Read up to Chapter 40 now on my Facebook VIP group or the alternative of my Patreon creator page. Message me on my Facebook Rej Martinez to join now for 150 PHP monthly. Thank you!

Chapter Sixteen

Jealous

"Teen, nandito si Aaron." tawag sa akin ni manang.

Nag-angat ako ng tingin mula sa pinapanood kong random YouTube video sa iPad. I was bored. I saw Aaron entering our house. Ngumiti siya sa akin pero nanatili lang naman akong halos walang reaksyon. Palagi pa rin talaga niya akong binibisita sa bahay namin. Halos araw-araw. Kahit pa wala rin naman siyang nakukuha sa akin dahil hindi ko rin siya halos pansinin.

"I brought you cookies, Teen. Gawa ni tita."

Napatingin ako sa dala niyang pagkain. Bahagya akong umahon mula sa sofa ng living room namin para tingnan iyon. Madalas ay nandito ako sa living area dahil hinihintay ko rin na makauwi sina Daddy. And maybe Aaron's visits, too. Well, yeah. I saw Aaron smiling like crazy as he watched me took a bite.

He sat beside me. Bahagya naman akong umusog. To give him some more space, too. "Remember when we were younger? The first time you tasted Tita Eris' cookies it instantly became your favorite. Until I found myself liking tita's cookies more since then. It became our favorite." Aaron reminisced.

Nagpatuloy lang naman ako sa pagkain ng cookies. I remembered that. I remembered our childhood memories, of course. It's not something that you can just forget about, anyway. Pero hindi na ako nagsalita. I can feel Aaron's gaze at me.

"We have the same favorites..."

"My favorites became your favorite." Nagsalita na ako.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Aaron. He smiled at me. Unti-unti naman akong napanguso at nag-iwas ng tingin. Bakit parang ang gwapo niya yata lalo ngayon? "Gaya-gaya ka kasi." I told him to distract us.

Pero nakangiti lang naman si Aaron habang pinagmamasdan ako.

I wondered if we're really okay now. After everything that's happened? Kailan ba parang gumaan sa pagitan namin ni Aaron? Since he realized that we're really having a baby. We both knew that this child deserves better parents. That's why we're trying to do our part... For our baby.

Today I'm cooking lunch for one of Aaron's visits. Sa work na kakain sina Mommy at Daddy. At sa school naman si Lance. Ngayon ay bibisita si Aaron nang bandang lunch time. Medyo maaga dahil hindi raw siya busy ngayong araw. And I just thought of cooking him something. Since wala rin naman talaga akong ginagawa rito sa bahay and I'm bored.

"Manang, nand'yan na po ba si Aaron?" I asked manang who just entered the kitchen.

"Kakarating niya lang. Tapos ka na ba sa pagluluto? Sinabihan ka nang kami nalang ang ipagluto mo at magsabi ka lang ng kung ano'ng gusto mong kainin. Hindi kailangang pinapagod mo ang sarili mo nang ganito." saway na naman sa akin ni manang.

I just smiled. "Ayos lang naman po, manang. I'm pregnant but I'm fine. Please don't be as overprotective as Daddy, okay?" I grinned.

Manang sighed. "Alam mo namang nag-aalala lang sa 'yo ang Daddy mo. Sige, kami na ang maghahain niyan. Lumabas ka na at nandoon na si Aaron."

Naghubad na rin ako ng apron. "Thanks, po." I thanked manang who even helped me removing it. I really appreciate the people around me helping me out as I go through this pregnancy. And Aaron, too...

"Hey, I just finished cooking our food. Ihahain nalang nina manang." I welcomed Aaron.

I saw him smiling again. I don't know if it's just me but I feel like Aaron seemed happy these days. Well, good for him, I guess. "You cooked for me?" he asked in an obvious joy.

I almost roll my eyes at him. "I cooked for us. Hindi lang ikaw. Pinagluto ko rin ang sarili ko at sina manang." I said to him as a matter of fact.

But Aaron was just grinning from ear to ear.

Sabay kaming kumain ng lunch ni Aaron sa bahay. And it made me smile seeing that he seemed enjoying my cooking.

"You learned cooking. You didn't know anything in the kitchen before."

"Anything?" I was a bit offended. "I knew baking even before!"

Aaron chuckled a little. "Yeah," he smiled.

I pouted and looked away. And then I suddenly remembered I and Aaron's younger selves. Noong mga bata pa kami. When we started dating at a young age during high school. When I was such a curious teenager. And I would explore with Aaron... Lalo lang akong nag-iwas ng tingin hanggang sa hindi na ako makatingin sa kaniya. Is this pregnancy hormones?

