34 - Bedtime Stories

RJ's POV

I have to make sure Meng will not know about Patrick until I have a concrete plan on how I could avoid them to meet again. I can still vividly remember how messed up she was because of their infidelity to Olga. Maybe the reason why they parted ways was she chooses Olga over him but since her bestfriend is already gone, there is a great possibility that they would get back together. Nakita ko ang ningning ng mga mata ni Patrick when he was talking about his someone who got away. At nakita ko rin kung paano nagdilim ang mukha nya nung sinabi kong asawa ko na si Charmaine Dei Mendoza.

I intend to keep this family. Hindi ang isang Patrick Ledesma ang sisira ng pamilya na para kay Celestine. Hindi ako papayag na ilayo ni Meng sa akin ang anak ko just because of that Ledesma jerk, therefore if I want Celestine to stay with me then Meng shall also stays with me. Kay Meng na rin nanggaling, 'Wherever Meng goes Celestine goes and wherever Celestine goes Mommy Meng goes'. But for me they are not going anywhere both of them stays. They are staying with me.

Upon reaching home I made sure that no one would noticed my anxiety about Patrick Ledesma. I should act as normal as possible.

"Daddy." Celestine shouted upon seeing me at the door. She rans towards me and asked me to carry her and I gladly did after I put on the table the stuff I am carrying. "Look Dad, two stars for today." She brags.

"Wow, very impressive, baby." I said.

"At hindi talaga nya pinatanggal yan until you sees it. Binalutan tuloy ni Yaya ng plastic when she was cleaning her." Meng said while walking towards us.

"Hello Meng." I said.

"Hello RJ." She replied, smiling.

"Ang galing naman ni Daddy, I was able to sense about the two stars therefore I have something for my Celestine" I said.

"Really Daddy, you have something for me?" Celestine excitedly asked.

"Yes, it is actually here. Ice cream cake." I replied and got the small box from the table. I thought she'll be happy with what I brought for her but her excitement and smile vanishes upon seeing the box of the ice cream cake. "Don't you like it baby?" I asked her.

"It's alright baby, we can have that for dessert tonight but only for one serving. Now, go and give that box to manang before it melts." Meng said and the excitement in Celestine's face came back.

"Hindi ka na naman kasi nagtatanong eh, muntik nang masayang yung ice cream cake mo. Celestine is only allowed to have one serving of ice cream a day pero hindi pwede araw-araw. Mabilis kasing magka-sore throat ang batang yan kapag nasobrahan sa pagkain ng malalamig na pagkain lalo na ang ice cream." Meng explained.

"Next time magtatanong na ako" I said upon realizing that my proactiveness does not work and almost failed. "Anyway, this one is for you" I said and handed to Meng a long stem white rose.

"Thank you. Wala naman akong nakuhang star, bakit pati ako may pasalubong." She said while beamingly accepting the rose.

"Free yan sa ice cream cake." I said and I hope that alibi works because I was not able to prepare on how to tell her that she was the first one that I thought when I passed by a flower shop.

"Kahit pa free, salamat pa rin." She replied.

"You're welcome." I replied.

"Go ahead and change, I'll ask manang to prepare the dinner." She said

"What's for dinner?" I asked.

"Tinolang manok ang request ni Celestine, but if you don't like that I could ask manang to prepare something else." She said

"Tinolang manok is fine with me at saka hindi pwedeng 'to prepare something else' di ba, we should eat whatever is on the table." I said.

"Alright, di bale next time tatanungin na rin kita para fair." She said.

I went to our room to change and eventually had our dinner together. Meng allowed Celestine to watch the TV in the family room, and when it is time for her to hit the bed I carried her to our room to sleep.

"I will sleep in my room Daddy." Celestine said and it surprised me. I looked at Meng to get an explanation.

"Hannah and Camila were here this afternoon, they were telling Celestine to sleep in her room instead in ours because she is already a big girl. Celestine believes in her Ninangs so much, ayan tuloy ayaw na akong katabing matulog ng little angel ko. I have been convincing her since Hannah and Camila left pero ayan ayaw na talagang matulog na kasama natin." She sadly said.

"But Mommy and I want you to sleep with us, Baby." I said to support Meng.

"I want to sleep in my room Daddy. Yaya is there to keep me company." Celestine insisted.

Meng and I could not do anything but to put her to sleep in her room. After we the usual stuff of bedtime stories with Celestine, I went ahead of Charm in our room. Now this is going to be awkward, we maybe friends now but we are not yet as comfortable as sharing the bed with each other alone.

She is already in the room when I stepped out from the bathroom, I can sensed she, too is not comfortable with our current set-up. Madali lang namang solusyunan ang problemang ito eh. I quickly grab my pillow and blanket and put it on the couch.

"I'll just sleep in the couch, dyan ka na lang sa bed." I said.

"Ako na lang dyan, kaya ko nga binili yan para higaan ko eh. Hindi ka kasi kasya dyan sa couch, you could not sleep comfortably there" She said.

"Ok lang ako dito Meng, sige na matulog ka na." I insisted.

