Tanya's POV

Pinagmasdan ko ang dalawa habang natutulog. Naalimpungatan si Therese kanina nang paalis na si Wayne at hinalikan niya ang bata. Therese didn't want him to leave kaya tinabihan niya muna ito hanggang sa makatulog din pati siya. Therese was in his Wayne's arms and her head pillowed against his chest.

Hinawi ko ang hilang hibla ng buhok sa mukha ni Therese at hinalikan siya. I knew how Therese feels. Lumaki akong walang ama. Ramdam ko din ang pangungulila niya sa isang ama at kay Wayne niya nahanap iyon. Wayne had been nothing but wonderful. Nakita ko kung gaano napamahal sa kanya si Therese. Pero nandyan si George. I didn't want Wayne to take over his place as Therese's father. Mabuting ama si George. He was doing the best he could. Kahit naman palaging wala si George, he makes the most out of the times he spends with us.

Masyado pang bata si Therese para maintindihan iyon, ang sitwasyon namin. I didn't want her getting used to having Wayne here but at the same time ayaw ko naman ipagdamot kay Therese ito. My heart was in a battle with my head.

I leaned down to kiss Wayne too. He moaned and moved a little but didn't wake up. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. Minahal ako ni Wayne sa kung ano ako at kung anong ako na akala niya noon. He gave me the love I needed and much more. Pero iniwan ko siya. I was you back then. I was lost, scared, and confused. We were young back then and I wanted to get life figured out more than I had it at 18. I thought I was doing the right thing when I left him. Natakot din ako para kay Wayne. I didn't want his father to disown him because of me.

Ngayon tinatanong ko sa sarili ko kung tama nga ba ang ginawa ko noon na iwan siya?  Would we have lasted? Would we have had the family we dreamt of having? Masaya kaya kami ngayon?

They looked so peaceful, so serene as they cuddled. It almost seemed... fake. I felt like I was in a dream I never wanted to wake up from. Tumabi ako sa dalawa, nasa pagitan namin si Therese. I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist and closed my eyes.

Wala na si Wayne at Therese ng magising ako pero naririnig ko ang dalawa sa labas ng kwarto. I fixed myself up in the bathroom before heading out of the room. Naghahabulan ang dalawa.

"Umagang-umaga, naghahabulan kayo. Nagbreakfast na ba kayong dalawa?" I asked.

"Mmhm, Daddy Wayne took me out. We ate burgers and fries and we also had donuts." Sagot ng bata.

"That's what you had for breakfast?"

"Don't worry. We also bought fries and burger for you too, Mommy." Sabi ni Therese.

"Burger and fries for breakfast? Really, Wayne?" I cocked  brow.

"You know I don't cook. She doesn't want oatmeal or cereal and she can't have coffee."

"Sana nagpaluto kayo sa Yaya mo ng breakfast o ginising niyo ko."

"It's Yaya's off today, remember? And Daddy Wayne told me not to wake you up." She reasoned.

"I know you're still tired from last night." He smiled meaningfully and then winked. Suddenly, I felt all flushed. He slowly walked up to me still wearing that... that stupid you-can't-help-but-love-me smile. Hinawakan niya ang magkabilang baywang ko. "She's a kid, I just want to spoil her once in a while. Minsan lang naman 'to."

I wanted to melt at the heat of his touch. He cupped my face in his hands. Bumaba ang ulo niya sa akin at hinalikan ako sa noo. "Good morning."

"G-good morning, Angel." Nag-iwas ako ng tingin. He used to do this to me when we were still living together. I would always be greeted with the warmest of his kiss. Sa mga oras na iyon, parang walang taon ang nagdaan. It was as if we were back to the time when we were two in love teenagers. I didn't want him to see that longing in my eyes.

"Therese, come on... paliliguan na kita. P-pasok ka pa." Mabilis akong umiwas sa hawal niya.

"Mommy, it's Sunday today!" She said.

I heard a small chuckle from Wayne.

