Prologue

"Ma, good morning!"

"Good morning, ma!"

"Good morning lovelies!" I greeted them with my sweetest smile and gave them each a kiss on the forehead.

"What's for breakfast?" they asked in unison.

I chuckled at the sudden unison and guided them to the table, "It's my favorite pasta for breakfast, I suddenly craved it" I said and smiled at them.

"Ma, you eat carbonara everyday" they said.

"Tashi, Kashi" I called them.

They hummed in response, "I love carbonara just how much I love you both" I said.

They laughed and I patted their heads, "Go, eat" I said and sat across them.

They started eating while telling me all sorts of stories they've been meaning to tell me

I just nodded in every story they tell it is early in the morning, but I did not mind the chattiness of the twins.

"And, so! Kashi chased them kasi they're being annoying!" Tashi excitedly told me, even mixing a tagalog language I taught him (Kasi is a tagalog word and in english it means Because)

I laughed, "Tashi, you can speak tagalog anytime" I said

He just nodded at me and continued eating while telling me stories

When they finished eating, I cleaned the table and washed the dishes while they are getting ready for school

"Ma" I heard Kashi's voice

"Hmm?" I hummed in response as I turned my head to him

"I have a question" he asked

"Ask right away" I said and turned to dry the plates

I sensed him sat at the countertop, in which he does that every time he has the chance to

"I've been avoiding this topic for long now, but I'm really curious" he said

I stopped abruptly because I felt like I know what he's about to ask

I turned to look at him and stared at his face and sighed, "I guess you need to know about it too, you and Tashi are already grown up" I said

I dried my hands and sat at the countertop beside him

"So, what do you want to ask?" I asked him

"Why aren't we with Pa?" he asked

I smiled softly, "When was the last time you saw him? When you were 7? 8?" I asked

He nodded, "Well.." I muttered

"We agreed to live away from each other" I answered honestly

"Why?" he asked

I looked at him, "Do you remember what your papa is wearing every time you will see him? When you were a kid?" I asked

His eyebrows creased, sign that he's thinking back

A moment of silence and he finally answered, "A black kind of uniform, or some sort, I thought it was his uniform for his work"

I nodded, "Well, that uniform, symbolizes his work, and his work, is too much for mama to handle, let alone having you two" I answered

I saw his face being confused, "What? Is he some sort of a killer?" he joked

I chuckled, "Let's talk again when you got back home, with Tashi" I said

He nodded and we both got off the countertop and he hugged me

I laughed because he towered over me, "When did you grow so much?" I groaned and he laughed

We went out of the kitchen and Tashi just got down from the stairs and they both got ready

I gave them their lunch boxes and they kissed me goodbye

I walked with them until the gates and they both ran off

"They have grown so much" I said

"Saki" I heard a deep soothing voice just from near me

And as I turned around, I saw a black dress shoes, ironed slacks, black tuxedo..

And when my eyes found his face, there, I saw him

The familiar shaved eyebrows, menacing but calm eyes, the familiar earring he has, and from what I remember, he used to have his haircut as undercut but now he has it grown out but the undercut is still evident

I was stunned, was stuck staring at his face

I suddenly felt like crying but I can't, and I don't want to

"Takashi" I muttered

He was unsure whether he can come near me

"Come" I called him

I reached out my hands to him and as if on cue he walked fastly and embraced me

His warmth embraced my whole and for many years, even when I live in a house with the twins, I felt like…I'm home

His hug tightened and I smiled, inhaling his familiar cologne

"Welcome home, Takashi" I told him

He buried his face on my neck, "I'm home" he whispered