#DS6Unwavering #CirCoal #SharkFamily #DaggerSeries

CHAPTER ELEVEN: YOURS

CIRCE'S POV

"Daddy shak!"

I looked up from my phone when I heard Kaise exclaim with glee. Tatawagan ko pa lang sana si Coal para sabihin na palabas na kami ng arrivals. Hindi ko kasi sigurado kung makikita ko siya agad dahil tiyak naman na maraming taong nakaabang sa mga dadating na pasahero.

I was wrong though. He wouldn't be that hard to find.

Imposibleng hindi siya makita agad. Not when he's standing at the front of the barrier while holding a giant banner with my name and Kaise's. Bukod pa ro'n ay hindi lang siya kundi maging ang mga kapatid niya, maliban kina Axel, Gun, at Luna, ang nakahilera at nakahawak din sa banner habang kumakaway sa direksyon namin. Even Lucienne is with them. May mga commitment siguro ang iba o kaya baka naiwan kasama ang mga anak nila dahil kung hindi ay baka nandito rin sila.

Nagpasalamat ako sa ground staff ng airport nang makita kong tumakbo palapit sa kinaroroonan namin si Domino para tulungan kami. Bukod kasi kay Kaise na nakasakay sa stroller niya ay may dalawang malaking maleta pa kami.

I traveled a lot before. Sanay ako na konti lang ang dala ko kahit saan pa ako magpunta. But it's hard to pack lightly when you have a toddler with you. Lalo pa nang pinamili ko si Kaise ng dadalin na laruan ay halos dalin niya na ang buong kuwarto niya.

"You're full of surprises, Daddy Shark," nangingiting sabi ko nang makalapit kami sa kanila.

Coal returned my smile and leaned down to kiss my cheek. "It's Lucienne's idea."

"Hindi ah. Ikaw kaya ang nakaisip," tanggi ng babae. "Ideya ko lang na lakihan ang banner."

"Right," he said, chuckling.

Binalingan ng binata si Kaise pagkaraan na nakaangat na ang mga kamay. Inalis niya sa stroller ang bata na kaagad namang sumama sa kaniya.

"Miss me?" he asked our daughter.

Kaise gave him a toothy grin before wrapping her arms around his neck.

It's been two weeks since Coal left Siargao. Dalawang linggo na lagi siyang hinahanap ni Kaise lalo na sa umaga dahil si Coal ang kumukuha sa kaniya sa kuwarto niya. It's both heartwarming and heartbreaking to witness.

A part of me, one that is used to being just Kaise and me, feels a little bit jealous of it. But there's a huge part of me that's also happy that my daughter has more to love now.

Nang lulan na kami ng malaking van na dala nila ay lumingon mula sa passenger seat si Lucienne. Sa tabi niya ay naroon ang asawa niya na siyang magmamaneho. "Lunch muna tayo bago dumiretso sa Batangas."

"Hindi ba kayo matatraffic pabalik ng Tagaytay?" tanong ko.

"Hindi naman," sagot ni Thorn para sa asawa. "If it's traffic, it will just take us about an hour. Kapag hindi ay thirty minutes."

"May private road din kasi kaming dinadaanan," sabi ni Lucienne. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. Hindi naman malayo ang Tagaytay sa Lemery. Kaya nga sure ako na mapapadalas kami sa..." Lucienne looked back at us again, and I saw that she was grinning at coal. "—bahay ni Coal."

Coal cleared his throat as he turned to me. "Magugustuhan mo 'yung restaurant na kakainan natin. They're popular here in Manila."

"What is it called?" I asked.

"Prime Palais."

Kung hindi lang siya nakatingin kay Kaise ay baka nakita niya na kung paanong nalaglag ang panga ko sa sinabi niya. Oh no.

"D-Did you make a reservation or something?"

Still not looking at me, he answered, "Yeah."

Well, shit.

I tried to reign in the panic that was starting to set in. Wala naman siguro siya ro'n ngayon. Right? It's Sunday. Hindi ba dapat pahinga ang mga tao kapag linggo?

That was what I was busy trying to convince myself of all throughout the drive, that I didn't even notice when we arrived.

Tinulungan akong makababa ni Coal at pagkatapos ay inalis niya sa car seat si Kaise. Karga ang bata na inabot niya ang kamay ko. We followed the others inside the restaurant, and we were guided by a female employee towards the reserved table.

