"Look how gorgeous my wife is."

Kumibot ang labi ko ngunit hindi rin naitago ang ngiti. This man really. I put the bag at the couch and sat down at the carpeted floor. Nagkalat ang mga gift wrapped na boxes na dapat ay nasa ilalim ng Christmas tree. Sinalubong ko ng ngiti ang anak na tumatakbo palapit sa akin.

"You miss mommy? How much do you miss mommy?" malambing kong tanong at pinaulanan ito ng halik sa mukha.

My three years old baby giggled and showed her tiny hand at me. Sinapo nito ang mukha ko at hinalikan ang tungki ng aking ilong.

"Hey, baby. How's work? I told you I'll fetch you didn't I?"

Hussein sat right next to me and run his hands through my hair. Naka-bun ito kanina pero tinanggal ko rin nang mag-out ako sa ospital. Doon na rin ako nagbihis dahil ayaw kong dito pa sa bahay magbibihis. Naghihintay kasi ang dalawa sa 'kin tuwing uuwi ako at agad na yayakap. I don't want them to inherit any bacteria so...

"Work is fine, may pasyente ako na bata. Terminally ill."

Sumikdo ang puso ko habang iniisip ang nasabing bata. She's too young to fight with her sickness. Delikado rin kung ia-undergo ng surgery dahil kulang ang kagamitan ng ospital na pinagtatrabahuan ko. We're still convincing the guardians to do her operation abroad. Gusto man nila ay wala rin silang magagawa. Financially unstable. I am more than willing to shoulder the expenses.

Papalapit na ang araw ng pasko ngunit ganito kalaki ang problema nila. I want to make them happy despite all the negativities around them.

"Do you want to talk about it? I'm all ears."

Humilig ako sa kaniya. "Ayaw nilang i-undergo sa operation dahil walang sapat na pera. Mabuti sana kung kumpleto ang kagamitan namin sa ospital. We can perform the operation there. Pero hindi e." Nagpakawala ako ng malalim na hininga. "They have to transfer her abroad."

"What do you want to do about it?"

"Can we help them? Please?" I gave him a puppy eyes.

"Of course. We'll do that. We will help them."

"Yes! I'll call her guardian then?"

"Go on, baby."

Malawak ang aking ngiti habang nagtitipa sa cellphone. I turned on the video call and when they answered it, I saw their sad faces.

"Hi. I called to inform you guys that we will transfer Gwen abroad for her operation. And you don't have to shoulder the expenses," direktang sabi ko.

"Po?" gulat na tanong ng matandang babae sa kabilang linya.

"Yes. Remember when I told you guys that I want to help? Hm... I talked to my husband about it and he agreed. And please, you don't have to pay me back. Ang gusto lang naman nating lahat ay ang mapabuti ang lagay ni Gwen. Are you up for it or do I have to convince you again and again?"

I found out that Gwen is their goddaughter. Matagal nang wala ang mga magulang nito at sa kanila napunta. Dahil sa hirap ng buhay ay hindi nila natuunan ng pansin ang sakit ng bata. It would be my pleasure to help them. And my husband, he spoils me too much.

"S-syempre po! Maraming salamat."

"Of course. Just stay there with Gwen and we'll leave first thing in the morning. Ako na ang bahala sa lahat. She'll be okay in no time."

"Salamat po, Nurse Kaori. Malaking bagay po ito para sa amin. Kay Gwen."

"This is my Christmas gift for you and your family. Thank you for giving Gwen the family that she truly deserves."

"Maraming... maraming salamat po!"

I bid my goodbyes to them and turned to my husband to thank him. He was already waiting for me to look at him. Ang kaniyang malamlam na mga mata ay naghahatid ng kilig sa aking kalamnan. Hindi talaga kumukupas ang pagiging gwapo nito.

"Thank you for letting me do this. Thank you so much."

"You always have soft spots for kids," he kissed my temple.

"Kids are blessings, right?"

"They are."

"This might be the last," I whispered.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Hinawakan ko ang kamay ng aming anak at hinila ito palapit sa akin. She giggled and settled her face in my neck. Inaantok na naman ito at mayamaya ay makakatulog na. We still have to eat dinner. Mahihirapan na naman ako sa pagpapatulog uli nito kapag ginising mamaya.

