We didn't go straight to see Oxygen, sa tapat ng hotel huminto ang sasakyan ni Tita Moana. Hanggang sa pagbaba ko ay naka-alalay siya sa akin. And I couldn't be more thankful, I won't lie I'm really heavy and I need a hand in everything I do.

Walking past the lobby all the way to the lift, I heard mom's voice calling me out. I immediately spun to see her walking towards me, with all the glamour and poise. I don't know what to feel when I caught her scanning me from head to toe with distaste in her eyes, do I really look that bad?

"Mom," I frowned. My hand automatically went down to the ball in my stomach, as if I'm protecting them from something.

"What have you done to my daughter?!" Matalim na tingin ang ibinigay niya kay Tita Moana, hindi ko alam kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng tanong niya pero nainis ako doon. "I'm taking her with me."

Mom held my arm, frightened I did the same with Tita Moana's hand. "No, mom. I won't go with you."

"I am still your mother, Gabbana. Sasama ka sa akin, sa ayaw o sa gusto mo." Hinila niya ako, that's when I panicked.

Is she really gonna grab my arm without caring about me losing my balance?!

Tita Moana didn't let that happen, she held my waist to keep me steady, tinapik niya ang braso ni mommy kaya noon napakawalan ang akin.

"Putangina, bobo ka ba?" Matapang niya itong hinarap, pumagitna pa siya sa amin. "Ikaw ang magpapahamak kay Gabbana at sa mga bata sa katangahan mong yan, Camille."

"Oh, shut up, Moana Marie." Mom smirked. "Let go of my daughter, I'm taking her. Away from you and all the embarrassment of your shitty family."

"Mom!" Hindi ko na napigilan pa ang sarili ko nang masigawan ko siya, Tita Moana didn't need to hear those nonsense right now. Everything that's been happening is already too much. "Stop that, I won't come with you. I'm okay here. Oxygen needs me and I need him, too."

"Enough with your stupidity, Gabbana Victoria. Can't you see? You've made a wrong choice with that man. He's a good for nothing son of a bastard and has proven it enough by being a convicted drug dealer." The disgust in mom's voice broke my heart even more. No, he's not that. And even if, I know, Oxygen was the best choice I've made in my life. "You're more than this, Gabby. Come with me and I'm gonna take you back to New York, goodness. Had I known that Philippines will ruin you, I shouldn't have let you leave."

"I reckon, it's New York that ruined you Camille."

My eyes went wide when I saw Tita Chi walking it, with her was Tita Nisha. Even mom froze just by hearing her voice, like she didn't expect her here.

"Chi," mom said, slowly turning to her.

"Leave." In a calm but dangerous tone, she ordered. "Make a graceful exit or I'll throw you out myself."

"Chiara, you're not doing this." Hindi makapaniwalang sabi ni mommy, miski ako ay ganoon din. I don't agree with mom and everything she said, but I still don't want her to be treated this way.

"You made me do this. You're in my territory, it doesn't give you any right to speak ill of my family. Oxygen is a De Salvo, he is me. None of your words sounded appealing to my ears-"

"Oh, come on. I'm just stating facts. Well truth hurts!"

"Mom!" Muli kong suway, but she's not listening. She'd been friends with Tita Chi all her life, I don't wanna be the reason of its end.

"I'm not picking up a fight with you, Chiara. I'm just here to get my daughter to leave, take her away from all the mess and scandal. She doesn't deserve it." Patuloy pa rin ni mommy.

"Camsy, stop it." It was Tita Nisha now.

"Ano ba? Hindi niyo ba ako naiintindihan?" Mom looked at Tita Chi. "We're just the same, Chi. We want nothing but the best for our daughter. If you were in my place, you'd do the same. That convict is not good for her-"

"Can't you see? It's you who's not good for your daughter." Tita Chi spat her words with contempt. "Can you remember a time I shoved your son off of Romee? That wasn't my thing, Camille. You've clouded your mind with fantasies and fairytales, looks like it's rotten now. And don't you ever compare me to you, I was never a spoiled narcissistic bitch that you are."

Tita Chiara then walked past her, uncaring if their shoulders slightly bump. She walked straight to the lift and without looking back she called Tita Moana. Agad akong inakay ni Tita Moana, I turned to see mom, as much as I wanna comfort her. I know that's not necessary, Oxygen needs me more.

"I'm sorry, mom." I said in a tiny voice.

She didn't say anything but the anger in her eyes was hard to miss. We stalked towards the waiting lift and what lessen my guilt is that Tita Nisha stayed with her.

When we reached the same boardroom we were at yesterday, Tita Chi removed the white coat she has over her shoulders and walked towards the chair at the head of the long table. Agad na tumayo si Tito Exodus nang makita kami, kagaya nila Tita Moana kanina ay nginitian rin ako nito.

