"How many times do I have to say 'I told you so' before you get it?" asked Rose. Kaaalis lamang ni Moira, leaving him frozen in his spot. Ramdam na ramdam pa rin niya ang sampal nito. Hindi pa man nito sinasabi kung ano'ng kasalanan niya ay alam na niya kung ano iyon. Ganoon ba ang tingin nito sa ginagawa niya? That he's toying with her life?

"Did you tell her?" he asked grimly.

Rose crossed her arms. "Now you're questioning my loyalty?"

"I'm not—I'm sorry." He sat on his chair.

"Nalaman ko lang din kanina na alam nya. If you want to know how, then ask her. Fix this mess. Ikaw rin naman ang may gawa nito."

"I don't understand, Rose. I thought she'd realize that I want her here."

Rose's eyes widened. "Really? Are you that thick-headed? Vince, your actions confused her. Kahit ako man, iisipin ko rin na pinahihirapan mo ako. And knowing Moira, she's already feeling inadequate kasi lahat ng gusto ni Kelvin, naibibigay mo, pero sya hindi. She doesn't need this, especially not from you."

"I didn't mean to make her feel that way," depensa niya.

"Well too bad, because that's exactly what she feels right now."

--

"O? Akala ko ba may trabaho ka? Bakit nandito ka na?"

Sinundan ni Moira ng pinsan paakyat sa kwarto niya. Ibinato niya sa kung saan ang bag at saka sumubsob sa kama.

"Moira?"

She thrashed. "He's such a jerk! Bwisit sya! Ang gago nya!"

She screamed against her pillow, then pounded on her bed hanggang sa manghina ang mga braso niya. Naramdaman niyang lumundoy ang kama.

"Ano ba kasi ang nangyari?"

Tumunghay siya. The pillow's already smeared with her makeup. She didn't realize that she's already crying.

She told Neri the story. Kahit ito ay hindi rin maintindihan kung bakit ginawa iyon ni Vince.

"Bakit naman nya gagawin 'yon? Parang ang immature naman."

Wala rin siyang maisagot. Parang pakiramdam tuloy niya, nakikipagkumpitensya siya rito para sa atensyon ng anak niya. Isa ito sa mga ayaw niyang mangyari. Vince is from the high society. He could do anything, buy anything and provide anything for Kelvin. Unlike her, who has to work really hard just to keep her son from starving.

--

"She's not answering her phone."

Kanina pa niya tinatawagan si Moira pero nagri-ring lang ang phone nito, walang sumasagot.

"Of course, she won't answer," Rose said as a matter-of-factly.

Gusto sana niya itong puntahan sa bahay nito para kausapin, pero may importanteng meeting siya in five minutes. He can't cancel it now. Rose seemed to be having the same idea.

"Should I cancel your meeting?"

He shook his head. "No, my father's going to be there."

It's risky enough na kabi-kabilang blind dates ang ikinakansela niya. It's one thing to cancel the dates. He can make his father think that he's just not insterested. Pero iba ang trabaho. Work is sacred for his father.

"So, ano'ng plano mo? Lo-lowbatt-in mo na lang 'yong phone nya?"

He grunted. Right now, he needs to start thinking about the meeting that will happen in a few minutes. It's the same old, boring stuff—Natigilan siya. He held that thought. Since when did work become so boring?

Umiling siya. It's stupid to think about Moira when he's at work. Nawawala siya sa focus. His dad will surely notice. At ayaw niyang maging prying ang ama. He doesn't want his father to know about Kelvin yet. Hindi niya alam kung paano nito patutunguhan ang anak niya. And knowing that Moira didn't come from a family of businessmen wouldn't help one bit.

And so, he forced her out of his mind for a solid hour. Pagkatapos noon ay muli siyang nag-isip. Rose suggested na kausapin niya ito, but knowing Moira, he knows that she won't talk to him after what had happened. Hindi niya alam kung hanggang kailan iyon.

He proved himself right when he went to her house after work. Saktong alas syete ay nandoon na siya. He was expecting to see Moira in the kitchen, cooking, like what she did the past few days. Pero wala ito sa kusina.

When he asked his son, sabi nito ay nasa kwarto na raw si Moira. Tulog. But the strange look Neri was giving him suggested otherwise. Alam niyang iniiwasan lamang siya nito.

"Daddy, can we go buy some ice cream?" tanong sa kanya ni Kelvin. Nasa sala silang mag-ama, nanunuod sa Cartoon Network nang kalabitin siya nito.

"You can't eat ice cream every night. Baka magkasakit ka."

Ngumuso ito. "But I want to. Mommy's food tasted salty."

Napansin din niya iyon. Sobrang alat ng ulam kanina. Naparami tuloy ang kain niya ng kanin.

"Mommy's not feeling well. She was already grumpy when I got home. I didn't know why because they won't tell me. Did you have a fight?"

Umiling siya. Ayaw na niya itong bigyan ng alalahanin. He's too young to worry about these things. Matagal nang kulang ang buhay nito dahil wala sya. But he's there now. He doesn't want to ruin it for the kid. Alam niyang umaasa pa rin itong magkakatuluyan sila ni Moira, which at that moment seemed impossible because of what he did.

The next day, nothing was different. He'd been trying to call her all day but she's not answering. Nataon naman na busy siya so hindi sya makaalis during office hours. He tried to finish everything before six so makapupunta siya sa bahay nito at seven. Pero pagdating naman niya roon ay nakakulong na ito sa kwarto.

