The Man Of Her Dreams (COMPLETE)

Epilogue - 1

SEVEN YEARS LATER

ARAW NG MGA PATAY

"Daddy, uuwi na ba tayo?"

Nilingon ni Rohan ang anak na nagtanong. He was in the driver's seat and was starting the engine of his car. Nasa likod ng sasakyan ang dalawang anak nila ni Jace.

They had a son and a daughter, nine and seven years old respectively. It was his son, Derek, who asked him the question.

"Nope," he answered as he maneuvered the car. "May dadalawin pa tayong puntod."

"Kanino?" curious na sabat ni Alessa, ang anak niyang babae.

"Uy, mag-iingat kayong dalawa riyan sa likod. Huwag malikot, okay?" si Jace na nilingon ang dalawang anak. His wife was seated beside him. "Ikabit n'yo nga 'yang seatbelts n'yo. Safety first, okay?"

"Yes, Mommy..." sabay na sagot ng magkapatid at sinunod ang utos ng ina.

Hindi na niya nasagot ang tanong ni Alessa. They were already on the road and he was tailing behind rows of cars that filled the roads of the cemetery. Ang daming tao sa paligid. People were busy visiting the graves of their dead loved ones.

Kakatapos lang nilang bisitahin ang puntod ng kanyang ina. Nandoon ang kanyang mga kapatid kasama ang nakagisnan niyang ama. Hindi na masama ang loob niya kay Felix.

Matagal na niyang natanggap ang lahat, and they had moved on since then. He had his biological father, John, who made him feel loved during the remaining days of his life. Kanina ay dinalaw din nila ang puntod ng ama. John, after battling cancer for a long time already, succumbed to death a year ago. But he died happy.

Mula nang kilalanin siya nitong anak ay itinalaga siya nitong tagapagmana. And his father entrusted the management of Sy Group of Companies to him. He had a handful of companies to manage now aside from his company, but he wasn't complaining. Kayang-kaya naman niyang i-handle ang pressure at i-manage ang kanyang panahon.

He maneuvered the car to go south of the cemetery. Nandoon kasi ang susunod na pupuntahan nila. Last year, they had been there, too, visiting a close friend.

Ipinarada ni Rohan ang kanyang mamahaling SUV sa harapan ng isang mausoleo. May mga tao sa loob. Nakita sila ng mga batang dumating at lumabas ang mga ito sa mausoleo at masaya silang sinalubong. His children excitedly opened the door of the car when they saw their playmates.

Napangiti na lamang si Rohan. Derek and Alessa happily greeted the three little girls who looked cute in their uniformed pink and white striped dresses and pigtails.

"Tito Rohan, Tita Jace!" sabay-sabay na bati ng tatlong bata nang makita silang lumabas ni Jace sa sasakyan. Lumapit ang mga ito sa kanilang mag-asawa at isa-isang hinalikan sila sa pisngi bilang pagbati.

"How are you girls?" si Jace na tuwang-tuwa sa tatlo.

"We're fine, Tita Jace!" sabay-sabay na sagot ng mga ito.

He just looked in amusement. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin niya alam kung sino si Violet, Verna at Venice sa tatlo. They looked really identical and wore same set of clothes. And they were inseparable, too.

"Rohan! Jace!"

Tumingin siya sa pintuan ng mausoleo at nakita si Diadem na palabas at palapit sa kanila. Kasunod nito si Vince.

"Buti naman at napadalaw kayo," si Diadem na kaagad na nagbeso-beso sa kanila ni Jace. "Come, let's go inside. We have food there."

"Galing din kami sa puntod ni Mama, Diadem. My siblings were there, too, and we had a feast as well. Busog pa kami," sagot niya. "Children, let's go inside," tinawag niya ang mga bata na abala na sa pakikipaglaro sa isa't-isa.

Pumasok sila sa loob. Inakay ni Jace sina Derek at Alessa samantalang hinawakan naman ni Vince sa dalawang kamay ang dalawa sa triplets. The other one ran inside the mausoleum.

Vince looked every inch a doting father as he attended to his girls. He couldn't imagine his pal to be a hands on father to triplets. Derek was already two years old when he got to know his son for the first time. He didn't experience changing his diaper as he pooped. But he experienced that with Alessa.

Surely, it wasn't easy to be a parent. Nandoon ang magising silang mag-asawa ni Jace sa gabi dahil ayaw matulog ni Alessa. O iyong kailangan nilang bumangon upang padedein ang bata o palitan ang diaper nito. It was exhausting, and he just couldn't imagine Vince acting as a doting parent to three little children.

Aligaga na nga sila noon ni Jace kay Alessa, paano pa kaya sina Diadem at Vince na tatlong bata ang inaasikaso? Though they get help from nannies but they were really hands on parents. He never heard Vince complained. He seemed so happy taking good care of his children. He even took a break from work so he could help Diadem take care of their kids.

Family had been Vince's priority for the last seven years. Talo pa nga yata siya nito. When it came to fatherhood, he had to give it to his friend.

Humingi sila ni Jace ng kandila kay Diadem at isa-isang binigyan sila nito, maging ang kanilang dalawang anak. Nagtirik sila ng kandila sa dalawang puntod na nasa loob ng mausoleo. Puntod iyon ng tunay na ina ni Vince at ni Winona. Vince housed their remains in one place.

"Uuwi na ba kayo maya-maya?" tanong niya, partikular na kay Diadem.

"Dadaan pa kami sa puntod nina Mama at Papa, Rohan," she was referring to Cecilia and Roberto's graves. "Dito kasi kami unang dumiretso eh."

He looked at his watch. "So papaano, dumaan lang kami ha? We won't take long. We have to go now."

"Salamat sa pagdalaw, Rohan..." si Vince na inayos ang kandila na natumba.

"Kids, magpaalam na kayo at aalis na tayo," baling niya sa dalawang anak.

"Bye Tita Diadem, Tito Vince..." Derek and Alessa hugged and kissed Diadem and Vince. Nagpaalam din ang mga ito sa triplets.

Inahatid sila ng buong pamilya hanggang sa kanilang sasakyan. "Bye Tito, Tita, Violet, Verna, Venice!" si Alessa na kumakaway sa nakabukas na bintana ng sasakyan habang paalis sila.