"Oh my god, Caitlyn! Don't tell me affected ka pa rin?"

Kasulukuyan kaming nasa bahay kasama ang mga kaibigan ko. Kauuwi ko lang galing trabaho at half day lang ako ngayong araw.

I'm expecting to meet Zayn again later sa bahay nila Mommy mamayang 4 pm dahil 'yon daw ang free time niya.

For a busy man, ai didn't expect him to actually take this case. Kasi mayroong mas maraming clients na mas mataas ang bayad pero mas pinili niya itong boring case na ito.

"Gaga, sino bang hindi? Siya ang ama ni Zai, malamang affected. Tinarantado niya ako noon eh, he didn't chose to fight for our love kasi nagpa-brain wash siya sa sinabi ng Dad niya sa kanya." I said and they all gave me meaningful looks.

"Mahal mo pa?" tanong ni Yuzu and I made a disgusted face.

"Cut the crap guys." I said before taking a sip on my beer. I know it's literally afternoon and we're already drinking pero ngayon lang kami uminom ulit. Besides, light beer lang 'to. It's not like we're going to get drunk.

"Dapat sinagot mo yung tanong, Caitlyn." sabi naman ni Azaleah and I scoffed. "As if.." I answered at nagtawanan naman sila.

"Bakit hindi ka maka-sagot ng diretso?" Yuki chuckled and I raised my middle finger at her.

"Okay, fine..." simula ko at naghiyawan naman sila. Minsan nakakatangina talaga mga kaibigan ko 'no?

"Hindi ko itatago na miss ko siya pero mostly tuwing iisipin ko siya included si Zairah doon. Anak niya 'yon eh." tumango naman sila sa akin. "But you still didn't answer the question. Do you still love him?" pilit pa ring itinanong sa akin ni Azaleah.

"Oo." seryosong sagot ko. "My love for him didn't fade, siya pa rin kahit wala na siya sa akin."

"Kaso may asawa na ata si Zayn." singit ni Luca, agad naman nagulat ang mga kaibigan ko. "Kahapon noong kinausap namin yung receptionist tinanong kung Mrs. Domingo or Mr. Domingo eh, so it's safe to assume that he's married to another lawyer." Luca explained and I sighed.

"Paano ka, Caitlyn?" tanong ni Yuki and I forced out a smile.

"I'll just have to think of a good timing telling him about Zairah."

Tumahimik naman sila at nakita kong nagiisip si Azaleah. "Paano kung yung Mom lang ni Zayn ang Mrs. Domingo ns 'yon? I mean you never know malay mo okay na ang condition ng Mom niya at nagttrabaho na ulit." she said at may point siya. It is possible na ganoon nga lang iyon.

Nagising naman si Zai at nagmumurahan pa naman sila kaya sinita ko sila, "Mommy," lumapit siya sa akin, I gave her a hug at hinayaang kunin ang iPad ko for her to watch cartoons.

A few hours went by and it was already 3:30 kaya pumunta na kami sa bahay ng parents ko. Sumama pa din ang mga kaibigan ko kasi gusto din nila makita si Zayn pero lalayo nga lang sila. They're going to stay upstairs sa may salas doon while they look down at us. Since open naman 'yon at kita ang salas naman sa baba.

Kasama ko rin si Zai dahil bawal naman 'yon maiwan sa bahay. She played in her playroom kasama si Azaleah.

Our maid was also cooking for dinner kasi inutos 'yon ni Mom para naman daw di nakakahiya kay Zayn dahil nagabala pa siyang pumunta sa bahay namin.

It was already 4 pm pero wala pa rin siya, kaya umakyat muna ako sa playroom para kalaruin si Zai. She was playing with kid's make up ng tawagin niya ako. "Mommy, come here I'll do your make up." natawa naman ako dahil excited niyang kinuha ang maliit na make up brush

"'Wag likot, Mommy. You don't want to look ugly!" 

