"MOM, I'M HOME!" I yelled as soon as I entered our house. Mom said that she gets excited every time I come home because she doesn't feel lonely anymore. Bryan left my mom just 3 months ago. He said that he loves my mom, but he doesn't want to have the responsibility of taking care of her, and that's just plain bullshit!

If you truly love someone, you will be there by their side in sickness and in health. Mabuti nalang hindi sila kinasal dahil hindi ko alam kung anong magagawa ko kay Bryan kung ganon ang nangyari. I didn't even obligate him to take care of my mom, yet he just easily decided to leave.

Mas mabuti na rin siguro na umalis na siya dahil wala namang pinagkaiba kahit mag stay siya dahil parang wala rin naman siya kahit nandito siya.

I placed the grocery bags on the island counter and took off my cardigan before putting away the groceries that I bought. Ako muna kasi ang nag-aasikaso ng business namin at mabuti nalang at maayos na ulit ang lahat.

"Mom?" I called her again when I hadn't heard from her because usually, she would immediately welcome me back. Natapos na ako sa pag-ayos ng mga pinamili ko pero hindi pa rin sumasagot si mom. My forehead slightly creased, and my heart started beating faster.

Terrified, I yelled again. "Mom!" I immediately went to her room, but she wasn't there. I went back downstairs, anxious, and abruptly noticed a travel bag in the living room.

"Sera! Backyard!" I finally heard mom's voice before I could even check whose travel bag it was. Mom didn't mention to me that someone was visiting us.

Still anxious, I headed to the backdoor, going through our backyard. "Mom kaninong travel—" I wasn't able to finish my sentence as soon as I opened the door and saw my mom with someone.

"Hi, Serenity Rose." His eyes were fixated on mine while he was smiling at me sweetly.

"Oh, my gosh!" I blinked. Once, twice, and the realization hits me that I am not dreaming. My hand instantly covers my mouth in shock.

"We've been waiting for you, anak. Saan ka ba nanggaling?" Mom asked, but I couldn't answer her because my eyes were glued to Cash, who was standing, in flesh, in front of me. My eyes started to water. I missed him so much.

Without wasting a second, I ran towards him and immediately wrapped my arms around his neck. His arms were encircling my waist and his face was buried in the crook of my neck.

I've pulled him closer, not wanting to leave a space between us.

"Bakit hindi mo sinabi sa'kin na pupunta ka dito." I muttered while my face was buried on his chest, inhaling his familiar scent.

Gosh, how long has it been since I left Manila? 8 months? 10 months?

"Then it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you." He chuckled silently. We both pulled away and his hand cupped my face immediately and planted a kiss on my forehead.

"Kainis ka," I pouted, tears in my eyes cascading down on my cheeks, which Cash immediately wiped away.

"I know we talked before that I couldn't come in here and I'm sorry that I broke my promise, but I really miss you so much that I feel like I'm going crazy."

"I miss you too," I replied, pulling him again for another hug.

Nag-usap kasi kami ni Cash noon after ilang buwan noong umalis ako ng Manila na huwag siyang pupunta dito sa LA kung kailan niya gusto. Alam ko namang barya lang sakaniya ang plane ticket pag punta rito pero ayaw ko naman na pumunta siya dito weekly.

I miss him a lot, but I think the distance makes us stronger and more mature. Not just as a couple, but also individually.

Hindi naman sa gusto ko na magkalayo kami, siyempre araw-araw ko siyang nami-miss pero alam mo iyon? We both still have unfinished business with our own families. He still needs to talk to his father, and I need to take care of mom.

Mom clears her throat as if she's telling us that she's here and we're not totally alone. Agad bumitaw si Cash sa pagkakayakap. I think he also forgot that my mom was watching us.

Mom met Cash via facetime palang. I told mom about Cash pagbalik ko sa LA and she instantly approved of him. I told mom everything – except the part where we became friends, with benefits, of course.

"Let's go inside and I will cook us dinner. Sigurado akong gutom na si Cash." Mom says.

