"Huwag ka kasing maingay! Baka magising na si Avery!"

"Oh, ako? Ako naman! Tangina, lagi nalang ako!"

"Eh ikaw lang naman kasi ang maingay, tanga!"

I fluttered my eyes open. I could see several shadows moving. Binigyan ko pa ng ilang segundo ang sarili bago ko tuluyang idinilat ang mga mata.

"Avery!"

Unang bumungad sa akin ang mukha ni Lulu. She looks worried about me.

"My baby...?" I croaked.

"He's still in the nursery. You did so well, love..." she whispered and gently kissed my head.

Bumuntong-hininga ako. I could barely move my body. I am both numb and in so much pain. Hindi ko maintindihan! Buti at nakakapagsalita pa ako. My throat feels so dry.

"Si Enrique?"

"Kahapon pa siya dumating. He was the one who signed the consent form for your surgery."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Kahapon pa?"

She nodded. "Yeah..."

I could barely remember what happened yesterday. I just thought that I was going to die from all of it! Alam ko naman talagang hindi biro ang manganak pero hindi ko inaasahang magiging ganito kasakit!

"Okay ka na ba, Avery? Tubig, gusto mo?" Si Raya habang pinupunasan ang butil ng pawis sa noo ko.

Saka ko lang iginala ang paningin. My friends are all here. They even put some white and blue balloons and a huge tarp that congratulated us on our baby. Hindi ko alam kung paano sila pinayagan ng ospital na gawin iyon.

"Enrique's here!" Ani Yari pagkasilip sa pintuan.

I tried to sit up but I couldn't even do it. I sighed and waited for him to enter. He's still in his philarpat uniform. Ang tanging pinalitan lang ay ang pang-itaas. His usual army green shirt.

"Hey," kaagad siyang lumapit sa akin at hinalikan ang noo ko. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I want to see our baby..." I almost pleaded.

"I'll bring him here in a bit. Tita Eliza told me what happened. I'm sorry I wasn't there by your side, Avery..." he said regretfully.

"I'm fine..." I assured him.

Tumango si Enrique at pinatakan ulit ako ng halik bago ako iniwan para kunin ang anak namin.

When he came back, he was carrying our child gently in his hands. Dahan-dahan niya itong inabot sa akin.

Halos mapiyok ako nang makita ang anak namin sa unang pagkakataon. His lashes were long and his lips were a bit pale. Ang kutis ay kuhang-kuha sa ama. Pati na rin ang ilong at hugis ng mukha. When he slowly opened his eyes, I could tell he also got it from his father.

"Grabe, Avery, hindi man lang lumaban ang genes mo..." komento ni Yari habang sinisilip naming lahat ang bata.

I let out a strained chuckle, feeling so emotional.

"Enrique na Enrique talaga! Pati etits, sa kaniya na!"

Sinapak ni Lulu si Celeste dahil sa biro nito. Pinamulahan naman si Enrique sa sinabi niya. He cleared his throat and looked away. Tumawa lang din ako.

"Anong pangalan?"

"Henrik..." I glanced at Enrique. Matagal na naming napag-usapan ito. Kung babae, April. Kung lalaki, Henrik. We decided not to know the gender until it's time for me to give birth and now... he's really here.

"Baby Henrik! Ang cute cute!" Lulu cooed.

Raya looked at the child lovingly. I smirked at her.

"Gusto mo?"

Kaagad siyang umiling. Tumawa naman si Ivo sa tabi niya.

"Don't tempt us, Avery..."

"Ang cute cute eh, pero muntik na akong mamatay kahapon dahil dito..."

Nagawa ko pa talagang magbiro sa nangyari sa akin kahapon.

I reached for Karlo and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry nga pala... sa pagbulyaw ko."

"Hindi, ayos lang. Sanay naman akong tinutulak palayo, eh..." madrama nitong wika imbes na tanggapin nalang ang sorry ko.

I rolled my eyes. "Naiirita na ako ulit sa'yo, Karlo."

"Umuwi muna is Tita para tingnan si Blackjack. You need to stay here for a few more days and then we can finally go home." Enrique told me.

