"Ate Mikaila!" Noelle pointed, spotting her cousin and aunt in the midst of an ocean of people.

   "Mikaila! Auntie! Uncle!" waved Amir excitedly, jumping up and down trying to catch their attention.

   Queenie turned her head to the familiar voices and taps the shoulder of her sister and husband earning her daughter's attention as well. They turned to the kid's direction and faster than the speed of light, Mikaila was enveloped in her cousins' arms.

   The three adults follow after her pushing two trolleys stuffed with bags. Kylie quickly ran to her sisters and embraced them.

   "I missed you, guys!"

   "Same to you, Ate," joked Zhen.

   "Zherileen," Queenie gave her a look, "I missed you, Bulldog."

   "Usamamir," Kylie acknowledged.

   "Hello, Kylie," he nodded. "Ruru."

   Ruru waved with one hand and carried the baby with another, "Hey, Bro."

   "Mommy! Mommy, can we go to that nice restaurant by the park again, please?" bounced Mikaila, pleading her mother.

   "Well, Darling, only if everyone agrees that it's okay," she responds.

   Mikaila along with her two cousins looked at the adults with their cute little Padilla eyes, "Abu, Auntie Zhen, Auntie Kylie, Uncle Ruru, please?"

   "You forgot to ask Silas," kidded Ruru shifting the baby's position.

   She giggled, "Little Silas, do you wanna go to that restaurant by the park so your Ate and Kuya and I can play?"

   Silas, being such a happy baby, took Mikaila's words as a little game to make him laugh. He smiled and let out a little giggle.

   "Silas said yes!" Noelle happily thrust her fist in the air.

   "If the baby says yes, then so does everybody," Zhen smiled.
-
   "Marner, wanna join us?" Amir cooed his brother.

   "Bud, your brother's name is Silas Emilio not Marner. Where in the world did you get Marner?" Ruru snickered.

   Amir shrugged, "The book."

   "What book?" asked Usamamir rather intrigued, hoping the particular book the boy mentions will be 'Mikaila-approved' and will get her to actually read.

   "Silas Marner, Uncle," he replies before running off to the playground.

   Zhen eyed the baby, "Did you name him after that book, Ate?"

   "Nope, Silas is named after the guy in the Bible, the one who accompanied the Apostle Paul in his second missionary trip," Kylie replied.

   The three nodded, not really knowing anything about the Bible.

   "So, Zhen, what are you plans now that you're done with college?" Ruru asked.

   Zhen laughed, "Wow! I didn't think it was possible that anyone could sound that much like Papa."

   "Did I really sound like Papa?"

   Queenie muffled a laugh, nodding.

   "I'm planning on taking six months before applying for a job, take some time off," she coolly replies.

   "Look at you, all grown up," Queenie teased.

   "Mama!" exclaimed Amir as he and his two companions ran towards the table with their tomato-red, sweaty faces.

   The boy immediately hugged his mother, "You're so sweaty!"

   "Come and sit down, critters. The food's here," instructs Usamamir, his Pakistani accent thick.

   "Ooh, chicken!" Noelle gushes.

   "Ate, not too loud please. Your baby brother's sleeping," Kylie reprimands her daughter.

   "Silas is always sleeping," Noelle said exaggeratedly.

   "That's because he's a baby, Babe," stated Kylie pinching her daughter's nose.

   "Do babies always sleep, Auntie?" asked the curious Mikaila.

   "Well, not always but more often kase they need to grow. Why do you ask, Darling?"

   "I want a baby sibling, Abu," she begs her father, "Please, Abu, Mommy."

   Queenie choked on her food, "Sweetie, what?"

   "A baby sibling. I mean, Amir has Noelle and Silas, that's two siblings and I have none," she pouted.

   Zhen snickered, "She's got a point, Ate."

   "Ate Mikaila, doesn't that sound perfect, Babe?" joked Usamamir.

   Ruru stuck his fist out for a fist bump with the guy and laughed, "The poor kid's got no playmate in Pakistan."

   "Okay, so, Ali and Mama are arriving at 7:00 p.m. tonight, yes?" she quickly derives the topic.

   "Uy, drifting the topic!" teased Ruru. "Do you want a baby sister or a baby brother?"

   "Both! Like, three each!" Mikaila innocently proclaims.

