"Gael, anak, are you ready na?" Lingong tanong ko sa anak ko.

Nakita ko siyang inayos ang shorts na suot niya bago ako nilingon at ngumiti sa akin.

"I'm done na po, mommy! See!" He beamed and showed me how he fixed his short pants.

I smiled and showed him a nice sign. Malawak na ngumiti si Gael nang makita niya iyon. He walked towards me.

"We'll go shopping po, mommy?" Kuryusong tanong niya.

Agad akong tumango.

"Uh-huh, we need to buy some groceries. Your Papa Harold didn't seem to buy your milk. Nakalimutan yata," ani ko.

Tumango-tango si Gael at nauna nang maglakad patungo sa pinto habang ako naman ay kinuha pa ang susi ng kotse at bag ko bago sumunod sa anak ko. Kinuha ko ang kamay ni Gael bago ko buksan ang pinto.

But to my shocked, I saw Kier leaning on the wall of the hallway while making sounds using his mouth and hitting the plastic bottle of a mineral water that was on the tile floor. He was wearing a printed breeze sweatshirt on top with a wayfarer put on the neckline of his shirt. A midnight black chinos pants and a pair of black espadrilles to complete his outfit.

Parang natigil sa hangin ang mga kamay kong nakahawak kanina kay Gael nang makita ko si Kier na nakahilig doon. He seems to be confident not minding about the people who were taking glances at him.

Humakbang ako papalabas ng room namin. He probably felt it because he quickly lifted his head to look at us. Nang makita niya kami ay agad na bumalandra sa mukha niya ang ngising pakiramdam ko ay hinukay ang tiyan ko.

What the fuck, Haier?!

I instantly shook my head. Ashamed for what I had thought.

But his grin look so handsome! Kier look so handsome!

"Good morning, little boy," dinig kong bati niya sa anak ko.

Doon ay bigla akong napaayos at tumayo ng diretso. Napapikit pa ako dahil sa hiya sa sarili ko sa kung ano ang iniisip ko tungkol sa kanya.

I'm complementing him inside my head yet I had the guts to tell him that we should be friends?! Oh, my god! This is beyond the thickness of my face!

But it was really a captivatingly handsome grin...

"Haier..."

"Ha?" Blankong tanong ko.

Mas lalo ko lamang nakita ang ngisi niya nang magtanong ako sa kanya ng gano'n. Iyon ang tipo ng ngisi na pakiramdam ko ay pati panty ko ay kusang aalis sa katawan ko-

What the hell is happening to me?! Nakakahiya!

I hit my head using my palm for a couple of times to erase that worldly thought I have on my head.

"Why are you hurting yourself?" Kier asked me.

"Ha? Ako?" I asked him absentmindedly.

"Yes, you. Alangan namang ako, Haier?" sarkastikong aniya sa harap ko.

Inirapan ko siya, "Psh!"

"Mommy?" I heard Gael called me.

Inilihis ko ang tingin ko mula kay Kier patungo sa anak kong nakatingin na sa akin habang nakanguso.

"Bakit, anak? May problema ba?"

Ipinilig ni Gael ang ulo niya bilang sagot na wala bago magsalita.

"No, mommy. But..." Huminto siya.

Ramdam kong tinitignan ako ni Kier. Nakikita ko rin iyon mula sa gilid ng aking mga mata. Napapakagat labi na lamang ako dahil sa hiya sa sarili ko.

"But?" I encouraged my son to speak again.

Nilingon niya si Kier na nakikinig lang sa amin.

"Is he more good looking than my Papa Harold that you keep on answering his questions with questions also like 'ha', mommy?" Gael asked me that.

Bigla kong narinig na humalakhak ang lalaking nasa harap namin at nakikinig. Habang ako naman ay napatitig na lamang kay Gael na nakatingin na sa akin gamit ang kuryuso niyang mga mata.

A-am I t-that obvious?

"Why? Do you find me handsome, little boy?" I heard the amusement on his voice when he asked that.

"I'm way handsome than you po though," ani ng anak ko.

Ako naman ang napatawa dahil sa isinagot ni Gael kay Kier.

Mag-ama nga sila. Mapagmalaki, eh...

I glanced at Kier. I saw him pursing his lips. I suppressed my laugh to avoid making fun of his reaction.

"Mommy, let's go na po. Let's buy my milk na po so we can stroll here na."