Tumango ako sa kaniya. I feel so tired. Inabot ko sa kaniya si Henrik at ipinikit ang mga mata. I could still hear my friends talking but I didn't have the energy to keep my eyes open so I drifted back to sleep.

After a few days in the hospital, I was finally discharged. Buti naman at nababagot na din ako doon. I was holding Henrik in my arms when we arrived home where Tita and Ron were waiting for us.

"Tita, salamat po sa lahat ng tulong..."

"Ano ka ba! Grand nephew ko yan, syempre tutulong talaga ako!" Mahina pa akong hinampas ni Tita pagkatapos ay sinilip si Henrik. "Ang pogi naman nito, Avery. Maraming babaeng paiiyakin 'to paglaki."

Napanguso ako.

Ron glanced at the child and smiled. "Kamukha nga ni Enrique."

"Ang daya nga eh, halos mamatay ako ng ilang buwan na pagbubuntis dito tapos paglabas, kamukha ni Enrique!" Biro ko pa.

He chuckled next to me and kissed the side of my head. Before he left for his deployment, we had already turned our storage room into a nursery room.

Siya na mismo ang gumawa ng crib para sa bata. Since we didn't know the gender yet, we just used earth-tone colors to decorate the room.

I slowly lay Henrik inside the crib. He cooed and wiggled a bit before closing his eyes again to sleep. Napangiti ako. I never thought I could love someone this much when I've just met him.

"Ano 'yan?"

"Mga pictures mo noong nagbubuntis ka," ani Tita at nilatag ang naka-develop na mga litrato.

She insisted on taking pictures of me while I was pregnant. Blooming pa ako sa naunang buwan pero pagsapit ng third trimester ay halos hindi na ma-hitsura ang mukha ko. I scowled when Enrique started scanning the pictures.

"Ang pangit ko r'yan!" Agaw ko ng picture sa kaniya.

"Come on, Avery! Enrique wasn't here when you're pregnant..." si Tita naman.

"Ang pangit-pangit, eh! Sobrang layo kay Lulu na blooming mula first hanggang third trimester! Alam mong may favoritism talaga si Lord!"

Enrique chuckled and gently took the pictures from me.

"Let me look at it, please?"

Napanguso ako at dahan-dahang inabot ito sa kaniya. Tita smiled.

"Ilang buwan ang leave mo ngayon, Enrique?"

"Six months."

"Six months?! Ang taas, ah?"

"Pinakiusapan ko ang Battalion Commander namin. Pumayag naman. Pero magre-report pa rin ako sa site buwan-buwan."

"Buti naman at masasamahan mo na si Avery dito. Hindi daw biro ang first few months na may bata, lalo pa't first time niyong dalawa."

Nginitian ko si Enrique. How he talked his commander into giving him a leave that long, I wouldn't know! Basta masaya lang akong narito siya ngayon sa tabi ko... kasama ang anak namin.

Umuwi na din sina Tita kinabukasan nang masigurong ayos na kami. Both of us were still adjusting to the new schedule now that Henrik is here.

Pansin ko ding sunod nang sunod sa akin si Blackjack simula nang dumating si Henrik dito sa bahay. He would sleep by his crib and bark at me to get my attention each time the baby is crying or whining.

I would breastfeed him every 2 to 3 hours. Pag gabi, sa nursery na ako natutulog para hindi na maabala si Enrique kapag tumatayo ako nang madaling araw.

"Anong ginagawa mo dito?" Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay nang makitang naglalatag ito ng foam tabi ng crib.

"I'll sleep here with my wife." Umarko ang kilay niya na para bang hindi ko na dapat tinatanong iyon.

"Doon ka na sa kwarto! Gusto mo pa tabi-tabi tayo lahat dito, kasama si Blackjack?!"

He chuckled. "Why not? I'm not going to leave you here alone with our child. Alam kong hindi ako nakakatulong sa pagb-breastfeed pero gusto kong dito pa rin ako."

Hindi na ako nakipagtalo sa kaniya. Bahala siyang sumakit ang likod niya kakahiga sa sahig! Blackjack wagged his tail happily. Henrik made some babbling sounds kaya natawa ako.

"He's so cute..." I sighed.