She does not insist anymore, but instead she went in the bathroom for her night rituals. She is already in bed for about ten minutes when I heard her, "Pssst, Faulkerson, Jr. gising ka pa ba?" She asked.

"Patulog na ako Mendoza Girl, istorbo ka." I replied.

"Hindi tutoo yan, hindi ka pa naghihilik kaya alam ko gising ka pa." She said.

"Alam mo naman palang gising pa ako bakit nagtatanong ka pa?" I said and as I turned around I saw pillows lined up in the middle of the bed.

"Alam ko namang hindi ka malikot matulog so pwede na ang apat na unan sa gitna natin." She said. "Dito ka na matulog sa kama, mahihirapan ka dyan sa couch." She added.

"Seryoso ka?" I asked and she nodded smiling while tapping my side of the bed.

I immediately stand up and transfered from the couch to our bed. Magpapakipot pa ba ako? Who would not want to sleep comfortably in our bed and beside this amazing girl, I currently admire. "Thank you Mendoza Girl." I said as I laid in bed.

"You're welcome Faulkerson, Jr." She replied and laid in bed, too.

"Kamusta araw mo?" I asked.

"Productive naman, marami na ring akong napadeliver dun sa mga pending orders ko, buti na lang understanding yung mga clients ko. Ikaw kamusta ang pagbabalik mo sa office?" She said.

"Pareho tayo, ang daming tambak na trabaho but I was able to finish them on time." I said.

"Mabuti hindi ka natraffic pauwi." She asked while both our eyes are glued at the ceiling.

"Hindi naman, dumaan lang talaga ako sa mall para dun sa ice cream cake ni Celestine kaya medyo na late ako ng uwi." I replied.

"Please don't do that again, she does not need to be rewarded in every star that she'll get. I will let that slide for today pero hindi ko na papalagpasin kapag naulit." She said.

"Noted Mommy Meng." I replied.

"Seryoso ako Faulkerson, Jr. we already agreed on this if I may remind you." She said.

"Seryoso din naman ako. Anyway, how's Hannah and Camila? I'm glad they were able to visit you today" I asked.

"They are both fine. Mahaharot pa rin. I hope you don't mind, nag-insist kasi yung dalawa na i-tour ko sila sa buong bahay." She said chuckling.

"Of course I won't mind , they are your friends and this is your house too." I replied.

"Yeah my house for the next 365 days." She replied.

"Anong balita?" I asked to change our topic.

"Nothing much except with that old friend of ours who was bugging them in social media" She said.

"Does that old friend bugs you too?" I asked.

"I deactivated all my personal social media accounts, yung mga pages na lang ng business ko ang active." She replied.

"Bakit naman ginugulo ni old friend si Hannah at Camila?" I asked.

"Because he wanted to get in touch with me and he does not know how." She replied and my heartbeat started to race.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"That old friend is Patrick, my ex-boyfriend and Olga's ex-boyfriend, too. Sabi ni Camila at Hannah, he send them a private messages asking them how can he get in touch with me." She said.

"Ano ang sabi nila?" I asked.

"Hindi pa raw sila nagre-reply." She said.

"Anong balak mo?" I asked while I am starting to have a hardtime breathing.

"I told them there is no need to meet him. Also, I'm sure nakita na nya sa newspaper na nag-asawa na ako. The wedding pictures are in the broadsheets yesterday." She said.

I'm glad she was not able to see when I blew a deep sigh of relief. Maybe I am a good person in my past life, kasi ang bilis dininig ng Diyos ang panalangin ko kahit one minute ago pa lang.

"Don't you want to see him again?" I asked her. Feeling ko tuloy masukista ako when I asked that but I need to know para man lang sa ikakatahimik ng pagkatao ko.

"Mas mabuting hindi ko na sya makita ulit." She replied.

"Why not? If there is no more feelings in you left for him, it won't be a big deal to meet him again." I said and hoping that her answer would be the answer I wishes to hear from her.

"Masyado ka nang maraming tanong Faulkerson, Jr." She said. "Sinabi ko lang sa yo ang tungkol sa paghahanap sa akin ni Patrick para hindi mo na ikagulat in case na sumulpot yun dito, dahil alam kong kapag ginusto nun, gagawa at gagawa yung ng paraan para makuha ang gusto nya." She explained.

"Thank you for informing me Meng, I appreciate it a lot. And since, hindi naman na pala sya importanteng pag-usapan then let that conversation about him ends here. Matulog na tayo because tomorrow will be another day." I said looking at her.

She turns to my side and beams, "You are right, wag na natin syang pag-usapan." She said.

"Matulog ka na." I told her and she closes her eyes after our exchanges of goodnights while I remained awake.

I need to do something. Hindi pwedeng magkita ulit si Meng at si Patrick Ledesma. Obvious naman na may gusto pa si Ledesma sa asawa ko and I don't trust Meng's heart when it comes to Patrick Ledesma.

Maybe now she claims na hindi na importante si Ledesma para sa kanya but I am not certain she'll say the same, once the two of them meet again.

Patrick Ledesma is an intruder and intruder is not allowed in this family, in my family.