"Just because it's Sunday it doesn't mean hindi ka maliligo." Dahilan ko.

"Daddy and I are playing." She pouted.

"We can play after you take your bath. Listen to your Mommy." Wayne picked Therese up in his arms and then averted his gaze at me.

"Okay but you have to promise you won't leave." Therese said.

"I will never leave. I'll be here, waiting for you..." Hindi niya tinanggal ang tingin sa akin. It felt like those words he said were meant for me. I had to look away because I couldn't stand him looking at me like that.

Inabot sa akin ni Wayne si Therese at sumama naman sa akin ang anak ko. At that moment, I felt like we were a real family. I could see Wayne's genuine care and affection towards Therese. Ito ang pamilyang pinapangarap namin noon at ang pamilyang hindi ko naibigay sa kanya.

Wayne's POV

I didn't know what I was doing. All I knew was that I had missed her. And I wanted to stay as close to her as I could so I wouldn't miss her as much. I was irresistably drawn to her but I knew we were just fleeing company to each other and sooner or later my time with her would run out.

She was in a relationship with a rich, married man whom she had a daughter with. Kaya kong tanggapin iyon at kaya kong tanggapin si Therese huwag lang siyang mawala ulit sa akin. Therese had been nothing but a sweetheart. She had gotten under my skin at such a short amount of time. I could see in her the daughter we never had together.

I loved being with Therese, not because of Tanya, but because she was simply an adorable little girl. Hearing her call me Daddy Wayne with a cute smile on her face made my dreams feel so real.

"Daddy Wayne, who are these flowers for?" Therese asked.

"For a beautiful woman." I smiled as I held her tiny hand in mine.

"For Mommy?" She innocently said.

"No, not for Mommy. For another beautiful woman. You'll meet her later." I answered.

Tanya's face shifted into something different I couldn't identify. When she saw me looking at her, she instantly looked away. I smiled to myself, guiding little Therese to the backseat of my car. I, then, opened the door to the passenger's side for Tanya. She slipped inside my car without throwing a single gaze at me. I ran to the driver's seat and went in.

"Saan mo ba kami dadalhin?" There was a tone of irritation in her voice.

"You'll see." I answered.

"Kung may iba kang lakad dapat hindi mo na kami sinama ni Therese."

"Wala naman akong ibang lakad. What made you think that?"

"Eh sino yung sinasabi mong babaeng ipakikilala mo sa anak ko?"

"Are you... are you jealous?" I grinned.

"ME? Jealous? I'm not jealous!" She let out an exasperated exhale. "Wayne, ano'ng gusto mong maging reaksyon ko? Gusto mong matuwa ako dahil ipakikilala mo ang anak ko sa babae mo?"

"Babae ko?" I chuckled. "Wala akong babae, Angel. It's just you and Therese."

She swallowed, looking at me confused.

"I just think it's about time she meets tita Esther. Kung buhay ngayon si tita Esther, matutuwa siya kay Therese." I smiled nostalgically.

Her eyes softened as she looked at me and then there were thin films of tears laying over her strikingly beautiful dark eyes. She turned her head away from me and looked out of the side window of the car. Tanya remained quiet the whole drive while Therese and I talked.

I pulled over to the side of the road near tita Esther's grave. We all got out of the car, I held Therese's hand while she held the bouquet of flowers in one hand. Tanya followed behind us. We stopped and stood in front of her grave. I kept it well-maintained.

"What are we doing here, Daddy Wayne?" She asked.

"We're here to visit tita Esther, she's your Mommy's mother." I explained.

"Well, where is she?" She looked around.

"She's in there." I pointed at the grave and knelt down on the grave. "Her souls in heaven now, sweetheart. Why don't you give her the flowers?"

Therese put the flower right next to the headstone of the grave. "What is her soul doing in heaven?"

"I'm sure she's watching over you and your Mommy." I said and looked up at Tanya who was standing next to us. I took her and pulled her to sit next to us. She wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face into my chest. My arms encircled around her as she cried and sobbed.

