4 Years Later

~10th Anniversary~

The relaxing sound of the waves crashing on the shore, the smell of the sea, and the cool breeze of the air. I smiled as stood on the beach, wating for the sunset to start.

Hindi ako makapaniwala na isang dekada na ang nakalipas mula nang maging kami. Through those 10 years, many things happened not only to us, but also to the people around us. Ate Sefine and Kuya Kyle are already married with 3 kids, Serenity and Wayne got married a few years ago and now they have a baby, Seraphine has been engaged with her fiance for many years, Mia and Josh are married with 2 kids, Kaylie and Noel are married, Ethan got engaged last year, Jasper got married last year, and Jasmine has been traveling with her boyfriend. And Nicolas and I, we are happily married.

I felt someone hug me from behind. I smiled. "Nicolas?" Tumingala ako at nakita ko na si Nicolas nga ito. He was looking straight into my eyes. Marami man ang nagbago sa paligid namin, hindi pa rin nagbabago ang mga mata niya. The way he looks at me with love in his eyes never changed. He still only has eyes for me.

"How did you know it was me?" tanong naman niya.

I shrugged. "I just know. Ah, right, where are the kids?" tanong ko naman sa kaniya.

"Tulog pa sila" he said and leaned his head on my shoulder. "Can you believe na 10 years na tayo? Parang kahapon lang nung hindi pa tayo close. You know, never kong inexpect na magiging tayo. I never expected that you'd be mine. I never expected that we will have our own family. Back then, I could only admire you from afar. I could never talk to you properly without stuttering. But now, you're in my arms"

Lumingon ako sa kanya at ngumiti. I cupped his face. "Hindi ko rin inexpect na madudugtungan ng 'De Varga' ang pangalan ko. I always thought na tatanda na akong dalaga. But now, look. Here we are celebrating our 10th anniversary. You don't know how thankful I am that you came into my life."

"I seriously love you so much, Safire"

"I love you very much too"

Nilapit niya ang mukha niya sa akin and was about to kiss me when---

"MOMMY!!!!"

"DADDY!!!!"

Nagulat ako nang marinig ang sigaw ng anak ko. Parehas kaming napalingon at nakita namin ang kambal namin na tumatakbo papunta sa amin. Agad kong tinulak si Nicolas palayo.

Tumakbo si Chazelle papunta sa akin at niyakap ako. Sinalubong ko siya ng yakap at kinarga siya. Si Chayelle naman ay tumakbo papunta sa daddy niya at nagpakarga.

Chazelle Elowen W. De Varga and Chayelle Serena W. De Varga, our twins. They're already 3 years old and both girls. 

"Mommy, wat wer you and daddy dowin? (Mommy, what were you and daddy doing?)" inosenteng tanong ni Chazelle.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Nicolas at parehas hindi alam ang isasagot. "U-um... Baby, I thought you were sleeping, did you wake up? Where is yaya?" I asked them with a sweet tone. Hahaha galing kong mag change ng topic.

"Ah! We pwayed tag wid yaya! (Ah! We played yag with yaya!)" sagot naman ni Chayelle.

"Oh, where is she now?" tanong ko naman sa kanila.

"Uhm..."

"Chayelle! Chazelle!" hingal na hingal na sigaw ni Sam, yaya ng kambal. "Bakit kayo tumakbo at iniwan ako doon---M-ma'am! S-sir! Nandito po pala kayo, pasensya na po, bigla po kasing tumakbo ang kambal kanina."  pagpapaliwanag niya.

"Okay lang, Sam. Magpahinga ka na muna doon, pagod ka na eh. Kami na ang bahala sa kambal." sabi ko sa kaniya.

"Ah, thank you po.."

Tumango ako. "No problem, pasensya na rin sa kakulitan nila"

"Ay nako maam, ayos lang po" Nagpaalam na siya at bumalik na sa hotel.

Binaba ko si Chazelle at binaba rin ni Nicolas si Chayelle. Lumuhod ako para maging magkapantay kami. Tinignan ko sila ng diretso sa mata. "Chazelle, Chayelle, why did you leave yaya? And why did you run? What will you do if something happened to you?" I asked in a strict tone.

"Sowwy mommy.. (sorry mommy)" guilty nilang sabi.

"Don't do that again, do you understand? I already told the two of you not to go anywhere without yaya when we're not around."

"Yesh.. (Yes..)"

"Okay, now, because you didn't listen to me, no sweets for the two of you tonight."

"But mommy!"

Nicolas placed his hand on my shoulder. "Safire, tama na yan, iiyak na sila. Can't you let it slide just this once?"

I glared at him. Seriously, just why is he so lenient? "No"

"But whyyyy???" sabay sabay na sabi ng maga-ama at nagpapacute pa.

Mas kamukha man ako ng kambal pero nagmana naman sila sa daddy nila. At ang masaklap ay marupok ako. "Fine. You can only have one candy later, though"

"Yey! Thaks daddy!" pagpapasalamat ng kambal sa daddy nila at niyakap pa ito. Aba bat sa kaniya sila nagthank you? I glared at  the three of them. Palibhasa daddy's girl ang dalawa

"Kids, hug your mom too or she might make me sleep on the sofa later" sabi ni Nicolas kaya mas sinamaan ko ang tingin ko sa kanya. Hindi ka sa sofa matutulog, Nicolas. Sa sahig ka matutulog.

Nagulat ako nang yakapin ako ng kambal. Ngingiti na sana ako kaso sabi nila: "Pwease don mwake daddy sweep on da sofa (Please don't make daddy sleep on the sofa)"

Shutanginang yan. I glared at Nicolas even more.

"Oh, huwag ka na magalit, anniversary natin ngayon" sabi niya at ngumiti.

"I hate you"  I said

He suddenly kissed my lips and said: "I love you too"

I just stared blankly after he did that. Gosh, kinikilig ako. Self tandaan mo, 31 years old ka na at may 2 anak na! Hindi ka na teenager!

"Mommy, Daddy, we aw stiw hew. (Mommy, Daddy, we are still here)"

"You can dwo dat watew wen we aw not wid you. (You can do that later when we are not with you)"

Natawa kami sa sinabi ng kambal. Gosh, naaalala ko ang mga kaibigan ko sa kanila hahahahahaha. Nicolas and I carried the twins and stood up. "Look, the sun is setting" saad ni Nicolas at tinuro ang langit.

"Wowwwwww" namamanghang sabi ng dalawa.

Habang pinapanood namin ang sunset ay bigla akong kinalabit ni Nicolas at bumulong. "Happy anniversary, Safire. I love you so much, my love"

"Happy anniversary, Nicolas. I love you too, my Nico" bulong ko sa kanya at hinalikan siya. The kids were busy watching the sunset so they didn't see us.

Who would've imagined na si Nicolas pala ang papakasalan ko? How lucky am I too have him and the twins. Bago niya ako ligawan, akala ko talaga tatanda na akong dalaga. But then, he came to my life and changed that. And I am thankful for the 'Love Mess' that brought us together. Now, its finally time for the sun to set. This may be the end of a decade, but it isn't the end of our story. There will always be a sunrise tomorrow waiting for us. And we'll be together through sunrise and sunset, whether we're rich or poor, sick or healthy, we will face everything together until death do us apart. Now, we will live in our happily ever after.

THE END