War of Hearts

Special Chapter: A story of Hope

Tagaktak ang pawis namin ni Mare nang sumalampak kami sa kama ng kuwarto namin dito sa penthouse. Kakagaling lang namin sa site kung saan on-going ang construction ng bahay namin sa may Quezon City.

We agreed that we should build our own house instead of living in our penthouse. Yes, it may be ergonomic for us given that it saves time for our travel to work but it's not worth it when we have a huge family at our backs.

Naaawa si Mare sa kanyang kapatid na si Keith dahil mag-isa na lang siya sa buhay. Ang palagi na lang niyang kasama sa bahay ay si Papa. Napagdesisyunan naming mag-asawa na isama na lang si Papa at Keith sa bahay na pinapagawa namin, para na rin maalagaan ni Keith at Papa ang anak namin ni Mare.

We're always busy with our duty as a doctor. Mare decided to pursue her pediatric residency at St. Alphonsus de Liguori Hospital where I also work in.

Minsan ay nagkakasabay kaming pumasok at sabay din ang out namin. May mga pagkakataon naman na out na ko sa duty, siya namang simula ng duty niya. It's really hard for us to spend our time together but we have to synchronize our parental and medical duty.

Now that we are busy with the construction of our house, madalas kaming nagkakasama.

Nakapikit ang mata ni Mare habang palalim nang palalim ang kanyang paghinga. She is about to fall asleep when I scooped her for a cuddle.

Bahagyang dumilat siya at dumaan ang matamis na ngiti sa kanyang labi. I kissed her lips before I rested my chin on her head. Humarap siya sa akin para mayakap din ako.

She nuzzled her nose on my chest. "I miss this." Mahina niyang bulong.

Napabuntong-hininga ako sa sinabi niya dahil tama siya. Lalo na ako. I am one step away to being a consultant that's why I am working extra hard.

Mare is cool with her job dealing with little kids but she's sometimes annoyed already. Makulit na nga si Adam, dadagdag pa ang makukulit niyang pasyente. It's actually fun seeing her sulk whenever she has the chance to cross paths with me in the hospital.

"Shall we book a trip for two months?" I suggested.

Nawala ang antok ni Mare sa pamimilog ng kanyang mata. Gulat na gulat.

"Two months?! That's too much, Earl! One week nga lang, na gu-guilty ako. At tapusin mo na ang dissertation mo para maging consultant ka na!" Nagpupuyos na saad ni Mare.

I chuckled at her cuteness.

Oh, she wouldn't be my wife if she isn't a brat. "My defense is next week. It'll be quick. Then we can have our vacation."

"Eh paano naman yung bahay?"

"Keith can check it from time to time."

She glared at me for pushing the vacation plan.

"Huwag muna natin isipin yang bakasyon. Isipin mo muna ang defense mo sa next week." Umahon siya sa pagkakahiga kaya bahagya akong nalungkot at nagtampo.

I pouted my lips when she did that. I want to hug her and because she doesn't want to cuddle with me, I cuddled with her pillow instead.

Napailing siya sa ginawa ko at tuluyan nang tumayo at naglakad patungong banyo.

I reached for my phone and looked at my schedule. It's hectic as fuck but I don't care if it gets delayed for two months. Mostly, they are business-related. Kaya na ni Cedric at Haniel 'yon.

"I'm busy." Unang sinabi agad ni Axel nang tawagan ko siya.

I let a low laugh at what he said. "Busy with your wife?"