With that, I grabbed Gael's tiny hand and held it. I closed the door of our unit. Akmang maglalakad na kami nang bigla ring humakbang si Kier at tumigil ilang dangkal ang layo sa amin.

"Sasama ako, Haier," anunsiyo niya.

"Ha?" tanong ko na naman.

"Sasama ako sa inyo buong araw." Pag-uulit na sa kaninang sinabi niya.

What is he thinking?

"Kier, ano ba ang iniisip mo-"

"I'll go, Haier," he stated with finality.

Ramdam ko ang bawat sulyap na ginagawa ni Kier sa gilid ko. Hindi na lamang ako lumilingon at diretso sa harap lang ang mga mata ko.

I didn't stop him again or tried to stop him from initiating that he wants to go with us. I know that it will go nowhere knowing how hard his head was. And besides, it was at least for Gael. Even though both of them didn't know it.

Nang makababa na kami at makalabas ng building ay maglalakad na sana kami diretso sa parking lot nang mangunang maglakad si Kier at tumigil hindi gaanong kalayo mula sa amin.

"Sasakyan ko na lang ang gamitin natin," he offered.

"Sigurado ka ba?" I asked.

"Yeah," he answered.

Hindi na aki nakipagtalo pa at sumang-ayon na lang sa gusto niya. We walked again and stopped not so far from a cabriolet parked in front of the building.

He opened the door on the backseat.

"Get in, little boy," hawak ang pinto ng sasakyan na sabi niya.

Agad namang pumasok doon si Gael. Kier closed the door of it before opening the door on the passenger seat.

"Haier,"

I entered when he called my name.

"Salamat," I said.

"Always..." he replied before closing the door on my side.

Umikot si Kier sa kabila bago buksan ang pinto at pumasok. He started the car engine before driving his car away from the place.

We were staying at four-star hotel in Pasay located at Cuneta Avenue. Kier drive from Diamond Inn Hotel until we reached the nearest shopping mall there.

He parked the car on the garage park of the mall before going out. Una niya akong pinagbuksan bago si Gael.

"Mommy, bili na tayo! I want to eat on Jollibee, mommy..." ani agad ni Gael.

"We will but after, okay?" I said.

Mabilis na nagtango ng kanyang ulo si Gael. I rubbed my son's hair before pulling him. I was about to enter the mall when Kier suddenly lifted Gael.

Napatingin ako sa kanya.

"Kier, you don't need to carry Gael—"

"But I want too. Right, buddy?" Waggling his brows, he asked my son.

Nakangiting tumango si Gael sa kanya.

"Yes, mommy! I want also!" My son exclaimed.

Wala na akong nagawa at hinayaan na lamang sila. Pumasok kami sa mall na karga-karga ni Kier si Gael habang nasa tabi naman ako ni Kier.

I saw some sales lady looking at us. No. Looking at him. Kay Kier.

They were staring at him shamelessly and whispered something. Magtitinginan bago magbulungan at hahagikgik na animo'y may maganda silang nakikita.

I didn't know why I rolled my eyes around and clung my right hand on his arm intentionally. I felt Kier glanced at me. I looked at him. I saw him raising a brow at me while grinning like an idiot.

Inilihis ko ang paningin ko mula sa kanya mapunta sa mga babaing kung makatingin ay parang ngayon lang nagkaroon ng customer na lalaki. Some of them grimaced looking at me clinging on Kier's arm. Inirapan ko sila.

I didn't know why it suddenly pissed me! The way they look at Kier, parang mga bubuyog na ang iingay! They were giggling abhorrently!

"What's the matter, baby?" I felt his breath fanning on my neck.

Bigla ay pakiramdam ko ay nagtaasan ang balahibo ko sa leeg dahil sa kiliti na dala ng hininga niyang tumatama sa parting iyon ng katawan ko. Napakagat labi na lamang ako.

"N-nothing..." I stammered.

"Then what's with the hold? Hmm?" Alam kong nakangising-aso siya habang itinatanong iyon sa akin.

Damn!

"N-nothing also!"

Tatanggalin ko na sana ang kamay kong nakaangkla sa braso niya nang bigka niyang hawakan ang kamay ko ng mahigpit. Kaagad kong naramdaman ang init ng palad niyang nakapatong sa balat ko.

"Hold me. So they can see that I already have my woman," he whispered huskily.