"I CAN'T. I'm sorry, Cash... Alam mo namang hindi ko puwedeng iwanan mag-isa si mom dito. She's getting better, but I can't leave her alone. She only has me." My lips turned down. As much as I want to be with him, I just can't. Sigh.

"Oh no, Serenity!" Cash chuckled silently. "Of course, I don't want you to leave Tita here alone. She will come with us. I already talked to her a while ago and she said that she will follow whatever your decision is." he explains it to me. My heart melts instantly, sighing in relief. He took my mother's health into account in everything he did, and he even asked her first before asking me. Sinigurado muna niyang okay lang kay mom bago niya ako tanungin.

Is it possible to fall for him even more? I just can't stop loving this wonderful man, and I'm so lucky to have him.

"Wait... but what about mom's business? Walang mag-aasikaso noon kapag umalis kami."

"Tita said, you don't have to worry about it because she sold it already."

Eyes widening, I asked. "What? When? How? What do you mean, it's sold already?"

Despite the anxious look on my face, Cash chuckled amusingly. "I think it's better that you have this conversation with Tita." He told me kaya the next morning I woke up really early to talk to Mom, and she said that it's true that our business was sold just a few days ago.

Kaya pala noong isang araw may biglang pumunta sa office at nakipagkamay sa'kin at sinabing aalagaan daw niya iyong business namin. Akala ko nagbibiro lang iyong lalaki kaya tumawa lang ako!

"Mom, bakit hindi mo man lang ako sinabihan na ibebenta mo na pala?" malungkot na tanong ko pero nginitian lang niya ako.

"Sorry if I didn't tell you, Anak, because I know you will be against it."

"Of course, I will be against it, mom! Sobrang pinaghirapan niyo iyon ng ilang taon kaya paano niyo naisipang ibenta nang ganon kabilis?"

Mom sighed before holding my hand. She smiles sadly. "It's not easy anak, but I have to. Alam kong isa iyon sa dahilan kung bakit hindi ka maka-alis-alis dito at ayaw kong hadlangan iyong kasiyahan mo. I want you to be free and happy. I've been uptight to you for years at gusto kong bumawi sayo." she pauses and caressed my cheek.

"I know how much you wanted to go back to the Philippines and be with Cash. I know that you've been crying every night because you miss him, and it breaks my heart to know that you're hurting because of me. But I want you to be with him, anak. I want you to be happy." Tears started flowing down my face.

"Mom, naman..." I sob. "I'm not hurting because of you. Gusto kong kasama ko kayo at choice ko na bantayan kayo. You know how much I love you, and you're the only one I have." I hugged Mom tightly while she caressed my back.

"But you also have Cash now..." she smiles at me after she broke the hug and wipes my tears away. "Dalawa na kami na nagmamahal sayo nang sobra. That's why I made that decision, because you're more important to me. I want you to build your own family without worrying about me, because no matter what happens, I will always be here for you, anak."

After talking to my mom, we both decided to go back to Manila permanently. Cash helped us with all the paper works. Pinadala na rin namin iyong ibang gamit pabalik ng Manila bago ang flight namin. Tapos iyong kaibigan ni Mama muna ang bahala sa bahay namin hanggat hindi pa 'to nabebenta. It was a busy week for us, but it was all worth it.

#

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Philippine Airlines welcomes you to Manila..." the flight attendant announces on the speaker. Intuitively, I held mom's hand, squeezing it gently.

"Welcome to Manila, Mom," I mumbled and leaned my head closer to her. Mom kissed my cheek and smiled at me before she shifted her gaze to Cash, who was sitting on my right side.

"Welcome back po Tita." Cash says to mom, smiling.

"Thank you, Cash." Mom smiles at him and reaches for and squeezes his hand.

Cash took care of our travel bags while I turned on my phone so I could call Kuya Baker and inform him that we're here na. Kuya immediately answers my call and says that he's already waiting for us.

"Wow, I forgot how extremely hot it was in here," Mom says, and I can't help but chuckle at her comment. Ilang taon na ba nang huling beses siyang umuwi dito sa Pilipinas.

"Take off your cardigan, mom. Sobrang init!" I told her, chuckling. I grabbed her handbag from her so she could take off her cardigan.

"Ahh, better." I chuckled. She's sweating na agad.

Maya-maya lang at natapos na si Cash sa pagkuha ng mga bags namin kaya dumiretso na kami sa exit at nakita namin agad si Kuya Baker.

"How are you feeling, Auntie?" Kuya Baker asked after hugging mom.

"I'm better now. Thank you for picking us up, Baker." Mom replies. Cash and Kuya Baker bro hugged.

"Kuya, sorry again for not coming to your wedding ha." I pouted. Hindi kasi ako nakauwi sa Pilipinas noong kinasal si Kuya at Ate Olive 4 months ago, just right after Arlo's wedding.

As much as I wanted to be there with them. Mas pinili kong samahan si Mom. Ang sabi ko naman sakaniya babawi nalang ako sa magiging pamangkin ko sakanila dahil buntis na si Ate Olive.

