"Happy birthday, Zairah." I said with full joy before giving her my gift. It's a necklace that... someone gave. It's my daughters fourth birthday at luluwas kami ngayon pabalik ng Manila. Gusto ko na bumalik sa pagta-trabaho. At alam kong sa real estate ng magulang ko ay ako na maghahandle sa architecture department.

"Mommy, you said we're going to Manila... t-to see tita and titos.." she said slowly and I smiled before kissing her cheeks. 

I promised her that we're going to move to Manila. I bought a house close to my parents para kapag kailangan ko ng tulong ay pwede ko naman dalhin doon si Zai. 

Excited ako at kinakabahan at the same time, I'm not ready to show her the whole world yet. She's curious and maybe I can't feed her curiosity. "Opo, baby. We're leaving in an hour so you have to get up and shower, hmm?" I told her at excited naman siyang tumayo mula sa kama.

She showered by herself pero she gets help from me from time to time. Like opening her shampoo bottle and giving her help in washing the soap off her body. She's too precious! Pero hindi pa rin natatanggal sa isip ko ang ama ni Zai. 

Some part of me missed him but the odds of us seeing each other? Malabo na 'yon. He's probably out with his wife but the hell do I care?

After Zai finished taking a bath, she picked out her own outfit and told me to match with her. What a cute girl. I'm so proud to be her Mom. Habang inaayos ang bag na ilalagay ko sa harap ng kotse ko para easy access, you never know baka humingi ng gatas si Zai or her favorite toys. 

Yung ibang gamit namin ay pinadala na doon sa bagong bahay kahapon kaya nandoon na iyon. Habang inilalagay ko ang gamit ko sa kotse ay tumawag naman mga kaibigan ko sa GC namin. Of course we stayed in touch with each other, and they also visit Zai and I here in Mindoro whenever they had free time.

"Hey," I greeted them.

[May maghahatid ba sa'yo papuntang airport?] tanong ni Azaleah and I answered. "Mayroon, si Tita Rina." 

[Mag ingat kayo ha, susunduin ka namin sa airport. Anong oras ba kayo lalapag dito sa Manila?" Yuzu. "5 pm."

May narinig naman akong onting bulungan kaya nagtaka naman ako, "Nasaan kayo ngayon?" tanong ko at narinig ko naman silang nagpasa-pasahan sa cellphone and I just sighed. 

[Nasa bahay pa kami,] sagot ni Luca. [Baba ko na tawag ah, have a safe flight!] natapos agad ang tawag at umiling na lang ako. 

Nang ready na kami ni Zai ay sumakay na kami ng kotse, and she was so excited. Hindi nga mapakali! "Anak, sit down lang po. Baka bigla kang magkaroon ng ouchie." I told her at umupo naman siya ng maayos. Hindi nagtagal ay nakarating na kami sa airport at ang kulit niya na naman!

Nakakita siya ng toy sa isang shop at syempre spoiled siya sa akin wala din akong nagawa at binili ko 'yon sa kanya. "One lang ha, when we go to Manila maraming mas magandang malls doon at bibilhan ka ni Mommy ng maraming toys." I told her and she nodded before smiling. I also bought her donuts before we boarded our flight.

Nakasakay na kami ng eroplano at hindi naman kinakabahan si Zai. Infact, she's excited, ready to see her Mommy lola and lolo. Last year pa kasi simula nang mabisita nila si Zai. I was happy nga noong tinanggap nila ang anak ko, lalo na't tatay nito ay si... Domingo.

Kinuha ni Zai ang phone ko at itinapat sa akin, "Mommy picture!" she said before clicking the shutter button. "Ngumiti ka Mommy, para pretty." she said and I chuckled before giving her a wide smile. 

She really reminded me of her Dad. 

She was wearing the necklace I gave her, I hope you meet your father someday. Kahit hindi niya na ako intindihin, basta anak niya.

When we landed in Manila agad kong hinanap ang mga kaibigan ko at pagkatapos ng pagiikot nakita ko ang isang malaking placard sign na nakalagay, WELCOME HOME CAITLYN! WELCOME TO MANILA ZAIRAH! Agad naman ako napangiti bago lumapit sa kanila. 

We hugged each other at binuhat naman ni Luca si Zai. He became Zai's father whenever they visited her sa Mindoro. Well he is a great father may anak na nga silang dalawa ni Azaleah eh. 

"Si Evan bakit hindi niyo sinama?" tanong ko at nagkibit balikat si Azaleah. "Ayon, tulog. Mamaya naman makikita mo, kaya tara na?"

