Chapter 48

Rhainne Jhammira Alethea Lopez

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Nagising akong kasal na ako. The fuck. I didn't expect that to come and oh yeah pakana ito ng magaling kong Mommy kahit si Mama nagulat ng bigla nalang daw siyang hilahin ni Mom para ipasuot sakanya ang dress sabay bigay nung invitation. Ako naman ay walang nagawa kundi ang pumunta doon.

Naramdaman ko naman ang pagsiksik saakin nitong asawa ko. Oo guys asawa ko na siya kahapon pa

Tuwang tuwa siyang makita ako na nag aabang sakanya sa altar, even though I wanted that thing to stop for a while hindi ko magawa because Mom would kill me. Hindi naman sa ayaw ko pero masyado pang maaga.

And yes this is my first day as a married girly. I still can't believe it. Nagulat nalang ako kahapon na pinasuot niya nalang ako ng gown at dinala sa simbahan.

Not that romantic. Pero okay narin at least asawa ko na siya diba?

Well, I'm going to marry her again, soon.

"Good morning wifey" I whispered at her and kissed her forehead agad naman sumilay saakin ang napakaganda nitong muka na ngayon ay nakangiti and suddenly she kissed me—kagabi pa yan siya.

And if you're wondering if where we are. Of course nasa bahay niya. Hindi ko pa siya madala sa bahay ko kasi ipapalinis ko palang ito. Hindi ko naman kasi ineexpect na aasawahin niya ako—agad.

"Come on let's get up na. Mag breakfast pa tayo and we still have class"

Agad naman akong naglakad papuntang bathroom para mag toothbrush. While I was brushing my teeth I suddenly feel her behind me—backhug.

She's so clingy.

____

"Anyare diyan?" tanong ko kay Jenaiah dahil nakabusangot si Rayla

"Magpakasal daw kayo ulit kasi hindi daw ready yung outfit niya. Baka daw pukpukin ka niya ng heels" kwento nito kaya natawa naman si Amrielle

"Dahil lang don?"

"Hoy Ulan anong Lang? Fuck you! Ampanget ng aurahan ko don! Malay ko bang ikakasal ka ng hinayupak ka!" Sigaw nito kaya agad kong tinakpang ang bunganga niyang napakaingay

Letche ipagsigawan ba namang kasal na ako. Hindi naman sa hindi ako proud sa asawa ko. I'm just not ready to announce it yah know

"Kadiri naman ang kamay Ulan!" reklamo nito

I rolled my eyes on her.

"You're so loud"

"Ayan na yung asawa mo"

Sinundan ko naman ang tingin nito at bumungad saakin ang asawa kong nakasuot ng skirt.

Gosh nothing changed she still love wearing those kind of clothes.

Agad siyang lumapit sa table namim at naupo sa tabi ko kasama niya rin mga kaibigan niya

"I miss you" she whispered

Juskooo! Kahit ba naman dito!

Nakatingin na pala sa pwesto naman ang ibang estudyante. Asan na ba si Yana?

"Bawal PDA dito Ulan" bulong ni Amrielle saakin

PDA? Pinagsasabi nito?

"What are you talking about?"

Tinuro niya naman ang kamay ko na ngayon ay hawak ni Celine.

"Tsk Inggit ka lang" asik ko dito kaya sinamaan ako nito ng tingin

"What do you want to eat?" tanong ko dito, dapat bilang mabuting asawa ay pinagsisilbihan natin ang asawa natin.

"I want vegetables and fruits" kunot noo naman akong tumingin sakanya

Anong meron? Bakit parang healthy food ang kinakain niya? I mean dati balance naman kinakain niya pero ngayon mas madami ang gulay niya.

"Okay I'll be back" hindi ko nga pala siya pwedeng halikan dito.

"Ako Ulan di mo ba ako bibilhan?" pilyang tanong ni Amrielle

"Asawa ba kita?"

Tumawa naman ang mga kasama namin kasama na doon sila Ma'am Ria and Ma'am Angelie

Agad akong pumili at mabilis naman ito kaya agad ko ring nakuha ang order ko.

"Wow sweet naman. Ang dating tigre ngayon pusa nalang" oh gosh kelan ba to titigil si Amrielle

"Bahala ka diyan Amrielle, pag ikaw talaga walang mauwian ewan ko nalang sayo" it's Rayla, naiiling pa ito

"I'm just joking, diba Ulan" alanganin nitong sabi.

