It was thirty minutes past five in the morning when Uno heard someone ring the doorbell of his flat. He just woke up from a not-so-good sleep. His last wish was to be ticked off by anything or anyone. However, when he peeped in the tiny hole by his door, he knew right there and then--it wasn't a granted.

This is why I hated Winnie The Pooh ever since I was in my diaper days! he ranted in mind before he swung the door open to welcome Dos' partner. "What are you--"

"Hi, Uno, good morning." She beamed.

Uno ignored her pleasantry. He simply motioned his hand for her to come in. He didn't bother to ask her if she needed help with the paper bags of McDonald's she was carrying on both hands.

"I wasn't able to introduce myself to you a night ago," she said to him, who closed the door. "I'm Seri."

"Akala ko Winnie," he murmured, inwardly rolling his eyes.

Much to his surprise, the latter must have heard him when she said, "Excuse me? You were saying?"

"Ay, wala!" He smiled. "What brought you here this early, Seri? If you don't mind me asking."

"I'm going to pick up Dos for school. Mind you also that I'd be lodging her starting tonight, so I'd also be taking her things now," Seri said, walking their way to the living room.

He took a hard gulp as he stared at her for seconds, slowly taking in what she meant with her remark.

"Ng-ngayon a-agad?" His breathing was ragged. Heartbeat pulsated at an abnormal pace.

"Yep." She nodded, eyes roaming around his pad. She brushed a finger over the stuffed toys she saw scattered within the area. "Those are Dos', right? I think I should just pack them while waiting for her to wake."

He just watched her do her thing, trying hard not to kill her with his dagger looks at the same time, trying not to think how stupid she was for not taking any bag with her to think she was to help her girlfriend move out.

A few moments later, Seri turned to look at him after taking all the toys intact. "Can I ask you a favor?"

He forced a smile. "What is it?"

"Can I have a few of your eco-bags or huge plastics? I'm so sorry. It got off my mind. Maybe I should just pay for it na lang?"

Ano'ng tingin mo sa 'kin, poor? Bilhin pa kita, eh.

"Nah. You don't have to," he replied before pushing to his feet.

He heard her yell gratitude; he bothered not to reply.

When he trotted back from the kitchen, he suddenly stiffened when he saw Dos wrapped with Seri's arms, so was Seri with Dos'. For some unlabeled cause, he felt the urge to put Seri in the biggest bag he was holding, then driving to MOA seaside to throw her there.

Too much for the imagination, he snapped himself back to his senses. He neared them and forced a loud cough, which caused the two to untangle their arms from each other.

"Oh," he said, handing the bags to Seri.

"Thank you," she said with a wide smile, her right arm snaked on Dos' waist.

"Bayaran mo na pala 'yang mga 'yan. Malayo pa payday, eh." Even he, himself, was surprised when he uttered such a line. But when he saw the disbelief painted all over the faces of the two, he regretted it not. "Did I say something wrong?"

Seri shook her head. "Wala naman. It's just that, payday na this coming Friday. But don't get me wrong, ha? I'll pay for these," she said, lifting the bags. "I just said so because I'm also working. It just happened that I enjoyed school a lot that I'm currently taking a second degree."

Instant beads of cold sweat broke on his back and temples. "Our...company's payday differ from y-yours and the others..."

Seri chuckled, so did Dos.

"If you say so," said Seri. "Anyhow, let's have breakfast. I bought a lot on my way here. I know it's someone's favorite." She gave Dos a knowing look.

Dos poked her on her waist. "Let's eat! Let's go!"

As they reached the dining area, Uno couldn't help to scowl at the view of the two seated in front of him. They were so sweet. They even shared the same cup of chocolate drink when there were three cups on the table; the same tissue when there were a bunch both on the table and in the kitchen cabinet. Seri also unwrapped the rice for Dos, even spread it on her plate, opened the easy-open container of gravy for her, and wiped the already clean utensils for her.

