Good morning, Hubby!

Theo's

HINDI ko alam kung gaano ako katagal nakatulog at hindi rin malinaw sa akin ang mga pangyayari bago ako mawalan ng malay tao. I remember seeing a masked man and then I felt something hit my nape. I have no idea if Juan found me or any other students, I guess I just need to be thankful that whoever saw me in front of the dorms had enough decency to take me back to my room.

My head is hurting. Para akong may hang over sa sobrang sakit. I want to get up to get a glass of water but with just a little movement, lalong sumasakit ang ulo ko. I closed my eyes again. Sinubukan kong matulog na lang muli, sobrang sakit talaga ng ulo ko pero natigilan ako nang maramdaman ko ang isang maliit na paggalaw sa gilid ko. I had to look to check. Reflex ang gumana sa akin, kinapa ko ang nasa gilid ko at ganoon na lang ang panlalaki ng mga mata ko nang makita ko ang isang hindi kilalang pigura sa tabi ko.

I gasped loudly. I don't remember anything at all, who the fuck is this stranger?! Agad akng bumangon, wala akong pakialam kung magising ang nasa tabi ko. Ever since that happened to me and Oryang, parang nagkaroon na ako ng takot na magigising na lang ako ng may katabing kung sino. It can't happen again, masyadong malaki ang nawala sa akin dahil sa pangyayaring iyon. I tried turning on the lamp that was located at my bedside table, but it's not there anymore. Napakunot ang noo ko, is it even my room?!

"Hmmm..." Lalo akong natigilan nang marinig ko ang pag – ungol ng katabi ko. It's a girl – a girl with a familiar voice... "Theo? Sleep, it's still early." I gasped again! I know that voice! I can and will never forget that voice! It's the voice that I've been missing to hear, it's Hailey's!

"Hailey?" I said in a low voice.

"Hmmm..." She grumbled. "Too early, sleep. Come..." Naramdaman kong hinawakan niya ang braso ko, with the little force that she has she pulled me closer to her. She put her head on my chest and her arm found my waist. Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyayari.

Is this for real? Am I dreaming? I probably am. Hindi naman basta mapupunta si Hailey dito sa Boston. Hindi niya alam na narito ako, ang alam niya, umayaw ako sa deal ko sa tatay niya and she must've been so hurt, siguro galit na galit siya sa akin ngayon. Gusto ko naman siyang kausapin, gusto kong magpaliwanag sa kanya pero sa ngayon ay wala pa akong lakas ng loob. Hindi ko nga matanggap na nasaktan si Hailey nang dahil sa akin. Ang tagal – tagal kong inaalagaan ang puso ni Hailey, tapos sa huli, ako rin pala ang wawasak sa kanya.

I kept on looking at the figure beside me. Hailey looked so peaceful. Her mouth was a bit parted and she was breathing so peacefully. I realized that I really am dreaming. Kung nasa totoong buhay ako, hindi ganito kalapit sa akin si Hailey, hindi niya ako yayakapin nang ganito, she probably hates me now.

"I missed you." I touched her hair. "I miss you so much." My dream is so life like. She even moved and buried her face in the crook of my neck. Humigpit ang yakap ko sa kanya. She hummed a contented sigh when she felt my arms around her body.

"Hmmm... miss you too, sleep. Sleep. I love you."

It is indeed a dream. She never told me she loves me in real life. I closed my eyes and let the dream folds. If being asleep for a long time mand having Hailey beside me again, I'd gladly sleep for the rest of my life.

Ala ko namang pagkagising ko bukas ay hindi ko na kasama si Hailey, pero masaya pa rin akong magkasama kming dalawa sa panaginip ko. I closed my eyes after inhaling her intoxicating scent.

"I love you so much, Hals."

"Hmmm... sleep... sleep..." She kept on saying.

It was one of the best sleeps of my life.

The next morning, like what I am expecting, I woke up alone in my bed. Tumingin pa ako sa side kung saan nakahiga si Hailey sa panaginip ko pero ayos naman na iyon. Nanatili akong nakahiga. My dream was so real that I hoped when I wake up, she'll be here, but all dreams end when we open our eyes, it's painful again, it's sad.

