O L I V E R   V A L E Z

"Wife."

I called her, but she ignored me like I was just a wind whispering into oblivion. I sighed audibly and walked towards her. Liberty Valez was sulking again. And I do not know what to do other than pray for more patience. I actually do not know what she is sulking about. We were okay minutes ago, but after a second, she distanced herself and started ignoring me. What was it this time? Ano na naman bang nagawa kong mali? When I asked her what is the problem she would not answer me. She would not even look at me!

"Wife." I said more seriously now. And that did not affect her even one bit.

Liberty, my naughty and lovely kitten—my mommy cat, kept staring at the wall like it was a fascinating thing in the world. Her fingers were resting on her baby bump while playing on the ring that I gave her when I proposed her. Iniikot-ikot niya ito sa ring finger niya gamit ang kaliwang kamay habang nakasimangot. The last thing we were talking about before she started sulking was the ring. And I really do not know what went wrong in our conversation. 

I stopped walking when I reached her back. "Wife." 

"I am not your wife." Liberty Kings soon-to-be-Valez said coldly. 

I gasped at what she said. She was right anyway. She was not my wife—hindi pa kami kasal. I assumed that she was already my wife since we are already engaged, and she was bound to be a Valez sooner. So why not call her Wife already, right? Liberty seems to love it anyway when I call her wife. 

"Come on, Kitten. What's wrong?"

I slouched and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, and put my face in the space between her neck and shoulder. I kissed her skin there lightly and inhaled her sweet scent that always made me crazy. I kissed it once again, but this time it made a smooching sound. I chuckled at the sound that made Liberty more irritated. 

She pushed my face using her right hand, "So we are back to Kitten now?" my Mommy Cat said, pouting. 

Seeing her pout and sulking with her big baby bump with our child inside made my heart jump from joy. I know that I should not be feeling happy when she is irritated with me, but I cannot help it! She looks so adorable. I wanted to kiss her all day. But before that, I should fix this. 

"What? You said you are not my wife." 

Liberty gasped loudly. She looked so offended by what I said. I was teasing her, and her reaction was priceless. I wanted to laugh my ass off, but I know that will make her madder. Her brows were about to meet, and her luscious lips were now in a grim line. Okay, stop the teasing now, Oliver, or your ass will be crying later. 

"I was only kidding, Wife." 

Lumapit ulit ako at niyakap siya mula sa likod, but she protested again, so I let her go. Nagulat naman ako nang lingunin niya ako nang may masamang tingin. What? I thought she does not like me hugging her? I am going crazy. Hindi ko na talaga alam. 

I scratched my brows and sighed again. 

"Was it fun to make fun of me?"

"No!" I said instantly. 

Liberty stood up and put her hands on her hips. She looked so cute. I was trying my best not to smile at the sight before me. Baka lalong lumaki and simpleng tampuhang ito. Now, I can say that pregnant women were really emotional, and their mood swings were extreme to the extent that it would make you crazy. 

Tumikhim ako at ngumiti sa kaniya, "Don't smile at me like that. It would not make my irritation go away." masungit niyang sabi habang nakataas ang kilay.

"Don't be masungit, Wife. Baka imaging masungit din si Baby." 

I saw her trying to suppress a smile. I know my Tagalog accent always affects her. Atlas always tease me whenever I speak in Tagalog because of my slang and weird accent, but Liberty finds it sexy before she got pregnant. Liberty once told me that, and I observe every time I speak in Tagalog, she has this awe expression on her face, and she would bite her lips unconsciously. Now that she's pregnant, she finds it adorable, especially if I was conyo. Kaya paggalit siya alam kong isa ito sa mga magpaaalis ng galit niya.

"Stop." She put her hand in front of my face, doing a stop hand sign. "I am mad at you, and that won't work."

"Mind telling me, why are you mad?"

"No."

"Why"

"Ikaw nang-inis sa akin! Dapat alam mo kung bakit!"

I was left fascinated. Dapat alam ko? How can I know when I do not have any clue why she got mad? Our conversation was harmless and casual before she threw a tantrum. We were cuddling in our bed. I was spooning her while laying my hands on her baby bump and kissing her shoulders. We talked about how the two rings I gave her looked so good on her hands, like God made it solely for her to wear. Then Liberty stared at it for a minute while I kept kissing her shoulders. 

