Nathan met my family, but we never told them na naging mag-boyfriend-girlfriend kami. Though, we were cute teen couple na pa-tweetums lang before, and I guess my parents didn't see that as something na dapat lagyan ng malisya.

They knew Nathan as a close friend, but never my boyfriend. Daddy Coco never met Nathan. Wala ring chance na maipakilala ko ang ex ko sa kanya kasi busy siya. Kapag aayain ko si Nathan na dumalaw kay Daddy, natatapat na may family gathering din sila, so walang natutuloy.

It was the first time a guy my age met my second dad.

Daddy Coco opened the iron gate. Kel drove his huge off-road pickup, which I first assumed na sedan or hatchback lang.

Bakit ko nga ba hindi naisip na may Raptor siya, when in fact, sinabi na 'yon ni Tita Rose?

Stupid.

Daddy Coco was checking Kel's cool vehicle and kung paano 'yon mag-park kasi sure na magagalit talaga si Daddy once na may masira sa plants niyang nasa front yard.

But Kel parked smoothly near Daddy's white Lexus UX.

I covered my mouth para magtago ng ngiti pagbaba ni Kel. He wasn't flashy. He just wore a black V-neck shirt na fit sa katawan niya and denim jeans. Hi-Cut Converse lang din ang shoes niya, and he looked so casual.

He was holding his phone in his left hand. He then offered the right to give Daddy a handshake.

"Good morning, sir. I'm Kelley. It's nice to meet you po."

Daddy Coco shook Kel's hand, and I was waiting for something—not the OA reaction like Popsie, but the scary reaction for Kel.

Almost six feet naman si Kel, and he was athletic, like Cody told Daddy Coco. Pero ngayong magkaharap sila, hindi ko maiwasang mag-compare. Nagmumukhang payat at maliit si Kel dahil kay Daddy.

"Doon tayo sa kabila," sabi lang ni Daddy at binitiwan na ang kamay ni Kel. "Chi, mauna ka sa garden."

"Okay po." Tumango na lang ako at palingon-lingon sa kanila habang naglalakad papunta sa gilid ng bahay.

Parang nagbago ang aura ni Daddy Coco. Although hindi naman first time na bigla siyang naging serious. Hindi lang ako comfortable na serious siya habang nandito si Kel.

Tumataas na ang araw. Tumapat na ang lilim ng katabi naming puno sa square na mesang hinanda ni Daddy.

Kel sat down after Daddy pointed at one of the chairs. Naupo na rin ako sa tabi ni Kel. Sa kaharap na puwesto namin naupo si Daddy.

Kel slightly smiled at me. Ngumiti rin naman ako kahit awkward. Pagtingin ko kay Daddy Coco, hindi na maganda ang tingin niya sa 'min ni Kelley.

"Are you two friends?" Daddy asked Kel.

Kel's brows met. He looked confused. "Um, I think so po."

"You think so?" Daddy crossed his arms. "So hindi ka sure."

Nagkusot ng ilong si Kel at parang nag-iisip pa siya habang nakatingin sa ibaba. "Um . . . hindi po sa hindi sure na friends kami." Saka niya tiningnan si Daddy. "Hindi lang po ako sure kung right word ang term na friends sa amin ni Nalani."

"Nalani . . ." Daddy nodded, raising a brow at Kel.

Palipat-lipat ang tingin ko sa kanilang dalawa. Chill lang naman si Kel, kapareho ng attitude niya no'ng kausap niya si Popsie.

But Daddy Coco is not Popsie. Kung nadadaan niya si Popsie sa sabog na conversation, then Daddy Coco is way, way different than my real dad.

"Tell me the right word, kid," Daddy challenged Kel. "If not friends, then what do you call it?"

Napatitig ako kay Kel. He was thinking of an answer. The corner of his lips lowered, then he nodded. "We were seatmates po sa school. She's our neighbor din po." Then he smiled without reaching his eyes.

Seatmates. Neighbor.

Tama naman. Pero . . . hindi pala kami friends?