"What's wrong?"

Sinulyapan ko siya. "Nothing. Hindi ka pa ba aalis?" Was I sounding rude? Parang pinapalayas ko na siya. But I suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

"I have nothing to do for the rest of the day. Can I stay longer?"

Tapos na kaming kumain. Tumango ako. Ayos lang naman. Bahala siya.

I then noticed Aaron looking at my baby bump. Nang mag-angat ako ng tingin sa mukha niya ay nagkatinginan kami. "Can I touch it?" Aaron asked me.

Unti-unti naman akong tumango. Lumapit pa sa akin si Aaron at hinawakan ng kamay niya ang tiyan ko. My stomach wasn't that really big yet. But already enough to tell that I'm pregnant. He caressed my tummy and feel our baby there. Nang muli kaming magkatinginan ay pareho nalang kaming napangiti ni Aaron.

Life surely wasn't perfect probably for anyone. But at that time I felt as though everything around me turned perfect in that very moment. Ako, si Aaron, at ang anak namin sa loob ng tiyan ko na parehong dinadama ng mga kamay namin na nakahawak at nakalapat doon.

Aaron's hand then touched mine. Hinawakan niya ang kamay kong nakahawak din sa tiyan ko. Napangiti nalang ako. I was smiling gently and sincerely. And Aaron did the same.

One time I overheard Aaron talking to someone on the phone. It was one of his visits in our home. Iniwan ko lang siya sandali para ikuha kami ng dessert sa kitchen. I didn't see any of our helpers around at mukhang may pinagtutulungan sila nina manang sa garden. At ayos lang naman sa akin na ako na ang kumuha. It's an easy task. Minsan ay sobrang nagiging OA lang din talaga lalo na si daddy sa pagbubuntis ko. Siguro gan'yan talaga kapag magiging lolo na. I smirked to myself thinking about my old man.

"Sophie..."

Malinaw kong narinig ang pangalan ni Sophie na mukhang kausap ni Aaron sa phone niya. Natigilan ako at bumaba ang tingin ko sa hawak kong sweets. I thought why Aaron was talking to Sophie...his ex.

Alam kong naghiwalay na sila noon pang bago pa lang ang pagbubuntis ko. Naghiwalay sila dahil nakabuntis ng iba si Aaron na hindi niya na girlfriend at ako iyon. There's still this voice telling me that I ruined their relationship...

Mukhang agad lang din natapos ang tawag at nagpakita na ako kay Aaron na may dala nang sweets. Kanina I was still craving for this. But now I think I just lost the appetite even to taste it. Naging tahimik na rin ako.

"Teen..." Maybe Aaron noticed my long stretch of silence.

Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya sa seryosong mga mata. "Mahal...mo pa rin ba si Sophie?" I think I shouldn't be asking this anymore... I knew that Aaron loved Sophie. She was his girlfriend. Nagkaroon sila ng relasyon noon probably because Aaron was also in love with her. And maybe he still love her. Napilitan lang siya to be with me now because we're expecting a child.

To be honest it hurt. I remembered how of a jealous girlfriend I was even back then when we were young. When we were still in high school and other girls often go to Aaron for many reasons. He was also popular with girls and even boys our age back then. Kaya kahit nga magkaibigan pa lang kami noong una ay nakakaramdam na ako ng konting inis sa ibang mga babaeng lumalapit sa kaniya. Especially when we became boyfriend and girlfriend officially. Madalas ang mga pagseselos ko noon. I wanted him all to myself...

And Aaron would always reassure me of his feelings and love for me...

"Tristeen..."

"Don't answer it." I changed my mind.

Nanatili ang tingin ni Aaron sa akin. I looked away. "I think I'm already full. I don't want to eat this anymore." tukoy ko sa nilabas ko na pagkain.

Sinulyapan lang ni Aaron iyon at binalik muli sa akin ang tingin. Mabilis na rin akong tumayo at sumunod din si Aaron sa pagtayo ko. "Ah! I'm feeling sleepy. I'm sorry but can I rest now? You can go now... Bumalik ka nalang bukas o kung kailan hindi ka busy... Only if you're free."

Magsasalita pa sana si Aaron pero saktong nakita ko na rin sina manang. I asked one of our helpers to send Aaron outside to his car. At nagsabi na ako kay manang na aakyat na ako sa kwarto ko para magpahinga.