IT WAS PAST 2 O'CLOCK WHEN KIRSTEN AND CALLEY TUCKED THEIR KIDS TO BED. Nang iakyat ng mga ito ang mga anak ay nagpaalam na ring magpapahinga. Si Felicia naman ay pumasok na sa silid nito matapos ang fireworks display.

Sa hindi kalayuan ay maririnig pa ang ilang mga paputok bilang pagsalubong sa New Year, at ang magkakapatid ay muling bumalik sa fireplace upang ituloy ang inuman. Sacred went to bed early, though. Kasama nito si Leyara sa silid at hindi raw makatulog ang anak kapag walang katabi.

Si Aris ay hindi makausap at panay lang ang inom, si Quaro ay patuloy sa pagkwento tungkol sa paglilihi ni Kirsten. He couldn't stop smiling, he was thrilled with the second pregnancy because he had been wanting to have a baby girl. Although it wasn't confirmed yet, Quaro was positive that he and Kirsten was gonna have a princess this time.

Si Phill ay nagsabing gusto na ring sundan si Theo, but Calley was having issues with her health so he just dismissed the idea of having another child. Mas importante raw ang lagay ng kalusugan ni Calley kaysa ipilit pa nito ang gusto. Apparently, Calley had a surgery when she was just eighteen. One of her ovaries was removed due to a tumor. Sinabihan ito ng doctor noon na mababa ang tsansang magkaanak ito, but she was able to get pregnant with Theo which her obstetrician-gynecologist considered a miracle. A few weeks ago, when she was undergoing tests in an attempt to get pregnant again, Calley found out that her remaining ovary was showing signs of having the same condition as the one that got removed a few years back. Pinayuhan ito ng doctor na ipatanggal iyon sa malaon at madali, o subukang magbuntis muli at manganak bago ipatanggal ang natitirang ovary. The latter would be risky, though. Dahil kasabay ng paglaki ng bata ay ang paglaki rin ng tumor. And at the moment, Calley was trying to weigh things down. She so wanted to have another child, but she was worried of any complications the pregnancy would cause her. Ayaw nitong mawalan ng ina si Theo. Sa ngayon, hindi naman seryoso ang kondisyon ni Calley at walang dapat ipag-alala ang lahat.

On the other hand... Capri, Leonne, and Lee were just listening to their older brothers as they brag about how twisted their marriage lives were. Twisted because... they couldn't relate to the happiness their older brothers were experiencing. Magkaganoon man, nanatiling nakikinig ang tatlo at paminsan-minsan ay magko-komento.

Habang si Gene namay ay walang ginawa kung hindi yukuin ang cellphone at makipagpalitan ng text message kay Trini na ngayon ay nasa silid at nagpapahinga na.

While holding a bottle of organic beer in his left hand, he sent a text to Trini saying,

"For some reason, I can't totally enjoy this get-together with my brothers..."

He stared at the screen of his phone as he waited for Trini's response. Two minutes passed and his phone dinged.

Trini responded:

"Come on. Minsan lang kayong magsama-sama eh. I-enjoy mo na lang dahil baka ilang buwan na naman bago kayo muling magkita-kita."

He replied with a sad emoji and a broken heart.

Trini responded with a smiling devil emoji and a peach.

"Damn you..." nakangiti niyang usal bago tumipa ng isasagot dito,

"Cuddling with you would be perfect right now..."

Matagal bago nakasagot si Trini.

Wanna play a game? She added her short message with an emoji that blows a heart.

What game?

If уоu саn guеѕѕ whаt соlоr mу раntіеѕ аrе, thеn I'll gіvе you heads later.

Muntik na niyang mabitiwan ang cellphone nang mabasa ang huling mensahe ni Trini.

His mind suddenly just wandered off somewhere...

Sa loob ng dalawang buwang magkasama sila ni Trini sa iisang bubong ay marami na itong natutunan mula sa kaniya. Not to mention she had been reading that Kamasutra book she purchased online and watching some pornographic videos to— in her words— learn new tricks.

It bothered him at first. He told her that she didn't need those references because he was willing to teach her everything she wanted. But Trini was a curious cat, at kada gabi ay iba ang gustong gawin. Which – fucking shit—was making him crazy.

In two months, she became a monster in bed. Minsan ay nagugulat na lang siya, namamangha, at nagpapaalipin dito.

And now, here Trini was... teasing him with another trick.

At nang pumasok sa isip niya ang imahe ng gagawin nito sa kaniya mamaya ay para siyang tandang na hindi mapakali. He was trembling in excitement.

Humugot muna siya nang malalim na paghinga bago nag-type ng sagot sa text nito.

I love this game... He added it with a smiling devil emoji.

Trini responded, "You have two chances."

Ngumisi siya at tumipa ng isasagot:

Ok.

So.

Are they... red?

Dinala niya sa bibig ang bote ng beer habang naghihintay ng reply ni Trini. He couldn't take his eyes off his cellphone.