"Ako na magluluto mom. Baka mapagod ka pa,"

"Serenity maghapon na akong nakahiga lang sa bahay. Hayaan mo na akong ipagluto si Cash at isa pa, baka ma-food poisoning pa kami kapag ikaw ang nagluto." Mom stubbornly replied while laughing.

"Mom! I'm learning na kaya!" I objected.

"Thank you po Tita Rosita," Cash says to Mom, making her smile. Kumapit si mom sa braso ni Cash at hinila niya ito papasok sa loob at iniwan nila akong mag-isa.

"Cash! Mom!" I protested, and I heard them laugh.

I couldn't help but smile while watching Cash and Mom's back while walking arm in arm. Kung sana ganito lang si Sir VM sa pagtanggap sa'kin e di sana maayos ang lahat.

Mom cooked us her specialty, spaghetti. I indeed took some classes on how to cook na. Mom is a great cook, and I didn't inherit that skill from her. Unfortunately.

"Tita, this is the best spaghetti I've ever tasted!" Cash complimented Mom. Agad namang napangiti si Mom dahil sa sinabi ni Cash.

"Binobola mo lang yata ako, e." Mom replies.

"No po Tita." Cash says, shaking his head. "You're really a great cook po."

"Bolero mo naman." pag-singit ko at agad akong sinamaan nang tingin ni Cash kaya natawa ako. "Mom sumisipsip lang si Cash sayo." I added, jokingly.

"Tita, don't listen to Serenity. What I said is true po."

"Tita, don't listen to Serenity. What I said is true po." I mimicked Cash and his nostril flared while glaring at me.

"Pasensya kana sa anak ko Cash. Nahulog kasi 'tong si Serenity sa crib niya noong bata pa siya kaya naging ganyan." Mom says to Cash and they both burst into laughter.

"I'm your anak kaya Mom! Bakit kay Cash ka kumakampi," nakangusong sabi ko.

"Mabuti pa at magpakasal na kayong dalawa para mabigyan niyo na ako ng apo." Mom abruptly says, that made me choke on my own saliva. Si Cash naman parang nanigas sa kinauupuan niya pero maya-maya lang at dahan-dahan na siyang ngumiti.

"Noted po, Tita." Cash agrees, and that made my eyes even wider!

#

Cash and Mom were inseparable. Akala ko ako ang ipinunta ni Cash dito pero parang si Mom ang mas gusto niyang kausap palagi! Tapos palagi rin nila akong pinagtutulungan. Mom even showed Cash all my childhood pictures and I swear, I just wanted the ground to eat me up alive because of embarrassment!

May mga pictures pa naman ako noon na ang emo ng suot ko tapos may makakapal na eyeliner pa ako!

"Don't you want to sleep na?" I asked Cash and sat beside him on the couch. Mom went to sleep early dahil hindi siya puwedeng mapuyat. And I'm sure she's tired from all the cooking and talking to Cash nonstop stories about me.

His arm immediately wrapped around my shoulder, and I rested my head on his chest.

"I still want to spend time with you."

"Weh? Halos si Mom nga ang kinakausap mo, e."

He chuckled and snuggled closer to me. "Sorry," he mumbles against my neck. "I just really like talking to your mom. It made me wish that I had a mom like her."

Cash seldom talks about his family to me because I'm sure it's hard for him to even talk about it. He is the type of person you think has everything in life. Money, family, friends, fame, everything... But I realized that you don't really know someone just based on what you see from the outside because sometimes there is an even deeper scar on them that you can't see.

Agad kong niyakap si Cash para malaman niya na nandito lang ako palagi sa tabi niya kahit wala siyang magulang na nag-aalaga at nandiyan sa tabi niya. I can be his family, his girlfriend, and his companion in everything.

"Serenity," Cash said, pulling away from our hug and holding my hand. His face became serious while staring intently at me. Agad akong kinabahan dahil sa tono ng boses niya.

"Another reason that I came here was..." he trailed off. I swallowed hard. Trying not to jump to the worst-case scenario. "Because I want to ask you if you could come back with me to Manila."

W H A T Y A S E Y