Kinakabahang nilibot ko ang paningin ko nang makaupo kami. Thankfully, the person I was looking for wasn't anywhere in sight.

We ordered our food, and I blindly picked mine, still nervous about the possibility. Bakit ba ako kinakabahan? It's not like I did something wrong.

Right. Except for the awkwardness, what's the worst that could happen?

Huminga ako ng malalim at sumandal ako sa kinauupuan ko. There's no sense in stressing about it now. Mangyayari ang mangyayari. Kung hindi eh di mas okay.

"Gaano kayo katagal ni Kaise dito sa Manila, idol?" tanong ni Domino.

"The plan was that we were going to stay for a month. Tapos babalik kami sa Siargao kasama si Coal. We're going to do that for awhile until I decide to finally buy a house in Batangas."

Kumislap ang mga mata ni Domino na sandaling tinapunan ng tingin ang kapatid. "May balak kang bumili ng bahay sa Batangas?"

"Yup. Bago pa dumating si Kaise balak ko na talaga. My birth mother was from Batangas." Nang makita ko ang pagdaan ng pagkabigla sa mga mata nila ay nginitian ko sila. "My father got my birth mother pregnant. He didn't know, and he got married to another woman, who at that time was his girlfriend. My birth mother couldn't raise me, so she gave me to my father."

"Let me guess," Lucienne started. "Inapi-api ka ng kinilala mong ina dahil hindi ka niya totoong anak. Tapos ang ama mo naman, dahil siya ang nagkamali, sinusunod lang lahat ng gusto ng asawa niya."

Mahinang napatawa ako. "Nah. It's kind of the opposite. My adoptive mother raised me as her own since she couldn't have children, and she doesn't treat me terribly. She's... okay. I guess? A decent mother?"

"That's..." Lucienne grimaced.

"Yeah. I get you," nangingiting sabi ko. "I could have had worse, so I'm not complaining. Kaya lang nakasunod talaga siya sa gusto ng ama ko. It's like she doesn't have many of her own thoughts. It sometimes makes me wonder if that's the only reason she treated me like a daughter. Because she doesn't have a choice." Nang matahimik sila ay nagkibit-balikat ako. I don't want to be pitied. Like I've said, I could have had worse. May mga taong mas higit na mahirap ang sitwasyon. "Anyway, before my birth mother died, I got the chance to meet her. She was actually a good person. I learned a lot from her kahit sandali lang. That's why I wanted to live in Lemery. So that I have a piece of her even if she's not here anymore."

Thankfully, it was at that time that our food arrived. I don't want to ruin the atmosphere with my sad stories. Mga kuwento na hindi ko naman na kinokonsidera na malungkot. That's just life. My life. And I have a better one now.

Napatingin ako kay Coal nang maramdaman ko ang paa niya na bumangga sa akin. Nakaupo kasi siya sa harapan ko dahil sa kabisera ay doon nakapuwesto ang high chair ni Kaise.

Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay. He's probably trying to comfort me since he can't hold my hand.

Kinuha ko mula sa bulsa ko ang cellphone ko at tumipa ako roon.

Coal's phone pinged. He read the message, and the corner of his lips went up. He started typing, and it wasn't long before mine signaled an incoming text too.

Bago ko pa mapigilan ang sarili ko ay napatawa na ako. I tried to swallow it down when I saw that Coal's family was looking at the both of us strangely.

Pilit kinukubli ang ngiti na sinimulan ko ng pakainin si Kaise na nagsisimula ng umabot ng kung ano. She's probably hungry since she didn't eat anything during our travel. Paminsan-minsan ay si Coal ang nagsusubo sa kaniya para naman makakain din ako.

It's something that I'm used to, though. Kapag talaga may bata ay mahirap sumabay ng kain. That's why it wasn't surprising that the others finished eating before Coal and I did.

Tumayo si Trace at Domino para lumapit kay Kaise. Para siguro makakain kami ng maayos ay balak nilang kunin muna ang bata.

Nagsisikuhan pa sila para maunahan ang isa't isa. "Ako na. Wala pang may favorite sa akin," angal ni Domino.

Pinaningkitan siya ng mga mata ni Trace. "Mas friendly at mas gwapo ako kaya sa akin gugustuhing sumama ni Sese."

"Ang aga-aga nanaginip ka na naman, Kuya."