"I shouldn't work in the hospital for a couple of months, or maybe a year or so? I'm pregnant and it's unsafe for me and the baby to be exposed. So this is the last," I uttered.

"I knew it! Damn! I knew it!" he said as if he won a lottery. "This is the best Christmas present I received!"

"You do?"

"It was just a hunch at first. But when I saw you eating dried mango and other weird stuff and food combinations, I finally got the idea that you might be pregnant. And my instincts weren't lying. Damn. You even have morning sickness."

"Guess what the gender will be," I teased.

"Let's just wait for it to grow until five months. I really love you, baby."

"Alright. Let's make dinner? Matutulog na 'to mamaya, mahihirapan na naman tayong patulugin ang bulilit na 'to," nguso ko sa anak namin na dinidilaan ang sariling kamay.

Hussein stood up and stole Shivani from my grip. Napanguso ako ngunit hinayaan rin siya sa kagustuhan. He then gently guided me up and kissed my temple.

"I'll make our dinner. What do you want?"

"Chocolate and ice cream?" I grinned.

"Nope, we will make a proper dinner."

We walked to the kitchen. He put Shivani in her designated chair while I sat on the bar stool to watch him cook. He expertly started chopping the ingredients. I was adoring him and his cooking expertise. Panay ang lingon nito sa amin ng anak niya habang nagluluto.

"Did you feed the dogs already?" I asked.

"Of course."

I frowned. "Ako magpapakain sa kanila kapag dinner. How could you!"

"I'm sorry, love."

"Sinong magbabantay sa kanila bukas? Maaga ang alis natin. Hala!" Napatayo ako at natutop ang bibig, "Iyong sasakyan natin–"

"Sit down, love. I'll do the rest, okay? You're tired from work so let me handle this," he leaned in and planted a kiss on my forehead.

"Pero kasi–"

"Don't make me worry too much."

"Sorry."

"I'll ask Chivan to ready the chopper for us tomorrow. And I'll make some calls, too, so we can land safely outside the country. How's that?" ngumiti ito. Iyong tipo ng ngiti na masasabi kong panatag ako. He's a sunshine in my eyes.

"Thank you, big boy. I'll book the hotel for us and for them, too."

"Always, love, always."

We ate our dinner together with a small talk. Panay ang kwento ko sa mga nangyari sa 'kin ngayong araw at kung ano-ano ang mga balitang nasasagap ko. He's attentively listening and is ready to comment when asked. My husband is so adorable. I can't help but admire him even more.

"Gising na gising na naman ang bata. Mamaya na 'to matutulog."

Huminga ako ng malalim habang nakatingin sa anak namin na nakaupo sa couch. She has a blanket in the lower part of her body and she's chuckling while staring at us. Humilig ako sa asawa ko habang pinagmamasdan ang anak namin at iniisip kung paano ito patutulugin.

"Wait here, I'll go get something."

Hussein hurriedly left. Umupo ako at nilebel ang tingin sa anak. Inabot nito ang mukha ko at marahang hinaplos iyon. I closed my eyes and embraced the warmth feeling she is giving me.

"What's that in your hand?" tanong ko nang makabalik ito.

"Bouquet of flowers for my wife." Hussein knelt down one of his knees while handing me the flowers.

Napatakip ako sa aking bibig at unti-unti ay nararamdaman ko ang pamumuo ng mainit na luha sa gilid ng aking mga mata. I don't know if this is pregnancy hormones but I feel genuinely happy right now. My husband really is full of surprises.

"Thank you, love. I appreciate this so much."

"May I have this dance, my love?"

Ngumiti ako ng malawak at tumango. Humiwalay siya saglit sa akin at lumapit sa anak. I saw how he handed our daughter a flower and how our daughter clapped in happiness. She was chuckling the whole time.

"Thank you, dada!" she beamed.

My heart melted when he leaned in and gave her a kiss in the forehead. Ang mag-ama kong ito...