Well . . . hindi ko rin masabi. Hindi ko nga rin siya kino-consider as friend. So quits lang pala kami.

"Alam mo kung bakit ka nandito?" tanong ni Daddy.

"Kakausapin n'yo daw po ako."

"Alam mo kung bakit kita kakausapin?"

"Um . . ." Saglit akong tiningnan ni Kel bago ibinalik ang tingin kay Daddy. "Sabi po niya, about po sa sabay naming pag-enroll ngayong second year namin."

"Okay. What else?"

"'Yon lang po."

"So you went here only for that? Hindi mo man lang ba tinanong kung bakit natin kailangang pag-usapan ang enrollment n'yo ng baby ko?"

"Daddy—"

Daddy pointed his forefinger at me, warning me not to interfere. That shut me up in no time.

Kel answered, "Nalani said I'll talk to you po about sa sabay naming enrollment, so I assumed po na manghihingi ako sa inyo ng permission para po sabay kaming mag-enroll. Hindi po kasi ako sure kung sino ang kasama niya kaya po inisip kong sa inyo po siguro ako dapat magpaalam."

"So, inisip mong magpapaalam ka lang."

Marahang tumango si Kel kaya nagpalipat-lipat na naman ang tingin ko sa kanila ni Daddy.

"Yes po, sir. Kaya rin po ako pumunta dito."

"May pan-tuition ka na?"

"Pinag-iipunan ko pa po, sir. Kaya rin po tinatanong ko si Nalani kung kailan siya mag-e-enroll, para po makagawa ako ng promissory note."

"Sino ang owner ng Raptor?"

"Ako po, sir."

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen, sir."

"Ano'ng work ng parents mo?"

"My mom po, clinical pharmacy manager. My dad passed away when I was nine."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Okay lang po."

My hand automatically held Kelley's left hand to console him. But I guess that was a wrong move because he uddenly smiled, and he even had to bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from smiling.

"Huwag kang tumawa!" pigil na sermon ko sa kanya at mahina siyang sinampal.

Napatakip tuloy siya ng bandang mata sabay yuko at lalo pang tumawa nang mahina.

"Daddy, sorry, ganyan talaga siya," paliwanag ko kay Daddy Coco. "Minsan, tumatawa siya kahit walang nakakatawa."

Daddy Coco was glaring at Kel, but Kel wasn't considering that as a warning.

"Wait here. Mag-uusap muna kami ng mama mo," sabi ni Daddy Coco saka siya umalis sa upuan.

Siniko ko agad si Kel habang naiinis ako. "Kapag talaga nagalit sa 'yo si Daddy, ewan ko talaga sa 'yo."

"Bakit mo ba kasi talaga ako pinapunta rito?" natatawang tanong niya.

"Manghihiram nga ako ng pera kay Daddy para may pan-tuition ka."

"Ha?!" Saka lang nawala ang tawa niya, napalitan ng pagkunot ng noo. "Why do you have to do that? Nagtatanong lang ako ng schedule kung kailan ka mag-e-enroll, di ba?"

"Para nga sabay tayo. Saka babayaran naman natin."

He cringed at me and almost flinched in his seat. "I don't follow. Babayaran natin? What do you mean by that?"

I made different hand gestures to explain. "Kasi, di ba, manghihiram tayo ng pera para pang-enroll mo . . ."

"Pero hindi naman ako nanghihingi ng tulong financially, di ba?"

I pouted and gave him puppy eyes. Hindi ba niya gustong tulungan ko siya? Ayaw ba niyang sabay kaming mag-enroll?

"Nalani . . ." He pulled some loose strands of my hair and tucked them behind my right ear. "Schedule mo lang ang hinihingi ko, di ba—"

"PSST!"

Sabay pa kaming napalingon ni Kel sa sumitsit. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang duruin kami ni Daddy Coco habang nakatutok ang phone niya sa kanang tenga.

"Hala!" Napatakip ako ng bibig.

Nakita ba niya yung ginawa ni Kel?

