"Good morning, Mr. De Salvo." Nakangiti kong nilingon si Vince nang maramdaman ang pagpasok niya sa gallery ng mansion. Alam ko siya iyon dahil kabisadong kabisado ko ang presensya niya.

"Morning," he said, walking up to me and embracing me from behind. Sumandal ako sa kaniya, napangiti akong lalo nang haplusin niya ang namumukol ko ng tiyan.

Vince and I had decided that it was better kung dito ako sa Soledad magbubuntis, kaya naman agad niya akong inuwi nang sumunod na buwan matapos kaming magkabalikan. His family was so thrilled to know about my pregnancy. At syempre pa, ang mga magulang niya ay inihayag agad ang kagustuhan nilang maikasal kaming dalawa.

Gusto ko naman, gustong-gusto. Kaya lang hindi lang naman ako ang magdedesisyon nu'n at lalong hindi sila. If Vince wanted to marry me, he would ask. Siya ang dapat magpahayag nu'n. I could only say yes and I do.

"Ang aga mo naman nagising," hinalikan niya ang aking pisngi bago ibinaon ang mukha sa gilid ng aking leeg.

Sabado kasi ngayon, hindi niya kakailanganing pumunta sa resort. Kaya hinayaan ko na lang siyang matulog, tuwing umaga kasi ay bumababa ako at naglalakad lakad lalo na pag maganda ang panahon. Kasama ko pa nga si Tita Cameron, she wanted me to start calling them Mom and Dad too, kaya lang nahihiya ako. Sinasanay ko pa nga lang ang sarili ko sa Tita at Tito, eh. Nasa bakasyon ang mga ito at sa isang linggo pa ang balik kaya naging mag-isa lang tuloy ako sa pag-iikot-ikot ko sa malawak na bakuran ng villa. Kung minsan ay sumasama ako kay Roy sa rancho pag naiinip ako sa mansion, lalo kung may trabaho si Vince. Ayos lang naman sa kaniya, kung hindi nga lang ako buntis ay pahihiramin niya ako ng isa sa mga kabayo para mas makapamasyal ako.

"Ikaw rin, eh. Dapat ngayon ay natutulog ka pa," mahinahon kong sabi. Tiningala ko ang naka-display na painting sa dingding. Iyon ang ginawa ko para kay Vince, 'yung dapat na ireregalo ko sa kaniya pero tuluyan ko ng nakalimutan dahil sa dami ng nangyari nu'ng gabing iyon. He found it at the closet, tapos ay imbes i-display sa penthouse ay ipinadala niya iyon dito, mas bagay daw. Totoo naman.

Tiningala rin iyon ni Vince. "Hindi pa ako nakakapag-thank you sa'yo," he kissed my shoulder and whispered. "That was the most beautiful gift I ever had, Nic. Salamat."

Vince deserved nothing less than the best. "Marami pang susunod. Expect mo na, kasi sa ganyan lang ako magaling."

Nilingon ko ang mga malalaking kuwadrado na nasa isang sulok ng silid. Natatabingan iyon ng puting sheets, at dahil wala nga akong magawa rito sa bahay ay nag-offer ako kay Vince na i-rearrange ang gallery. Not that it wasn't organized, wala lang. Para lang may magawa ako.

"Mamaya ay pupunta dito ang ilang ranchero na hiniram ko kay Roy para tulungan akong mag-ayos," sabi ko kay Vince.

"Hindi ka na nga dapat nag-aabala, eh. May mga binabayaran naman si Mommy na puwedeng gumawa niyan."

"Eh, hindi na kailangan magbayad pa. Nandito naman na ako, isa pa'y wala rin naman akong ginagawa." Masuyo ko siyang nginitian. "Alam mo naman, hindi ako sanay na ng walang ginagawa. Tapos hindi ko pa rin masyadong feel mag-paint, pakiramdam ko itong anak mo ay hindi magmamana sa akin."

"Anak natin," he corrected me. I rolled my eyes, kung tignan niya ako'y para bang ang laki ng kasalanan ko. Ito talagang si Vince. Kumawala ako sa kaniya, medyo curious sa mga painting na nakatabing. Ang ilang naka-display kasi ay kay Tita Cameron. Ang mga nakatabing naman ay personal na koleksyon ni Vince.

Nilapitan ko ang isang pinakamalaki na halos nasa dulo na ng malawak na silid, inalis ko ang tabing noon at napasinghap nang makita ang painting na naroon.

The Nativity with Saint Francis and Saint Lawrence is a renowned masterpiece depicting the birth of Jesus, crafted by the Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio during the seventeenth century.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Mula sa likod ko ay narinig ko ang tinig ni Vince, nang lingunin ko'y nakasunod rin pala ito sa akin. Maalalay kasi 'yan si Vince, tuwina'y nag-aalala na baka kung mapano ako pag malayo siya sa akin.

"It is indeed a remarkable portrayal," I remarked, my gaze returning to the captivating scene depicted within the painting. "Who attempts to replicate it?" Tinanong ko kahit pa alam ko naman na hindi replica ang nasa aking harapan. It was an original Caravaggio. Kahit pa maraming peke nito ay alam ko kung ano ang replica sa hindi.

Nilingon kong muli si Vince. He didn't say a word, he just shrugged.

"Is this the original?" Maingat kong tanong, nang hindi siya sumagot ay nagpatuloy ako. "Caravaggio rarely signed his paintings, save for the notable exception of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, a grim reminder of his own dark history. Imitations often bear his signature, but this one does not. Where did you get this painting?"

"From a friend," came his succinct reply.

"A Sicilian mafia friend?" I ventured, though I held no expectation of a response.

