Chapter 07: Massage

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#HHFM Chapter 07:

Massage

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"Move it a little to the left—ang sabi ko, left, Finnigan!"

I tried to hold back my laughter as I watched Ryo's parents setting up the Christmas tree. Two of their househelps were helping them as they tried to put up the huge tree beside their grand staircase. I wanted to help but Tita Rayi's already arguing with me when I merely touched the pack of Christmas balls.

It would not be tiresome, but maybe it was my 18-week big tummy that makes them worry too much. Sabi nga ni Ryo ay hindi naman daw ako masyadong tumataba, but my baby bump looked huge already. Kinatatakot niya rin na baka raw kapag lumaki pa ay matanggal iyon sa akin at bumagsak sa bigat dahil hindi raw gaanong malaki ang katawan ko para dito.

Ryo's been busy since the day he got drafted. For three weeks, he had been beating himself up, practicing all day, and he would go home so late. Pinagagalitan siya ni Tita dahil halos matulog na nga lang daw ang gawin niya sa bahay. He said it's difficult to adjust to new teammates, so he had to make extra effort.

Lagi siyang mukhang pagod tuwing uuwi. Whenever he would check up on me, I would always notice his eyebags and the tired slump of his shoulders. I made sure not to bother him whenever my late-night cravings would kick in. Sigurado kasi akong bagsak siya sa kama niya at ayaw ko namang makaabala sa tanging oras ng pahinga niya.

I wasn't sure whether he took the two-year contract or he settled for a short-term per-cup option. Ngunit base sa pagkakakilala ko sa kaniya, he probably chose the latter even if I didn't agree to it. Hindi naman iyon nakikinig.

Sa office, hindi na rin sikreto ang pagbubuntis ko. No matter how big of a coat I would wear, the baby bump kept on showing. So, my co-workers had always been extra careful with me since they knew about it, as if it would hurt my wrists and fingers when I type or it would affect the baby. Siyempre, may mga nagtanong din tungkol sa tatay, but I always answered them with a smile or a shrug. Thankfully, they got the idea that I didn't want to share it with them so no one bothered to ask me again. The perk of being pregnant is that every Monday, someone would always bring me a bowl of fruits. Hindi ko alam kung pinag-usapan ba iyon ng mga ka-team ko kung sino ang magdadala every week pero laging mayroon.

Nate knows. Hindi ko alam kung preoccupied lang ba siya masyado sa December issue namin kaya hindi niya masyadong inuusisa, o sadyang ayaw niya lang ding makialam. Nothing changed, except sa hindi na niya ako inaalok ng kapeng dala niya tuwing umaga. Normal pa rin naman ang pakitutungo niya sa akin, though I would catch him looking at my baby bump sometimes. He wouldn't just say anything.

Feeling ko, may pakiramdam siyang si Ryo ang ama ng dinadala ko. He's aware that Ryo's the only boyfriend I had since college. I appreciated him for not asking, though. Last week, he even brought a bag of grapes to my work desk. Ryo kept on murdering the innocent fruit I was eating with his glares while we were on our way home.

"Alis na kami, 'My." I fought the urge to smile when Ryo kissed Tita's cheek. We're going to the doctor today. At kahit na halata ko ang antok sa mga mata niya at bahagyang pagngiwi sa sakit ng katawan ay kita ko rin na mas magaan ang pakiramdam niya ngayon. I had thoughts of going to the checkup alone, but I figured that he would be mad if I did, so I didn't go with the idea. Mukha ngang tamang desisyon iyon dahil kahit paano ay nagmukha siyang tao ngayon. Nasasanay na yata ang mata ko na lagi siyang mukhang pagod at wala sa mood. It's nice seeing him in a better mood.

"Pustahan tayo," aniya habang naglalakad kami papunta sa sasakyan niya. His hands kept on doing little rubs on my lower back, a habit that he formed for the past weeks.

Fleeting MomentsTahanan ng mga kuwento. Tumuklas ngayon