Someday Soon, With You

Chapter 31

“Did you tell your parents yet?” he asked Alpha who just came out from the bathroom.

“We’ll tell them tonight” he answered.

“With me?” he asked in disbelief. Alpha nodded. “Why can’t you tell them yourself. I didn’t ask you to come with me when I told my mom”, he retaliated.

Alpha laughed. “Then I just need to disappear first for six years before telling them, they will forgive me” Aro glared at him. “I’m sorry. It’s a joke” he kissed him.

“I have to go, it’s five. Any later than this and my daughter will lose it” he told him.

He stood up. Alpha reached his hand and he looked at him. “We’ll get through this” Alpha assured him, brushing Aro’s hand to his cheek.

“We will” he smiled. He cupped his cheeks and kissed him full in the lips.

He drove back home and saw Arthur just finished watering his plants. He smiled and the latter nodded. He opened the door and saw his daughter crossing her arms, feet apart and creased forehead. “Hi, baby” he greeted. He saw his mother sitting in the chair in the kitchen laughing silently.

“You’re late” her daughter sternly said.

“I know I’m late. I’m sorry” he took and carried and her, still pouting. “Tomorrow, I promise I will be home before this” he pointed at the short hand of the clock, “pointed to this” and he pointed the five saying he’ll be home before five in the afternoon.

“You promise?” Ara asked.

“I promise” he assured her. It’s Saturday tomorrow, of course I will be home, he thought to himself.

“Okay!” the little girl smiled.

The next day, Ara seemed to forget what he promised since he’s been home the whole day helping his mother with the chores. He’s sweeping the backyard when he saw Aya from the other side looking at him. He smiled at her and she nodded at him. It’s odd for him, since it’s always her who greeted him warmly.

“Hey” Alpha suddenly came from the front. “I stayed at our house last night, and I told them”, he told him.

“Yeah? Is that why Tita Aya doesn’t seem happy to see me?” he asked.

“They’re just” he paused. “You know, they really love Mira. Don’t worry, they’ll come around” he consoled him. He nodded at Alpha.

“Hi Tito Alpha!” Ara came from the backdoor and greeted.

“Hello, baby. How are you?” he asked her smiling. She ran to him and Alpha carried her.

“Didn’t I tell you not to let anyone carry you like that except daddy?” he asked her daughter trying to sound angry.

“But you like Tito Alpha” she reasoned out.

Alpha chuckled and pinched her nose. “He does like me, right?” he asked her. She nodded.

“But daddy isn’t allowed to go out today” she told him. “He’s grounded” he whispered in his ears.

“What? Why?” he asked laughing.

“He looks better when he stays here. Every time he goes out, he comes home looking bad” she explained making Alpha laugh. “Mama Aya! Mama!” she called waving.

Aro and Alpha looked at the direction Ara’s waving and saw Aya just hanging her broom. She must have swept the floor inside. Ara extended both her arms trying to have her carry her. “Baby, Mama Aya’s busy. We can’t play—”

“It’s okay, Aro” Aya walked towards them and carried Ara across the small fence that divide their lawns. “Did you eat your breakfast already? Do you want cake?” she lovingly caressed her cheek.

“I want to drink milk” Ara replied.

“Ara! You behave” he told her as they walk inside the house. He saw Ara nodding at him.

“Mama, we almost have the same name. Ara. Aya” is the last thing Aro heard before the door closed. He sighed.

“They’ll come around” he squeezed Aro’s arm.

Aro smiled at him and held his hand on his arm. “Hey! If you’re doing anything more than that, you come inside and find yourself a room!” Dolores shouted at them from the kitchen window.

They looked at each other and smiled. They walked inside the kitchen and saw Dolores preparing tea. “Tita” Alpha called. “I’m already having a hard time with Mama and Papa, is there any way I can get away with you?” he softly asked and hugged her from behind.

Dolores sighed and tapped his arm. “Okay” he resigned. “I know you both love each other. I just didn’t know it’ll come to this” she sadly answered. “Mira’s such a sweet child. I didn’t know I’ll love her that much. What will she say if she learned that you two got back together just a few days after breaking up” she continued. She wiped the small tears that snuck from her eyes.

“Mom, Mira knew. We talked” Aro told her mom.

“Really? When?” she asked surprise.

“That time I told you about us, we talked that afternoon” he added. Dolores nodded but still looked sad. She continued preparing tea. “Come to think of it, she told me if it’s the other way around, there’s no way she’ll give me back to you” he told Alpha laughing.

Alpha rolled his eyes. “She told me that too the first time I introduced her to Tita Dolly” he told him back. Aro laughed. “I think her exact words are, ‘He’s so unnaturally gorgeous. How could I come here with a pure heart and good intentions’” he added. Aro continued laughing

Dolores sighed. “Why didn’t she ask me to meet her? Maybe she’s mad at me, after all” the woman continued sadly.