She finished doing my make up and I might say she is already good at it. She's even better than me. Not a few minutes after ay bigla naman akong tinawag ng isa naming maid. "Ma'am Caitlyn, someone just pulled in our driveway. Baka 'yon na daw po ang inaabangan ninyo." she informed me at tumango naman ako.

Bigla naman tumili si Yuki, "OMG, nandyan na si Zayn! Yaya, bantayan mo muna si Zai." 

Bigla naman hinila ni Zai ang damit ko, "Mommy who is Zayn? Is he your friend?" she innocently asked.

No anak he's your father.

Pagbaba ko ng hagdan ay binuksan ko agad ang pinto at lumabas papunta sa kotse ni Zayn. He just parked his car near my car, at napansin ko din na hindi pa din siya nagbabago ng kotse. It's still the chevrolette. 

Lumabas siya ng kotse dala lamang ang kanyang briefcase at wala na rin siyang suot na blazer. Semi-casual na siya. He met up with my gaze and we smiled at each other before walking towards the entrance of our house.

"Sorry I'm late, naextend yung meeting ko kanina."

"Okay lang."

I was about to open the door when he stopped and called my name, "Caitlyn..." I shot my glance at him and raised a brow. "Yeah?" he looked somehow nervous. It's not like him, I mean I saw one of his videos talking in court and he was serious and intimidating that's why I was so nervous to talk to him yesterday.

But when I noticed that he's still the Zayn I met years ago, hindi na ako natakot. Somehow napaisip naman ako na paano kung mayroon pa rin akong lugar sa kanyang puso? No. 'Wag mo isipin 'yan, Caitlyn. May asawa siya, malamang wala na siyang pake sa'yo.

"Hindi na ba galit sa akin mga magulang mo?" he asked at nagtaka naman ako. Bakit naman bigla pumasok sa utak niya ang tanong na iyon? "Bakit naman sila magagalit sa'yo? Eh sila nga yung kailangan ng tulong sa'yo eh." I answered him pero parang mas lalo pa siya kinabahan.

"Our parents... hated each other, right?" he said with caution. I gave him an assuring smile. "Hindi na sila galit, Zayn. Nawala iyong nung dumating si..." hindi ko tinapos ang sasabihin ko dahil naalala ko na hindi niya pa nga pala kilala si Zai. I just gave him an awkward smile. 

"Basta, hindi na sila galit at may tiwala na sa iyo."

"Yun na nga eh, may tiwala na sila sa akin... pero paano kung magkamali ako? They'll be dissappointed in me." nagtaka naman ako, ano naman pake niya kung madismaya sila Mommy sa kanya? Pero hindi ko na lang siya pinansin at hinawakan ang kamay niya bago hilahin papasok.

Napansin ko agad na ang mga kaibigan ko ay titig na titig sa amin, malakas kutob ko na nagaasaran na sila tungkol sa amin. I shot my glance to them at agad naman silang nagsipag-iwas ng tingin. Mga gago talaga.

"Zayn, welcome to our home. Thank you for accepting the job to defend my husband." agad naman ngumiti si Zayn at nakipagkamay kay Mommy. 

"No problem po, Tita. Anything for, Caitlyn." agad naman naginit ang pisngi ko at umiwas ng tingin. He still has this effect on me! Nakakahiya. 

Umupo na kaming lahat sa sofa at katabi ko naman si Zayn, sa tapat namin ay sila Dad. "Let's start."

We talked about serious stuff, well mostly them. I was just listening to their conversation at napansin ko na napaka galing ni Zayn sa trabaho niya. Kung kanina kinakabahan siya ngayon parang sila Mommy pa ang kakabahan sa kanya dahil napaka seryoso niya.

"That's all? Iyon lang po ba ang nangyari?" tanong ni Zayn at tumango si Dad. "You commited something illegal that's why I am here to tell you how I am going to defend you. We need someone to testify for you as your witness, introduce a new suspect, and burry the evidence that will lead back to you." 