"Hindi ako ready para sa sayaw na 'to," natatawa kong sabi.

"Me too. We're a perfect match." Hussein took my hand and pulled me closer to him. Napalingon ako sa anak namin na malawak ang ngiti habang nakatingin sa amin. "Alexa, play Mistletoe by Justin Bieber," he said.

We danced slowly. Ramdam ko ang pag-iingat sa bawat hawak niya sa akin. We danced in the living room and our daughter is happily watching us.

"You are my Christmas wish." Hussein rested his forehead on my shoulder. "Merry Christmas, my love."

"Merry Christmas, my dear husband. Thank you for showering me with love and gentleness. I love you."

Tumigil kami saglit at lumapit siya sa anak. Binuhat niya ito at bumalik sa akin. He danced the both of us with pure happiness and satisfaction.

"Love you, Mommy. Love you, Dada!"

We left early in the morning the day after. Hindi magiging madali ang flight na 'to. It'll take more than a day for us.

"I already instructed the helpers about our dogs. Kady is there, too, to watch them for us so you don't have to worry."

"Thank you for protecting my peace, big boy."

"It's an honor, my queen."

I shook my head. Hindi rin nagtagal ay dumating si Gwen at ang adoptive parents nito. Nakasakay siya sa wheelchair at tulak-tulak iyon ng papa niya.

"Hi, sweetie. Kamusta ang pakiramdam mo?" marahang tanong ko nang tuluyan na itong makalapit.

"Magandang umaga po, Nurse Kaori. Ayos lang po ako. Excited na rin po ako kasi first time ko pong pumunta sa Amerika!"

"We'll have fun there kaya dapat magpagaling ka agad. Ready?"

"Opo!"

We entered the chopper. Tulog na tulog ang anak namin dahil late na kaming nakatulog kagabi. We did a lot of fun games last night to pass the time. Kaya heto at inaantok rin ako.

"You can rest, baby. I'll wake you up when it's time to eat," he whispered.

"Ang anak natin..."

"I'll take care of her. It's unhealthy for you to stay late. You need to get enough sleep."

Tumango ako at humilig sa kaniya. Ipinalibot niya agad ang kaniyang braso sa akin na parang pinoprotektahan ako. Soon after, I drifted off to sleep.

Through the whole flight, gumigising lang ako kapag kakain. Non-stop ang flight namin. It took nearly fourteen hours for us to land at Los Angeles International Airport. Sumalubong agad ang lamig sa akin nang bumaba kami sa chopper.

"We'll head to the hospital directly para matignan nila sa Gwen," I informed them. "I'm going to be the one responsible for everything here. Relax lang kayo. The doctors and everyone in the hospital will surely assist you when we reach there. And Gwen, fighting, okay?"

She nodded. "Thank you po ng marami, Nurse Kaori. Sana po i-bless ni Lord ang family niyo. At sana po ay palagi Niya kayong gabayan at pasayahin."

"You too, Gwen."

The doctors didn't disappoint us. I reached out to one of my closest friend who works here last night. Si Ken. We used to be friends way back in Japan, we lost contact with each other when she transfered here in LA a year after. Nalaman ko lang din mula kay Niki na lumipat na pala ito.

"Gwen is in good hands, Kaori. I missed you!" Ken hugged me tightly.

"I feel the same. I didn't know you started working here until recently when Niki told me."

"I'm so sorry for not being able to tell you. I was so busy and was still adjusting that time, too. But I'm glad that I saw you again."

"How are you?"

"I'm good. I've been living peacefully for the past years," Ken answered.

"Right. I'm so proud of you for this, Ken," I sincerely said. "Anyway, this is my husband, Hussein, and our daughter, Shivani."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kaori's friend!"

"Nice to meet you, too," sagot ng asawa ko.

"We won't be taking long, Ken. We'll be back tomorrow to check on Gwen."

"Of course! Leave her to me. I'll take care of her."

"Thank you."

That's how our conversation ended. We went to our hotel and had a good sleep there.

Long story short, Gwen's operation was a success. They are going to spend the Christmas here in LA while the three of us will head to Italy to spend the Christmas with Papá. Sa tingin ko rin ay dadalaw si Mommy at Daddy.