Kuya Baker tousled my hair. "I already told you that we totally understand. I also wouldn't let you leave Tita alone anyway." He smiled at me before I hugged him.

Kuya Baker drove us to Aunt Via's house because we will be staying with her muna while we're looking for a place to live.

Upon arriving at Auntie's house, Mom and Auntie started chitchatting na while Cash and Kuya Baker took our bags to our rooms.

"Excited na ako sa baby mo Kuya!" I beamed while we were in the living room after putting away our stuff.

A smile automatically broke on his face. I still can't believe that Kuya Baker's kasal and going to have a baby na! Daig pa niya si flash sa sobrang bilis!

"You don't know how excited I am to become a father. ." Kuya Baker replies, with a big smile plastered on his face.

"Napaka-sharpshooter mo talaga Kuya! Daig mo rin si flash sa sobrang bilis. Tignan mo halos ilang buwan lang ang agwat ng baby niyo ni Ate Olive sa baby nila Arlo." I teased, laughing at him.

"Yeah, I'm faster compared to Cash." Kuya snickers, grinning at Cash, and Cash just rolls his eyes at Kuya while I'm giggling at them.

I slightly elbowed Cash, "Payag ka non, mabagal ka raw?" I teased him and he frowned at me before putting his arms around me and pulling me closer to him.

"I'm just taking my time, babe. I don't want to rush things when it comes to you," he replies, before planting a soft kiss on top of my head as my face starts to heat.

"I can't watch this." Kuya Baker says bitterly before standing on his feet, and we can't help but laugh at him.

Because we were jet lagged, Cash and I stayed on the couch to rest. I rested my head on his chest while he was playing with my fingers.

"Cash?"

"Hmm?"

With a pounding heart, I asked. "About your dad..." I trailed off. "Have you talked to him?"

Cash didn't answer me immediately. I could hear his heavy sigh and the loud beating of his heart against my ear. I'm sure that he is thinking deeply about what he is going to say.

Simula nang magkaayos kami ni Cash ilang beses palang namin napag-usapan si Sir VM dahil para siyang sore topic saming dalawa. Para bang parehas kaming umiiwas na mabanggit iyong tungkol sa tatay niya dahil ayaw na namin pareho ng problema.

The only thing that I know is that Cash left VM Corp. and just focused on the Serenity's Ice Cream shop business that he built. He also mentioned to me that there are 3 branches now of Serenity's Ice Cream in Manila, and soon they will open more branches in provinces. He also keeps on hiring ice cream vendors and helping them in any way that he can, just like how he helped Manong.

Cash exhales deeply before kissing the side of my head. "I actually haven't seen him since I left VM Corp. I haven't talked to him or made an effort to see him." He let out another sigh. "It's just so hard, you know. Every time I look at him, every evil thing that he did to everyone keeps coming back to me. He is my father, and I love him, but every time I look at him in the eye, the hatred that I'm feeling towards him just keeps on growing."

I squeezed his hand but remained silent. "I want to forgive him, but how could I do that when I couldn't even see from him that he regrets what he did to me, to Cynthia, and to his own unborn grandchild? It's just so hard Serenity..."

"It's roughly 2 years since the last time I talked to him, and I thought that the distance would help me to forgive him gradually, but no... and I'm really scared that I will hate him forever. I'm scared of loathing him forever because he is the only family that I have left."

I immediately threw my arms around him and hugged him so tight. I stroked his back. "You have me, Cash. You will always have him no matter what." I say, soothingly, trying to make him feel better. We stayed like that for a few minutes until he was okay.

I deliberately changed the topic when we pulled away. We just talked about his friends who were all engaged, getting married, and having kids, and I started to wonder if he also wanted to have a family. Idagdag mo pa na pine-pressure siya masyado ni Mom na magbigay na kami ng apo sakaniya!

#

The next day, I got up extra early because I decided to meet and talk to Sir VM. Last night, I couldn't stop thinking about what Cash said. Alam kong galit siya sa tatay niya pero alam ko rin na may parte sakaniya na gustong maging maayos sila.

I've never been fond of Sir VM, but I can be civil with him for Cash. He is still the father of the man that I love, and I am willing to do this for him.

Tulog pa sila Auntie at Mom noong umalis ako kaya nagsabi nalang ako sa isang kasambahay nila.

When my taxi halts in front of the VM Corp. building, my heart starts beating faster than usual. I paid for my ride and got off. With a shaky hand, I pushed the enormous glass door and made my way inside.

"Good morning, ma'am. How can I help you?" one of the receptionists welcomes me with a warm smile.

I smiled back. "Hi. I have an appointment with Sir VM."

"Alright, ma'am. Let me just check it quickly," she says before she starts typing on the computer in front of her, and when she was done confirming it, she told me that I could go to the elevator going up to Sir VM's floor.

"Thank you," I say before walking towards the elevator.

Alam kong sobrang busy na tao ni Sir VM kaya kagabi palang nag-book na ako ng appointment para siguradong makakausap ko siya. This is now or never.