I rolled my eyes on her

"Eat" utos naman nitong katabi ko na asawa ko

"Bakit biglaang healthy kinakain mo?"

I can't stop my curiosity.

"Because next week we're going to hospital" sagot nito

Kunot noong tumingin ako sakanya

Hospital? Why?

"Ha? May sakit ka?"

"No. We're going there for IVF"

Ano daw?

IVF?

SERYOSO BA SIYA?!

kahit wala akong kinakain para akong nasamid

"W-what?"

"You don't have a choice settled na ang lahat"

Bakit parang lumalabas na planado ang lahat simula sa pag papakasal?

___

I was here in her office at hanggang ngayon ay iniisip ko pa rin yung IVF na sinasabi niya. It's been 4 days since she said that.

And guess what? Ngayon na yung araq kung saan pupunta kaming hospital for her IVF. Yes dumaan lang kami dito sa university para mag paalam kay Mom and Mama.

What the fuck is happening to my life?

Parang nung nakaraan ay biglaan akong ikinasal ngayon naman ay biglaan akong magkakaron ng anak?

Ang bata ko pa.

The drive to the hospital was quiet, the kind of quiet that wasn’t comfortable but wasn’t exactly tense either. She sat beside me, staring out the window, her hands resting on her lap. I wanted to say something—anything—but the words just wouldn’t come.

When we arrived, the sterile smell of the hospital hit me instantly. Nurses and doctors moved around us with purpose, their faces calm and unreadable. She clutched the folder of documents tighter, her steps steady even though I could feel the nervous energy radiating off her.

We checked in, sat in the waiting area, and suddenly, the enormity of everything started to sink in. I looked at her profile—calm, composed—and wondered how she could be so steady when I felt like I was barely holding it together.

The nurse called her name, and she stood up, flashing me a small, reassuring smile before following the nurse down the hall. I stayed behind, my hands fidgeting, my thoughts racing.

What if this actually works? What if, in a few months, there’s a tiny life in our hands—completely dependent on us? Could I even be a good parent? Would I ruin this child’s life before it even began?

Minutes felt like hours. Finally, she came back, looking exhausted but somehow relieved.

“It’s done,” she said softly, sitting beside me. “Now, we wait.”

And just like that, a new kind of waiting began—one filled with hope, fear, and the quiet understanding that life as we knew it was about to change forever.

After the procedure, we walked out of the hospital into the crisp afternoon air. She looked tired but serene, her steps slower than usual. I glanced at her and said, “Do you want to grab some food or something? Or Date?”

She blinked at me, surprised, before a soft smile broke across her face. “A date? After all that?”

I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “Why not? Baka sa susunod na buwan di na tayo makaganto dahil may anak na tayo sa tiyan mo?”

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

We ended up at a small, cozy café tucked into the corner of a quiet street. It wasn’t fancy, but it had this warm, inviting vibe that felt perfect for the moment. The soft hum of conversations and the clinking of plates filled the air as we slid into a booth by the window.

The waiter handed us menus, and I couldn’t help but notice how she was gazing at the desserts section like it held the answers to all life’s questions.

“You can get dessert first, you know,” I teased, grinning.

She laughed, the sound was light and genuine, and it felt like the first time in a while that things weren’t so heavy between us. “Maybe I will but you know it's not healthy for the baby” she shot back, raising an eyebrow.

We ordered a mix of comfort food and indulgent desserts—pasta for her, a burger for me, and a towering slice of chocolate cake to share. As we ate, we talked about the most random things—her favorite childhood TV show, the weirdest food I’d ever eaten, and even what we’d name a kid if it came to that.

“Rumi Chiara, maybe?” I suggested, twirling a fry between my fingers.

“Rumi Chiara's nice,” she said, her eyes softening. “But what about something for a boy?”

I nodded, trying to picture it—a little version of us running around, with a name we chose together. It was surreal, but for the first time, it didn’t feel completely terrifying.

"Hmm maybe, Royce Cassian"

By the time we left the café, the sky had turned a warm orange, the sun dipping low on the horizon. We walked back to the car in comfortable silence, her hand brushing against mine. I hesitated for a moment before lacing my fingers with hers.

She glanced at me but didn’t pull away.

And for a fleeting moment, as the world softened around us, I thought that maybe—just maybe—this whirlwind of a life we were thrown into could work out after all.

Maybe kaya nangyari to kasi kailangan niyang mangyayari. Pero ang bilis pa rin

Maybe we'll be happy with our little one.