Like usual, Butterbites smells like powdered sugar and buttermilk. Diesel inhales the sweet scent, eyes closing as his muscles relax to the song playing in the background. He loosens his tie and gives the back of his neck a squeeze before a pair of short arms and small hands wrap around his leg.

"Papa!" Nadia runs to him with a toothy grin. "You're here!"

Diesel sits on his ankles with a grunt. He's spent for the day, and his bubby is surely getting heavy, perhaps because she's eating too many sweets, but he carries her in his arms still—ignoring his back and shoulder pain. He plants a few kisses on Nadia's cheeks to make up for being away the whole day.

Diesel's eyebrows furrow upon tasting sugar on Nadia's cheeks. Narrowing his eyes, he dusts off the sugar and bits of leftover cake frosting on the side of her lips with his fingers.

"Nag-toothbrush ka na ba?" tanong niya bago ilipat ang tingin sa tita ni Addie na nagpupunas ng estante. He greets her with a nod and a smile.

Naiwan dito si Nadia dahil hindi inakala ni Diesel na mapapaaga ang uwi niya ngayon. He was expecting to be home by 8 p.m., while Addie's set would wrap up around 9 p.m. Usually, he brings Nadia to work since his mom doesn't mind, and Nadia likes his secretary, pero hindi puwede kanina dahil masyadong malayo ang pinuntahan nilang site.

"Bubby?" tawag ni Diesel sa anak nang hindi ito sumasagot sa tanong niya. Nagsalubong ang kilay niya nang makitang tulala sa kaniya si Nadia habang hawak ng maliliit na kamay ang magkabilang mabibintog na pisngi.

Slowly, Nadia nods. She wraps her arms around his neck and buries her head in his shoulder. "Pagod ka na ba? Baka nagpasaway ka dito?" Diesel asks.

"No," Nadia whispers against his shirt. One of her twin braids slaps him on the face when she turns her head to look at him. "Bubby is kind."

Diesel chuckles before pressing another kiss on her cheek. "Okay."

His laughter fades upon seeing that expression again—tense shoulders, moping pout, and dropped eyelids. Those are signals that she's either really sad or about to cry. He wonders what's wrong. "Is Bubby okay?"

Nadia nods slowly. She rests her head back on Diesel's shoulder and nuzzles the side of his neck. He pats her on the back while the slow beats of the song play in the background.

Diesel was sure that she was fine when he entered the shop just a few minutes ago. Kung may mali man, kanina pa ito nagsumbong o nagsabi sa kaniya pagkarating na pagkarating niya.

He pushes his confusion to the back of his mind. Baka napagod lang si Nadia, o baka sobrang busog. She tends to feel bad whenever she feels like she's too full.

He sits with Nadia on one of the free tables and waits until it's closing time before leaving, taking Addie's aunt home first before heading to their home . Mukhang tama siyang nawala lang ito sa mood kanina dahil sa sobrang kabusugan. Nadia seems fine now and is even singing along to the song playing on the radio with her wrong, obviously made-up lyrics. He sings along with her, something he doesn't usually do when he's with his wife because her voice puts his to shame.

When they get home, he lets Nadia help him in the kitchen as he makes dinner. He lets her hand him things he can easily get by himself. Hindi na bumalik ang bigla-biglaang pagtamlay nito kanina at magana rin itong kumain ng hapunan kaya hindi na siya nag-alala. Baka nga masyado lang busog si Nadia kanina kaya parang naiiyak.

They watch an animated movie in the living room while waiting for Addie to get home. Before, when Addie had to go home late, he would leave Nadia with his parents or with Addie's mom.

Noong kapapanganak pa lang ni Nadia, hindi naman sila kumuha ng ibang mag-aalaga. Addie wanted to be a hundred percent hands-on, and so that's what happened. They only had help from their moms, cousins, and friends. They did get a driver, though, for convenience. So he wouldn't have to pick Addie up when he's taking care of Nadia and when Addie has to go home really late.

