Maaga akong gumising kinabukasan. Inihanda ko na ang mga pinamili ko para sa parents ko. Even though I've hated my life when I was living with them, I know that they need me right now. Hindi ko naman sila pababayaan kahit na masama ang loob ko sa kanila. Isa pa, birthday ni Mama. I should be there, at least.

I took all the groceries and other things I bought for them to my car. Inilagay ko ang mga 'yon sa compartment. Matapos ko 'yong maisara, halos mapatalon ako sa gulat nang makita si Hunter na nakatayo sa gilid ko. Nakasuot siya ng navy blue V-neck shirt at khaki shorts. Naka-shades pa ang gago.

"Anong ginagawa mo rito?" kunot-noo kong tanong habang nakahalukipkip, hawak ang susi ng kotse.

Ngumiti siya bago itinaas ang shades sa ulo.

"Good morning din, Areeya." Kinuha niya ang susi sa kamay ko saka naglakad papunta sa driver's seat. "Where are we going?" he asked.

Kunot-noo at napapanganga akong napasunod sa kan'ya. "Excuse me? Anong trip mo? Akin na nga 'yan!" I said, trying to snatch the key from his hand.

Itinaas niya lang ito, making me fail at what I want to do, miserably.

"I don't want to work right now. I have nothing to do. I want to come with you. Saan ka ba pupunta?" he asked. Napapailing na lang ako kasabay ng pagsinghap. "Sa parents mo, right? Let's go."

He opened the door to the driver's seat but I stopped him from coming in. "Don't come with me there."

"And why?"

Humalukipkip ako. "That's just invading too much of my privacy. I told you, my family is out of your business. You have no business coming there, after all, hindi ka naman nila kilala."

He chuckled. "Eh 'di magpapakilala."

I scoffed. "Na ano? Bilang fuck buddy ko?" naiiritang tanong ko.

He gave me a small smile. "I'd tell them we're . . . something."

I sighed in frustration. "Hunter, please stop, okay? Nagsusumigaw ng pagiging multimillionaire ang aura mo. Once malaman nila ang tungkol sa 'yo, they would exploit you to the point that they'll use you to their advantage! I don't want to say these things about them but they are really that kind of people!"

He sighed, looking away. "Then I'd tell them I'm a friend. Okay na?"

Umiling ako at pilit na kinuha ang susi sa kan'ya. "Why do you want to come ba? Hindi nga p'wede. Ayaw ko."

"Bakit kasi ayaw mo?" he asked in his serious tone.

I gulped. "Meeting my parents was the last thing that I wanted to happen to you."

"Bakit nga?"

"Kasasabi ko lang kanina—"

"Or, are you afraid?" he said, stopping me from what I was about to say. He took a step forward but I didn't budge. I tried so hard to fight myself from doing that. "Are you afraid?"

"Afraid of what?" I asked, trying so hard to sound so strong.

"Of what will happen to us when I meet your family."

I scoffed. "Tulad ng?" nakataas ang kaliwang kilay na tanong ko.

"That this situation we are in would be deeper than it is."

I scoffed, laughing, before I tossed my keys to him. "Go drive me, then."

I turned my back to him and started walking away but I went back to face him once again to clear one thing he must've been mistaken for.

"Just to be clear, you are not the first man that my parents met. Nobody, not even once, did a man gave me a reason to make our relationship or the situation we're in be deeper than it ever was. And you won't be one, too, Hunter Santiago."

After I told him that, I marched my way towards the shotgun seat and went inside it, then put on my seatbelts. A few seconds later, Hunter entered the driver's seat, wore his seatbelt before looking at me with a small smile on his lips.

"You are awfully sexy when you called my whole name."

He slightly shook his head before starting the engine. Napailing na lang din ako bago itinuon ang atensiyon sa labas ng sasakyan.

Puro kalibugan.

Habang nasa loob ng sasakyan, tahimik lang kaming dalawa. Habang nagmamaneho siya, kitang-kita at ramdam na ramdam ko ang paulit-ulit na pagsulyap niya sa akin.

"Ano? May sasabihin ka ba?" naiiritang tanong ko.

Tumawa siya. "Ang aga-aga, ang sungit mo."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Paanong hindi? Nangingialam ka na naman."

He chuckled once again. "I just want to drive you. That's all."

"Ulol."