My curiosity was piqued not only by the painting itself but also by the intriguing circumstances surrounding its acquisition. The Nativity with Saint Francis and Saint Lawrence has been shrouded in mystery since its disappearance in 1969. A former Italian Mafia boss purportedly informed authorities that it was stolen by the Sicilian Mafia, yet to this day, its whereabouts remain unknown.

"Well, I must say you've got some connections, Mr. De Salvo." I rolled my eyes, tapos ay muli kong binalingan ang iba pang painting na naroon. Hindi na ako muling nagtanong pa tungkol sa Caravaggio painting, it was his deal.

Nasisiguro kong pag pinagsama-sama ang halaga ng bawat paintings ay ilang buhay na rin ang mabibili ng mga ito. Damn, it could even buy me only I was not in the market.

"Why do you love art?" I asked Vince.

"Why do you?"

"Hey, I asked you first, you have to answer my question before you get to ask me another!"

"I didn't know we follow rules here," he said.

"Now you know. So, answer me."

"It supports emotional intelligence," tahimik niyang sabi bago kunin ang aking kamay at hilahin ako pakulong sa kaniyang mga bisig. Agad akong nakaramdam ng kapayapaan.

"So, you like art because it supports emotional intelligence, I get you."

"Yeah. When I was a kid, paintings were like an emotional anchor. It helped me navigate through all those complicated feelings and made me feel more okay with who I was. And seeing how others expressed themselves through it, it kind of opened my eyes to different perspectives and made me more empathetic towards others."

Tumango ako sa pagsang-ayon, I smiled at him. "I agree. It brings all sorts of emotions out of us, and it tells a story no other medium can tell."

"When I was a kid, my mom had this dope room filled with paintings from all kinds of artists, pros, and amateurs alike. She had this knack for falling head over heels for a painting and going all out to snag it. And I fell in love with that room. I swore to myself that once I started making my own dough, I'd buy all the paintings I want and create my own little art haven."

Tumingala ako at inilibot ang paningin sa paligid. "I guess, you made it,"

"I guess I did,"

"How the hell did he become better than Da Vinci by just freestyling on the canvas without any sketches? That seems like a pretty superficial criterion to me. Any painter could pull that off, even I could,"

"I couldn't," he casually shrugged. "So, Van Gogh takes the cake for me."

"Leonardo Da Vinci was already a legend long before Van Gogh even came into the picture. They're from different epochs—Da Vinci hails from the Renaissance, while Van Gogh emerged in the late 19th century. But, you see–"

"Ah, so you're using birth order as the yardstick for greatness? Well, my dear, let me enlighten you: being born first doesn't inherently make someone better than those who came after. It's about the impact they make, regardless of when they entered the scene."

"That's not what I'm trying to say!"

We had been debating about Da Vinci and Van Gogh for almost twenty minutes now. Vince wouldn't back down, neither did I! And the beer bottles were not helping our rationale. Muli siyang uminom ng beer mula sa boteng hawak, umiiling-iling pa rin ngunit hindi na muling nagsalita pa.

"Okay," I sighed, shaking my head. "Comparing them is like comparing apples and oranges—they're both incredible in their own right, and they each have their unique approach to art. Leonardo excelled at capturing scenes and events with precision—"

"While Van Gogh aimed to channel his inner self through his art, often resulting in abstract pieces that defy easy interpretation or depiction of scenes or events. He's in a league of his own compared to your DV—"

"He's talented in his own right. Let's just agree that they're both exceptional, alright?" I conceded, sensing that Vince wasn't quite ready to let go of his admiration for Van Gogh. But I was done arguing—I had no intention of getting in the way of his Van Gogh worship.

Tumayo na ako at iiwan na sana siya sa balkonahe dahil hindi naman ako umiinom, bukod pa sa hindi puwede sa akin ay hindi ko rin talaga gusto.

"Bakit naman napipikon ang mahal ko?" Masuyong sabi ni Vince bago mapang-inis na humalakhak.

Napairap ako, hindi ko kasi gustong aminin sa aking sarili na napipikon ako. Paano naman kasi, ang babaw. Pero ano rin naman ba ang magagawa ko? Mababaw kami ng anak ko ngayon.

"Hindi ako napipikon," tanggi ko pa tatalikuran ko na sana siya nang abutin niya ang aking braso at hilahin akong paupo sa kaniyang kandungan. "Ayaw na kitang kausap, Vince,"

Lalo siyang natawa.

"Gusto pa kitang kausap," pinatakan niya ng marahang halik ang aking balikat atsaka ako nginitian. "Sorry. Ikaw kasi, ang cute mo kapag may pinaglalaban."

Umirap na naman ako. "Nakakainis ka,"

We lapsed into a comfortable silence, the tension from our earlier debate dissolving into the air. Leaning into his embrace, I closed my eyes, allowing myself to bask in the tranquility of the moment.

Suddenly, Vince's voice broke the silence, pulling me back to reality.

"Nic, would you still want to meet your parents?" he asked softly, his words tinged with curiosity.

I shook my head without hesitation, the answer clear in my heart. "No," I replied, my voice steady despite the memories that threatened to resurface. "I have no interest in meeting them. Hindi na rin naman na kailangan."

The truth was, ever since I found out I was pregnant, my perspective on family had shifted. I couldn't fathom subjecting my child to the same pain and neglect that I had endured growing up. No matter how hard life might get, I was determined to create a safe and loving environment for my child, one where they would always feel cherished and supported.

"I know what it feels like now," I continued, my voice barely above a whisper. "And I couldn't even imagine doing to my child what they did to me. Not for one second."

Vince's hand tightened around mine, offering silent reassurance and understanding. I could feel the weight of his gaze on me, filled with empathy and compassion.

Kuntento na ako kay Vince at sa munting pamilyang sinisimulan naming buohin.