Ayaw tumigil sa pag tibok ng puso ko sa sobrang kaba. Habang pataas ako nang pataas ay mas bumibilis ang pag tibok ng puso ko at nang tumigil iyong elevator sa pinaka top floor at bumukas ito ay para na akong malalagutan ng hininga.

"Good morning ma'am." bati sa'kin nang lalaki na hula ko ay secretary ni Sir VM. Mukhang alam na niya na may appointment ako dahil sinabi niya na pumunta ako sa kuwarto dahil naghahantay na sa'kin si Sir VM.

I took a deep breath before I started knocking.

"Come in." Sir VM's voice is as superior as ever.

I swallowed the lump forming in the back of my throat as I pushed the massive brown oak doors that led me inside his office. He wasn't even looking at me as I stepped inside because his desk was filled with various papers.

His office is enormous! Everything looks luxurious. Parang isang unit na 'tong office niya sa sobrang laki. I stood in front of his desk, waiting for him to acknowledge my presence, but a few seconds had passed and he was still not looking at me.

I cleared my throat. "Sir VM," I called, and that's when he finally looked up and met my gaze. His eyes faintly widen upon seeing me, but he immediately composes himself as if my presence didn't surprise him at all.

"What are you doing in here?" Sir VM says before resuming doing what he was doing.

I exhale sharply. "I wanted to talk to you about your son."

"What's there to talk about? You've succeeded in your plan, and now he is yours. What else do you want?"

I balled my fist. I could feel my face starting to heat up in ire. How can I forget that this man is really maddening?

I inhaled again, trying to calm my already frantic nerves.

"Don't you feel bad for everything that you did to your son to make him suffer? Even the slightest bit?"

I saw him clenching his jaw. Sobrang magkamukha sila ng anak niya. Cash got his good looks from his father, but thank God that's all he inherited from him.

He stood from his seat and threw the pen on his desk before glaring at me. "I don't need you to lecture me, young woman. I know what I did, and I did it for my son!" he says with gritted teeth.

"You killed your own grandson! Hindi man lang ba kayo nagsisisi sa ginawa niyo? Do you ever regret what you did?" I say in disgust. "You made your son's life miserable! You killed his baby!" I exclaimed. I'm furious.

His nose flared in anger. He is glaring at me as if he wanted me dead. But I am not scared of him anymore. He can't control me because I will fight for Cash.

"Do you even feel sad when Cash left? Do you even worry about him? Do you ever wonder what he is doing or if he is doing okay? Do you ever wonder how much he is hurting right now because he couldn't see single remorse in his own father!" I exclaimed and when I look at Sir VM, his face looks... unhappy. And for a second, I feel guilty for yelling at him.

He is still a father, and I'm sure he is hurting too.

"I'm—"

"Do you think it was easy for me to let go of my own son, huh?" He cuts me off. He chuckled without humour before walking towards his own mini-bar counter with various liquors. He pours himself a glass of whiskey and finishes it off in one gulp before meeting my eyes again.

"He doesn't need me anymore. He didn't want me to be his father again, and I couldn't do anything about it. He has already found himself a new family, a new father, who will always be there for him, and he is better off with them than with me." He starts pouring himself another glass of whiskey.

"I am a failure as a father to him. I made a lot of terrible decisions... and there's nothing I can do about it. It all happened, and I can't change what happened in the past." he sips from his glass of whiskey, and I notice how much he is trying not to shed some tears in front of me.

I couldn't believe that I was listening to Sir VM talk like this. He is a very commanding and harsh person, but right now, it's as if hindi si Sir VM ang kaharap ko ngayon.

I say, "You can't change the past, but you can always learn from it and change the future," before walking towards him without faltering. "Sir, it's never too late to regret what you did and there is always a time to talk to your son and ask for his forgiveness."

"I don't know Serenity... He is my son, but he always feels like a stranger to me, and it's all my fault that we became like this. There's no one to blame but me. I did all of this."

Sandali akong nagulat dahil binanggit niya ang pangalan ko. Hindi ko alam, pero parang kahit papaano, nabawasan iyog bigat sa dibdib ko sa simpleng pagtawag niya sa pangalan ko.

Hindi ko alam kung anong isasagot ko sa sinabi niya dahil totoo naman ang sinabi niya na kasalanan niya kung bakit nasira sila ng anak niya. But I don't want to rub it in his face further. Hearing him say this is more than enough. I just wish he could talk and tell this to Cash personally.

At dahil wala na rin naman akong sasabihin kaya tumalikod na ako para umalis pero napatigil ako sa paglalakad nang tawagin niya ako.

"Serenity," he says. I turned around to face him again. The one side of his lips rose while he was staring at me, and I swear my heart almost stopped beating when I saw the smile on his face!

"Take care of him the way he deserves. I love my son and I'm really sorry for everything that I did to you and to him." he paused for a second and looked up so the tears on his eyes won't fall.

"And please don't ever stop loving him... He was unlucky to have us as his parents, but he was exceptionally lucky to have you."

W H A T Y A S E Y