"Mommy's still angry. She was fine the whole day. She even cooked me spaghetti when I got home, but when it turned six, she got grumpy again," Kelvin reported. "I asked her if she had the red thingy but she said she doesn't. What do you think is wrong with her?"

Ginulo niya ang buhok nito at saka ngumiti.

"Maybe she's just not feeling well," sagot niya.

"Well, can't you go and check?"

"She probably won't want to talk to me right now."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "Because she's grumpy?"

"Well, can't you make her happy?"

And that question struck more than it should have.

--

On the third weeknight, Vince decided to make an early out and head straight to Moira's. And since she wasn't expecting him to come before 6pm, hindi ito agad nakapagtago.

"Daddy!" Kelvin screamed when he saw him by the door. It gave Moira a chance to escape. Habang kinakausap niya ang anak ay umakyat naman ito sa kwarto nito, leaving the stove on. Neri shot him a look, saka ito umiling at itinuloy ang niluluto ni Moira.

Nang mapansin ni Kelvin na wala na sa kusina ang ina ay tiningnan siya nito ng mataman.

"Did you guys fight?"

"I'll talk to your mom," sabi na lamang niya rito.

Umakyat siya papunta sa kwarto nito pagkasabi noon. And then he knocked, and knocked and knocked. There was no response, but he kept on knocking.

"Moira, I won't stop knocking until you open this door," he told her.

Still, no response.

Umakyat si Kelvin at tinabihan siya. Then, he started knocking too.

"Mommy, open the door. Daddy wants to talk to you!"

 Nginitian niya ang anak habang patuloy silang dalawa sa pagkatok.

"Mommy, my knuckles are starting to hurt. Please open the door!" Kelvin begged.

"Yes, please!"

He felt guilty for enjoying that moment with his son. He should be worrying about him and Moira, pero ayun sya, magaan ang pakiramdam because of Kelvin. And he wondered if there will be more moments like that. Iyong mga panahong pagtutulungan nila si Moira dahil hindi nila nakukuha ang gusto. Will they have that chance?

He heard a loud grunt from inside. They stopped knocking when they heard a soft click. Then, the door opened.

--

She glared at the man standing outside her door. He smiled apologetically and bent down to thank his son. Their son. The one who was smiling so proudly, probably because he did make her open the door.

"I love you, mommy!" sabi nito bago ito bumaba ng hagdan.

"Can I come in?" tanong naman ni Vince.

She stepped aside and let him inside. There's nothing much in her room, just some pictures of her and Kelvin on the bedside table, a mirror, a bed and a closet. Since there's nowhere else to sit, she pointed at the bed. Tumango naman si Vince at saka naupo sa paanan noon.

He patted the space beside him, silently asking her to sit.

"I prefer to stand," mariin niyang sabi.

"Fine." Tumayo rin ito at lumapit sa kanya. He closed the door behind her, saka siya nito iniikot. Nakatalikod na tuloy siya rito.

"Are you that ashamed of what you did that you had to make me face the door before apologizing?"

"I just don't want you glaring at me."

Humalukipkip siya. She could feel the heat radiating from his hands on her shoulders. It would only take a spin, for her to face him. It would only take a step for her to embrace him. And it will only take three words for her to melt on the spot.

But she shrugged those off and mentally pushed them down the stairs. What she doesn't need right now is vulnerability. It's easy to forget why she's angry at him sometimes. He makes it hard for her to stay angry. But him manipulating her life has to stop.

"Just say what you want to say and leave."

"I'm sorry," he said immediately. "It was a childish act and I didn't mean to make you feel unfit and inadequate. I just—I just didn't know how to deal with you."

"Deal with me?!"

 Bumuntong-hininga ito. "Yes. Deal with you... and myself."

Kumunot ang noo niya. "What do you mean?"

"Hindi ko rin alam." He chuckled. "See? I can't even think straight."

She tried to turn around, to see his expression, but his grip was firm.

"Don't."

"This is ridiculous, Vince!"

"I might kiss you if you turn around."

She felt a tinge of shiver run down her back when he said that. Why did he say that? Tuloy, nalilito na naman sya sa nararamdaman. Is she still angry? She doesn't think so. He has this way with words that temporarily makes her forget about her current emotion.

"And that's a bad thing?" she found herself asking.

"You're really making this difficult."

"You are, too."

He sighed again.

"Well, if you aren't going to kiss me, then at least have the courtesy of telling me why you did what you did."

"You might laugh at me."

"Ano'ng mas gusto mo: pagtawanan kita o magalit ako sa 'yo?"

She never really did picture Vince as a jerk. Kahit noong college, iba ang tingin niya rito. Hindi naman kasi nito kasalanang ayaw nito sa kanya. Siya lamang ang mapilit. Understandable naman ang pag-ayaw nito sa kanya kasi sino ba naman ang matutuwa sa pinaggagagawa niya? Ayaw na nga sa kanya noong tao, ipinagsisiksikan pa niya ang sarili rito.

But what he did a few days ago was different. He had no good excuse for what he did.

"Okay," he said in resignation. "Kaya ko lang naman ginawa 'yon... kasi..."

Humigpit ang pagkakahawak nito sa balikat niya. She could sense that he was getting embarrassed.

"Kasi...?"

He huffed. "Kasi ayaw kong magtatrabaho ka sa ibang kumpanya. I want you to work where I can keep an eye on you."

"Why would you want to keep an eye on me?"

"You know why."

"I don't. That's why I'm asking."

There came a long pause. At akala niya ay hindi na nito sasagutin ang tanong niya. But when he did, she was thankful that she wasn't facing him. It would have been embarrassing for her as well.

"I like you."