Trini's reply was quick this time.

Wrong.

You have one last chance.

Shit.

Okay.

He typed his second answer, "Black, then?"

Kay bilis muli ng sagot nito, "Wrong." Then, she added a tongue in her response.

Ramdam na niya ang pagbangon ng init sa katawan. He cursed under his breath and typed his next message,

Well, I guess I won't be getting any heads... He sent that message with a sad emoji at the end of the sentence.

"No heads."

"But sex, maybe."

Hindi niya napigilan ang pag-ngiti.

Really?

Trini:

Uhuh. Coz I'll be waiting for you in bed, without wearing any.

Lalong nagtumindig ang pananabik niya. At habang paulit-ulit niyang binabasa ang huling mensaheng natanggap mula kay Trini ay hindi niya namalayan ang paghigpit ng pagkakahawak niya sa bote ng beer.

"Are you saying..."

Trini:

"Yes. The correct answer is none. I am not wearing anything at this very moment."

"You are cheeky, Trinity..." he whispered, before sending her a reply with just two emojis on it. An emoji with hearty eyes and an emoji with its tongue sticking out.

Muling nagpadala ng mensahe si Trini.

What are ya waitin' for? (hearts, hearts, hearts)

Muli niyang dinala ang bote ng beer sa bibig at mabilis na itinungga. Doon na niya ibinaba ang cellphone at inisuksok pabalik sa backpocket. Patuloy pa rin siya sa paglagok nang mag-angat siya ng tingin.

At sa pag-angat niya ng tingin ay nakita niya ang lahat ng mga kapatid na nakatunghay sa kaniya—with curiousity on their faces.

Muntik na siyang mabilaukan.

Ibinaba niya ang bote ng beer at pinunasan ang bibig gamit ang likod ng palad.

Si Lee ay napangisi sa naging reaksyon niya.

"We've been staring at you for over five minutes now, Acky. Who are you texting and why are you grinning?"

"Come on," sabi naman ni Capri, naka-ismid. "Kailangan pa bang itanong kung sino, eh mukhang alam na natin kung sino ang ka-text niya."

Phillian smiled and leaned his back on his seat. "If you wanna go, just go, Acky."

Napamura siya sa isip. Why did his brothers have to witness his weakness? Shit, they probably thought of him now as someone who's acting like a dog. Sunud-sunuran.

Itinuwid niya ang sarili. "May... kailangan lang akong gawin."

"Of course," sarkastikong sagot ni Capri. "Sigurado kaming mahalaga 'yang kung ano man ang kailangan mong gawin ngayon."

Tinapunan muna niya ng masamang tingin si Caprionne na halatang sinusubukang sirain ang mood niya, bago siya tumayo at inilapag ang bote ng beer sa kinauupuan kanina. "I'll go ahead now. Catch you all tomorrow."

Hindi na niya hinintay pang sumagot ang mga kapatid. He began walking away, at habang naglalakad siya palayo ay narinig din niya ang pagsalita ni Aris,

"I better get going, too."

Nahinto siya sa paghakbang at lumingon upang makita si Aris na nakasunod sa kaniya. Nilampasan siya nito na parang wala lang. Sinundan niya ito ng tingin.

Aris was closer to Quaro and Phillian, at nakapagtatakang hindi ito nanatili kasama ang dalawa nilang nakatatandang kapatid tulad ng madalas na mangyari.

"Is it still about the lady who is living in his house?" narinig niyang tanong ni Capri. Muli niyang nilingon ang kinaroroonan ng iba pa nilang mga kapatid.

"Yeah, the one he hired and stole his prized possession," sagot ni Leonne bago dinala sa bibig ang bote. "I don't understand why he's keeping her still. Kung galit siya sa babaeng iyon ay dapat noon pa niya dinala sa pulis. That way, natulungan na sana siyang hanapin ang nakatatandang kapatid ni Lawrah."

"Have you met this woman?" tanong ni Quaro kay Leonne.

"Nah. But he spoke to me about her earlier today. Sabay kaming dumating."

Siya naman ang binalingan ni Quaro. "How about you, Acky? Have you met Lawra?"

Tumango siya. "Aris was being an ass to her when they went to my house— hindi siya dating ganoon. I could smell something's fishy, pero ayaw umamin ni Aris."

"Parang ikaw din noon kay Trini, 'di ba?" panghahamon pa ni Capri na muling ikinatalim ng mga mata niya.

"Shush your mouth, Caprionne. Wait till it happens to you."

Capri just smirked and said, "Never gonna happen to me. Hindi ako uto-uto."

"You sounded like Sacred," Lee commented, chuckling.

Napailing na lang siya at muli nang tumalikod. "I'll go ahead. Catch you all tomorrow at the breakfast table."

Sa malalaking mga hakbang ay dire-diretso na siya sa back door papasok sa bahay. Bago pa siya tuluyang makapasok ay narinig niyang muli ang komento ni Capri,

"Y'all acting weird when a woman is involved. Tsk."