Lalong lumakas ang tawa niya. Hindi ko na siya pinansin pa. Ilang sandali lang, nang humupa na ang tawa niya, tuluyan na niyang itinanong ang bagay na mukhang kanina niya pa gustong itanong sa akin.

"May I ask one thing?" Hindi ako sumagot. "Why are you so against me, helping your parents? Kung kailangan naman nila ng tulong, at kung may maitutulong ako, bakit hindi mo hayaan?"

Lalo akong nawala sa mood dahil do'n. Lumingon ako sa kan'ya nang hindi nagbibigay ng kahit na anong emosyon.

"Hindi ko ba kaya?"

Napakunot-noo siya sa sinabi ko. "What?"

"Hindi ko ba kayang tulungan ang sarili kong magulang, Hunter?"

Kita ko ang pagbabago ng emosyon sa mga mata niya. Kita ko ro'n ang bahagyang pagkataranta niya pero mabilis niya rin namang nabawi. Mahina siyang tumawa.

"I didn't mean that. What I mean is, if I can be of help to you, to lessen the burden, then why don't you just . . . let me?"

I clenched my jaw before I turned my attention to the road. "Hindi ko kailangan ang tulong mo, lalong-lalo na sa usaping pera. Kaya ko. Hangga't nagtatrabaho pa ako, kakain at kakain sila ng tatlong beses sa isang araw, Hunter. I may be a bad daughter for holding grudges against them but I have my reasons and it's none of your business now."

My eyes heated but I stopped myself from crying. This is not enough reason for me to cry. Marami pa siyang hindi nalalaman. If he would found out how my parents ruined our lives, baka pati siya, mamuhi.

If my father did not do all those things . . . if my mother never tolerated him . . . I might've forgiven all those shortcomings they have for me as my parents.

"You know what? I have always been against to the stereotype here in the Philippines about, that."

Napalingon ako sa kan'ya, kunot ang noo. "About what?"

Nagkibit-balikat siya. "'Yang nararamdaman mo. It's not bad to hold grudges or be angry at your parents. They might be the reason why you were born, they might've clothed you, sheltered you, feed you, taught you everything you need to know, but it's not an excuse for you to not feel any anger towards them."

I didn't answer. I looked away, focusing my whole attention to the road.

"You never asked them for you to be born. You never asked anything about that at all. As your parents, it is their sole responsibility to provide all of those things. It's not an excuse or free pass para hindi ka makaramdam ng galit sa kanila. Hindi enough reason na magulang mo kami, wala kang karapatang makaramdam ng galit sa amin kasi that's bullshit. Anger is one of the primary emotions that anyone should feel to be able to tell yourself that you're mentally healthy."

I gulped, trying so hard to stop my tears from falling.

"You should feel angry if they did things that you never liked. You could feel whatever you want to feel to them. It's your rights. Emosyon mo 'yan, eh. You can't even control that." He chuckled slightly. "If I may control myself, I would never want to feel what I feel towards my father."

Napakunot-noo ako bago lumingon sa kan'ya. "What do you mean?"

He looked at me, smiled, before brushing my hair. "Just like what you told me before, my family is out of your business."

After he told me that, he turned his attention to the road and drove quietly.

After an hour of ride, nakarating kami sa bahay ng parents ko. Dala ang mga pagkain at regalo para kay Mama, nag-doorbell kami. Tahimik na naghihintay si Hunter sa tabi ko dala ang paper bags. Hawak ko ang naka-box na cake na binili kanina noong madaan kami sa Conti's, pinipilit ang sarili na ngumiti.

Areeya, ngayon lang. Bigyan mo sila ng magandang ngiti, tutal, birthday naman ng nanay mo.

Ilang sandali lang din, bumukas ang gate. Iniluwa nito si Mama na mukhang masama ang timpla sa umaga pero mabilis na lumawak ang mga ngiti oras na makita ako.

"Areeya, anak!" masayang-masayang sabi niya bago hinawakan ang magkabilang pisngi ko. "Kumusta?"

Ngumiti ako bago yumakap sa kan'ya, hawak pa rin ng kaliwang kamay ang cake. "Happy birthday, 'Ma."

Kumalas sa yakap si Mama bago kinuha ang cake sa kamay ko. "Salamat, anak! Naku! Mabuti at pumunta ka." Lumingon siya sa katabi ko bago muli siyang tumingin sa akin, nagtatanong. "Sino siya?"