“He’s not mad, mom. She told me, she’s thankful you always took care of her” Aro said still consoling his mom. “Mom, she’ll come around. She’ll visit. She just needs some time to be with herself”

“Even Mama told me she spent most of her time here than at home. There’s no way she’s mad at you” Alpha added. Dolores nodded.

“So, you’re back together?” William asked Aro. He nodded and smiled at him. “Well, I kind of figured you will be”

A few days has past and things were starting to fall into place. Alpha’s parents really did seem to come around. Ara might have something to do with it. Dolores isn’t opposed to them from the beginning but she’s still sad about Mira. William and him are walking to the parking lot when he noticed William’s walking him to his car. “Isn’t your car parked that way?” he asked him pointing to the other direction.

“Yeah. There’s just something I want to ask you” William answered. He waited for the question. “When you said you want me to be your friend, did you really mean it or you just said it because you rejected me?” he asked.

Aro stared at him. Why is he asking me this? “Of course, I meant it” he answered.

“Then, I’ll tell you this since you and Alpha are back together now. I told I didn’t like you that way because I know you wouldn’t like me any way. I want us to be friends and I don’t want it shaded by my feelings for you. I know you don’t have any feelings for me and I like you anyway. I hope we can still be friends” he confessed.

“I know. I know you like me that way” he smiled at him. “I still want you to be my friend and your feelings won’t shade that friendship” he tapped his shoulder. William nodded and smiled. “Can I ask, do you only like men? Or both?” he asked.

“I don’t know. There’s only one I’ve ever liked in my life” he answered before waving and walking to his car.

He drove back home and saw Alpha in their house playing with Ara. “See? He doesn’t look good every time he comes home” she told Alpha. He laughed. “Maybe you should just stay at home, Daddy” Ara told him looking genuinely worried.

“Daddy needs to work so we can buy milk, didn’t I tell you that?” he asked kissing her cheek.

“Daddy, can’t we just use my money? Mama Nessie told me I have money in the bank” she told him. Eunice might be referring to the money James and Ella left her. He shook his head. He doesn’t want to use it. He has the authority to use it as he sees fit since he’s the legal guardian of Ara, Eunice and Lawrence prepared the documents before they went home. But he still doesn’t wanna use it. He wants to raise Ara himself and when she’s old enough to know how she’s gonna use it, he’ll have it all ready.

He sighed. “We can’t use it yet. We can only use it when you turn twenty. How old are you now?” he asked her.

“Five” she answered quickly.

“And how many years more before we use it?” he asked again.

Ara stared at him awhile and replied, “A lot?”

Aro laughed. “Yeah. A lot more years” he kissed the top of his head. “Daddy promise we’ll go out and play next weekend. How’s that?” he said smiling.

Ara beamed and nodded. “Also, you can give me a baby sister, so I can play with her when you go to school” she added.

He’s startled. He looked at Alpha who’s also just looking at him. “And how’s Daddy gonna give you that?” he asked her.

“I don’t know, how did you made me?” she eagerly asked.

He stared at her looking for the right words. He found none. “Oh baby! Daddy’s back hurts. I slipped and fell at the office this afternoon. It hurts so much. Can you massage daddy?” he asked trying to divert her attention.

Luckily, she looked worried. “This hurt?” she asked touching his back.

“Ouch!” he shouted. “It hurts, baby. I’ll just take a bath and you’ll massage me, okay?” he asked her. Ara nodded.

Alpha’s looking at him with ‘nice man!’ look in his face. He shook his head.

He gently put Ara, who just slept in his arm, to bed and tucked her in. He felt Alpha behind him and his hand massaging his back.

“Does the back still hurts?” he asked teasing.

“Stop it. How do you think I should answer that? ‘How did you make me?’” he said imitating Ara’s voice. “How am I going to give her a baby sister? How are we going to make it?” he sighed. Massaging his temple.

“Relax. She’s a smart child. And about the baby sister, we’ll figure something out” he smiled and kissed him. After showering, they went down the kitchen. Alpha prepared both tea and coffee. “So, how’s your day? No one’s bothering you?” he asked.

“Just ask whatever you want to ask Alpha” if there’s anything he doesn’t like, it’s not being directly to the point.

“Fine. How’s William? Still hovering around you?” he finally asked.

“He is” he answered. Alpha stared at him. “I don’t like him Alpha, and we’ve been through so much I don’t think William will be a problem”

“I know. It’s just” Alpha paused and poured hot water to the cups. “He’s hovering around you since before”

“And nothing happened since then. You don’t have to worry about it. If we ever break up, I’ll pursue Mira instead. Since Mom already likes her very much” he teased him.

“She’ll probably say yes in a flash” he replied.

Aro sighed. “I really hope she’ll stay in touch.”