Mataman kong pinag-mamasdan si Aidan habang nakikipag-usap sa isang babae na humarang sa dadaanan niya habang papalapit siya sa table na kinaroroonan ko.

Nakita kong tumango siya at ngumisi bago tuluyang nag-paalam sa kausap na siyang tumungo narin sa ibang direksyon.

"Hey." He smiled at me when he reached my spot.

Inirapan ko naman siya. Hey, his face.

"You're not in the mood. What happened?" He asked, mula sa bag ay inilabas niya ang dalawang transparent food containers.

"Who is that girl?" I asked in a little sharper tone.

"Oh, that was Vanessa. She's my classmate on one of my major subject, she just asked me something about our class requirements-"

"Bakit hindi niya alam? Did she miss days in school? Was she hospitalized? Ill?" Tumaas ang kilay ko. "Oh, baka naman hindi yan nakikinig kaya hindi alam."

"I don't know." Medyo naguguluhan niyang tanong. "But I already answered her, now shall we eat?"

"I'm Paris Amanda Santa de Leones, Aidan." Nag-angat siya sakin ng tingin nang marinig ang aking sinabi. "I know you're a womanizer. But don't insult me by having side chicks. I don't take number two spot."

Sandali ako niyang tinitigan bago ko siya nakitang huminga ng malalim, he reached for my hand above the table and smiled at me.

"Who talks about being number two? Paris, you're the only one."

Okay. I can feel my heart inside my chest having an abnormal beating. Of course, this is just a result of my pregnancy. Because my body has extra blood, my heart has to pump faster to move those blood through. My heart rate may increase by ten to twenty extra beats per minute. Yeah, that's just it.

Hindi ko na siya inimikan pa at inabala na lamang ang aking sarili sa inihanda niyang lunch. It's a veggie mac and cheese.

Tahimik parin ako nang matapos kaming kumain. Hindi rin naman niya ako kinukulit, pero maya't maya niya akong sinusulyapan.

Iniligpit niya ang aming pinagkainan, nang tumayo ako ganoon rin ang ginawa niya. I walked ahead, agad naman din siyang umagapay.

"Paris, are you mad?" He asked.

"Should I be mad, Aidan?"

"You shouldn't."

"Then I'm not mad." Irap ko parin.

I heard him gently sigh. He then slid his hand on my hand, having our fingers intertwined. I didn't react, hinayaan ko lang siya. Hanggang sa marating namin ang tapat ng room ko.

Akmang papasok na ko sa loob nang hilain niya ako, tinignan ko siya. He's looking straight at me, but he's not saying anything.

"You go to your class na." I said and started pulling my hand back, but he tightened his grip. "Aidan?"

"Don't be jealous, Paris." He said. "It's you that I'm marrying..."

"I-I am not jealous..." nag-iwas ako sakanya ng tingin.

"Pati, hindi naman ako ang lumapit diba?" Pagpapatuloy niya, ignoring my words. "Don't be mad at me."

Tinitigan ko naman siya. I took a deep breath and get ahold of my emotions just so I could think. Who initiated the behavior that is upsetting me? Si Aidan ba? Hindi naman, diba? It is futile and unfair to Aidan if I'll get angry of him over the actions of a person he has no control over. Getting stressed out over this non-issue is unfair for myself, too.

"Sorry, Paris..."

I sighed again and nodded.

Malapad siyang ngumiti. "Hindi ka na galit?"

I shook my head and smiled a little. Napasinghap ako nang yumuko siya upang gawaran ng mabilis na halik ang aking labi. "Aidan!"

My eyes roamed around, I can even feel my cheeks burning. Ngunit tila balewala naman iyon sakanya, nakaringgan ko pa nga siya ng pag-tawa.

"Ayaw mo kong kausapin kanina, hindi ko tuloy nasabi sayo na ipinagpaalam kita sa daddy mo kagabi." Napatingala ako sakanya. "Dadalhin kita sa bahay, mom wants to see you. She prepared dinner for us."

"Pumayag si daddy?" I frowned.

Tumango naman siya. "Tita Chi said yes, so maybe that's how it goes? When your mom is okay with it, your dad will be fine too?"

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin, ngumisi lamang siya at nag-kibit balikat.

"What?" Tanong pa niya. "Ganoon rin sa bahay, the equation is always mom over dad."

I was about to give my comment when the school bell boomed the place. Students started hurrying, afraid to be late.

Hinatak ako ni Aidan payakap sakanya nang muntik na akong masagi ng ilang istudyanteng nag-mamadali.

I felt him kissed the top of my head and guided me at the door of my classroom, ipinagbukas pa niya ako ng pinto.

"See you later..." he said before letting me go.

And true to his words, Aidan picked me up after class. Sakay ng kaniyang McLaren ay binaybay namin ang daan patungo sa bahay nila. Malumanay ang pag-papatakbo niya ng sasakyan dahil madulas ang daan gawa ng biglaang buhos ng ulan.

