Chapter 45Nanginginig ang kaliwang kamay ko nang pulutin ko sa sahig ang nahulog kong mobile phone. The words from Leon bring a thud to my heart. Hindi pa iyon agad rumihistro sa utak ko."This can't be. You are lying," halos pabulong kong sabi sa kanya. "I'm telling you the truth. Jacques was kidnapped when your family was killed. Dalawang taon siyang pinaghahahanap ng mga tauhan nina Auntie Thylane. She never announced it to the media because it would jeopardize all of their businesses."Napaupo ako sa sofa sa sobrang panghihina. Niyakap ko ang dilaw na throw pillow, umaasang makaaamot ako roon ng suporta.Umiling ako ng maraming beses. No! This can't be, nagbibiro lang si Leon! Jacques was healthy when I saw him. Pumayat lang siya ngunit maayos pa rin naman ang anyo niya."He was so thin when Clytius and Deukalíōn finally found him tightly tied up in a dessert building somewhere in Santander, Cebu. Halos hindi na siya makilala dahil mukha siyang pinaglaruan ng mga taong kumuha sa
Chapter 46"I love you, too, Jacques. Nagsinungaling ako noong sinabi kong hindi na kita mahal. Ang totoo, mahal na mahal pa rin kita nadaig lang ako ng galit noong makita ulit kita," I sniffed, and he held my hand gently. "I'm sorry if I push you away. I wasn't there for you; I'm really sorry."I still couldn't stop myself from crying while my breath came in ragged gasps. Parang pinipiga ng paulit-ulit ang puso ko.Jacques tenderly held me close and soothed my back. "I'm doing great now, baby. It was a lot to take in, but I healed myself for you; I healed myself because I want to be strong for you."I sniffled as I drew away from the hug. Jacques stared at me intently as he wiped the tears from my eyes. "I love you so much, Jacques," halos pabulong kong sabi."I know, and I love you too," he replied, placing a kiss on my forehead. "I'm so grateful to be back with you now."Jacques' touch was gentle and soothing, a balm to our wounded hearts. His words were like a magic wand, soothing
Chapter 47This is the final chapter. Thank you for being with me on the journey with my babies. Please also support me in my next series! Abangan ang epilogue!"You look nervous, baby." Jacques tilted his head while gently holding my hands. "Come here." Hinila niya ako upang kumandong sa kanya."I am..." Yumuko at pinaglaruan ang engagement ring na nasa daliri ko. Isinuot ko iyon kanina pagkatapos kong maligo. Jacques also touched my ring. I could hear his breathing in my ear, and it tickled me."I promise you everything will be okay, hmm?"I pouted, trying to push back the fear that was threatening to overwhelm me. "I'm nervous. I don't know what to expect.""I'm here for you, sasamahan kita hanggang sa loob."We just arrived at the airport and boarded our special flight to Manila to visit my mother. Hindi ko maiwasang makaramdam ng pagkabalisa."What if I trigger her emotions? Baka kung ano na naman ang sabihin niya sa akin Jacques..." Tiningnan ko ang kanang kamay kong magaling na
I am so grateful that you've reached this point. Thank you so much. May we all realize, especially the young generation, that anchoring yourself into positivity and self-growth is never selfish.Epilogue "How about you, Jacq? Naniniwala ka ba sa 'love at first sight'?" tanong ni Maximus habang inaabot sa akin ang isang shot ng Jack Daniels.I am doing my thesis in my study room, and here they are, invading my privacy. But it is fine with me; bihira na lang kaming magkita. They are all studying in Cebu; I am here in Manila.I scoffed. "That's bullshit." Nag-pass ako sa alak. Seryoso ako sa pagtatype ng conclusion sa laptop na nasa harap ko."Sinasabi mo lang 'yan, pero baka kapag tinamaan ka, wala ka nang kawala," Maximus said as he passed the glass shot to Miles, my half-Irish friend."I also don't believe it; crush at first sight, puwede pa," si Leon."Who believes in that? We belong to the new generation now; more girls, more fun!" Miles, who's beside me, takes a look at what I'm
