Separated

Chapter 12

"Mr. Faulkerson! I thought we were doing a couples' session today?" The doctor greeted.

Rj nodded. "Yes, doc. Kaso Maine's OB ordered her on complete best rest for the next two weeks. I wanted to cancel na nga po, pero Maine insisted I go. Feeling niya mababaliw na ako sa pagbabantay sa kanya."

He explained that Maine, 32 weeks pregnant,  started bleeding a few days ago and though they were assured that the baby is fine, she was ordered to be on bed rest. He has taken the next two weeks off as well, except for endorsement shoots - but even then, his handler had his phone on standby all the time and he requested the team to allow him to leave, if necessary.

"So, how are you, Mr. Faulkerson? What did you want to discuss today?"

"Actually, nothing specific. Parang check up lang siguro? Okay kami eh. Okay na okay."

"Do you still worry that she'll leave?"

Rj pondered this for a minute. "Not so much. Sometimes, I wonder if magigising nalang ako and dream pala lahat - na hiwalay pa din pala kami. Pero, lately, common mag-asawa problems yung issues namin. And that's a good thing in my book."

"She got so mad at me about two months ago. Nagtatampo na kasi siya na busy ako that week and nagseselos ng konti dun sa ka-partner ko sa Teleserye. Pero normal lang yun kasi she was really feeling insecure about her looks that time. Eh one day, I was out of reach the whole day because of taping and I came home late. Nung pauwi na kami, ang dami nang messages sa phone ko. Uwi na daw ako, iyak ng iyak si Meng... Galing sa parents and mga kapatid namin."

"When I got home, she was packing bags..."

*

"Meng? Ano 'to? Anong nangyayari? Why are you crying? Mabigat yan! Don't kasi. Ano ba?"

"Anong 'ano ba?'?! I saw the letter from your lawyers! Itutuloy mo yung annulment?" She was almost screaming.

"What?! No, wait. Let me explain. Can you please stop crying? Baby, baka makasama sa baby natin yan."

"Yung baby iniisip mo? Eh bakit mo ako hihiwalayan?!" She started throwing pillows at him.

Somehow, he managed to come close enough to her and envelope her in a hug. "Wag mo akong sikuhin, aray! Pano ako mageexplain." He rubbed her back and cooed to her. "Hindi naman kasi annulment yung papers na yun. Sana binuksan mo. Nag-open kasi ako ng trust fund para kay baby and may mga legal documents that I wanted them to explain to me. Wag ka ma umiyak. Madali lang naman kasi i-explain yun. Hindi na dapat pinalaki eh."

"Pano ieexplain eh hindi ka sumasagot ng phone?"

"Sorry na! Hindi namin lahat napansin eh."

"Rj."

"Yes?"

"I want ice cream."

He smiled, used to her sudden mood shifts these days. "Okay, we have pa yung favorite mo. Pero konti lang ha? "

Once he was sure she had calmed down, he asked, "So ang solution ba dun maglayas na naman?"

Maine frowned. "Actually, gamit mo yung mga nasa bag eh."

"Papalayasin mo ako?"

"Hmmm it crossed my mind. But, no, we said we'd make this work so kahit na I felt hurt nung akala ko you were pushing through with the annulment, I decided that we will work on this, Mister."

"And you were packing my bags because..."

"I fixed your things first, then I was going to get to mine. I thought that getting you out-of-town for a few days could help us. But, now that I know wala pala problem, how about you take me to the beach na din because you made me cry?"

"OA kasi magreact."

*

"She locked me out of our room and made me sleep sa guest room." Rj chuckled. "Pero nung morning, she prepared my baon. Tapos may note saying sorry. I took her to the beach din kasi may kasalanan din naman ako. Lesson learned - wag hiritan si Buntis. Pero yun. After that, parang... Parang kampante na ako doc?"

"I can't wait until our baby arrives! Sobrang excited na ako to be a dad and take care of the baby and help Meng raise our child. Everyday, nagdadasal ako na puro thank you kasi I never thought all this would be given to us."

"Also, I know nahihirapan na si Meng, she just doesn't say anything because she doesn't want me to worry. Pero kita ko. Kaya I always pray maging okay lahat sa delivery and everything else."

Just then, his mobile phone rings.

Mr. Faulkerson has to cut the session short as his wife has requested that he come back home soonest. He spent a few more minutes sharing some details - they are having a girl; they were debating about the nursery they were decorating (he wanted everything pink, Maine violently refuses this and he gives in); he has banned her from checking the internet on possible complications because he doesn't want her to worry. He constantly talks about how he thinks Maine will be a great mother. He is still so deeply enamored with his wife and from what I could tell, is already head-over-heels in love with his daughter.