"Hatid nalang kaya kita sainyo? Baka kasi lumakas ang ulan." Sabi niya.

Pumasok narin iyon sa isip ko kanina. Nilingon ko siya. "Nakakahiya naman kasi sa mommy mo. Nag-prepare siya ng dinner, she made an effort."

"You sure?" He gently asked. "Hindi ka ba inaantok?"

"Hindi naman." Napalabi ako. "Kanina, medyo inantok ako sa discussion. Nabasa ko na kasi yung topic na dinidiscuss nang minsang nag-ubos ako ng oras sa library ni Uncle Dave."

"I hope our baby will inherit your brilliance." He genuinely said with a smile.

"I'm no brilliant." Sabi ko. "Simple lang naman yung discussion na iyon, we even tackled it before in different subject. It's about Albert Einstein's brain."

"I wanna hear it." Inabot niya ang kamay ko at hinalikan ang likuran noon.

"Why? Hindi naman iyon related sayo in any way."

"Remember the Oxytocin?" Nginisihan niya ako. "I want to be connected to you. One way is knowing your interests, the next step is being interested with your interests."

Hindi ko alam kung bakit, ngunit natawa ako sa sinabi niya. "Really, huh? Most people find science boring-"

"Don't include me." He said. "Anything that is about you, I don't think I'll ever find boring."

"Oh..." binalingan ko ito ng isang mapanghamon na tingin. "So you're really at it, huh?"

"Well, I've been best in science from first to fourth grade. Kung hindi mo naitatanong." Mayabang niyang sabi.

"What happened on fifth grade?" Nakangisi ko paring pag-uusisa.

"Wala pang ecosystem lang kinaya ko eh," he shrugged, laughing. "Nung umabot na ng skeletal system, human brain and all that, wala na. What is science na."

Lalo akong natawa.

"Oh? Ano ng meron sa brain ni Einstein? Gusto ko naman may matutunan ngayong araw, Doctor Paris." Pag-pipilit niya.

"Alam mo, minsan. Naaawa ako sa brain ni Einstein, sa sobrang talino niya maraming tao ang curious sa kung anong klaseng utak ang meron siya." I started. "Many researchers have assumed that it took a very special brain to come up with the theory of relativity and other stunning insights that form the foundation of modern physics, kaya hindi nila mabitaw-bitawan ang brain ni Einstein. They've purposely preserved it, para mas masusing pag-aralan. But researchers still don't know exactly how the brain's extra folds and convolutions translated into Einstein's amazing abilities."

"Can't they just take the idea that it was God's gift? Kaya hindi nila makuha ang tunay na dahilan kung bakit sobrang talino ni Einstein?" Kunot-noo niyang sabi.

"Science doesn't believe in the existence of God." I said. "Ever heard about the Big Bang and Charles Darwin's theory of evolution? They all come up to those idea because they don't believe in God."

"So you don't believe in God?" He looked at me, walang pang-huhusga sa mga mata niya at tila ba puro ang intesyon niya sa pag-tatanong.

"I'm not Science, Aidan." I smiled. "I wont be marrying you if I don't believe in God."

"I like it." He smiled back. "You, marrying me."

Naputol ang ngiti ko ng may maalala. "Oo nga pala! Aidan, do you have savings?"

Kunot-noo niya akong binalingan, bigla naman akong tinamaan sa sarili kong tanong.

"I meant no insult, Aidan." Mabilis akong umiling. "Ano kasi, naisip ko lang. Romee, asked me this morning about our plans. She even offered to create my wedding gown. And then I realized that we haven't even talked about it."

"May naisip ka na bang idea about our wedding?" He asked.

"Iyon na nga, kaya tinatanong kita. I don't want our parents to shoulder any expenses for the wedding. I'm sure my mom will offer help at sigurado rin ako na ganoon din ang parents mo. That's what I don't want to happen." I told him what I have in mind. "You see, hindi naman nila tayo inilagay sa sitwasyong ito so I don't think it's proper for us to bother them-"

"Paris, hindi naman tayo abala-"

"I know, Aidan. I know. Hindi naman iyon ang ibig kong sabihin. Ang sakin lang, not a moment later we'll both be parents. We'll soon be responsible for someone's life. And we have to start being responsible with this, tayo ang ikakasal. Marapat lang siguro na tayo rin ang managot rito." Paliwanag ko. "I have my own savings, Aidan. We can do sharing-"

"No way, I have mine." He cut me off, he then brushed his thumb on my hand. "I can afford our wedding, Paris. No matter how extravagant you want it to be."

And that made me smile. "I don't want an extravagant one, we don't need it. What's important is the wedding. Pagkatapos noon, paghahandaan pa natin si baby."

"I like it when you always think about the future and our baby..."