They both went close to Kaise with their hands stretched in front of them. Nang hindi kumilos ang bata para sumama sa kanila ay pinalakpak nila ang mga kamay nila na para bang nagtatawag ng kalapati. What a comedic duo.

Lucienne cackled when Kaise still hadn't made a move to go with either of the two. "Parehas daw kayong hindi mukhang katiwatiwala." Tinapik ng babae ang braso ng asawa niya at nginuso si Kaise.

Thorn shook his head at his wife, but he stood up anyway. He approached Kaise and offered his hands to carry her, but my daughter just beamed at him without moving an inch, which clearly showed she had no intention to go with him.

Nang-aasar na tumawa sina Trace at Domino pero itinikom nila pagkaraan ang mga bibig nila nang bigyan sila ng masamang tingin ng nakatatandang kapatid.

When everyone looked to Pierce, who's just one step back from being grumpy like his brother Gun, he sighed, stood up, and went to Kaise.

Unlike his brothers, he leaned down so that he wasn't towering over the child. His face softened when Kaise looked up at him. "Do you want to go with me? I'll buy you some ice cream."

A smug grin spread on his lips when Kaise instantly raised her hands to go with him. Kinarga niya ang bata ng walang kahirap-hirap at binalingan niya sina Trace at Domino. "Say bye to the losers, Sese."

Kaise waved her hand at the two. "Bye!"

Natatawang sinundan ko ng tingin si Pierce na dala ang anak ko na lumabas ng restaurant. Base na rin sa kuwento ng mga sister-in-law at ng asawa niya mismo noong nasa Siargao sila ay may anak na si Pierce sa ex niya. He was a single father before he met Belaya. Siya rin ang unang nagkaroon ng anak sa kanilang lahat na magkakapatid. Kaya hindi nakakapagtaka na sanay siya kung paanong humarap kay Kaise.

Bumalik sa upuan nila sina Trace at Domino. "Of course it would be Kuya Pierce," Trace said with a pout.

"Kaya nga," pagsang-ayon ni Domino. "Sa lahat si Kuya Pierce ang masasabing pinagmanahan ni Kuya Coal. Parehas siguro ng aura sa daddy niya kaya sumama si Sese."

Trace nodded. "Parehas silang suplado na malandi."

"Parehas din silang nakabuntis— aray!"

I couldn't stop the laugh that came out of my mouth when Coal slapped the back of Domino's head hard.

They bicker a lot, but it seems natural to them. Parang hindi kompleto ang araw nila kapag wala silang pinagtatalunan. They also have endless stories to tell, and they are loud and lively people.

I was about to finish eating when a plate of chocolate soufflé appeared in my vision.

"Complimentary from the chef."

Bago pa ako mag-angat ng mukha ay inaasahan ko na ang bubungad sa akin. I know the accent and the voice very well since it was one of the reasons why he peaked my interest before.

"Augustin," I said as a greeting.

He looks good in his chef's uniform. It's the first time I've seen it on him personally. Dati kasi ay sa pictures ko lang iyon nakita.

Tumayo at hinawakan ko ang kamay niya para sana bahagya siyang ilayo pero naunahan niya akong kumilos nang yumuko siya at halikan ang pisngi ko.

If there's one thing that stands out when it comes to Augustin Clément, it's that he's very French. He's affectionate, and he doesn't hold back to show it. So it wasn't a surprise that after the kiss, he enveloped me in a big, tight hug.

"I was surprised when I saw you from the kitchen. Aujourd'hui est mon jour de chance." His smile widened at the obvious question on my face. It's something that he kept doing the few times we went out because he enjoyed translating for me. "Today is my lucky day."

Nag-aalangan na nilingon ko ang mga kasama ko. They're varying from curious to confused. Coal, however, has a blank look on his face.

"Augustin, these are... my friends." Bahagya akong lumayo sa lalaki. "Everyone, this is Augustin Clément. He's my... umm..."

"We dated for awhile," Augustin said for me. "I went to Siargao for a much-needed long vacation, and I met Circe when I was trying to find a place to buy decent chocolate because I wanted to bake." Kumikinang ang mga matang nagbaba ng tingin sa alin ang lalaki. "She helped me, and I wanted to repay her, so I baked for her. She has a love for everything that is sweet, and lucky for me, she loved my desserts. Ma beauté broke my heart though because my cakes are the only ones she fell in love with."

"Augustin," I whispered, uncomfortable at the topic.

