Red tried to contact Moira, pero out of coverage ito palagi. She took a day off and brought Kylie over to Vince's house. Sina Troy at Vico naman ang nag-cover sa kanila sa office. Tinawagan siya ng katulong ni Vince kanina. Hindi raw ito makabangon dahil masakit ang ulo at katawan nito.

Nagpahatid sila sa driver papunta sa bahay nito. Sinalubong sila ng katulong sa may gate. Iniabot niya rito ang mga gamit ni Kylie, habang siya naman ay kalong ang anak pagpasok. She headed upstairs to Vince's room.

Kumatok muna siya.

"Vince? Are you decent? I have Kylie with me."

He answered a throaty yes. She opened the door and peeked inside. The curtains were drawn at nakapatay ang ilaw. Kinapa niya ang switch sa pader and winced when the light enveloped the room. Nakahiga si Vince sa kama nito, still in yesterday's clothing. Nakapikit ito dahil sa ilaw.

Hinawi niya ang kurtina at saka pinatay ang ilaw. There's just enough light, hindi na blinding. Nilapitan niya ito. She had never seen him with stubbles on his face. Palagi itong clean-shaven. Amoy-alak ito kaya hindi niya mailapit si Kylie rito.

Her daughter's clinging to her. Mukhang naninibago ito kay Vince. Kylie's just staring at her uncle.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. "Sabi ni yaya, masakit daw ang katawan mo. Gusto mong magpabili ako ng gamot?"

"Huwag na," mahina nitong sagot.

"You don't need to go to work. Magpahinga ka na lang muna."

"Thanks. I don't feel like going to work today."

"I tried to get in touch with Carlene—"

Napatigil siya sa pagsasalita nang biglang gumawi ang tingin nito sa kanya.

"Don't. Don't meddle, please."

"Nagkakaganyan ka dahil sa kanya, di ba?"

"I'm just stressed."

Kylie looked at her with wide eyes. Saka ito yumakap sa kanya.

"Kylie doesn't believe you." Iniharap niya ang anak kay Vince. "Baby, give uncle a hug."

Kylie squirmed and turned to her. Sumubsob ito sa leeg niya.

"She doesn't even want to hug you. You stink. Maligo ka nga."

--

Vince sighed. Parang may bakal na nakadagan sa tigkabila niyang braso. He couldn't get up, and he doesn't want to. Just the thought of Moira not coming back makes him sink deeper in the abyss of his own misery.

Kylie was still just looking at him. Usually, kapag nagkikita sila ng pamangkin ay agad itong kakalong sa kanya. Or she would at least smile and wave. But Kylie's awfully quiet. Her big, brown eyes are unblinking, as she stares him down.

He could smell the alcohol on his breath. He wanted to take a shower. Maybe then he'd feel lighter. But he has no strength to get up.

"Kylie," he called hoarsely. "Give uncle a hug, please."

Kylie just stared at his barely lifted arm. Saka ito umiling at yumakap kay Red. The latter gave him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Vince," sabi nito saka ito lumabas ng kwarto niya.

He lay in bed for a few minutes. Kung matutulog kaya ulit siya, how long will it take for him to wake up and finally get up? He tried to lift his arms several times and they feel like they could fall off anytime. But he didn't stop trying. If not for Moira, then for Kylie, at least. He badly needs a hug from her.

Makalipas ang ilang minuto ay nagawa na rin niyang bumangon. He headed, slowly, to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Getting dressed was also a struggle. Hirap na hirap siyang magbihis dahil hindi niya maiangat ng maayos ang mga braso niya.

He didn't even attempt to shave. Pakiramdam niya'y masusugatan lamang niya ang sarili.

When he went downstairs, naabutan niya ang mag-inang naglalaro sa sala.

"Nakaligo ka na?" Red asked.

He nodded. Naupo siya sa tabi ni Kylie. The baby gave him her toy, saka ito ngumiti.

"Bati na tayo?" tanong niya sa pamangkin. Kylie crawled towards him. He almost melted when she gave him a hug. Kylie felt so warm and soft in his arms. And it already made him a lot of times better.

But when he kissed Kylie on the cheek, she squirmed like a worm dipped in acid.