After having their breakfast, it was Seri who offered to clean the mess on the table with which Dos shook a head at, when comparatively Uno nodded his head with. In the end, Seri did what she had volunteered to do--leaving Uno with a chance to talk with Dos.

"You didn't tell me you're leaving today." He sat on the couch when they reached the living room.

"Do I have to?" plain as paper, she replied, occupying the one-seater cushion.

He scoffed. "I lodged you for a month, at least show some gratitude by telling me--"

"Fine. Thank you, Uno. Ok ka na?" Her tone was full of sarcasm.

"What's the matter with you?!"

"What's the matter with me?"

To his dismay, he stormed to his room, shutting the door with a loud thud. He couldn't understand why it pissed him off that she was leaving when in the first place, he wanted her out. Neither could he know why all the same, he doesn't want her to go. Nor why at just a simple glance at Seri, his rage instantly burst more so when she was in a hairbreadth away from Dos.

When he somehow calmed himself, he thought of calling his mother--his only card on hand to stop Dos from leaving.

"What made you call--"

"Dos' leaving my flat with her girlfriend today," he cut her off.

"Oh, she already has a girlfriend?!" his mother replied, more pleased with the news than surprised that he termed it as a girlfriend.

He sprang up from his bed. "Yes, and you're not surp--"

"Then let her move in with her if that's the case! That'll surely make her happy!"

"Ma!" He hastily pulled himself off his bed, slamming a pillow on the floor. "I told you about it because you have to stop her!"

"And why is that? And what's with the high voice? I'm your mother--"

"Didn't you hear me?! I said, you have to stop her! Don't let her move in with that bitch!"

He withdrew a beleaguered breath, a little perplexed and clueless still of why he was acting that way when he knew there was nothing worth throwing a fit at; not even what happened a night ago during Dos' birthday when he acted carelessly.

"Does that mean you fancy my woman...Uno?" Seri asked him. "'Cause if so, I think I should be taking her out of your roofing."

Uno shrugged, took a swig from his bottle, and turned to face her. "Your woman?" he asked in a bored face and tone. "You mean her?" He motioned his bottle in hand to Dos as the receiver of the question nodded. "Then take her. Do you guys need a hand from me to move out of my flat? That's why you're roundabout giving me a heads up of your woman's possible leaving?"

Dos' partner didn't utter a word after. Perhaps she draped her arm around Dos' and placed a chaste kiss on her temple, which made Uno drink the newly-opened liquor straight.

"Son, are you still there?" Nicole broke his reveries. "Did you hear what I said?"

He shook his head though she wouldn't see him. "No, I'm sorry, Mom. I'm just--never mind. What were you saying earlier?"

"Are you being like that because she's moving in--"

"No! Of course--"

"You let me finish first, Magnus." Authority and firmness were etched in her voice. "Come clean to me. Are you being that way because she's moving in with a woman and not with a man? Did your father and I fail to rear you as someone with non-diminishing respect over one's perspective of self? Or did we fail to protect you from stigmas when you came out that you're displacing your anger towards them?"

"I--I'm not...." his voice trailed off, thinking of a believable excuse. "N-neither am I....s-stigmatizing either of them...it's just...it's just that h-her parents asked me t-to roof her, d-didn't they? A-aren't they...supposed t-to permit her first....before she moves out?"

Nicole sighed. "They don't have to."

"You are unbelievable, Ma," Uno argued, disappointed at his mom not caring about Dos' sake.

However, he was able to utter none but silence when his mother went on.

"Son, unlike me and your Papa, her parents don't accept her for what she is-being their reason why they sent her here," Nicole said, voice cracking. "But I know there was something else other than that, for no parents would ever want their child to be so far from their reach-but neither of them disclosed something more to me, nor did I dare to ask because it might be something that should stay only within them. So, please, son, just let her. But don't let her totally slip off your hand, look after her still. 'Cause, it's the same thing I'll do."