Seth's POV
How could that possibly happen? How could the baby look like me when nothing had ever happened between Marian and I? I don't ever recall having sex with her. I wasn't one of those guys who'd have drunk sex with a woman and I never drink beyond my capacity. Paanong magiging akin si Pio?
I felt chills down my spine when I saw the baby's eyes. It was eerily similar to mine. I felt a certain pull towards that little boy. There was this feeling that he belongs to me, that he was a part of me.
Maybe it was just all in my head. Maybe I just wanted to be his father really bad that I was projecting what I wanted and not how it really was.
It was just a weird coincidence. The most logical explanation was that the biological father also had olive eyes. I had never seen Pio's biological father and Marian and I had hardly talk about him.
I felt like my brain was itching with curiosity and I wanted to scratch it out of my head. I felt agitated beyond words. I couldn't bear this annoying feeling in me.
Who the hell is the baby's father?
I had never been curious about the baby's until now. I wanted to know what kind of person he was, I wanted to know what he looked like. This curiosity was killing me.
"Kayo po ba ang ama ng bata?" One of the nurse came up to me as I was sitting on an armchair next to the incubator. Mom and Dad were up in the hospital suite with Marian and I decided to stay here with the baby.
"Yeah." I answered.
"Gusto niyo kayo na po magfill up ng birth certificate niya?" She asked.
"Sure." I answered without hesitating.
She gave me a form to fill up. I wrote Marian's name as the mother of the baby and me as the father.
Pio Timothy Fonacier
Iyon ang pangalan na inilagay ko doon. He was a Fonacier now. He was my son and I was his father and I swore to all Gods, holy and unholy, that nothing and no one could ever take that away from me. I'd do everything in my power to make sure that Pio would grow up feeling loved. He won't ever feel like something is missing in his life. I'd be everything he'd need in a father. I know I'm not a perfect person but I'd do everything in my power to be a perfect dad to him.
Marian's POV
Dahan-dahan kong idinilat ang mga mata ko. Nasa isang puting kwarto ako. I wasn't familiar with the room I was in, this wasn't my room. Sinubukan kong gumalaw at napangiwi ako ng maramdaman ko ang kirot sa tiyan ko.
Napahawak ako sa tiyan ko at wala na akong makapang bukol doon. My baby.
Ang anak ko ang unang pumasok sa isip ko. I was still dazed, still disoriented but the thought of my baby woke my senses up.
"Ang baby ko?"
"O, wag ka munang gumalaw. Baka bumuka ang tahi mo." I was surprised to see tita Liza, Seth's mother. "Nasa NICU ang bata, binabantayan ni Seth."
"Okay lang ba siya?" May pag-aalalang tanong ko.
"Oh he's beautiful" tita Liza's eyes glimmered. "Ang gwapo gwapo ng apo ko, kamukhang kamukha niya si Seth noong baby pa siya."
I swallowed, putting moisture into my throat. Does he really look like his father? May alam na ba sila? Alam na ba ni Seth?
"Gusto ko pong makita ang baby ko." Mahinang sabi ko.
"Sandali at magpapatawag ako ng nurse." tita Liza said.
Pumasok ang isang nurse sa kwarto na may dalang wheelchair. Inalalayan nila akong tumayo sa kama para makaupo sa wheelchair. The nurse wheeled me out of the room and took me to the NICU.
Mula sa malaking bintana sa labas ng kwarto nakita ko si Seth na nakaupo sa tabi ng incubator. He had his elbow on the armchair at salo-salo ang ulo niya. He was asleep. I turned my gaze to the baby and I felt a pang of pain when I saw him inside the incubator. There were wires stuck to his chest and a plastic tube was attached to his nose.
It broke my heart to see my baby like that.
I asked the nurse to take me inside of the room. Itinulak niya ang wheelchair papasok at hininto iyon sa tabi ng incubator. Nakita ko ng malapitan ang baby ko.
He really did look like Seth. Kuhang-kuha ng anak ko ang hubog ng mga mata ni Seth, ang ilong niya pati ang mga labi. Hindi ko na napigilan ang mapaluha ng makita ko siya.
Ipinasok ko ang kamay ko sa bilog na butas sa gilid ng incubator para mahawakan siya. His skin felt so warm and soft and fragile.
"Hi baby." Nanginginig ang boses na sabi ko. "Ako ang mommy mo. Magiging okay ka. Makakalabas ka din d'yan. Mahahawakan din kita. Hang in there, okay?"
The baby flinched when I touched his chubby cheek. He moved his tiny little limbs as I stroked his face.
Pakiramdam ko kasalanan ko ito kung bakit siya nandito ngayon. Siguro karma ko ito sa ginawa ko.
"Marian?" Narinig ko ang boses ni Seth at napalingon ako sa kinauupuan niya. "Are you okay now? How are you feeling?"
"Ano'ng nangyari sa baby natin? Bakit nandyan siya?" I asked as more tears fell from my eyes.
Agad na tumayo si Seth at lumapit sa akin. He cupped my face and wiped my tears away with his thumb. "Shh... he's going to be okay."
"Eh bakit nga nandyan siya?" Humihikbing sabi ko. "Kasalanan ko ito eh!"
"It's not your fault. He'll be out in no time. Inoobserbahan lang siya." He said soothingly.
"Hindi kasalanan ko ito!" I felt like I had no control over my feelings. I kept crying and sobbing. "This is my punishment. I'm so sorry, Seth. I'm so sorry."
"Hey, hey... you have nothing to be sorry for. Everything will be okay. Magiging okay si Pio. The doctor said so." He said, stroking my hair.
"I did something bad. I should've told you this before pero natakot ako."
"Marian..." He said, almost in a whisper as if he just ran out of breath. "What are you talking about?"
"Seth, ikaw ang ama niya." Mahinang sabi ko. "I know it's hard to believe but he's your son."
Inilayo niya ang mga palad niya na kanina'y hawak ang mukha ko. He stepped away from me as if he'd touch something hot. Napasapo siya sa ulo at hinilot ang sentido.
He paced back and forth. He was still trying to absorb what I just said.
"H-how did that happen?" He asked. "Paanong nangyaring anak ko siya kung walang nangyari sa atin?"
"I stole your semen."
"What?" He paused, looking at me as if I was crazy. I couldn't blame him. Isang malaking kabaliwan ang ginawa ko.
"Nakuha ko iyon sa condom na nagamit mo. Hindi ko naman akalain na mabubuntis ako. I was desperate, I wanted a baby so bad." I explained, swallowing my sobs. "Alam kong mahirap paniwalaan pero iyon ang totoo. I never regret having him and I don't know what I would do if he gets taken away from me."
Katahimikan.
"Seth, I'm so sorry." I reached out to touch him but he flinched away from me. "Seth?"
He tightly closed his eyes and opened it. "I - I need some time to think."