Tumingin ako kay Hunter bago ngumiti kay Mama. "Friend ko, 'Ma."

I heard little noises from him after I answered Mama. Gusto ko siyang irapan dahil alam naman niyang nasa kontrata namin na walang p'wedeng makaalam na may namamagitan sa amin, tapos re-react siya ngayon!

"Ohh, nasaan si Leo?"

Lalo akong nakarinig ng mga ingay, kasabay nito ay ramdam ko na ang masasamang titig sa akin ni Hunter nang dahil sa tanong ni Mama. Pilit akong tumawa bago sumagot.

"Busy 'yon, 'Ma. May pinag-aaralang kaso." I faked a laugh. "Pumasok na tayo sa loob. Nasaan si Papa?" tanong ko habang naglalakad kami papasok.

Pinasunod ko na rin si Hunter sa amin. Kita ko pa ang masasamang titig niya sa akin bago tuluyang pumasok. Siya na rin ang nagsara ng gate.

"Hay, nako! Ang tatay mo! Nagpunta na naman doon sa kaibigan dahil may negosyo raw silang pinag-uusapan at balak mag-invest ng ama mo ro'n! Lintik na lalaki 'yan, hindi pa nga bayad sa mga utang doon sa mga naunang pinagkakautangan, nagsisimula na naman!"

Napalingon ako kay Hunter matapos iparinig ni Mama sa kan'ya ang problema ng pamilya namin tungkol sa problema. Mabilis akong nawala sa mood nang dahil do'n. Kilala ko si Mama. She said all those things intentionally—para marinig ni Hunter.

Hunter is like a walking gold—nagsusumigaw ng karangyaan ang aura. Hindi na ako magugulat kung bago matapos ang araw na ito, hihingiin nina Mama at Papa ang tulong niya tungkol sa mga utang nila.

Pilit ulit akong ngumiti bago kami tuluyang nakapasok sa bahay. "Pagsabihan mo nga si Papa. Hindi pa siya magaling, nagbibigay na naman siya ng panibagong dahilan para magkasakit."

Suminghap si Mama bago lumingon sa akin. "Hindi naman nakikinig sa akin ang ama mo. Alam mo naman 'yan," she said before walking towards the kitchen.

I smiled a little. Of course, who would listen to someone you didn't love anymore? This family we have has long been gone—the love they say they feel towards each other before, wala na 'yon. Hindi pa yata ako graduate ng elementary, ramdam kong wala nang pagmamahal ang namamagitan sa pamilya namin.

Hindi ko na lang din maintindihan kung bakit hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin sila naghihiwalay.

"Halika, kumain na muna kayo. Nagluto ako ng breakfast. Dinagdagan ko na! Inasahan kong darating ka, Areeya. Kaya maraming salamat, anak."

Ngumiti na lang ako bago tumango saka naglakad papunta sa dining table. Ipinatong ko ro'n ang box ng cake. Lumingon ako kay Hunter para sana tawagin na siya pero nakita ko siyang tinitingnan ang mga picture frame namin doon na akala mo ba, isa kaming masayang pamilya.

Nagbuntonghininga ako bago lumapit sa kan'ya. Mabilis siyang napalingon sa akin.

"Mukha bang masayang pamilya?" natatawang tanong ko.

He smiled. "Maganda ka pero hindi naman sinungaling ang mga mata mo, kaya hindi talaga mukhang masayang pamilya itong mga nasa picture frame."

Nawala ang mga ngiti ko nang dahil do'n. Kinuha niya ang isang picture frame na may family picture namin noong college graduation ko. May suot akong toga, hawak ang isang bouquet ng bulaklak at diploma. The smiles that the three of us have there were so serious. Hindi ko man lang matawag na ngiti ang mga 'yon.

To think that it was the last family picture that we've taken together . . . parang napipilitan na lang kami.

"You were the saddest person to finish college that time, I bet?" He chuckled. I didn't answer. "But it was familiar."

Napakunot-noo ako bago nag-angat ng tingin sa kan'ya. He only gave me a smile before brushing my hair.

"Let's go. Your mom's calling us."

After he said that, he left me there, staring at the last family picture that I had with my parents. A small smile crept into my lips.

If the situation was different before, if the love never left my parents long ago, would we smile the widest in this photo?