Chapter 21

"Will you marry me?" Stacia still couldn't believe she saw Brian on his knees, holding a ring in his hand. She was at the point in her life where if ever she got married, she should marry the perfect man for her and she knew that the man who was asking for her to marry was the one she was waiting for. 

"Bri. . . Yes. . ." Tatango-tango nitong sagot. "Yes, I will marry you!"

Brian slid the ring on her finger and couldn't help himself because while doing that, he got up on his feet and kissed his fiancee so good he didn't want it to end. It felt surreal for both of them. Something they couldn't believe to experience at this age. If she told this news to her friends, they would be shocked because at the age of twenty-one, marrying someone might probably be too early to do so.

"I've been thinking about this for a few months now," Brian said, letting out a big deep breath. 

Napahagikgik naman si Stacia. "Really? How did you plan all of his? Bakit wala akong ka-ideya-ideya?"

Napangisi naman si Brian. "Well, I was good at keeping it all a secret. But a few people close to you knew about my intention of marrying you. Of course, your parents knew about it. I consulted them first before doing this. I was scared as shit dahil hindi ko alam kung anong sasabihin ng parents mo sa akin. They could push me away and don't give me the blessings."

"And so, what happened next?"

Brian chuckled. "I felt so much relief in my chest when they said I could marry you with one condition," he said. Napakunot naman ng noo ang babae. "That I won't hurt, leave, and make your life miserable. I've promised that to you father because I don't think I am capable of doing them to you. I won't hurt you. I won't leave you. I won't make your life miserable. . . Especially, when our little bubba is coming out soon. . ."

Hinaplos naman ni Brian ang tiyan ni Stacia. She's pregnant for a few months now and soon she would be giving birth to their first son. 

"You know I didn't marry you just because I got you pregnant, right?" Brian asked Stacia, searching for her eyes.

Ngumiti at tumango naman ang babae sa kanya. "I know that. . . We've been together for two years and I love you so much. I couldn't imagine myself marrying someone else than you. It was you I wanted to be with forever. . . And I'm sure, even if I am not pregnant, you will propose to me, right?"

Brian smirked, nodding his head. "Of course! Why wouldn't I? I love you so much. . . Nothing in this world I could compare how much I love you. . ."

Brian wrapped his arms around her and Stacia felt so much warmth in it. It felt like it was the only thing she needed at this moment. But she wouldn't lie that she had doubts about being with Brian.

It all started when she announced to him that she got pregnant. Ayaw pa sana nito sabihin sa kanyang nobyo dahil natatakot ito sa magiging reaksyon niya. They were still at college and Brian would be finishing his studies soon while Stacia still had to finish two years. It wasn't what she expected to happen. She thought they should've gotten more careful about what they were doing because the repercussions of the things they did came with a huge responsibility.

Abot tainga naman ang ngiti ni Stacia dahil hindi niya inaasahan na mangyayari ang inaasam niya lamang hangarin. Tinitigan niya ang engagement ring na isinuot ni Brian sa kanyang daliri. Simple lamang ito at wala gaanong palamuti, pero sa isip-isip niya, kuntento na siya roon. Hindi na siya mag-aasam pa ng ibang bagay. Ang pag-propose pa lamang ni Brian sa kanya ay isang malaking bagay at hakbang na sa kanilang relasyon. 

Ibinalita rin naman ito ni Stacia sa mga kaibigan niya at masaya ito para sa kanya. Pero hindi pa rin siya nakakaiwas sa mga nagsasabi na kaya lamang nag-propose si Brian sa kanya ay dahil nabuntis siya nito. Pinilit niyang alisin sa isip niya ang mga salitang iyon. Ayaw niyang damdamin. Ayaw niyang pagnilayan. She trust Brian for what he had said during that day. Iyon ang panghahawakan niya. Kung tutol man sila sa nangyari ay wala na siyang problema ro'n. She just knew she was happy and excited to be with her family.

Over the months, Stacia and Brian went through crucial pregnancy stages. May mga gabi na hindi makatulog si Stacia at hindi alam ni Brian ang gagawin. He was scared to let anything bad happen to her. He knew that Stacia was at her fragile state and if he made a decision that would put her on harm, hindi niya mapapatawad ang sarili.

But aside from those times when they thought life was so hard, there was no way out of it, they found themselves in so much happiness. A lot of things such as going out together to Stacia's monthly visit to the clinic and from time to time, they went out shopping for some baby clothes and stuff. 

When they find out that they will be having a baby girl, Stacia can't contain her excitement. Their friends organized a small baby gender reveal and her friends were the first ones to know the gender of their baby. It was an intimate gathering and only their family and friends were invited to the party. 

Stacia had to stop a semester in college when she reached her eight-month in pregnancy. She knew how hard it was for her to drop out of college, but she wouldn't also risk going to school when at any moment, she could be giving birth. Nagpatuloy naman si Brian sa kanyang semester. Even though it was hard for him, he still had his responsibilities done to Stacia, but sometimes, it was a struggle for Stacia when he started coming home late.

Hindi naman niya iyon inisip dahil alam niyang marami na ring iniisip at pinagkaabahalan si Brian. She doesn't want to fight with him dahil hindi rin naman makabubuti iyon sa kanya. All she cared about was to give birth normally to a healthy baby girl.

But they've come to the point during her nine-month pregnancy when Stacia confronted Brian about what he was doing and often came home late. Hindi maalis sa isipan ni Stacia na baka may iba itong babae. Avoiding all the things she heard about Brian before started processing in her mind. Ayaw man niyang paniwalaan ang mga ito dahil tiwala siya sa asawa niya na wala itong ginagawa masama.

Confronting Brian Stacia was a big mistake because everything blew out of proportion. She was scared of him. Inaambahan nitong saktan ang babae. She was hiding herself using her arms even though she knew it won't help defending herself. That day, umalis ng bahay si Brian at naiwan mag-isa si Stacia. She couldn't help herself, but cry night. Alam niyang hindi makabubuti iyon sa kanya kaya nakatulugan na lang din siya ang pag-isip sa relasyon nilang dalawa ni Brian.

They weren't married yet, but this was what she was getting. Inisiip na lang din naman niyang dahil new parents sila at bago lamang itong pinagdaraanan nila ay marami talagang problemang darating ang hindi nila inaasahan. She believe this tested their relationship and hopefully they could work out what was the problem eventually.

The next morning, Brian came home and he was apologetic when he saw Stacia waiting for him like a dog that was left alone in the house. He hurriedly came to her and hugged her. Hindi na rin naman napigilan ni Stacia ang maiyak dahil inakalay niya'y iiwan na siya nito, but Brian promised he wouldn't do that. He reasoned he was just so exhausted because he hadn't been telling Stacia that after school, he was going to work at his part-time job. Hindi alam iyon ni Stacia kaya naman ikinabigla niya rin nang malaman iyon. She apologized for coming to him like that without any reason, Brian just let it go. What was important for them was they were together.

Later that day, Stacia was brought to the hospital as they didn't expect that she would give birth sooner than they thought. It wasn't her due yet, she was still a few days away, but now that it had come earlier, they've prepared themselves for a new life ahead of them.

Stacia gave birth to a beautiful baby girl — Thamara Walker.

They thought after that, all things would go well, but they didn't know that everything had just started.