Lumapit siya sa amin at hinalikan ang pisngi ng kaniyang asawa bago pareho kaming ipaghila ng upuan katabi ng sa kanya.

"So, everyone is pregnant. From Paris, Thalia, Winter, Sapphire and now Gabbana. I'm starting to think it's in the water." Tita Chi said as she looked at me, she's not smiling but I know that's a joke. "Anyway, let's get down to business." She scanned the whole room, on the other side, there's Vice President -Blaster De Vera, looking so casual in a pair of jeans and vintage shirt. Then her brothers were there with their wives, all I'm familiar with were Kurtney's parents. "Where's ZA and Tristan?"

Nagkapalitan ng tanong si Tito Exodus at si VP Blaster, bago ito mag-salita. "They're just finishing something."

Tumango si Tita Chiara, magsasalita sana siya nang maunahan ng isa sa mga kapatid nito.

"I have no business here, Chi." He asked in a tone that surprised me. "Is it really necessary for me to be here?"

"Vince!" Halatang maging ang babaeng katabi nito na palagay ko'y asawa nito ay nabigla rin sa sinabi nito.

"Oh it is, Vince. Unless you don't consider me family anymore, you may leave." Tita Chi shrugged. "Anyway, I'm no longer going to ask how does the drug become in his possession. Whatever magic happened, Oxygen is family We'll help him out. Regardless if the accusation is true or not, I don't actually consider facts when it comes to family."

Kakapit ako doon. Right now, all I can trust is his family. They're the ones who can save him and I'm actually glad that there's a unity in them right now.

"Chiara, if he possesses drugs, it will automatically drag the company down." Well except for one, I remember Oxygen telling me how much Vince De Salvo hated him. And he's not trying to hide it, not a chance. "Ano na lang ang sasabihin ng investors? They're actually bombarding questions now after they heard the scandal."

"Are you fucking hearing yourself?" That was Kurt De Salvo scowling at him. "If you're worrying about everything but the member of this family, I'll have the door open for you and you may go save this company from the investors you're afraid to lose."

"Enough with that," si Tita Chi muli iyon. Tinapunan niya ng naiiritang tingin ang mga ito bago siya bumaling kay Tita Moana at Tito Exodus. "Dave will send you the result of Oxygen's drug test, it may help the case. Focus on your son, Exodus. Don't worry about the hotel, I'll have Red temporarily take over Oxygen's position."

"Sa totoo lang, masama ang kutob ko sa mga pulis. It's as if they're deliberately pinning my son down." Kinabahan ako sa sinabing iyon ni Tito Exodus.

Oh my God, what if they hurt him there? No, I can't think of that. It will just make me cry and I promise Tita Moana that I won't cry. Baka hindi na niya ako ulit isama, ayoko.

"I've been there yesterday, we have the same observations. Don't worry, I've paid someone inside to look after him. No one gets to hurt a De Salvo." Paninigurado ni Tita Chi. "Although I'm kind of curious who's behind all of these. I'm a dirty player, nothing's new with that. I have offered them an amount no one could refuse and even have them name their price but no, they didn't bite it. And I'd be damned if I'll believe their being honest and honorable. Someone's behind them."

"Sino naman?" Tanong iyon ng isa pang lalaki na kamukhang-kamukha ni Tito Exodus. I forgot his name but I know he's Tita Chi's brother. "Masyadong malaki ang galit na meron ang taong 'yan para makagawa ng ganyang bagay kay Oxygen."

"I was actually expecting this shit from your son, Exodus." That was Vince De Salvo again. "I'm not anymore surprise he'll be a disgrace, he's his father's son anyway."

Malakas na halakhak ni Tita Chiara ang pumuno sa silid. "Oh Vince, you sounded so much like Camille. Bakit hindi kaya kayo magsama?"

"Vince, don't you know the saying don't judge the folks by their relatives?" The man with the blue chinky eyes said in a chuckle. "What's up with you, brother? You want snickers? Maybe you're not you when you're hungry."

"The humor in you, Roy Christian." Finally, I remembered his name when Tita Chi shook her head and laughed with him. The other gentlemen in the room did, too. "Double M, I love you. I don't like seeing you this way. Darling you're not yourself. Cheer up people, Oxygen will be out of that jail before you knew it. We have here the best lawyer in town and whoever it is that's manipulating the situation, I know he's not a commoner. He's influential, maybe as influential as I am. Pero kikilalanin ko siya, magtutuos kami. Ayoko kasi ng nalalamangan."

"Salamat, Chi." Mahinang sabi ni Tita Moana.