"Why is Mommy crying?" Asked the little girl.

"She just misses her Mom." I answered and held one hand out to her. I pulled Therese next to us. "Give Mommy a kiss to make her feel better."

Hinalikan ni Therese si Tanya sa pisngi. Tanya sniffed before looking up at me with swollen eyes from tears. She uttered a thank you to me and pressed a soft kiss on my lips. Her kiss was heady and sweet and warm. It was such a tempting mixture of gentleness and contained passion.

"Ooohhhh..." The little girl's eyes widened. "You kissed again!"

We both pulled away from the kiss and looked at Therese. There was a slight embarrassment on Tanya's face but when I laughed at the girl's reaction, she laughed along too. I pulled Therese in my arms and held the two in an embrace. We stayed for awhile and said a silent prayer for tita Esther.

I took Tanya and Therese to the park afterwards where we had our little picnic together. We played tag and ate the food Tanya prepared for us. Soon, the hyper Therese ran out of energy and fell asleep.

Therese napped on the picnic blanket and Tanya sat next to her daughter, stroking her hair. It was such a perfect day. I couldn't remember the last time I was this happy and content. I rested my head on her lap and she looked down at me. Every moment seemed perfect when it contained the two of us.

She smiled and raked her fingers through my hair. "Alam kong nasabi ko na ito pero sasabihin ko ulit ito, Thank you, Wayne."

Her eyes glimmered with bright sparkle.

There was nothing I wouldn't do for her. Absolutely nothing. And that was what I hated the most.

They say love doesn't keep record of the wrongs. No matter what she did in the past, my love never left and my heart was still for her. Even if the sun fades, the moon disappears and the world stops, I knew I would still love her. Because it was only in her that I learned how to love. In her, I find me.

"Kiss me." I whispered.

Her eyes flickered with surprise but then it softened again. She smiled and her head lowered to mine. Her lips grazed mine. I held her face in one hand and my fingers slid through her hair. We kissed as if our existence demanded it. It was like we saved each other from a horrible existence, one without the other.

Loving her was like breathing. Her absence ached like a terribly long exhale and her presence was the sweet relief of a desperate inhale. Every shattered dreams, forgotten promises, every shed of brokeness I felt inside were all erased with one kiss.

I let everything go, the fear, the weight, the hurt...

"I... I went to Japan. Hinanap kita doon, Tanya." I said a few minutes after we broke away from the kiss.

"Wayne..." Her voice cracked.

"Ilang beses akong nagpabalik-balik sa Japan para hanapin ka. Kung saan-saan parte ng Japan ako nagpunta. Kung kani-kanino ako nagtanong. I desperately wanted you back. I needed you... I was nothing but an empty shell of what we were before..."

"I'm sorry... I never meant to hurt you... N-natakot ako." Tears began to sear from her eyes.

"Natatakot ka kaya ka umalis? You decided for the both of us? Ni hindi mo man lang ako kinausap, bigla ka na lang umalis." I said with a soft growl, forcing the lump forming in my throat down. My anger surfaced through the pain.

"I was confused..."

"With what? Hindi pa ba malinaw sa'yo noon kung gaano kita kamahal? I would've given you the world."

"Natakot ako na baka dumating yung panahon na mawala ka din sa akin... Kasi sa'yo na umikot ang mundo ko. Ikaw na lang meron ako. Kapag nawala ka pa, natakot ako na baka wala na rin matira sa akin kahit ang sarili ko... I was losing myself in you. Iniwan kita dahil kailangan kong hanapin ang sarili ko."

"Sino'ng may sabing mawawala ako?" Tears stung my eyes. "I... I waited for you... even when I knew you weren't coming back. Huwag mo na akong iiwan, Tanya. Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko kapag nawala ka ulit sa akin."

Tears began to spill from my eyes. I held unto her like a lost boy who had found his way home. She was my home. I didn't know where we were heading from here all I knew was that I belong to her. No matter what life holds for me it could never change the fact that my happiness was in her keeping.