Maagang nagising si Jenneth, pero hindi muna siya tumayo at hinintay muna na magising si Darlene. Baka kasi magtaka ang bata at mag-alala dahil hindi pamilyar ang silid na kinaroroonan nito ngayon. Jenneth just watched the child sleep peacefully.
Napangiti si Jenneth. Darlene really resembles her mother a lot. As in. Para itong miniature version ni Kristine. Maybe it's because she's a memoire of some sort of the late beauty? Na kahit wala na si Kristine ay nandoon naman si Darlene bilang ala-ala nito sa mga mahal nito sa buhay, partikular na kay Kenneth.
And then, Jenneth suddenly thought, what if hindi sila naghiwalay ni Ryan noon? May anak na rin kaya silang dalawa na katulad ni Darlene? Maybe. Maybe, their child will be Darlene's best friend. Parang sina Kenneth at Ryan. Parang magkapatid. Si Darlene at si Honey Shereen.
But destiny has other plans, it seems. Hindi nga sila nakatadhana ni Ryan. Hindi nakatadhanang mapanganak si Honey Shereen. Jenneth likes that name. Sadly, she cannot use it to name her future child. Baka ano pa ang isipin ni Ryan kapag nagkataon.
Nagdilat na ng mata si Darlene at kagaya ng inaasahan ay nagulat ito nang makita kung nasaan sila.
"Sa kabilang room tayo natulog, Lene," Jenneth told her.
"Si Tita Sam po?" tanong nito.
"Sa kabilang room siya natulog. Medyo hindi kasi maganda ang pakiramdam niya," ang sabi na lamang ni Jenneth. "Halika! Maghilamos ka na muna sa bathroom para makababa na tayo."
Pumunta silang dalawa sa may banyo at naghilamos. Kumpleto din ang banyong iyon sa toiletries kaya hindi na nila kinailangan pang bumalik sa kanilang silid. Pagkatapos ay bumaba na sila sa may kusina.
Pagbaba nila sa kusina ay nadatnan nila doon sina Kenneth at Ryan. Kaagad na nilapitan ni Darlene ang ama. Pagkatapos noon ay si Ryan naman ang pinuntahan nito.
"Si… Sam?" Kenneth asked Jenneth.
Tumingin muna si Jenneth kay Ryan bago sumagot. "Sa kabilang kuwarto kami natulog ni Darlene. Doon ko na pinadala si Darlene kagabi."
Hindi na nagtanong pa si Kenneth. He just looked at Ryan as if confirming Jenneth's answer. Tumango na lamang si Ryan for confirmation.
"So… who likes pancakes?" tanong na lamang ni Ryan to divert the situation.
"Ako po!" excited na sagot naman ni Darlene.
"Then dig in!" paanyaya naman ni Ryan sa tatlo.
Excited na kumain si Darlene. Wala namang magawa si Kenneth kundi ang asikasuhin ang anak. Nagkatinginan naman sina Ryan at Jenneth, wari'y gustong pag-usapan kung ano na nga ba ang gagawin nila sa sitwasyon. Noon naman dumating si Samantha.
Kaagad na napatayo si Kenneth. "Sam…"
Jenneth saw Ryan stopping Darlene from going to Samantha or even speaking. May iba kasi sa aura ni Samantha nang mga sandaling iyon.
"Pwede ba tayong mag-usap?" tanong ni Samantha kay Kenneth, na parang walang ibang taong naroon kundi silang dalawa lang.
Napatingin naman si Kenneth sa tatlong kasama.
"Iyong tayong dalawa lang," Samantha said.
Walang nagawa si Kenneth kundi ang sumang-ayon na lamang. "Of course."
Napatayo na si Ryan. "Lalabas na lang kami."
"No! Stay here," pigil ni Samantha dito. "Eat. Kami ang lalabas."
Tumango na lamang si Ryan. Nang biglang may nag-doorbell. Si Ryan na rin ang pumunta sa pintuan at nagbukas noon.
"Sino po kaya ang bisita natin?" Darlene managed to ask.
"Baka yung caretaker lang," ani Jenneth.
But it wasn't. Ryan was surprised to see who it is. He doesn't know who it was. There was this tall guy wearing a black leather jacket with white t-shirt and grey denim pants. Who would wear a leather jacket sa Pilipinas? Kahit na malamig ay hindi naman ugali ng mga Pinoy ang mag-leather jacket. Iyon ay kung action star ka siguro.
"Hi! Is this Dr. Victor de Villa's rest house?" tanong ng bagong dating.