   Usamamir laughed, "Babe, three each."

   Queenie elbowed him, "Stop."

   "What's so funny?" asked Noelle.

   "Nothing, Kikay, we're just being silly," Ruru answered, pulling her so she sat on his lap and kissed her cheek.

   "Are they always this sweet?" Zhen asked referring to Ruru and Noelle.

   Kylie chuckled, "Yeah. Ever since that little one was born, there was some sort of force that would always bring him to her."

   "Love, it's like this kase. I'll give you a father's point of view. When your daughter is born in this world, there's suddenly a girl whose beauty can equal to her mother's, right, Usamamir?"

   Usamamir gave Ruru a high five, "Finally, someone who understands."

   "I mean, to be fair, when Amir was born, he was your 'most pogi little baby', remember?" Zhen side commented.

   "Amir is good looking though," she defends.

   "So, you're saying Noelle isn't?" Ruru feigned his shock, a tone of laughter in his voice.

   Noelle pouted as her eyes started to glisten with tears, "Baba."

   Kylie quickly swept Noelle out of Ruru's embrace and sat her on her lap, "No, that's not what I'm saying. My Noelle's gorgeous." She kissed the little girl's cheek.

   "She looks just like you," Queenie snickered.

   "Look! Silas is awake!" Mikaila exclaimed.

   "Well, Darling, we can play with little Silas later and tomorrow, right? Let's eat for now," Usamamir reminded.

   "Yes, Abu."
-
   "Love, you done?" Ruru knocked on the comfort room's door, waiting for Kylie and Noelle to walk out so they could join the rest of the clan in the cottage.

   "Almost," Noelle's girly voice was heard.

   Moments later, his girls walked out with matching red bikinis enhancing their light complexity. The sight made Ruru's jaw drop.

   "How do I look, Love?" Kylie asked wrapping her cover-up around her stomach, suddenly conscious.

   "Ravishing," he smiled and kissed her on the forehead, then looked down to gaze at his daughter. "Noelle Amariah, what are you wearing?"

   "A swimsuit," she calmly replies with a sarcastic smile. "Why? Don't you like it, Baba?"

   "It's too revealing, Princess," he reasoned. "Go back in there and wear something else."

   "Love, I only bought one swimsuit for her. What do you want her to wear? A pillowcase?" Kylie joked.

   "I was gonna say a blanket, but if that's what we have then I'll be fine with that."

   "Baba, I like this swimsuit," she pouted and raised her hands to be carried.

   Ruru scooped her into his arms, "Kikay, little love, you're a baby. Babies don't wear two-piece bikinis."

   "Please, Baba?" she kisses his cheek. "Please? Pretty please?" she kissed his cheek again.

   "Fine, fine," he sighed. He was always nothing compared to her dramatic little tactics. "Basta no boys until you're 70, okay?"

   Kylie laughed.

   "Okay," she nodded.

   "Oh, dali na! Everybody's outside na except us," Kylie said, carrying the baby in her arms.

   "I'll go na, Mama, Baba, bye!" and in the speed of light, she was bolting out the door and in the water with the other kids.

   "Tara na," Ruru smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist.

   As soon as they got out the door, all eyes were on the lovely couple. Girls swooned over Ruru and guys' jaws dropped in the sight of Kylie, but none of them could touch either one of them anyway.

   As they approached the rented cottage by the beach, their family members stared at them.

   "Damn, Kylie Nicole, saan dumaan ang bata?" Rere jokingly catcalled.

   "Sa bibig," she joked in return.

   "Ganda naman ng anak ko. Kylie!" Robin grinned and opened his arms.

   "Papa," she smiled and hugged her father.

   "Hi, Ate Kylie!" waved Isabella before running off to the water.

   "Hello!" she waved back. "Pa, where's Tita and Mama?"

   "Nandoon sa cottage, Anak, naguusap," he smiled, partly cooing his grandson. "Pogi nito oh! Mana kay Lolo, diba? Kuting, ano?"

   "Pa, hindi pusa ang anak ko," she chuckled.

   The poor baby was given such a silly nickname after being seen on the screen by his brother on an ultrasound. "He looks like a baby cat," he had said.

   "Ang cute kaya nang palayaw niya, diba, Kuting?"

