IS LOVE ENOUGH?

                                    I

     "That is what's wrong with you. You get jealous even with my own family. You are irrational!" Raul yelled at Samantha.
     "You're giving me reason  to be jealous.  You always put me second to your sister or brother. You forget that since five years  ago I am already your family," Samantha shouted back.
     "Your siblings have their own families, too. They can rely on their spouses or children to do errands for them. Why do they have to call you?"
     "I am just doing them a small favor in gratitude to what they have done for me!" Raul reasoned.
     "Gratitude...gratitude. Until when can you call it even with them?"
     Raul's elder brother and sister together paid for his college education. Raul, himself, worked in the school canteen to earn his allowance. Samantha has heard this story for the nth time. At first she was thankful to his siblings. But over the years, she felt that they have been using this to blackmail Raul into doing them various chores. He has become their bully-boy without his awareness.
     " You're hopeless!" Raul stormed out of the house.
     It wasn't new. He always left in the middle of their arguments.
     Samantha sat on a chair. She suddenly felt very tired and dizzy.
     After drinking a glass of water, she went over to their neighbor's house to fetch Gabby, her baby.
     "So how did it go?" Jen asked.
     Jen was her neighbor-friend. She and her husband couldn't have children so she was happy to take care of  Jay-R and Gabby whenever Samantha was busy.
     "Just looking at you, I can tell that it didn't go well," Jen said. "And your voices yelling can be heard up to here."
     "Sorry. I guess all the other neighbors heard, too," Samantha was embarrassed.
     "Don't worry. Jayy-R didn't  hear anything. He's playing in the other room. "
     "Thanks."
     "So what do you plan to do?"
     " I don't know."
     "The boys can stay with me for a few more hours until you collect yourself."
     "It's okey. I'll take them home. It's time for Gab's bath and milk. Jay--R would be asking for his bedtime story soon. Thanks a lot, Jen."
     "Anytime, Sam."
     Samantha bathed and fed Gabby. Afterwards,  she tucked him in his crib while humming a lullaby.
     Samantha's voice was terrible. Her siblings often teased that her voice was no better that a croaking frog's. But she didn't care. She loved to sing and sing she did whenever she could. Humming a lullaby for her baby felt great.
     Gabby fell asleep after three songs. Samantha watched him with tenderness. He was smiling in his sleep. In fact, he was always smiling. He was an extraordinarily jolly baby. She hoped he would remain jolly throughout his life.
     Jay-R was tugging at her dress.
     "Mama, look! I finished my food."
     "Wow! Very good, honey."
     "Am I a big boy now?"
     " Don't hurry to be a big boy. Mama still wants to hug and kiss you like thus."
     She planted kisses all over his face and neck while he giggled.
     "It's time to wash ip now, little big boy."
    Jay-R ran to his cabinet and took out a blue pajama.
    "Can I wear this?  he asked.
     "Sure, honey. You really like that one, right?"
     Jay-R nodded.
     "Okey, let's get you cleaned up and ready for bed."
     Jay-R's eyes were already droopy but he waited for Samantha's story to finish before kissing her goodnight. Tha's Jay-R. At a young age, he was already keen on finishing whatever was started. Be it a story he's listening to, a show he's watching, or a game he's playing. 
     Samantha's eyes were also getting heavy. Unwillingly, she got out of her dress and changed to pajamas and went to bed. Despite her heavy eyes, she couldn't sleep.  She was so sad and disappointed. She wanted to cry but her eyes were dry. The tears probably got stuck in her heart.

                               II

Earlier that day...

     Samantha tasted the paella. Hmm...It tasted good enough. At least, she hoped, Raul would eat it. He has such discriminating tongue that she found it difficult to please him. Today, she took hours learning how to cook paella as it waa one of his favorites. She downloaded a video clip that gave step-by-step instructions on cooking.
     Done with her cooking, she then arranged the roses she has earlier gathered from her garden into a tall vase. She moved away to view her work. It was perfect.
     She still had half an hour before her husband arrives. She had plenty of time to shower and dress up.
     She chose the red dress that Raul gave her a year ago. It was knee-length and had a wide belt sash.  It wasn't exactly a gift. Rail's friend had bought an oversized dress for his wife so he resold it to Raul to give to her. Regardless the reason, Samantha was happy for the dress. She matched the dress with a white flat sandals that's all she had for Sunday wear and special occasions like today. To finish her look, she dabbed color on her lips and cheeks to hide her paleness.
     Samantha smiled at herself in the mirror. The woman that smoled back was at least five pounds overweight with a second chin starting to show. Her skin was pale and dry. Her eyes were also dull. She looked much older than a 26-year-old.
     Samantha shook her head. No amount of make-up could make her any prettier. She had taken her  appearance for granted after giving birth to het first child.  Being a wife and mother while holding a regular eight-hour job was more than she could handle. She really had no time to spend on herself.
     With barely a minute left, Samantha went out to the balcony to wait for Raul.
     An hour passed. Two hours. Three. At last she heard the hum of his motorbike. But where was he? He couldn't have gone straight to his sister's house just on the adjacent lot. Not again.