Enrique must've noticed that the alarms I set in my phone irritate me. I am jolted out of sleep because of its harsh tone. Kaya siya na mismo ang nag-off nito at siya na din ang marahang gumigising sa akin kapag oras na para magpa-dede ng bata.

I yawned. "This is so hard.."

"I know, we'll get through it..." he kissed my forehead before I got up and tended to our child.

Halos hindi na kami lumalabas ng bahay dahil masyadong abala kay Henrik. His diapers need to be changed at least 12 times a day. Enrique does most of the work, anyway.

I started working from home after two months. Nakapag-adjust na kaming dalawa pero napupuyat pa rin dahil kay Henrik.

Habang busy ako sa pagta-tally ng quantitative data, napalingon ako sa bukas na pintuan. Enrique is outside, gently carrying our baby so he could get some sun. Blackjack is running around, chasing some butterflies. My heart skipped a beat when I realized that this is my dream. I am living in my dream right now and I'm working my ass off!

Marahas kong sinara ang laptop at tumayo. A picture fell from my desk. Pinulot ko ito at pinagmasdan. It was the picture that I took of him when he was still an ROTC officer. Intrams yun. Iyong sinabi niya na hindi niya ako kayang ligawan dahil wala siyang pera.

Napailing ako habang nangingiti. Hindi ko alam na napindot ko pala talaga ang shutter ng camera. Lulu saw the picture while she was reviewing her shots.

She developed the picture and gave it to me. Ni minsan ay hindi ko iyon itinapon kahit na minsan na kaming naghiwalay.

I placed the picture back into my desk and stepped outside, where my husband and son are waiting...

"San ba kasi tayo?" Pangatlong tanong ko kay Enrique habang buma-biyahe kami.

"Secret nga, diba?" Natawa pa ito dahil paulit-ulit na akong nagtatanong.

"Si Baby Henrik! Baka mamaya ay umiiyak na yun..." patutsada ko pa.

"Tita is taking care of him. He'll be fine..."

I pouted. Dalawang linggo nalang at aalis na ulit siya. I don't know what he's up to. But I know what day it is today.

Enrique finally loaned a car when the baby arrived. Dahil marunong nang magmaneho ay siya na mismo ang nagturo sa akin kung paano ito gamitin. Tinulungan din akong maipasa ang test para makakuha ng lisensiya.

When he leaves again, I'll be the one to use the car. I think we're going to hire a nanny to watch over Henrik now that I'm scheduled to be back at campus and in the lab.

"We're here."

"Huh? Resort 'to nila Ivo, ah?" Kumunot ang noo ko nang makalabas ng sasakyan.

"Yeah, I asked for his help."

Tumango ako at sumunod kay Enrique. Hinayaan ko lang siyang makipag-usap sa receptionist habang palinga-linga ako sa paligid.

Big time na talaga 'tong si Ivo. Pati resort nila dito sa La Union, nipa-renovate na din. Walang-wala 'to noong high school pa lang kami at hindi pa gaanong mahal ang entrance fee!

"Let's go..."

Sumunod ako kay Enrique. The sun had already set. Sa bawat yapak sa buhangin ay mas naririnig ko ang hampas ng alon sa dalampasigan. The wind blew coolly in my face. Napangiti ako. La Union is reminding me how beautiful it is once again.

I know he had a surprise for me, I just didn't think it would be this romantic! Napaawang ang bibig ko sa nakita.

We walked down the boardwalk that extended into the sea. Sa pinakadulo ay may maliit na lamesa at dalawang upuan. There are fairy lights and candles lit. Napangiti ako sa nakita. The waves are calm and gentle, as if going along with Enrique's surprise.

"Happy first wedding anniversary..." he whispered in my ears.

I turned to him and hugged him. He chuckled and kissed the top of my head.

"You don't know how happy you've made me, Avery." He murmured before kissing me. Nang kumalas ay tumitig ito sa mukha ko. "You gave me the family I never had."

Nanubig ang mga mata ko.

"And you made my dream come true..." I whispered back.

Enrique cupped my chin to kiss me. I closed my eyes and finally, let my weary soul rest. I've found my shelter...