"Yes…" Bakit biglang kinabahan si Ryan?
The guy's eyes seem to light up.
"I'm looking for Samantha. Is she here?"
At iyon na nga. Ryan might not be a genius, but right there and then, he knew who this guy in front of him is. Ito na nga ba ang kinatatakutan niya. Of all people, bakit ang lalaki pang ito ang pagbubuksan niya ng pintuan?
Bago siya makasagot ay napatingin ang lalaki sa loob ng bahay. Nakalabas na pala sa may sala sina Samantha at Kenneth, and the guy saw the person he's been looking for. The guy looked at Samantha lovingly, at wala nang nagawa pa si Ryan kundi ang papasukin ito.
"I guess you could come in," Ryan said as he moved out of the man's way.
Pumasok ang lalaki at dire-diretsong nagtungo kay Samantha.
"Babe..." the guy said.
Samantha looked shocked. "...Allan?"
Allan smiled and went on to embrace Samantha. Napalapit na lamang si Ryan kay Kenneth.
"Surprise!" Allan said to Samantha after they embraced. Hindi nakasagot si Samantha, pero hindi nito natinag si Allan. "I think you're surprised."
"Yeah… I am… very surprised…" ani Samantha nang makabawi. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, finally I was able to get my leave. I decided to not tell you to surprise you. I called Kuya Raul to inform them that I'm coming, and they told me you're here. They gave me the address, then I headed straight here from the airport."
"So, you haven't slept yet."
"Yeah, but... jetlag."
Dahil sa narinig ay lumabas na ng kusina si Jenneth. Napasunod naman sa kanya si Darlene. There they saw what's happening in the living room. May bago pala silang kasama sa rest house.
"Uh… mga kaibigan ko," ani Samantha kay Allan. "This is Ryan… si Kenneth…"
"Oh! Hi, guys!" Kinamayan ni Allan ang dalawa. "I'm the boyfriend."
Nagulat sina Ryan at Kenneth. Maging si Jenneth ay natigilan sa nasaksihan, kahit pa nga alam niyang may boyfriend naman si Samantha. Maybe it's because bigla na lamang itong sumulpot doon? This is really very unexpected.
"This is Jenneth," Samantha continued.
"Oh! Hi! Nice to meet you," ani Allan habang kinakamayan si Jenneth.
Jenneth just smiled. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang sasabihin.
"And what's the name of the beautiful young lady?" Allan said, pertaining to Darlene. He stooped down to face the kid.
"Darlene po," sagot nito.
"Hi Darlene! I'm Allan." He shook hands with her.
"Hello po!"
"You know you don't look like you're one of their classmates slash friends," ani Allan kay Darlene.
"She's Kenneth's daughter," ani Samantha.
"Ah!" Tsaka hinarap ni Allan si Kenneth. "You have a very lovely daughter."
"Thank you..." ani Kenneth.
Allan seems like that guy who's very easy to be with. Parang ang bait nito sa lahat. Jenneth looked at Ryan, wondering what he's thinking. Hindi na siya nagtaka pa nang makitang parang naiinis ang lalaki.
"So..." Allan looked at Samantha, then went to her and held her by the waist. "I'm starving." He winced.
Samantha just looked at him. Si Darlene ang sumagot kay Allan.
"We have pancakes!" ani Darlene.
"Oh, that is so nice!" ani Allan. "And would you share them with me?"
"We just have enough for each of us," ang sabi naman ni Ryan.
At napatunayan na nga ni Jenneth ang hinala niya. Inis nga si Ryan kay Allan.
"Oh... okay," ang sabi na lamang ni Allan as he looked at Samantha.
Naawa naman si Jenneth kay Allan. Kahit naman sabihing kontrabida ito sa plano nina Ryan ay hindi naman siguro nito iyon kasalanan. Kaya hindi ito dapat makatanggap ng hindi maayos na treatment mula sa kanila.
"I'll make some for you," ang sabi ni Jenneth.
"Wow! Thank you so much and I'm sorry for, uhm..." Halatang hindi alam ni Allan ang sasabihin. Obvious naman kasi na nararamdaman nito ang hostility na ipinapakita ni Ryan. At parang nahiya si Jenneth dahil doon.
"It's okay," Jenneth said with a smile.
"Wala na tayong pancake mix," singit ni Ryan.
"Then, let's just make whatever is available," ani Jenneth. "Let's go!"
Bumalik na sa kusina sina Darlene at Jenneth. Sumunod naman si Allan habang nakaakbay kay Samantha. Naiwan naman sa may sala sina Kenneth at Ryan.