Tito Matt." Pagtatama naman ni Lynx agad sa pantawag. 

Sabay pa ang kambal na itinaas ang mga kamay para magpa karga. 

Matt opened the baby gate, nagmamadali naman ang dalawang magpa karga sa kanya. 

Soon he will have babies of his own and he was excited. 

----

I’M DOWNSTAIRS. 

Gabby closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath when she read the message. 

She looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a beige long-sleeved blouse with a stand collar and rust-colored pencil skirt. She paired it with nude-colored pumps. She put her hair in a tight chignon. She wanted to appear formal.

“Mommy, will be back before bedtime, okay?” paalam nya sa kambal.

“Pwetty!” Mango said na naka tingala sa kanya. 

Hinalikan nya ito sa pisngi. 

“Are you going on a date, Mommy?” tanong naman ni Chico.

Nandoon na din si Manang Yolly na laging nagbabantay sa mga ito kung may kailangan siyang puntahan albeit rarely. Ito din ang taga linis nya sa bahay two times a week. 

She blushed when she heard Chico’s question. Nagpaganda ba sya? 

“No, just a meeting, Chic.” 

Hinalikan niya din ito sa pisngi. 

She grabbed her Hermes Kelly bag and left. 

She run through her mind lahat ng maaaring pag-usapan at ang mga naisip niya ng sagot. 

Gabby wanted to drag her feet when the elevator opened. But she forced herself to step out. Binaybay niya ang palabas ng condo building. 

She did not have to look for him. Napaismid si Gabby nang makita nyang hindi man lang ito nag park properly and just waited right outside and he did not appear like he was waiting at may kausap ito. 

Agad naman itong nag paalam sa kausap. She saw them exchange an informal hand shake indicating na matagal na itong magkakilala. The guy Matt was talking to turned and went inside the building, nagkasalubong pa sila. He gave her a small smile and a brief nod which she returned with a polite smile. 

Pinagbuksan naman siya ni Matt ng pinto ng BMW nito. She expected that he will be chauffeured around again but Matt took the wheel. 

“I have booked a function room at the Peninsula.” She kept her voice cold and formal. Nakatingin lang siya sa harap.

“You look beautiful.” sagot naman ni Matt ignoring what she just said. He looked at her waiting for her to look at him too. He started the car when Gabby continued to face front. He swore he will melt all her walls. 

“Let’s have our talk and be done with it,” Gabby said. 

“Let’s have dinner then we’ll talk.” 

“I don’t want to have dinner with you.” 

“We’re already here. Let’s go on a date and get to know each other.” 

“Date?” Gabby turned to face Matt. “This is not a date.” 

Matt picked up Gabby’s hand. She was about to take it if not for Matt’s strong grip. 

“If you don’t want to go on a date, then we can jump directly to bed. Let’s recall how exactly we made our twins.”