He said that so professionally, damn. Being a lawyer really suits him.

"Now do you have in mind any people that will testify against the company that you stole from? We need to prepare him for what he is going to say in front of the jury." Zayn told my father at napaisip naman siya. Kung sa totoo lang, wala akong naiintindihan sa mga sinasabi nila pero nakikinig na lang ako kasi naaamaze ako sa mga salitang lumalabas sa bibig ni Zayn eh.

I never seen him in action, so me being in court to see him talk in front of everyone is thrilling and exciting. "My business partner, but I don't know what he's going to say in the stand." Dad answered at naguluhan ako.

"Wait, so Tito Clarence will lie in front of the jury?" singit ko at tumango naman si Zayn. "Bakit?" tanong ko pa ulit.

"Caitlyn, it is my job to represent and defend your father. And sometimes we need to lie in order to convice the judge for your dad to not get convicted." he told me at tumahimik na lang ako.

"Starting tomorrow me and my team will gather other evidence and review things that can be connected to your case. We don't have much time  now, do we? Then after the first hearing we will have to connect all the gathered evidences we have and pin it to the new suspect that. But before we do all of this we must destroy all such evidence that will lead to you. Basically sweeping every footprint and fingerprint you left." he said before sipping water.

He was about to say one more thing pero natigil nang may marinig kaming maliit na boses, "Mommy!" hawak hawak siya ni yaya habang bumababa ng hagdan. Agad naman ako nahiya dahil bigla siyang sumulpot. Tiningnan ko ang reaction ni Zayn at nakatitig lang siya sa anak niya.

Alam kong hindi bulag si Zayn at paghihinalaan niya na sa kanya ang anak. Matalino siya, makikita niya ang resemblance nung bata sa kanya. 

"Careful, anak. Don't run down the stairs." yumakap naman sa akin si Zai at lumingon kay Zayn. Shet, patay na ako. Mabubuking na ba ako ngayon. Nagtinginan naman kami ni Mommy at lumingon din ako sa taas para tingnan ang mga kaibigan ko pero sila din ay kinakabahan na.

"Mommy, who's this?" tanong niya. "Is this the Zayn you and Tita are talking about?" she asked and I covered her mouth and awkwardly looked at Zayn. He was looking at me and Zai back and fourth. 

"Yes, anak. This is attorney Zayn Domingo." pagpapakilala ko sa kanya at ngumiti naman si Zai at bumitaw sa akin. "Hello po! My name is Zairah." nginitian naman siya ni Zayn at kumaway din.

Lumapit ulit sa akin si Zai at may ibinulong, pero alam kong rinig din 'yon ni Zayn dahil katabi ko lang siya. "Mommy, he is handsome. You should marry him!" masiglang sabi ni Zai at agad naman ako namula habang si Zayn naman ay natawa lang. 

Stop laughing at your kid, dumbass.

"No anak, attorney Domingo is already married." kumunot naman noo ni Zayn, baka iniisip kung paano ko nalaman pero bahala na. "Besides, you want to meet your Daddy, right?" I asked her and she pouted.

"Daddy was never here!" she shouted and I hushed her, I don't want her throwing a tantrum infront of her father. "I told you anak, be patient. You will meet your dad, soon. I already met up with him." sabi ko at agad naman lulmiwanag ang maata niya.

"Really?" 

"Yes po."

"Zairah, come to tita na. Let them finish the conversation." kinuha ni Azaleah ang kamay ni Zai at nagpahila naman na si Zai.

Zayn finished explaining other things to my Mom and Dad agreeing to what they discussed. Hindi na din nakapag-dinner si Zayn dahil sabi niya na may emergency daw sa firm. 

"Caitlyn..." tawag niya sa akin noong nakasakay na siya ng kotse. Nilingon ko siya at tinaas ang aking kilay. He shyly rubbed the back of his neck. "I am... still single you know?"