But now, Diesel has learned to trust Addie's work friends and has gotten better at keeping his jealousy in check. He lets Kean bring his wife home—he even invited him to Nadia's first birthday, and on Kean's birthday he brought him expensive speakers for his home studio.

Minsan, sa iba sumasabay si Addie, and that's fine as long as he knows who she's with to make sure she's safe. Kapag walang-wala na talagang ibang options, it's either he brings Nadia with him and they drive to Addie's workplace together, or he calls his parents' home and asks any available driver to pick up Addie. Sobrang bihirang hayaan niya si Addie na bumiyahe mag-isa sa gabi. He knows how poor her sense of direction is, and he's never risked her safety.

Nadia is still awake when Addie comes home, but she's too tired to get her head off of Diesel's lap. Addie sits on her heels so Nadia can kiss her on the cheeks. Addie then places her laptop bag on the center table before sitting on Diesel's left thigh.

Diesel grunts under the sudden weight that dropped on him. Still, his arms circled around his wife's waist to accommodate her. Kung titingnan at titingnan lang din naman, hindi halatang nag-gain ng pregnancy weight si Addie almost three years ago. Aside from a little belly flab and fuller thighs, there's not much change on her physique. Pero ramdam niyang bumigat si Addie nang kaunti.

Diesel exhales slowly, shifting Addie's position on his lap so they will be both more comfortable. His two girls are heavy on his lap, but he likes it.

His left hand smooths over Addie's back, and the other on Nadia's head, as they continue to watch the movie. Nagpasya lang silang umakyat sa kuwarto nang mapansing papikit-pikit na si Nadia.

* * *

"Bub," tawag ni Diesel kay Nadia habang nasa banyo pa si Addie. Nadie doesn't want to sleep in between Addie and Diesel anymore, so they bought a trundle bed for her. The other end of her bed hits the wall, which means they don't have to worry about Nadia falling off.

"Yes?" Nadia asks, eyes already droopy. She pulls herself up to sit and gives her pink blanket with white heart patterns to Diesel to unfold before laying back down. "Why?"

"Di ka pa naggu-goodnight," Diesel answers, covering her with her blanket. He makes sure that her feet are covered well. Nadia doesn't like it when her feet get cold.

"Good night," she mumbles. "Tell Mama good night," she adds with a yawn.

"Kiss si Papa." Diesel leans over, just enough for Nadia to reach his cheek if she sits up.

"No!" Nadia denies his request, pulling her blanket to cover the lower half of her face. "Don't want."

Diesel frowns. He asks again for a kiss, and Nadia only shakes her head and turns her back on him.

He sighs, then sulks beneath the covers as he waits for Addie to finish taking a half-bath. He can take a no, but he can't imagine not having kisses from his sweet Nadia anymore. She's what? She's only turning three! Why does it seem like she's growing up too fast?

He steals a kiss on Nadia's forehead while she's in deep sleep. That night, Addie becomes the big spoon because he's sad that his little girl seems to not be so little anymore.

* * *

The next morning, Diesel has to bring Nadia to work. Dahil wala naman siyang importanteng gagawin ngayong umaga, puwede siyang ma-late nang kaunti. Ganoon din si Addie na maliligo pa lang kasabay ni Nadia.

Diesel picks up Nadia's pajamas and folds them neatly before putting them on the laundry basket. He frowns in jealousy when he sees Nadia kissing Addie's cheek. He comes up to them after getting a bath towel from the cabinet.

"Si Papa? Wala?" he asks Nadia. Nadia only wraps her arms around Addie's neck and buries her face on her shoulder, which is an obvious no to his question.

Addie laughs, then looks over her shoulder to meet his eyes. "Ano ba'ng ginawa mo?"

"Wala akong ginawa!" depensa agad niya sa sarili. He sighs, running a hand over his hair and fighting the urge to pull it out of frustration. "Bub."

"Yes?" Nadia answers, still hiding the lower half of her face on Addie's shoulder.

"Galit ka kay Papa?" he asks gently, sitting on his heels the way Addie does, so his eyes would be level with Nadia's.