And the next thing she did leave me shocked. 

Liberty suddenly stood up and walked out of the room with an unreadable expression on her beautiful face. At that moment, she looked like an abstract painting, so fascinating to the point where I cannot tear my eyes off her, even though I'm are not sure what that beauty's meant. Was it meant to bring light to my life? Or was it meant to shake my world? Nonetheless, I am still attracted to it. 

How am I supposed to know the problem? When from the start, we were okay.

"Do you lov—"

"You are my heart, Wife." I did not let her finish what she was about to say because she does not need to finish it for me to answer. Kahit hindi niya tanungin, may sagot na lagi doon.

"I'm not done yet!"

"Wife, you don't need to ask that question. My heart is full of you. "

I got alarmed when a lone tear suddenly cascade from her cheeks, "T-Then if you l-love me... Why? Why give me two damn rings? B-But we are still n-not married." 

Liberty cupped her face and cried. I took a step forward and tried to reach her for a hug, but she avoided me. She wiped her owns tears and looked at me angrily. Her face is now so red, and her eyes are starting to get puffy. She sniffed, and her redden nose cutely wrinkled. She started sweating because of all her anger and crying, and the morning temperature is not helping to lessen the heat. We have an air conditioner, but all those mood swings made Liberty Kings damp.

"We will get married soon, Wife. Come on, stop doubting my love for you. My day is not even complete without seeing you. How can I let you go if I'm this crazy over you?"

She seems to calm down a bit, but then she looked at her rings again. Itinapat niya sa mukha ko ang dalawang singsing na may malaking sapphire stone at diamonds. 

"I don't need two fucking rings if you will not marry me!" 

"Liberty, stop cursing."

I remembered when I was raising my daughter—Olivia Valez, I read many articles on how to raise a daughter. I had so many sleepless nights as I sway my daughter to sleep while reading and learning what is good and bad for babies. I memorized the do's and don'ts. I remembered that all the things that a mother was doing and feeling affect the baby. Even in the environment that they wherein, the baby can sense it and adapt to it. That's why I used to play classical music and children's songs when Olivia was still a baby.  And when Olivia grew into a kid, she started liking Disney princesses, so our house was filled with all the characters she loved. There was even the time that I was so tempted to make our mansion look like a castle because she wants it that way. But, I decided to buy a rest house and made it looked like a mini castle. I know that I was not hands-on with Olivia, especially when she started going to school. That was the time when the company I was building on my own started growing fast. That is why when she wanted something, I tried my best to give the best for her. 

I renovated the mansion at that time. I made the colors of the wall in pastels—even the interior furniture was changed into white, yellow, and cream. The mansion was always filled with sweet citrus scent or flower fragrance. Kaya ayaw kong nagmumura si Liberty ngayong buntis siya. I don't want our baby adapting to the negative vibe.

Tumikhim si Liberty pero ang mga mata niya ay masama pa ring nakapukol sa akin. "Then, stop making me curse you!"

"Calm down, Wife." I sighed and tried my luck to hug her, and thanks to all the gods, and Liberty Kings finally let me hug her. "We will get married after you give birth to our baby. Preparing for a wedding is tiring, and your condition isn't stable to do things like that. I don't want to risk our baby's life and yours."

"But I won't be pretty..." pahina nang pahina niyang sabi.

I chuckled at what she said. My fashionista wife! If ou baby will be a girl, both of them will burn all my money on luxurious things along with Olivia. I need to work harder for that. I titled my head so our eyes will meet, but she was trying her best not to meet my eyes. She kept on rubbing her belly. 

"You are pretty. Always."

"In your eyes, yes. But what about others? They will think that I'm too manas pa!"

"You are not manas." I said while chuckling. 

I bit her ears as I saw them turning red. Liberty Kings pouted again. She faced me and hugged me tightly. She buried her face on my neck and whispered, "Do you think Olivia will... attend our wedding?" I can hear hope in her voice and sadness. 

It breaks my heart that the two women I cherish the most in the world are not on good terms. But life has its way of testing us with other people, and I strongly believe it was one of those. I admit that it was my fault that they are in this situation. I am the adult here, I am older, and I should have known better than be tempted, and to fall in love with this lovely lady in my arms. But, we cannot teach our hearts to choose who we love. 