Daddy was making his alarmed hand gestures, his face was grumpy and annoyed, inuutusan kaming maglayo ni Kel.

Nakita nga niya! OMG.

Lumayo naman si Kel. Mga two inches siguro. Pareho kaming napatingin sa magkabilang direksiyon para mag-iwasan.

Sinusubukan kong huwag matawa pero natatawa na rin ako.

Pagbalik ni Daddy sa table, nagulat na lang ako at napatakip ng bibig bago pa mapatili nang walang hirap niyang buhatin ang buong upuan ko kasama ako para lang ibaba sa tabi ng upuan niya.

"Daddy!" reklamo ko pagbaba niya sa 'kin.

"Kapitbahay ka lang," paalala ni Daddy. Bumagsak na naman ang panga ko sa sinabi niya. What the—

"We're seatmates!" I defended, following him as he sat down beside me.

"Not in front of me. Huwag kang magsasalita, hindi ikaw ang kakausapin ko."

"Daddy—" Daddy Coco gave me his deadly glare, so I had no choice but to shut up.

I frowned. Kel wasn't complaining or saying anything about me changing my seat.

"Nililigawan mo ba 'tong anak ko?" deretsahang tanong ni Daddy Coco.

Natanong na 'yon ni Popsie kay Kel, pero hindi ko alam kung seryoso ba sila sa usapan o sabog lang talaga.

"Hindi po, sir," deretsong sagot din ni Kel.

And then . . . there was a slight pang that bothered me because of his answer.

Tinitigan ko si Kel. He was serious, though.

"So hindi mo nililigawan si Nalani," Daddy repeated, crossing his arms.

"No po, sir. And I don't think I need to do that po."

I could see confusion showering over my head and all over my face. Ano'ng meaning n'on?

"What do you mean by that?" Dadd asked, and I wanted to know the answer too.

Kel's aura didn't even change a bit. He wasn't scared or anxious. Kung paano siya kanina no'ng dumating, gano'n pa rin hanggang ngayon.

"Okay po. Sinabi na po ni Nalani kung bakit niya 'ko pinapunta dito," paliwanag ni Kel. "Hindi po ako nanghihiram ng pera. I have enough funds to avail myself of the installment basis ng tuition fee ko, sir. Nag-iipon lang po ako ng pang-full ng tuition para makatipid sana. May rent-a-house business po kami. I manage and maintain that po."

"And?" bored nang tanong ni Daddy.

"Schedule lang po ang hinihingi ko kay Nalani, hindi po pera. Never po akong manghihingi ng pera sa kanya."

"Pero hindi mo sinasagot ang tanong ko," sabi ni Daddy, nawawalan na yata ng pasensiya.

Kel smiled on the lips but not in the eyes. He was looking straight into Daddy's eyes without any trace of intimidation. "I respect the process of courtship, sir, but I'm not a huge fan of it. I can give her the perks from someone na gusto siyang ligawan, but I don't want to put the pressure of commitment in exchange for those panliligaw."

I tried not to shriek when I heard that. My face turned red, so I covered it with my hands.

Kel continued, "If I were to do something for her, I wanted to do that because she could benefit from it. Pero kung gagawin ko lang ang mga bagay para sa kanya kasi may gusto akong makuha sa kanya, then I will never consider my intention pure, if ever there's one."

Meaning ba nito . . . hindi siya nanliligaw pero . . . technically . . . nililigawan niya 'ko?

Tiningnan ko si Daddy kung ano ang reaction niya. His narrowed eyes judged Kel from face to soul.

"Mauna ka nang umuwi," sabi na lang ni Daddy. "Maiiwan muna dito si Nalani."

"Okay po, sir. Thank you for your time po." Kel nodded and stood up. "Una na 'ko." He smiled at me one last time and walked away, like Daddy told him.

Gusto ko sanang sumama sa kanya pauwi kaso . . .

"And you," Daddy said, pointing at my face. "Mag-uusap tayo."

Oh my god. Not again.

♥♥♥