"No," Nadia says, pulling away from Addie's shoulders, then shaking her head. Her hands are quick to cover her cheeks. "Pero ayaw ko kiss ni Papa."

Diesel clutches his chest, faking a heart attack and laying down on the floor to fake his death. Addie laughs at his dramatics before carrying Nadia with her to the bathroom.

Diesel stays on their bedroom floor for a few more minutes, wondering what he did to deserve such punishment.

* * *

Diesel is still a little sulky when he arrives at his office with Nadia. Well, mabuti naman at hinayaan siya nitong hawakan ang kamay niya habang naglalakad sila. Baka maiyak na siya nang tuluyan kung pati paghawak ng kamay, pagbabawalan na ng 'dalagita' niya. Nagbabago na ba talaga ang panahon? Three years old na ba ang dalagita?

Nadia says hi to everyone they come across—the guards, the elevator operator, the janitors, the people at the lift. Most of them are already used to seeing her around. They all smile back at his Little Addie and greet her good morning—both because she's adorable and because they're scared of Diesel giving them hard stares and the side-eye if they ignore her. It has become an unwritten policy to never ignore Nadia's greeting. Or else.

Pagkarating nila sa opisina niya, dumeretso agad si Nadia sa puwesto niya. Diesel shakes his head as he lifts Nadia off the ground and carries her to his swivel chair. She giggles as he pushes the chair closer to his desk and lowers the height so he wouldn't have to worry about Nadia falling off the chair.

He places her backpack on his table. He gets Nadia's coloring book and pencils and places them in front of her to keep her occupied for the day. He carries his paperwork to the other desk across the room so it wouldn't get in the way. When Nadia's here, this isn't his office anymore—it becomes Nadia's.

"Hungry?" he asks.

"Water only," Nadia answers, not taking her eyes off her booklet as she flips through the pages. Diesel nods, getting his mug from the cabinet and filling it with water from the dispenser. He places it in front of Nadia before taking the seat in front of his table meant for clients or his inquiring juniors. Obviously, he isn't the boss in his own office today. For now, it's Nadia.

Tahimik lang si Nadia habang nagtatrabaho siya. Hindi na nagugulat ang mga pumapasok na juniors sa opisina niya kapag nakikitang may batang babaeng nakaupo sa swivel chair niya.

Nadia says hi and bye to everyone entering and leaving, and they all say it back. To faces unfamiliar to her, she even asks if they want Diesel's calling card.

"You sure?" Nadia asks the student intern who is assigned to hand some technical development files to Diesel. "You don't want card? You know Papa?"

The intern nods, smiling. Diesel dismisses him before Nadia can ask more questions.

"He not like your card," bubulong-bulong na sabi ni Nadia nang maiwan ulit silang dalawa sa opisina. "S'okay. I like it. Don't be sad."

Natawa si Diesel doon. See? She's still a child! Hindi pa siya dapat dalagita.

* * *

"Lunch na tayo?" aya ni Diesel sa anak. Nadia nods, picking up her crayons on the table and putting them back in the box. Diesel carries her off the chair when she's done.

Diesel takes his wallet and keys in his right hand and holds Nadia's in his left. Bago umalis, yumuko muna siya para maglebel ang mukha nila. "Kiss muna si Papa."

Nadia's free hand flies to her face, trying to cover her lips and both her cheeks. She shakes her head. "Don't want. Mama only."

Napanganga na lang si Diesel doon. Hindi niya alam kung mas masakit ba ang plain na no, o itong nilinaw pa talagang parang siya lang ang bawal. Nadia only chuckles when he pretends to sob in pain. He only stops acting when Nadia pulls on his hand and says that she's hungry already.

"Love mo pa ba si Papa?" Diesel asks her as they wait for the lift. Kung alam lang niyang ang huling halik na niya kay Nadia ay noong sinundo niya ito sa Butterbites, sana sinulit-sulit na niya.

Nadia looks up at him, beaming. "Very much."

Diesel sighs before crouching to pick her up from the floor. She'll always be his little girl, even if she doesn't want her Papa's kisses anymore.

