Under the Sky of Diamonds | ✔︎

THIRTY-THREE

⚠️ WARNING: Matured content ahead. Read at your own risk. ⚠️

"JUNIOR," he said with a straight face.

"No! That's ridiculous! Ang pangit!" I countered back before crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"What's wrong with Xydrien Junior as a name?" he asked with a confused look on his face.

"Ang pangit pakinggan!" sigaw ko.

Hindi ko sinasadya na bumaba ang tingin ko mula sa mata niya pababa sa bumubukol niyang hinaharap. I diverted my eyes as my checks burnt with embarrassment. Imagine me calling our baby otter, Xydrien Junior, and then all of a sudden, the otter transformed into a penis. Goodness, that's weird.

I shook my head to remove that thought. I cleared my throat before looking at him straight in his eyes again.

"Kahit ano ang ipangalan natin, 'w-wag lang iyong J-Junior," nauutal kong bigkas habang nag-iinit ang magkabila kong pisngi.

Salamat sa Diyos at mukhang hindi naman niya iniisip ang iniisip ko.

"Then what do you want to name him?"

"Something special," I said before smiling at him. "Something unique. Something memorable."

Something that will connect us forever. A name that will represent the both of us, our love for each other. A representation of something we have made together. A name that will remind us of every catastrophe we have encountered and have surpassed through.

"Dawn."

I looked at him when I came back into my senses. Itatanong ko sana kung ano iyong sinabi niya noong nagsalita ulit siya.

"I would like to name him, Dawn. A representation of light arising from the darkness. It means to start or begin again," aniya habang nakatitig sa akin, kulang na lang ay matunaw ako.

He stepped towards me before cupping my right cheeks and gently caressing it with his thumb.

"He will mark our new beginning. He will remind us about everything, every pain, every tear, every heartbreak, every struggle we have experienced yet he will also remind us of how we fight, how we start again despite everything that has come through our life."

My eyes teared up as I listened to him. He's so genuine, so lovable and so adorable. I encircled my arms on his nape when he leaned down his head and placed his forehead against mine. We closed our eyes with a contented smile on our faces.

"Napakasaya ko," saad niya. "Kahit kailan, hindi ko inisip na magiging ganito tayo. I thought our forced marriage will never work out, but I was wrong . . .so wrong."

"Did you know?" tanong ko sa kaniya.

He hummed as an answer. I recalled our first meeting. Akala ko noon, snob siya at cold, kasi naman habang nakatitig ako sa kaniya wala siyang emosyon habang nakatingin sa akin. Pero hindi naman maitatanggi na kahit mukha siyang snob at masungit, nagmumura ang mukha niya sa kagwapuhan.

"I was actually mesmerized when I first saw you, on our wedding day, I never thought I would marry a handsome man like you," sambit ko bago mahinang natawa.

"So do I. I will be always astonished by your beauty . . . by you," he said before putting a space between us but still our body is connected. "Alam mo bang natatakot ako habang ikinakasal tayo."

Nanatili akong nakatitig sa kaniya habang nagsasalita siya. Tumingin siya sa kamay naming nakasaklop.

"Natatakot ako na baka bigla ka na lang tumakbo palayo at iwan ako sa altar mag-isa. Though I already expected that. Who in their right mind would marry a man whom she didn't even know his name? Akala ko hindi mo ako sisiputin but you came and you stayed and it is all what matters to me," sabi niya habang nanatiling nakatitig sa kamay naming dalawa, kaniyang pinaglalaruan ang aking daliri.