I looked for my phone, I usually put it on the bedside table but when I tried to look there, wala ang phone ko roon, wala rin ang bedside table roon. Napakunot ang noo ko. This is not my room! Where the fuck am I?!

As if on cue the door opened and Hailey entered. She smiled when she saw me. She was wearing a green silk robe, she walked toward the bed, climbed it and sat on my lap.

"Good morning, hubby! Did you sleep well?" She gave me light pecks on the lips. Nanlalaki naman ang mga mata ko.

Hubby? What the fuck? What is going on? Am I still dreaming?!

"What's wrong? Masakit pa ba ang ulo mo? Sabi mo sa akin kagabi masakit, did you hit your head too hard, love?"

"What's happening?" I couldn't help but asked. Kumunot ang noo ni Hailey.

"Nothing is happening, Theo. I came here because breakfast is ready, and you'll be late."

"Late for what?"

"Duh, finals mo, right?"

Finals? Pero naka-graduate na ako, nasa Boston na ako at naghahanda para sa opening ng term. What the--- I am still dreaming. Nakatitig lang ako kay Hailey, is this what they call a reoccurring dream?

Hailey smiled, she keeps on caressing both my shoulders. I couldn't get my eyes off her. Ang ganda – ganda ni Hailey sa panaginip ko, mukhang siya totoo.

"What's wrong, love?" She asked me. I had to bite my lower lip. She never called me love before, she never said that she loved me before, kaya kumbinsidong – kumbinsido akong panaginip ang lahat ng ito.

"I just..." She's a dream, she has no choice but to listen to me. I gave her a weak smile. Hinaplos ko rin ang nakalugay niyang buhok. "I just missed you so much."

"We were together yesterday no. Sobra mo naman akong na-miss." She even giggled.

"Ganoon raw kapag mahal na mahal mo. Kasi mahal na mahal kita." Parang may bumikig na kung ano sa lalamunan ko. Hindi naman nagbabago ang expression ng mukha ni Hailey. She was just staring at me. Pakiramdam ko ay naghihintay siya ng susunod kong sasabihin. Naisip ko naman na ring sabihin ang lahat, tutal panaginip naman ang lahat ng ito. Kahit paano, gagaan ang loob ko. Parang practice na rin sa pagharap ko kay Hailey kapag nagkaroon na ako ng lakas ng loob. I sighed. I held her both of her hands and kissed both palms. I looked at her with so much love and sadness. Tuwing tinitingnan ko noon si Hailey ay panay akong masaya, ngayon, hindi ko magawang makaramdam ng kasiyahan dahil alam ko namang pagkatapos ng lahat ng ito, nag-iisa pa rin ako.

"I left..." I said to her. She looked as if she's about to say something, but I tried to stop her, mukhang naintindihan naman niya ang ibig kong iparating. "This is a dream, so you just listen, okay? I'm sorry I just left. Wala akong lakas ng loob para harapin ka, Hailey, but you must know that I truly love you. Papa said I'm book smart, but that's nit the kind of intelligence I need in real life, hindi ko nga magamit ang talino ko para magpakita sa'yo. I'm so scared that I had hurt you so much."

A tear fell from my eye. Hailey was still staring – that's normal for a dream. Wala naman talaga siyang masasabi.

"Kung naging maingat lang sana ako... I know you have no idea what I am saying, all I'm trying to say is that I'm so sorry." Sabi kong muli. "I wanted to be with you, your father knows what's in my heart. It's you. I went to Greece before I flew to Boston. I wanted to see you for the last time, but your father was so mad, naiintindihan ko siya. I screwed up, big time. I'm so sorry. Wala akong lakas ng loob para magpakita sa'yo. Hindi ko matanggap na iyong puso mong ang tagal kong inaalagaan, ako rin pala ang magiging dahilan ng sakit. I'm so sorry, Hailey."

I hugged her. She was still sitting on my lap. She's warm and homey. It really feels like she's real, like she's here. Ang tagal kong umiiyak habang nakayakap sa kanya. I wanted to tell her I love her so much, kahit paulit – ulitin ko na lang, siya naman talaga ang mahal ko. Hindi na yata magbabago iyon at pagkatapos ng panaginip na ito, matutulog akong muli para makita siya, baka sakaling sa panaginip ko, makita ko ulit siya tapos okay na kaming dalawa.