   "Oo nga, Love. Cute naman eh," agreed Ruru earning a sigh from Kylie.

   "Cute na! Oo na. Punta muna kami kila Mama, Pa," she stated, "Let's go, Baby."

   Entering the cottage, the couple smiled at the familiar faces they saw. Rere was talking with Zhen, probably about a new blog site or some millenial thing. Mariel, Liezl, and Jackie were bundled up doing their usual girl talk about how cute their grandkids are and how they looked just like their parents. Queenie sat beside Usamamir with Ali on his side gobbling up the grilled fish.

   "There's my little boy! Come to Wowa? You wanna come to Wowa, Silas?" cooed Liezl, arms open.

   "Go with Wowa, Anak?" Kylie said and kissed the baby's cheek before handing him to his grandmother.

   "Gwapo naman nang batang iyan. Nako, Ru! Ganyan na ganyan ang mukha mo nung baby ka pa," gushed Jackie.

   "Actually, parang Silas is a daintier version of Amir eh, noh?" joined Mariel, fawning over the infant.

   "Ali, look at your nephew. Isn't he so cute?"

   "Ma, you say that everytime you meet your grandchildren," he snickers.

   "It's true naman kase, Ali. We have good genes, don't we, Ate?" Kylie said.

   "Word," Queenie agreed. "Wooh! Bulldog, you're looking beautiful!"

   "Thank you," she nodded. "Where's Rara and Dada?"

   "Coming na. They're in the room pa," replied Rere.

   "Mama!" Noelle squealed as she came running in the cottage all wet and sandy.

   "Hey, Ate-"

   "Hide me! Hide me! Ate Isabella's gonna turn me in! Hide me!" she said and scrambled under the elevated bamboo seats.

   "These kids are gonna grow up to be culprits, I swear," Ali joked.

   "Culprits? Di pwedeng best friends lang?" Rere laughed.

   A second later, Isabella came bolting in, "Where is she? Ate Kylie, where is she?"

   "I don't know what you're talking about, Sweet," she lies.

   "Mommy! Tita Liezl! I know you've seen her. I have to turn her in, she's a bad mermaid," she searches around the room.

   "A bad mermaid? Then, you must catch her then, huh?" Liezl played along.

   "She isn't here, Gorg," said Zhen.

   Isabella's head snapped up and she raised a finger. Her face lit up, "Daddy! Daddy would tell me!"

   She runs off, "Daddy! Daddy!"

   "Thanks for not telling, Mama," Noelle smiled, crawling out of her hiding spot.

   "There you are!" Mikaila screamed, pointing at her cousin with eyes like a madman. "I found her, Amir! Ate Isabella! I found her!"

   "And the mess starts between the culprit little critters," Usamamir muttered under his breath earning a gentle slap on the arm by Queenie.
-
   "Hey, little ones, it's time to eat, come on!" Ali called out.

   "Tito Ali, come play!" they called.

   "Your mothers will kill me. After we eat, I can play with you, come on now."

   "Fine," they all sighed before running off to the cottage.

   The children went in with sun-kissed faces and sandy toes, quickly earning attention from the adults.

   "Look at your faces. You all look like tomatoes!" Ruru laughed.

   "Baba, I like tomatoes," Noelle pouted.

   Bhong laughed at his granddaughter, "Kikay, halika kay Tatay! You're not a tomato to me."

   "Tatay!"
-
   Kylie sat in the cottage with Silas on her lap as family members continued to try and make the baby laugh. Ruru sat across his wife, getting awestruck over her smile. She's so beautiful.

Posted by rurumadrid8:

    🎶Cause I've seen rainbows that can take your breath away,
The beauty of the setting sun that ends a perfect day,
And when it comes to shooting stars, I have seen a few,
But I've never seen anything as BEAUTIFUL AS YOU🎶
—————
There you go, @_kateenojas
Thank you for your patience.

If you're wondering, the caption on the picture is the chorus of Richard Poon's "Beautiful As You". It's a very nice song. I totally recommend it, especially if you're not feeling very beautiful.

Disclaimer: The picture is from Aljur Abrenica's Instagram account and is not mine.

Say hello to Silas Emilio. Silas meaning third and Emilio (named after Emilio Jacinto, one of my favorite national heroes) meaning industrious.
Vote, comment, and leave a suggestion! Love lots!