I kissed her head and said, "I don't know, but I hope she will."

There was a long silence between us. Liberty hugged me tightly, but she kept her silence like she was thinking of everything in the world. I never liked it when she's silent. She is not the type of person who will keep her mouth between the two of us, ako pa yata ang ganoon. I like my own space. I like to let my mind speak first before my mouth does. 

I was about to break the silence because overthinking is not good for Liberty. It may cause stress, and it will affect her and the baby. But she already took the initiative to break it.

"I'm hungry. Please, cook for me."

She looked up at me while still hugging me. Liberty knew that she was one of my greatest weaknesses, and she clearly knew her power over me.  She gave me the look where her dazzling tranquil blue eyes drown me the first time I looked at it. Her kissable lips formed a cute little cheeky smile. Liberty hooked her arms on my neck and gave me a peck.

"I want some Pescatori."

"Where's my kiss first?" I sheepishly said.

Pinalo niya ang dibdib ko, "I already gave you one!"

"You call that a kiss? What are you, a high schooler?" 

Hinampas niya akong muli and this time mas malakas na siyang kinatawa ko. Napahiwalay tuloy ako ng yakap sa kaniya. I was holding my stomach as I laugh at my wife, when she suddenly grabbed my shirt and crashed her lips into mine. 

Every time our lips met, the feeling I got the first time we kiss never left. She was still able to make my heart thump crazily like it wanted to come out of my body and jump into her. The addicting sensation I always get, made my bones shiver. Her lips were so soft, it felt like she was hugging my heart to comfort. It always felt like my head was on the cloud while my feet were struggling to keep on the ground. Her tongue went inside mine, and I swear my whole inside do a flip because of it. I hold her waist and deepens the kiss. She groaned and push me, leaving me wanting more of her.

Liberty smirked at me and swipe the sides of my lip. When her delicate finger went a little further, I sucked it and looked at her sensually.

"Pescatori can wait but I can't."

I scoped her in my arms. Liberty shrieked and laughed as I walked towards our room with her in my arms. Hinampas niya akong muli sa dibdib habang tumatawa. Ikinawit niya ang kaniyang kamay sa aking leeg at inamoy iyon. I groaned at what she did, and that made her giggle like a little girl doing some naughty stuff. Her laughs are music into my ears, and I would never get tired of hearing her laugh or seeing her smile. 

If someone asked what is love. If it was my younger self answering that question, I'll probably say, 'love is a euphoric feeling and a gift from above that no one can fight.' But now, I can answer that more specifically.

Love has a face. It was seeing your beloved smiling with your family.

Love has a sound. It was the sound of our heart beating as one.

Love has a language. It was the words the speak the truth about you and still appreciate you.

Love has a place. It was where you feel at home.

Love has a dream. It was filled with you and me, and our future.

Love has forever. It was beside you.

Love has a scar. It was not perfect in any way.

Love has a name. It was Liberty Kings.

Love has many meanings because we experience different kinds of love. And the love I have right now is what I need endlessly and I will treasure it. 

I placed Liberty carefully in our bed. The soft mattress deepened as I place her there. She was still clinging her arms to my neck, so I slouched to match her eyesight. My deep black eyes were staring directly at her blue oceanic ones. I put my hands on her sides, bring my face closer to hers. Her eyes dilated and her hands tighten their hold on my back. 

I whispered to her ears the words I never thought of saying to her every day.

"I love you."

~END~

As promised! Dahil sumakto pa sa anniversary ng story na ito ang pag-abot natin ng 100k reads, kaya inuna ko ito kaysa mag-update ng SA#2. Sa inyo ano ba ang love? Daming binigay na meaning ni Daddy Oliver, e.

I wish na hindi ito ang unang special chapter for Liberty and Oliver. I wish I could write more when it will be published as a book. Law of attraction!

Sa mga naka-mi-miss kila Liberty at Oliver, don't worry! May mga pahapyaw tayong scene ng dalawa sa SA#2! Sa mga readers ng SA#1, kindly support Olivia and Atlas's story too. I would appreciate it a lot. Mag-na-name reveal ako ng anak nila Liberty sa SA#2 pag dumating ang tamang panahon. 

This is a rough draft, so kindly bear with all the errors.

Feel free to share your thoughts, and keep safe everyone!

Love lots. :>>