The Billionaire's Wife

Four

“Samantha, iha, come here.” Agad akong yinakap ni Mommy nang makita nyang papasok na kami ni Vaughn sa pintuan ng ancestral house nila.

“Hi Mommy!” Masiglang bati ko at yinakap rin sya.

Vaughn's mother looks younger than her real age, which was fifty-five. Unlike Mrs. Delmar, Mommy doesn't need botox. Natural ang ganda nya at alaga rin nya ang katawan nya. She looks stunning in her usual floral blouse and plain black skirt. She looks really regal. Very classy. I aspire to be like her when I grow old.

Vaughn's parents are really good to me ever since. Kahit hindi pa kami kasal ni Vaughn ay anak na ang turing nila sa akin, kaya sobrang thankful ako.

“Sammy!” Mula sa likod ni Mommy ay si Daddy naman ang nakita ko. Yinakap ko rin sya pagkatapos kong yakapin si Mommy. He kissed me on my head. “How have you been? How's life as Vaughn's wife.” It’s a joke that he almost always ask tuwing magkikita kita kami.

“Dad, makapag tanong ka naman kay Sasa kala mo pinapahirapan ko sya palagi.” Nakasimangot na sabi naman ni Vaughn. Sya ang nagdala ng box ng cake na binili ko.

Yinakap na lang ni Mommy si Vaughn na parang bata na nagtatampo na naman. Tumawa na lang rin si Tito.

“We're doing good, Dad. Vaughn's also good.” Sabi ko.

“Are you sure?” Biro pa ni Daddy.

“Dad!” Saway ni Vaughn. He really hates it when someone's questioning anything about him.

I know exactly how Vaughn ticks, what makes him smile, what makes him angry or what makes him relax. And I use it to my advantage, at syempre, para sa ikakabuti namin.

Daddy just chuckled. 

Sabay sabay kaming naglakad papunta sa dining hall kung saan nagmano kami sa Grandparents ni Vaughn. Franco and Martina Arciega are still strong for their age. Sila 'yung tipo ng tao na once makita mo, mararamdaman mo agad na hindi sila basta basta. They're like magnets. Their aura screams authority. Malamang na namana ni Vaughn ang katangian nyang iyon sa dalawa.

Maya maya ay bumaba na si Tita Rosanna. She's single at forty nine but you can see how content she is. She's dedicated in her shoe business. She's very cheerful and she's the life of this dinner.

As usual ay kwentuhan ng mga pangyayari for the whole week ang naging topic ng dinner. Daddy's asking Vaughn on how's the business, or the office. Ever since kasi kinasal kami ay si Vaughn na ang CEO ng Arciega Corporation. He started from the bottom when he was just twenty two and he's now the CEO at the age of twenty nine.

He earned it. Alam ko kung gaano kasipag at kagaling si Vaughn. Limang buwan pa lang naman kaming magkakilala o magkasama but I can tell. I know.

“So kailan kaya ako pwede mag expect ng pamangkin?” Tita Rosanna dropped the bombed and everyone stopped talking and looked at my direction.

Ay wow. Teka, hindi ako ready!

I froze at kay Vaughn naman ako napatingin.

I saw him bit his lower lip. As sexy as it looks, alam ko na nagulat rin sya sa tanong. Hindi namin napag usapan ang isasagot sa ganitong tanong. And maybe it's my fault. I was supposed to have thought of this. I should have thought that this question can come anytime soon. Three months na mula nang ikasal kami and naturally, they’d ask kung ano na ang plano naming dalawa.

Ginagap nya ang kamay ko na nasa lamesa at pinisil iyon. “We're not in a hurry to have kids yet. Marami pa kaming gustong gawin individually and when the time comes, we want to be focused on being parents.”

Gusto kong pumalakpak sa ganda ng sagot ni Vaughn. Lakas maka Miss Universe, kung baga. Gusto ko syang kurutin sa pisngi nya. He's so serious at kahit sino ay maniniwala sa sagot nya. s**t na malagkit!

Everyone smiled. 

“That's good. But don't take too long. You are not getting any younger, son.” Sabi naman ni Daddy.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Vaughn, relief was all over our face.

We continued eating, pero mukhang hindi nakuntento si Tita Rosanna sa pang Miss Universe na sagot ni Vaughn kanina.

“But guys, ilan ba ang plano nyong maging anak? Are you even talking about it?” Nakangiti na tanong nya. 

Sabay kaming napa ubo ni Vaughn. Pareho kaming ngumunguya when that question dropped. Nagkatinginan na naman kami. Bahagya nya akong pinanlakihan ng mata which means ako na ang kailangang sumagot.

Mabilis akong ngumiti. “W-We think that t-three would be enough. Any gender, tatanggapin namin.” Sagot ko at mabilis na kunwaring nag focus sa kinakain ko. Wala namang magagawa si Vaughn kung hindi sumang ayon kung sakali.

“Nako, Samantha. Kung mas dadamihan nyo pa, okay na okay lang sa amin. You see, Vaughn's an only child. He grew up a little lonely.” Tumingin si Mommy kay Vaughn na hindi naman nagreact bago sya nagsalita ulit. “And we don't want that for our grandkids.”

“Mas okay rin kung maaabutan pa namin ang mga apo namin sa tuhod.” Sabi naman ni Lolo.

“Papa naman! What are you saying. Of course maabutan nyo pa sila!” Agad na nagreact si Daddy.

“Sana nga! That would be fun.” Sabi naman ni Lola.

Natapos ang dinner na hindi pa rin natatapos ang usaping apo o pag-aanak namin ni Vaughn. We were just giving them vague questions. The oldies are contented with that, I am sure. Basta alam nila na may possibility.

After dinner ay inaya kami ni Tita Rosanna sa veranda. She wanted us to drink red wine with her bago kami umalis. Hindi naman ako nagwoworry about Vaughn dahil mataas ang tolerance nya when it comes to wine. And kung sakali man, they can just pull any driver to drive us home.

“What's with the baby questions, Tita?” Sa wakas ay tanong ni Vaughn.

Tita Rosanna chuckled. “I don't know. Maybe I don't want you guys to end up like me, or your parents. I am happy with where I am. It's just that.. minsan napapa isip ako. What if may anak ako ngayon?”

“Tita, it's not too late. There are other ways..” I trailed of when Vaughn gave me a sharp look. I shut up. This talk is a little delicate for us.

“I know.” Tita Rosanna said as she sip on her wine glass. “But I don't know if I can still handle it. I am turning fifty. Wala na akong lakas mag-alaga.” Kibit balitak na sabi nya.

Hindi kami nakapag salita.

A few seconds of silence engulfed us until I changed the topic.

Halos alas onse na kami nakauwi ni Vaughn. Tahimik lang kami sa sasakyan, walang naglakas ng loob na magsimula ng conversation sa amin.

We were about to sleep when Vaughn's secretary called him.

“I have good news.” Malapad ang ngiti na sabi nya sa akin.

“What is it?” Na excite naman ako. After all the stress we got from the dinner, we both need a good news.

“I got the Distillery.” He said at me grinning.