"She's ticklish," natatawang sabi ni Red.

Kylie was giggling uncontrollably. Gawa yata iyon ng stubbles niya. Hindi kasi siya nag-shave. Kylie's bobbing up and down, practically dancing. The sight made him forget about his problems. Ang gaan-gaan na ng pakiramdam niya.

Nag-stay ang mag-ina hanggang alas kwatro ng hapon. He was really feeling better. He played with Kylie all day and her infectious smile made him feel a lot lighter.

He just wishes that she didn't have to go home. The house is significantly brighter with Kylie around.

--

Nang makauwi sa bahay ay sinubukan ulit ni Red na kontakin si Moira. But Moir's still unreachable. So she asked Vico to look into her Citrix profile and get the emergency contact number. Dahil doon ay nakausap niya ang pinsan nitong si Neri.

And she was able to convince Neri to ask Moira to talk to her.

"Carlene, please come back to work," pakiusap niya. She never thought she'd be begging to anyone. And it's not even for herself or for Kylie. It's funny how things turned out to be this way. She used to hate Vince and now she's trying to help him fix his life.

"I was fired," Moira replied coldly.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to fire you."

 "Red, I may not be financially stable, but Jo will always be my priority. Vince made me choose between my job and Jo, and I chose Jo. He fired me for that, and I don't know if I'd still want to come back."

"Please come back, Carlene. He can't do this alone."

Narinig niya itong bumuntong-hininga. "It's not that hard to find a new assistant."

"I know. But it will take a while before we could find a new one. And he needs to go on a business trip next week. He'll be a wreck without you. Please. Mahigit isang buwan na lang naman."

"Look, if he really wants me back on the job, then I need to hear it from him."

"I'll tell him. Thanks, Carlene."

After the call, tinawagan naman niya si Vince. It took him a while before he answered. Mukhang kagigising nito.

"Ano, okay ka na?" bungad niya.

"I'll live," was his response.

"I talked to Carlene."

He gave out an exasperated sigh. "I told you not to meddle with my affairs."

"I had to. And by the way, you should be thankful that I did, because I convinced her to at least consider coming back to work. Basta ikaw ang kakausap sa kanya. She wants to make sure that you want her back on the job."

Vince groaned. Pero hindi na niya ito binigyan ng chance na tumanggi.

"I'll give you her number. Talk to her, okay?" pagkasabi ay saka niya tinapos ang tawag. Then she sent him Moira's number.

--

Vince stared at the screen of his phone. Kanina pa niya tinititigan ang number na ibinigay ni Red, but he couldn't bring himself to call Moira. She must be nursing her injured boyfriend by now, and he's getting all the attention, now that he fired Moira.

How can he compete with that? Kahit sabihing siya ang first love nito, that love only lasted for a couple of years, habang yung kay Jo ay halos isang dekada. She's been living with Jo. She's going to marry Jo someday.

Paano naman siya? Kahit sandamakmak pang babae ang ipa-blind date sa kanya, he just couldn't feel that spark with anyone else. Moira's like gravity. He keeps on falling back to her.

Sighing, he finally called the number and anxiously waited for the answer.

He heard a woman's voice, but it's not Moira's.

"May I speak to Moira, please?"

"Who is this?"

"It's Vince."

Natahimik sa kabilang linya. Maya-maya'y narinig na niya ang boses ni Moira.

"Hi," she quipped.

"Moira, I'll be direct with you. I didn't mean what I said about firing you. Please, come back to work tomorrow," tuloy-tuloy niyang sabi. He didn't want to pause to think, because he might say something else and blow things out of the proportion.

"I can't," she replied. His heart sank. "Jo's still in bad shape."

"Okay. I'll give you the rest of the week off," he bargained. "You can come back on Monday."

He heard her sigh. "Look, Vince, I'm sorry for walking out of a very important meeting, but you have to understand that Jo is my priority. And if I have to do it again, I'd still choose Jo."

"I understand. I'm sorry, too."

Although it pains him to say that, but he really understood. He's not the priority. She's moved on. Maybe, he should, too.

"All right. I'll come back on Monday," sa wakas ay sabi nito.