"All is well." He patted my cheek gently with a good-natured smile. "Where's bébé?"

"She's—"

Bago ko pa masagot ang tanong niya ay may tumawag sa pangalan niya. Augustin sighed in exasperation and gave me an apologetic look. "This place will crumble without me. I will call you. We must meet again, mon chéri."

"Of course," I said with a small smile.

He leaned down and kissed me again on the cheek, this one almost on the side of my lips. It wasn't just my eyes that widened in surprise, but also his. He clearly didn't mean to do it, but it's not like he can take it back.

He gave my hand a squeeze before turning to the Dawsons to excuse himself. Nang makaalis siya ay alanginin ang ngiti sa mga labi na muli akong humarap sa mga kasama ko.

They were all looking at Coal, but like before, his face is blank from anything. Except I know... I can see the inferno flaming behind his eyes.

Damn it.

I WANT TO LIVE HERE. That's the first thing that came to mind when we arrived at Coal's house. I'm so envious of it that I want to take out my check book and make an offer so I can buy it for myself.

The house itself looks like art. It's white mixed with earth tonesIt's white mixed with earth tones. It has both geometric and sophisticated wood architecture, giving it a modern feel. The one-floor house is stretched out from both sides, covering a vast amount of space. Salamin ang karamihan sa haligi no'n, kaya kita maging ang kagandahan sa loob. Sa harapan naman na kadugtong ng malawak na deck kung saan may outdoor sofa set ay makikita ang mahaba na pool.

The whole place looks open and bright. Adding to that, it's situated in a perfect location. Beachfront kasi ang bahay at tanaw na tanaw ang kagandahan ng dagat.

Like before, Coal helped me exit the vehicle. Ang pagkakaiba nga lang kanina ay walang ngiti na makikita sa kaniya. I took the sleeping Kaise from him when he freed her from the car seat.

I sighed quietly, not knowing what to do. Buong byahe kasi ay tahimik lang siya at hindi man lang tumitingin sa akin.

A part of me is beginning to get angry. That one part is influenced by the fact that I'm just days away from getting my monthly period. In short, I'm PMSing. Pero hindi ko rin naman kasi masisisi si Coal. It probably took him by surprise, especially since I didn't warn him about it. Dapat kasi sinabi ko na sa kaniya ang totoo bago pa kami nakarating sa Prime Palais. But they had already made a reservation, so I didn't want to ruin it.

"May limang kuwarto sa east wing ng bahay," sabi ni Lucienne na hinawakan ako sa siko. I have no doubt that she can feel Coal's mood. "Master bedroom, kuwarto ni Kaise, at tatlo na guest rooms. Sa west wing ay may lima na guest rooms. There's a split premise at the back, separated by the center garden. Nandoon ang library, gym, and laundry room. The beach is private, and there's a barricade from the resort next to this place. Malayo naman 'yon kaya hindi makakagambala dito."

Pumasok kami sa loob at hindi ko magawang ikubli ang pagkamangha ko sa lugar. The interior is perfect for a beach house. Puti at shades of brown lang ang makikita sa loob. It looks like it's been professionally decorated.

Iginaya ako ni Lucienne sa kanang bahagi ng bahay at binuksan niya ang pintuan na may nakapakong wooden plate. Kaise's name is engraved on it.

If Kaise were awake, she would surely burst from excitement. The room was perfect for her.

It has an underwater theme, so the room is a mix of blue and white except for the floor, which is light brown to imitate sand. The toddler bed with rails looks like a boat. May kurtina sa magkabilang gilid no'n na mukhang seaweed. The lamps are made of jellyfish, the cabinet looks like a treasure chest, and there are toys covering the right side of the room.

"Here's the fun part," Lucienne said as she took a remote. May pinindot siya ro'n at napanganga ako nang makita kong nagbago ang kisame ng kuwarto. It's an LED screen. Napalitan ang kanina na kisame no'n at ngayon ay mukhang naging ilalim ng dagat iyon dahil may mga lumalangoy pa na isda na nagpapabalik-balik doon. And of course, there are sharks swimming by.

"I wish I could buy this house," I whispered absentmindedly.

Lucienne giggled. "Don't worry. The Dawson's Housing Plan got you."

"May real estate business din sila?"

Imbis na sumagot ay maingat na hinila niya ako palabas para pumasok sa isa pa na kuwarto na nasa opposite na hilera kung saan nandoon ang kuwarto ni Kaise.

