CHAPTER 30

MELISSA QUIZON

I was about to leave the kitchen when I saw my son and his father in the living room. I hid behind the wall near them to hear their conversation. I think Reid just woke up because his hair was still messy. I left them to cook our lunch.

Reid looked up as Wright held his hand.

"Maliliit na gagamba, umakyat sa sanga," Wright sang while gapping Reid's hand. Reid smiled when he felt a tingle because of what Wright was doing with his hand as he sang a Filipino song for kids "Dumating ang ulan, at itinaboy sila. Sumikat ang araw, natuyo ang sanga. Maliliit na gagamba, ay lagging masaya!”

Wright teased Reid. He lifted Reid's pajamas and blew wind onto his stomach. His laughter was so sweet to hear. Their laughter. They were both tired when they stopped. And now, they were lying on the sofa bed. Reid was also lying on Wright's arm.

"Daddy, do you know how to play the piano?" Reid asked politely.

Wright wiped the sweat off Reid's forehead and kissed him there. "No. Will you teach me?"

Reid suddenly sat up. He nodded. "Yes. On one condition."

Wright sat up as well. He placed his hand on Reid's lap and rested the other on the sofa. "Anything."

"Please be kind. Don't make my Mommy cry because I love my Mommy so much. I love you too, but—Ay! I slipped!"

Wright's smile sweetened. "What? You love me?"

Reid averted his eyes. His cheeks were red. "Yes. My teacher told us we need to love our parents. Daddy, that's why I love you too. But Daddy, the love I have for you got minus points for making my Mommy cry yesterday."

"I'll make it up to you, son. Promise."

Reid raised his fist and crooked his little finger. "Ate Bobbie said when you make a pinky promise, you can never break your promise. So, Daddy, if you break your promise, I will get mad at you. If you do, I will not talk to or even get near you."

"I won't let that happen," Wright said softly.

They pinky-promised. Wright messed up Reid's hair. Reid stood up and jumped to get off the sofa. He pulled Wright upright to the Grand Piano located to the side of the elegant staircase. They both sat in front of it. Wright lifted the cover, and Reid immediately placed his hands on the piano keys.

"This is basic, Daddy." Reid didn't take his eyes off the piano. His fingers began to move. "Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do. Try it."

Wright mimicked what Reid was doing. He looked like he was happy with the attention our son was giving him.

They started talking in front of the Grand Piano. Even Bobbie came down to watch them, and sometimes, she got joined them as well. All day, Reid taught Wright what he knew. Sometimes, he would ask me when he forgot some of the keys and then immediately run to Wright to teach him.

The next day, Wright woke up early to take us to school. I sat in the passenger seat, and Reid was in the backseat. Bobbie had already been driven to school.

"Mommy, my birthday is coming up. I want a bike. Do we have the money to buy it? If I save five pesos every day until my birthday, can I buy a bike?" Reid asked as he fiddled with his cap.

I smiled. I also heard Wright's weak laugh. "Don't save, baby. I'll just buy you one."

"Mommy, did you hear that? Daddy is going to buy me! I don't have to save five," Reid said cheerfully.

"Yes, baby, I heard. Put your shoes on. We're close to your school," I said softly.

He did what I said. Wright turned off the car engine and got out. A lot of people looked at Wright. He opened the backseat door and removed Reid's seatbelt. Reid kissed my cheek before he got out of the car. Wright went to the back of the car to retrieve Reid's bag. They saluted each other before Reid entered the large gates of his school.

Wright got into the car when Reid disappeared from his sight. He started the car, and we made our way to the school I was teaching at. I was surprised when his hand touched my hand that was resting on my thigh.

"I'm not the clutch, so take your hand off," I said coldly.

He laughed but still didn't remove his hand. "You know, whenever I see you, twenty becomes my favorite number," he said.

Wait. Was that a pick-up line? "Why?"

"Because twenty-ngin on you, I love you even more." His grip tightened on my hand. (In the Filipino language, "Tuwing titingin" means "Every time I look at you.")

"Ah," I simply said and looked out the window. I heard him sigh.

I bit my lower lip as his thumb caressed the back of my palm. He was so intense. He seemed to caress my whole being.

We got to school. I was about to get out, but Wright pulled me back. I frowned as I looked at him. He smiled sparingly. "I'll pick you up later, huh? I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes."

"A-all right," I stammered out. Damn.

I shivered when I felt his soft lips on my palm. My heart sank when our eyes met. He moved away and released my hand. I felt cold without his warm palm.

I hurried out of his car. I watched him drive his car away. When he left, I suddenly grabbed my hand and kissed it. I pressed my lips together and walked quickly towards the school gate.

I was shocked when Nadine hit my desk. "When were you going to tell us this?"

It was now our break time, so that was why we could talk freely. All of our co-teachers were now looking at us. Others were whispering while looking at me.

Crissa and Ellyza were also around me. They were now standing in front of me with crossed arms.

"And when did you plan to explain it to us?" I cleared my throat as I heard Crissa's tone of voice.

I winced. "Hehe." I awkwardly laughed. Ellyza's eyes widened at me. "Okay. Sorry that I didn't tell you that Wright is the real father of Reid. All I knew was that he would never come back, okay? That was why I chose not to tell you or everyone," I said softly so that the other faculty members would not hear.

"How many times have I thought about him in my mind? Last night, I was still having wet dreams about him," Nadine murmured.

"Nads!" Ellyza scolded.

We went inside the private comfort room and locked the door so no one could hear what I had to say.

"Okay, this is what happened. I will tell you everything, as well as what I'm doing with Wright now." And I did.

"Eh, he's stupid! What sensible woman wants to have an abortion? He should be locked in the oven. But since the oven is small, he needs to be chopped in half," Nadine said.

"Can't you give him a chance? He looks remorseful, and he loves you so much," Ellyza groaned.

"That reason is not enough, Ellyza. How can I forgive the man who ruined my life? He's feeling less pain than I felt before."

"Sometimes, whoever broke you is also the one who knows how to rebuild you, Melissa."

I frowned at what Ellyza said. She was defending Wright. "I don't need him to rebuild me."

She looked at me defiantly. "Don't you? Or are you just saying that because you're afraid that when you forgive him, eh, your love for him will also return?"

My head heated at what she said. "What do you know about what I've been through? How can you say that? Are you my friend?"

"I'm your friend, but I don't take sides. Don't harden your heart. You weren't born a stone."

"Ellyza, stop it," Crissa warned.

Ellyza nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm just stating my opinion. Is that bad? In what you're doing, you're both just hurting each other. Follow what your heart says. The mind isn't right all the time."

"You said that I should follow my heart, but my heart is in a million pieces. Which piece do I need to follow? Eliza, you won't understand how I feel until it happens to you. Until you experience the pain." I came out of the comfort room after I said that.

After that, they didn't pester me anymore. The bell rang to signal that class was over. I dismissed all my students and went to the faculty room. The others had probably already gone home. I sat quietly at my desk when I noticed sticky notes glued to the cover of my lesson plan, and on the side of it was a large rock.

'There. Talk to him. After all, you are stubborn. It is not wrong to forgive. That's in the Ten Commandments, right? It will hurt more if you stay this way. True love covers all pain.'

–Ellyza