"UKININANA kitdi ti kastoy nga biag, makauma!" I exclaimed in jest, causing me to roll my eyes.The Serene and Loud Restobar was bustling with activity as I made my way through the crowd. The restaurant was situated beside the pristine waters of Moalboal, and the sound of the waves mingled with the chatter of the patrons. I greeted the regulars with a smile and a wave, knowing most of them by name after a decade of working there."Who is it now?" I asked April as she followed my steps. "Bakit kailangan pa ako roon?" We are walking our way to the VIP floor to attend to some guests. Inayos ko ang neck tie kong kulay asul."It's Sir Almerino," Avril replied, and my heart skipped a beat."S-sinong Almerino?" I stuttered. "Si Koko?" "Not Koko, but Jacques Almerino," Avril clarified, her voice tinged with excitement. "Kanina pa nakapag-out si Koko."My mind raced as I tried to process the news. Sandali akong natigilan ngunit hindi ako nagpahalata kay Avril. Kinalma ko ang aking sarili. Ja
Warning: This story contains mature scenes, explicit sexual content, and sensitive topics that are not suitable for young readers. Reader discretion is advised.CHAPTER 1"SARDINGAN nak man, Janus. Kaaabot ko lang sa 'yo ng pera noong isang araw. Umayos ka!" ("Stop it, Janus. I just gave you money the other day. Get your act together!") Nangagalaiti ako sa bunso kong kapatid habang ka-videocall ko siya sa kabilang linya. Humihingi ng 5,000 pesos gayong kabibigay ko lang ng allowance niya. Katatapos lang ng capping and pinning ceremony nila na dinaluhan ko noong Biyernes. He is now a student nurse at SLU-La Union."Sige na, Manang. Kulang din 'yong ipinadala ni Tatang noong nakaraan." Alam kong naglalambing lang siya base sa tono ng boses niya ngunit ayaw kong sinasanay siya ng ganoon. Kada hingi, bigay agad. Mamumulubi talaga kami dahil sa kursong kinuha niya at sa private university pa talaga nag-aaral!"Haanak agtaktakki ti kuwarta, sinalbag ka nga talaga nga ubing!" Galit kong sa
Chapter 2"Mukha lang siyang bata pero bente-uno na 'yan, mga kuya. Papasukin n'yo na kami, please?"We had arrived in front of The Euphoria. Nagmamakaawa si Melvina sa harap ng dalawang bouncer habang tinutulungan ako ni Olivia na hanapin ang ID sa backpack ko. Hinarang ako dahil mukha raw akong menor-de-edad. And I needed to show them my ID to prove that I was of legal drinking age to enter the nightclub.Pero kasalanan ko rin. Paano ba naman kasi? Naka-denim shorts lang ako at vintage jacket, then I paired it with sneakers. Parang mamalengke lang ako sa suot ko. Wala naman kasi akong ideya na hahatakin na naman nila ako after our graveyard shift.I don't get it. What's wrong with these people? Just because I have a youthful face doesn't mean I'm not an adult. Being small can make me feel and look even younger, which can be both nice and annoying at the same time. I'm already mistaken for someone younger than my actual age, and being petite only adds to that.Agh! Nakakainis maging
Chapter 3"Ma-nang, ag-agriing kan. Na-bangsit tu ta ang-saw mon."Instead of being irritated, I smiled as my brother strongly shook my arm and told me to wake up. He is mimicking how I always wake him up; I tell him that if he doesn't get out of bed, his breath will stink.My eyes were still closed, and I could feel him lying next to me. His lips pressed against my arm. Every morning, he kisses my arm. "M-morning, ma-nang." His words are soft, causing him to mumble on every letter, but I understand what he's saying because we've been together since birth.When Josue was four years old, he was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome. Kinukonsidera ang sakit niya bilang ‘syndromic’ form ng autism spectrum disorder. All these years, he has attended speech therapy and received cognitive-behavioral therapy. Kaya medyo nagagawa niyang makipag-usap at makihalubilo sa amin. At the age of 10, doon pa lang siya natutong maglakad mag-isa. I can understand the hardships and exhaustion that my parents