"You and Exodus helped me, too. And besides, we're family." She smiled, turning her gaze on me. "This is how it is to be a De Salvo. I hope you're ready. Anyway, congratulations and welcome to the family."

Oh, is this my initiation? I hope I'd pass. "Thank you, Tita Chi."

The jail cell is the least of my concerns. It's grey walls do not hit me or steal my rations, the lumpy bed does not sing the same one line of a half-forgotten song over and over until I loose the last threads of sanity I was clinging to. The ceiling drips but it doesn't whisper in my ears of the beating it plans to give me in the cold showers. I never thought I'll be in this kind of place, I've never dreamed of this to happen.

If it was hard for me to take what more for Oxygen? He's been here, had slept at one of those bed. How can people live here? This is what hell on earth means.

"Oxygen!" Agad na tumayo si Tita Moana mula sa aking tabi nang maulanigan ang pag-dating ni Oxygen bitbit ng isang pulis.

His eyes were automatically on me, I swear I stopped breathing at the sight of him. Wearing a jeans and a baggy shirt, he's still my Oxygen but how he looks like worried me. No, Gabby. He didn't need to see it, stop worrying. He will be okay here.

"Ma, bakit niyo naman sinama pa dito si Gabby." Umikot siya para maupo sa aking tabi.

God, I missed him. Mabilis ko siyang niyakap ng mahigpit, still keeping my tears to myself. "I miss you, so much."

Sinuklian niya rin ang yakap ko na iyon atsaka ako hinalikan sa sentido. "Kagabi lang tayo hindi nagkita, baby. Clingy mo naman."

Nakuha pa niyang ngumisi. Mas lalo ko siyang niyakap.

"Anong kinain mo? Nag-rice ka ba kagabi? Kanina? Vitamins mo? Ininom mo ba? Milk? Tinimplahan ka ba ni Tami kagabi?" Sunod-sunod niyang tanong.

Nagbabadya na ang luha sa aking mga mata, hindi. Hindi pa rin ako iiyak. Pero kasi, ang hirap na hindi. Lalo na sa ganitong kaalaman. Oxygen is here, in jail. And still, he worries about me and our babies. Pakiramdam ko kung gaano ako nag-aalala sa kanya'y ganoon din siya sa akin, sa amin.

Tumango ako at tipid siyang sinagot. "Oo, kaya ikaw din dapat kumakain ka rin."

Ngiti lamang ang isinagot niya sa akin, his arm rested on my waist and he turned to his parents. "Galing dito sila Tami kanina, ang sabi nagpatawag ng meeting si Tita Chi?"

"Yes, regarding about your case." Tito Exodus said.

"Pa, hindi na sila kailangan na madamay dito." He sighed. "Si Lance ba, nakausap niyo na? Galing siya dito kanina, makulit. Feeling strong. She tried bailing me out. Didn't do any help."

"She's just concerned." I told him.

"Gabbana is right." Segunda ni Tito Exodus. "Oxygen, once na makuha ko ang resulta ng drug test mo at mapatunayan natin sa korte na hindi ka gumagamit ng ipinagbabawal na gamut, mababalewala ang kaso na ibinibintang sa'yo. Hindi konkreto ang ebidensya laban sa'yo. Those were the pictures of you, dealing with the high profile suspected drug lords. Pero walang nakapagpapatunay na tungkol sa drugs ang naging transaksyon mo sa kanila."

"Pwede mo iyong itanggi," mahina at tila hindi siguradong sabi ni Tita Moana.

"Bawal magsinungaling ma, hindi ba?" Marahang natawa si Oxygen. Hindi ko pa rin alam kung ano talaga ang nangyari at nangyayari. Pero hindi ko rin magawang magtanong.

Inabot ni Oxygen ang aking kamay at hinayaan ko siyang hawakan iyon. Muli na naming umiyak si Tita Moana, she'd been very vulnerable yesterday and today. I hope this will end soon because I can't take to see her this way.

"Exodus," inihilamos niya ang kaniyang palad sa kaniyang mukha. "Ano bang ginawa niyo sa mga bata!"

"Ma, 'di ba ayaw mo ng teleserye? Wag kang iyakin 'dyan." Sita ni Oxygen dito bago bumulong sa aking tenga. "Ikaw wag kang iiyak ha? Kakagatin kita."

I elbowed him. "Umayos ka nga. This is something serious, Oxygen."

"Paano yung nakuha sa kanyang drugs? Paano 'yon, Exodus? Frame up?" Sunod-sunod na mahinang tanong ni Tita Moana.

Nagpalitan ng makahulugan na tingin ang mag-ama, doon ako lalong kinabahan. Umiling si Tito Exodus, nilingon ko si Oxygen. He deliberately avoided my gaze.

"The drug was mine."