Chapter 2:

SOLANA'S POV

Five Years Later...

"Mama! Faster!"

A loud giggle echoed across the garden.

I laughed breathlessly while chasing the little boy running ahead of me.

"Mateo Sevilla! Sto running!!" pasigaw kong sambit.

"No!" he shouted, laughing harder.

"Come back here and eat your breakfast!" sigaw ko ulit pero natawa lang siya at mas lalong binilisan ang pagtakbo.

I placed my hands on my hips.

My four-year-old son looked over his shoulder and flashed me a mischievous grin that was entirely too handsome for someone his age.

At sa totoo lang hindi niya namana sa akin ang ngiti niyang iyon. I'm beautiful when i smile...but he's on different level.

"Mama can't catch me!"

Mateo immediately burst into another fit of laughter.

The little troublemaker.

Alam na alam niya talaga kung papano kunin ang inis ko.

"I will definitely catch your this time," saad ko at nagsimulang tumakbo papalapit sa kanya pero bago ko pa man siya tuliyang maabutan ay dumiretso siya sa may patio kung nasaan ang mga magulang ko.

"Mama is losing!" mayabang na anunsyo ng anak ko sa kanila.

My father laughed.

My mother nearly choked on her coffee.

"Again?"

"I'm not losing," asik ko.

"You are, Mama..." Mateo corrected.

I narrowed my eyes. "Betrayal. That's what this is."

My son giggled and climbed onto my father's lap.

Five years.

Five whole years.

And somehow my life had completely changed.

Back then I thought discovering Aiden's betrayal had destroyed me.

But if that heartbreak hadn't happened...

I wouldn't have Mateo.

The greatest blessing of my life.

Even if he occasionally acted like a tiny menace.

"Tinititigan mona naman ang anak mo," komento bigla ni Mommy dahilan para matauhan ako.

"Because he's cute," I said.

"Really? Baka naman dahil nakikita mo ang tatay niya sa kanya?" nakataas kilay nitong sambit at dahil doon ay nawala ang ngiti sa mukha ko..

"Yan kana naman, ma..." angal ko.

My mother shrugged.

"You have to find a husband, Solan--"

"Dad?"

"I'm staying out of this," dispensa ni Daddy dahil ayaw niyang madamay sa usapan.

My mother placed her coffee cup down.

"You're twenty-nine years old now. At sa susunod na taon at magiging trenta kana. Hihintayin mo pa ba na maging kwarenta-anyos kana bago ka mag-aasawa?"

"Maganda ka.."

"Successful."

"Mom..."

"And single."

"There it is."

She pointed dramatically at me.

"You need a husband."

Mateo suddenly raised his hand.

"I can be Mama's husband."

The entire table burst into laughter.

I covered my face. "See? Problem solved."

My mother rolled her eyes.

"Not you."

Mateo frowned.

"Why?"

"Because you're her son."

"Oh."

A pause.

"Can I still have chicken nuggets?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Just like that, his heartbreak disappeared.

I wished adult relationships worked that way.

My mother turned back to me.

"You need to start dating."

"I don't have time."

"You have plenty of time."

"I have a son."

"You also have a life."

"I have a career--"

"That's not an excuse for you not to find a husband," agad niyang sambit.

I gasped dramatically.

"Dad, are you hearing this?"

"I've been married to her for thirty-three years. I learned long ago not to get involved," saad ni daddy kaya mas lalo akong walang magagawa sa usapan na ito.

Dahil sa t'wing bubuksan ni Mama ang usapan tungkol sa pag-aasawa ay wala talaga akong kawala. Lahat ng sasabihin at dispensa ko ay sasagutin niya. Lagi siyang may panangga laban sa akin.

My mother sighed.

"I'm not saying you should marry a singer because the last time you were in a relationship with a man like that...he cheated on you so better choose a good man," paalala niya sa akin.

I leaned back in my chair.

"I already have the two most important men in my life."

My father smiled proudly.

Mateo pointed at himself.

"I'm important."

"Very much...kahit na laging sumasakit ang ulo ko sayong bata ka," usal ko at ngumiti lang siya.

At that exact moment, another voice interrupted us.

"Well, technically there are three."

I looked up.

Vanessa was walking across the garden holding an iced coffee.

Still my manager and a best friend.

"What three?" I asked.

She sat beside me.

"The mystery father of this handsome young man," mahinang usal niya sabay nilingon ang anak ko na ngayon ay abala sa pagnguya ng chicken nuggets.

At ang nanay ko naman ay tuwang-tuwa ng marinig ang sinabi ni Vanessa.

"Oh, I like this topic."

Heto na nga. Ngayon dalawa na silang mangungulit sa sakin.

"We're not discussing him."

"Why not?" angal ni Vanessa.

"Kasi hindi na ako interesado na pag-usapan ang tungkol sa kanya. Hindi ko nga alam kung humihinga pa ba ang lalaking iyon," nakakunot-noo kong saad sabay iwas ng tingin.

Vanessa took a sip of her coffee.

"You know, normal people would've searched for him years ago. And normal people don't wake up alone inside a room after spending a night with some strangers and got pregnant," pang-aasar niya.

My mother nodded thoughtfully.

"Fair point."

"Thank you, Tita."

I dropped my head against the table.

"Imagine if he's rich," my mom said.

I slowly looked at her.

"Ma..."

"What?"

"We're rich," paalala ko sa kanya kasi baka nakalimutan niya.

"But we can get richer if that man is rich," pangatwiran niya na sinang-ayunan naman ng walanghiyang si Vanessa.

"Kaya ko namang buhayin ang anak ko. Hindi ko kailangan ng lalaki para lang matawag na buo ang pamilya--"

"Pero gusto niyang makilala ang tatay niya," putol sa akin ni Mommy.

Sa mga sandaling iyon ay sumagi sa isipan ko ang naging usapan ni Mateo at ni daddy noong naabutan ko silang dalawa sa balkonahe ng mansyon.

Mula sa lamesa ay dahan-dahang lumipat ang tingin ko sa direksyon ng anak ko. Kasalukuyan itong nasa playground area...kasama ang nanny niya. Abala ako sa pagtitig sa kanya ng maagaw bigla ng kung sino ang atensyon ko.

My father is walking towards us and standing behind him was a tall and muscular man. Wearing a full black suit and has a cold eyes.

Hindi ko maalis-alis ang tingin ko sa kanya hanggang sa tuluyan silang nakarating sa harapan ko.

"He's the man I'm telling you," panimula ni daddy.

At naalala ko ang tungkol sa pagkuha niya ng panibagong bodyguard para sa akin.

"His name is Kenjie Hanagata. You're new personal bodyguard," pagpapakilala sa kanya ni Daddy.

Unti-unti kong ibinalik ang tingin ko sa lalaki...at eksaktong bumaling siya sa akin at nagtama ang tingin naming dalawa.

Slowly, he stepped forward and extended his arm for a handshake.

"At your service, Ms Sevilla..." usal niya.

Agad na gumapang ang kakaibang lamig sa sistema ko. Nakatitig ako sa kanya at kasabay niyon ang pagbalik ng mga alaala ng nangyari...limang taon na ang nakalipas.

Siya ang lalaking nakasama ko ng gabing iyon.

Ang tatay ng anak ko.