* * *

Diesel finds Addie in the kitchen. Base sa oven mitts na suot nito at sa bukas na oven, sa palagay niya ay nag-aaral itong mag-bake. Addie is definitely better than him when it comes to anything related to music, but when it comes to baking, parehas silang walang alam.

Addie tries to get better at it whenever her mom or aunt visits, or whenever she has free time, pero so far . . . walang improvement. He and Nadia eat everything though, all the failed batches of whatever Addie's trying to make. They're not that bad, pero hindi papasa para ibenta.

Diesel's arms circle around Addie's waist. Natawa pa siya nang napaigtad sa gulat si Addie. Hindi siguro nito namalayan ang presensya niya dahil tutok na tutok sa ginagawa.

"Pawis na pawis ka," puna ni Addie. She removes one of her mitts and slaps his arm with it.

Napangiti lang siya at hinigpitan pa lalo ang pagkakayakap, not minding if Addie's repeatedly hitting his arm with an oven mitt. He went for a run right after waking up. Si Addie, basa pa nang bahagya ang buhok kaya alam niyang kaliligo lang. He knows he's sweaty but still hugs her tight just because he can and he wants to.

"Ligo ka ulit," bulong niya bago ibaon ang ilong sa balikat nito. "Twenty minutes pa lang 'yung movie ni bubby sa salas. One hour mahigit pa 'yon bago matapos. Halika na."

Addie chuckles before hitting him again with an oven mitt, this time on his face. Nagkunwari siyang nasaktan. "Tanga ka. And if she looks for me? O sa 'yo?"

Diesel makes a disapproving noise, brushing his nose against the nook of Addie's neck. Addie lightly hits his face with the oven mitt again. Hinabol ng labi niya ang leeg ni Addie nang subukan nitong umiwas. "Ang talas niyang balbas mo!"

He momentarily pulls away, touching his jaw and chin. Then, he places his head back on her shoulder. "I'll shave."

"Hm-hmm," Addie hums, nodding. She turns to look at him when the oven's timer sets off. "Ligo ka na. 'Wag kang tatabi kay bubby nang ganiyan kapawis."

"Okay." He presses a kiss on the tip of her nose before purposely rubbing his beard against her shoulder, knowing it's going to slightly sting and tickle her at the same time. He runs upstairs before Addie can claw at his skin. Malakas ang tawa niya paakyat dahil rinig na rinig niya ang tili ni Addie sa inis.

Diesel takes a bath, shaving his beard as he promised. Addie is still busy in the kitchen when he comes back down after dressing up. Hindi na niya inabala si Addie at sa salas na lang pumunta dahil walang kasama si Nadia.

He finds Bubby sitting on the floor, eyes focused on the TV screen while hugging her tiger plushie. Diesel sits down beside her, picks her up, and sits her on his lap.

Nadia takes her eyes away from the screen and looks up at him. She slowly blinks at him for a few seconds before letting out a gasp. Diesel raises both his brows questioningly. "Your hair!"

"Hair?" nagtatakang tanong niya, kinakapa ang basa pang buhok. Kapapagupit niya lang two weeks ago kaya hindi pa iyon gaanong kahaba. "Basa pa. Kaliligo lang ni Papa e."

"No!" Nadia shakes her head before getting off of his lap, leaving the tiger plushie on the floor, then walking to his side.

She cups his face with her small hands. Diesel smiles and places his hands on top of hers, pressing her warm hands more against his slightly cold cheeks. Nadia gasps again. "S'gone!"

Diesel's eyebrows furrow. "Buhok ni Papa dito?" he asks, guiding Nadia's hand to feel his jaw, chin, and the side of his cheeks.

Nadia nods, eyes wide and bright. "Kiss na!" she exclaims before leaning in to place a kiss on both his cheeks. Diesel then realizes why Nadia wouldn't kiss him for days.

He shakes his head, smiling, before scooping Nadia back into his lap. He presses a kiss on the top of her head as they continue to watch the movie. He'll never grow his beard ever again.