"This is one of the guest rooms. There's a balcony connected to the master's bedroom," pagbibigay alam ni Lucienne.

The room is gorgeous, and the bed seems to be beckoning me to sleep. White at brown lang ang kulay na makikita sa loob. It looks like one of the rooms in five star hotels that I've stayed in. Pero ang pinakaagaw pansin ay ang malawak na salamin na dingding kung saan tanaw ang kagandahan ng dagat.

"This is your room."

I looked behind me, and I saw Coal there. Hindi ko napansin na nakapasok na rin pala siya ng kuwwarto.

He looked at Kaise for a second before he met my eyes. "I can take care of Kaise if you want to do something by yourself."

There was nothing wrong with what he said, except that the tone of his voice implied something else. "Ano namang gagawin ko?" kunot ang noo na tanong ko.

"I don't know. Maybe call that chef. Tutal di ba sabi niya tatawagan ka niya?"

Naging alanganin ang ngiti ni Lucienne, habang nagpapalipat-lipat ang tingin sa amin. She turned to me and gently took Kaise from me, and cradling her in his arms, she walked out of the room and closed the door quietly.

"Spit it out."

Nagsalubong ang kilay ni Coal. "What?"

"Parang may gusto kang sabihin eh. Just spit it out so we can get this over with."

"I don't have anything to say."

I can feel my blood starting to boil. Dear PMS gods, please delay my symptoms and give me more patience. "Do you regret bringing us here?"

"Don't be absurd, Circe. Of course I'm glad you're both here."

"Then why are you acting like I stole Christmas?" Bumuntong-hininga ako. "Coal, I'm not cut out for dramas. I have some in my life, which is not much compared to other people, but for me, that's more than enough. Kaya kung may problema, ngayon pa lang pag-usapan na natin kasi ayoko ng gulo."

"Wala akong problema. I have nothing to say. Baka ikaw meron sa chef mo."

To hell with patience. "You're acting like a child." Hindi ko na nagawang pigilan ang pagtaas ng boses ko. "Are you seriously being like this just because of someone I dated in the past?!"

"Did the kiss he gave you in that restaurant come from the past? Because it felt like it happened in front of me."

"Wha... What?"

"Don't mistake me for judging you. I am not one to judge. We both dated other people. We didn't know that we would be in each other's lives." He brushes his hair up exasperatedly. "And I know... I know I'm being irrational. It's not like we talked about what we are. Officially, it's not something we've discussed yet. So I'm sorry for being like this because I thought the kiss we shared was enough to show you where I stand. I guess I was wrong to expect that you feel the same way too!"

"If it were you, would you act rude and push away a person that you were supposed to share something with before?"

Coal's face hardened. "I would have. I would have done it for you."

Damn it. "Well guess what? You don't need 'to! Dahil hindi ako kasing seloso mo!"

"You kissed him!"

"I did not!" I gasped. "He kissed me, and it was on the cheek!"

"He kissed you on the lips!"

"He's french! He's affectionate. And it wasn't on the lips!"

"I don't care if it's the tip of your fingers or the strand of your hair!"

I scoffed in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You're acting like a neanderthal! I know that we kissed, I know that we're slowly becoming more than just our child's parents. But I am not your property, Coal Dawson!"

"You're right. You are not my property." Humakbang siya palapit sa akin pero umatras ako para makalayo siya. He didn't look deterred, and instead he continued walking towards me until I felt the cold from the glass wall touch my back. "You're the mother of my daughter, you're this mysterious enchantress with the wild hair and gentle eyes that I never stopped thinking of since the first time I met you, you're the woman that makes me want to commit murder just because someone touched you other than me. You are not my property, but you are mine!"

I opened my mouth, but I couldn't form the right words. I can feel my chest rising and falling rapidly. I wasn't the only one breathing hard, because I can see that Coal was too.

What he said did something to me. I can feel the warmth seeping inside me, but I was too angry to notice.

"Sometimes you're Kaise's sweet dad, sometimes you're this adorable man who gets flustered when I do something that you weren't prepared for, then the next you're some kind of an annoyed ogre. Ano ka ba talaga? Sino ka ba talaga sa mga iyon?" mahina ang boses na tanong ko sa kaniya pagkaraan.

"I'm all of that, but you missed one thing." His jaw was tight, and his eyes were intense as he looked at me. "I am also yours."

_______________________________End of Chapter 11.