Noong nakaraang taon ay may pumalit na sa pwesto ko at legal na ibinigay ang titulo sa pinsan ko. I feel okay with it. Less burden for me and my family.

"Papá! I missed you!" I greeted.

"I still can't believe my own son banned me from coming near you and my granddaughter. He is so disrespectful," he murmured.

"You keep stealing my daughter, you–"

"Sige, ituloy mo 'yan at sa labas ka matutulog mamaya," banta ko.

"Sorry, love."

We spent the remaining days having fun in the mansion. Mom and dad was present when the Christmas eve arrived. Tulong-tulong kami ni Mommyat ng mga cook dito sa pagluluto ng handa namin. While Hussein, Papá, and Dad was busy packing the Christmas presents which was ruined and tortured by Shivani yesterday.

"I don't know how to do this thing!" Papá screamed like a child.

"Wrap the wrapper in the box! It's as easy as that!" Hussein went second.

"You both, chill," Dad interrupted.

"Shut up, you demon! Look at what you did with the wrappers. You wasted a lot and you tortured the box worse than Shivani did," Papá's nose wrinkled.

"Hey! That's foul!" Dad shouted.

"Ang iingay nila, My," ani ko.

"Let them be, anak. Are you finished?"

"Yup!"

"Well then, let's put this in the table," Mom said. "Oops, my bad. Let me and the helpers do the carry. You are pregnant and your husband will get mad if he sees you carrying something heavy."

Yeah, that's true.

"I don't have enough wrappers left, give me some more, Hussein Yosemite Kazimir!" Papá shouted.

Natawa ako nang balingan ko ang asawa at hindi na maipinta ang mukha nito. He's giving his dad a disgusting look.

"The colors don't match– fuck! Are you colorblind?!" Dad gasped.

"Language, Norhaya!" Mom's enraged voice echoed.

"I'm not colorblind! My wrappers ran out. I need replacement," Papá answered dad's question.

Ang gulo nila. They have one job and that's wrapping the boxes with gift wrappers.

"You could at least look for the same color," Dad grunted.

Huli na nang maramdaman ko ang presensya ni Hussein sa tabi ko. He snaked his arms around me and whispered about cuddling. Napagod na kakalaro ang anak namin kanina kaya bagsak na ito sa kama.

"We'll do the cuddle later. Salubungin muna natin ang pasko," pinanggigilan ko ang pisngi nito.

"You guys, come outside! It's Christmas! It's finally Christmas!" Papá beamed in full excitement.

Sinundan namin siya sa labas. I told Hussein to get Shivani from upstairs and I'll wait for him outside. Nang makalabas ay may mga tao akong natanaw sa malayo.

"What are they doing?" I asked when I saw my husband walking towards me with Shivani in hand.

"It's fireworks, baby."

"Really?" gulat kong tanong.

"Yes, really."

Papá had a camera in hand. Nagsasalita siya habang nakatingin doon. Naging vlogger bigla. Umupo kami sa damuhan dito sa garden ng bahay habang tinatanaw ang iilang tao sa hindi kalayuan.

"Okay, everyone! Say 'Merry Christmas'!" Papá shouted and we all followed in unison.

"Merry Christmas!"

They lit the fireworks. The light went up to the sky and vanishes for a few seconds. We heard a loud thud and the fireworks exploded. It was huge. It's was very bright and si lovely to look at. I always look so surprised even though I've watched many fireworks events a lot of times. It's nit just huge. It was massive!

"Wow. The yonshakudama," manghang bulong ko habang nakatitig sa langit.

"We live in a remote area. We asked for permission to do this, too, and they gave that to us so there is completely nothing to be worried about," Hussein suddenly explained. "We would never harm anyone in the family. Did you like it?"

"I... love it!"

"I'm glad." Nakahinga ito ng maluwag at hinalikan ang anak sa pisngi. "Merry Christmas, Shivani."

"Merry Christmas, baby." I kissed Shivani's cheeks, too.

"Everyone! The food is waiting! How dare you make the food wait!" Boses iyon ni Papá.

*****