Tumango naman ako at tinulungan nila ako sa ibang bagahe ko at inilagay 'yon sa van nilang dalawa. Habang nasa biyahe naman kami pauwi sa mansion ay nakatulog naman si Zairah. Paano kanina pa may energy, buti naman ay nakatulog na para hindi toyoin mamaya.

After arriving home nagtaka ako kung bakit sarado ang mga ilaw, binuksan ko iyon at nagulat naman ako dahil mayroong pumutok na confetti. 

"WELCOME BACK TO MANILA, CAITLYN!" they all shouted at napangiti naman ako. I looked over our dining area at maraming pagkain na nandoon. Pinaghandaan pa nila ang pagbalik ko, how heart warming.

"Thank you, guys. But I told you all na hindi niyo na kailangan mag abala 'di ba? Gastos lang yan eh." sabi ko and they just disregarded that at agad akong nilapitan para yakapin. Lumapit naman sila Mom and Dad at nakipag beso sa akin bago ituon ang atensyon kay Zai.

Masaya ako dahil kahit wala si Zayn sa buhay namin ay hindi naman siya kinulang sa pagmamahal ng mga taong naka-palibot sa kanya. 

After eating and catching up with the people naiwan naman ako dito sa bahay para tulungan sila mag ligpit. 

"Anak, ready ka na ba magtrabaho?" tanong ni Mommy sa akin and I smiled before nodding. "Oo naman Mom, apat na taon na akong walang ginawa  kung hindi alagaan si Zai oh. Need kong kumikita ng pera para sa ibigay ang mga gusto ni Zai. Plus yung tuition niya, Maggrade one na yan eh." sabi ko and she nodded.

"Yeah, and about the company... someone pressed charges against your dad." she informed me at nagtaka naman ako. Bakit wala naman akong nabalitaan na ganito noon? "Bakit? At paano?" tanong ko.

"Well, nabaon utang ng company natin 6 months ago... and your father did illegal things just to bring the company back up. Pero a week ago, nahuli siya. Kaya kailangan na natin ngayon ng abogado."

Kumunot naman noo ko, "Si attorney Chavez? 'Di ba siya head ng legal department natin?" 

"Hindi na anak, he quitted months back. Wala ngayong nagmamanage ng taong nasa department na iyon, kaya naghahanap kami ngayon ng matinong abogado to represent your dad in court." bagsak niya sa akin and I sighed before nodding.

Welcome Manila, new things to stress out naman. Okay lang, new challenge to make my life thrilling again. Nagpaalam na ako at ginamit ang kotse ko pauwi sa bahay ko 3 blocks away from here. 

I tucked Zai in bed before I took care of things. 

I decided to message the GC.

Caitlyn: may contact ba kayo kay Zayn?

Agad naman nagreply ang isa sa kanila.

Yuki: eww, what r u gonna do with that asshole?

Azaleah: oo nga, don't tell me gusto mo makipag reunion doon?

Yuzu: kayo naman, judgemental baka hanap lang ni Zai. wala namang kasalanan yung bata eh

Luca: we stayed mutuals on ig, bakit?

Caitlyn: ok, wala just asking. gn gn.

After that napaisip ako, paano kung kunin kong abogado si Zayn? At para na rin maipakilala ko ang anak niya sa kanya. Because I don't want my daughter to grow up without a father. 

The next morning I was getting ready for work when Zai woke up, sakto ihahatid ko na lang siya sa bahay nila Mom for the maids to take care of her. May play room naman daw kasi doon si Zai. 

"Where is Mommy going?" she asked and I knelt to be on the same level with her. "Mommy is going to work, sweetie." I told her and she looked sad. 

"Hey, I'll be back soon, anak. I will bring you pasalubong!" I tried to cheer her up and she weakly smiled. Poor baby, hindi sanay na hindi kasama ang Mommy.

"Are you going to meet Daddy?" nagulat naman ako sa tanong niya. Bakit naman niya bigla 'yon tinanong? Hindi ko alam isasagot ko! "Bakit mo naman yan natanong, Zai?" I asked her and she pouted.

"Because you said Daddy was always at work in Manila, that's why he was never there. But now we're here, are you going to see Daddy?" she asked innocently with her beautiful eyes that she got from her dad. 

I can't make her more sad. 

"Maybe, anak. I'll try to talk to your dad to meet his pretty daughter." I told her before giving her a kiss on the head. She hugged me before screaming with joy. 

"Yey! I'm going to meet Daddy!"

I smiled while looking at her. Sana nga ay tanggapin ka niya, anak. Sana mahalin ka niya kagaya ng pagmamahal niya sa akin dati.