"Ganoon naman dapat hindi ba? We should now learn how to prioritize things, Aidan." Kumunot pa ang noo ko nang may maalala. "And, oo nga pala! I remember that Aric once told me that you party a lot!"

"He said that?" His eyes widened and shook his head. "I wonder kung ano pa ang naikwento sayo ng kapatid ko tungkol sakin."

"About that, Aidan. You'll be graduating this school year, you'll stop receiving allowance from your parents and will start earning on your own. It will be a waste of money if ever you'll burn it in pubs, so if you could lessen or rather stop partying please do?" Pakiusap ko.

"Damn, Paris..." natatawang inihinto nito ang sasakyan bago ako balingan. "Wala pa nga, binabaliw mo na ko..."

"Mababaliw ka kapag hindi ka makakapag-party?!" Masungit kong tanong.

Humalakhak ito. "Ikaw, ikaw ang babaliw sakin Paris Amanda."

Inirapan ko naman ito bago hilain ang aking kamay na doon ko lang napansing hawak hawak nito sa buong byahe.

I unfastened my seatbelt, siya naman ay bumaba na ng sasakyan. Bago ko pa mabuksan ang pinto sa bahagi ko ay naroroon na ito hawak ang isang payong dahil bahagya pa ring umuulan.

Agad kaming sinalubong ng kaniyang mga magulang. Tita Ica is mom's friend, kaya naman kilala ko na ito. Hindi rin naman ito ang unang beses kong makakatapak sa kabahayan ng mga Castañeda, malimit na imbitado ang aming pamilya tuwing may salu-salo sa pagdiriwang ng anibersaryo ng mag-asawa.

"Hello, Paris! Welcome to our humble abode." Tita Ica dimpled at me.

"Good evening, Tita." I kissed her on the cheek, ganoon rin si Tito Safe. "Good evening, Tito."

Tito Safe warmly smiled at me.

"Where's Alaric?" Aidan asked.

"He's not home since yesterday, Aidan." Si Tita Ica iyon na siyang umakay samin patungo sa komedor. "He's out of town for some school activity."

Maayos na ang mga pagkain sa hapag, Aidan pulled a chair for me. Naupo ako roon at ito nama'y sa tabi ko.

When we're all seated, Tito Safe started asking about me. Kung kamusta ang kalagayan ko and all that. Compared to dad, he has a lighter aura. Palangiti rin ito, he's very accommodating. Palagay ko'y namana rito ni Aidan ang lahat, mula sa itsura hanggang sa pag-uugali.

"What are your plans, Aidan?" He asked in the middle of our dinner. "Tuloy parin ba ang pag-bubukas mo ng art studio after you've graduated?"

Sinalinan muna ni Aidan ng tubig ang aking baso bago niya sagutin ang ama.

"Hindi na muna siguro, dad."

"Why?" His father cocked him a brow. "Hindi ba't iyon ang matagal mo ng pinag-iipunan? I thought you're even excited about it. Tapos ngayon, hindi na?"

"Ipagpapaliban ko lang naman muna." Sabi niya. "May ibang bagay kasi akong naiisip na bilihin sa ngayon. And I'm thinking about working on our company for the mean time, pagkatapos kong grumaduate."

Tumango-tango ang daddy niya, si Tita Ica naman ay masayang nakangiti sakin.

"That's a good idea." His dad said. "How about you, Paris? What are your plans for yourself?"

Hindi ako agad na nakasagot. Ano nga ba ang plano ko? I haven't thought about any plans for myself, it's the baby I've always thought about.

Nilingon ako ni Aidan, he smiled at me. "Pag-uusapan pa namin ni Paris iyon dad. I don't want her to feel pressured about anything, lalo na sa kalagayan niya ngayon."

"Siya nga naman, Safe. Palagay ko nama'y kaya na ng mga bata mag-desisyon para sakanilang mga sarili." Si Tita Ica iyon. "Anyway, kung nakapagdesisyon na kayong dalawa tungkol sainyong kasal, sabihan niyo ako. I can contact my friend who's a great wedding planner."

"About that, ma. Kami na ho ang bahala ni Paris sa magiging kasal namin." Aidan said. "Maaasikaso namin yan at mapagtutuunan ng pansin, this Christmas break."

"Oh, okay. Just tell me if you'll be needing an extra hand." Masaya parin nitong tugon.

Matapos ang hapunan ay agad na rin naman kaming nag-paalam sa mga ito. Tito Safe even insisted that we stay for the night dahil bahagya paring umuulan. Ngunit si Aidan na ang siyang mismong nanindigan na ihahatid niya akong pauwi.

"Sabi ko sa daddy mo, iuuwi kita kahit anong mangyari."

When we reached his car, he turned to me as he started the engine.

"I'm just starting to gain your father's trust, I don't wanna lose it by breaking my own words."