"Inaway ko si Daddy." Narinig kong wika niya. Hindi naman ako nakakibo agad. Why is my dream talking back? Why is she telling me that she had a fight with Mr. Demitri – her creepy father. "He didn't want me to come to you, sabi niya, nagkamali siya, na hindi ka para sa akin, pero wala namang kahit sinong makakapagsabi sa akin kung sinong para sa akin kundi ang sarili ko."

Dahan – dahan akong napatingin kay Hailey. My dream is crying – there are tears in her eyes.

"Why didn't you call me, Theo?" Sa pagkakataong iyon ay para na siyang nanunumbat. "Naghintay ako, alam kong hindi moa ko basta iiwanan kasi nangako ka sa akin na hindi moa ko sasaktan, even though Dad made it clear that you didn't want the deal anymore, inisip ko pang baka kaya ayaw mo ng deal kasi sabi mo sa akin, what we have is more than just a deal. I believed you, pero bakit hindi moa ko kinausap? I want to be with you. I am in love with you."

My mouth parted. Why does it seem so real?

"You said that you want me to fall in love with you. I am in love with you now. What else do you want from me? What are you still waiting for? Do you want me to bitch slap you like I did with your low class childhood friend Oryang?"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko.

"WAIT!" Humawak ako sa magkabila niyang braso. "You're real? This isn't a dream?" Hailey rolled her eyes.

"It was supposed to be that way!" She hissed. Nakahalukipkip na siya sa pagkakataong iyon. "I had to get you from Boston. Red put you to sleep, you've been asleep for two days! Ang tagal – tagal mong gumising!" Hinampas niya ako sa dibdib ko. Hindi ako makapaniwala.

"Oh..Oh.. Oh, Hals!" Ikinulong ko siya sa isang mahigpit na yakap. "I love you so much! I'm sorry! I don't know if I had sex with Oryang! I'm not sure, but I love you!" Naiiyak na naman ako. "And I'm so sorry if I am so stupid!"

"You didn't sleep with her." Mahinahong wika niya. She cupped my face. "She gave you a sleeping pill, she got you naked, jerk you off – isang bagay na hindi ko matanggap, because she violated you, but we will talk about that later – and made everyone believe that you and her did it. Magkasabwat sila ni Perseus. The poor boy thought I'd come back to him if you sleep with someone else. I'd probably kill you if you do that, but I'll never go back to Perseus because it's you that I love."

Unti – unti ay gumagaan ang loob ko. This isn't a dream, it means that she'll be with me longer, and she loves me, it means that I can finally claim her and make her mine.

"You made me see my worth, how can I not love you, Theo? Maybe I've been in love with you for the longest time, hindi ko lang napansin. Mahal na mahal kita."

"We'll get married." Iyon agad ang nasabi ko. "But I need to talk to your father first, and to my Dad and to Oryang's father—"

"No need to talk to that bitch." Biglang nagbago ang tono ng pananalita ni Hailey. Kanina, mahinahon lang siya pero nang banggitin niya ang pangalan ni Oryang ay parang nanlisik ang mga mata niya. "I've put her in place, hindi ka niya lalapitan kahit sa next life niya pa." Inis na inis na wika niya.

"O-okay..." Bigla ay nakaramdam ako ng hiya. Hailey's happy mood came back. Hinahaplos – haplos niya ang mukha ko. "Where are we?"

"In a town house in QC."

"Philippines..." I mumbled.

"Yup! Your dad helped me a lot. Now you're with me, I love you and I am not letting you go." Sabi niya sa akin.

"I won't be leaving again Hals. I'm so sorry."

Hailey touched my face lovingly.

"Who says I will let you leave me again? We'll be with each other for a long time, a long, long time, like forever, Theo. What do you say?"

I grinned at her. "I say let's seal that deal with a kiss, Hals."

But Hailey has another plan, a plan that I think is much better than sealing the deal with a kiss.

"Let's seal it by making love, Theo."

And we did that – all day, all night, we made so much love and I made sure that every fiber in her being is claimed by me, Theodore Calimbao.

"I love you, Hailey..." I said in between our fiery kisses.

"I love you more. I am yours..."