Meeting the Arcana Heir

"Not sleeping yet?" I ask my daughter who is still looking at the wedding pictures of me and her father. Simula noong nakuha namin ang photobook ay walang sawa niyang tinitingnan ang mga litrato. Ni hindi na namin kinuhang mag-asawa 'yon sa kanya. It warms my heart every time I see her do that. She looks fascinated, like she is reading a modern fairytale book with illustrations. Her eyes light up as she lifts her head. "Mommy, halika po dito!" She excitedly taps the space on her bed. May balak pa sana akong gawin at tiningnan ko lang talaga siya, pero hindi ko magawang hindian ang anak. Kaysa tumanggi sa kanya, I willingly walk up to her and sit on the bed. "Mommy, kuwentuhan ninyo po ako ulit tungkol sa inyo ni daddy, please?" she asks me with her lips slightly pouted. I don't know how many times I have told her our story. Tingin ko'y sa sobrang daming beses ay makakabisado niya na 'yon. However, it doesn't seem like it bothers her though. Kung iyon din ang magpapasaya sa kanya, walang problema sa akin. And besides, I also love looking back at our past no matter the pain it brings because I can now remember it with only a smile on my face. "Hmm..." Kunwari ay nag-isip pa ako ng isasagot. My cute daughter pouts which makes me smile even more. "Sige na nga! Ikukuwento ulit sa 'yo ni mommy," habol ko. Muli ay sumilay ang ngiti sa kanyang mga labi. "Yaaay!" Masaya niya akong hinila sa tabi. She puts the wedding album on my lap na para bang magbabasa talaga ako ng kuwento. Once I'm already settled beside her, I take a deep breath and go back to the first page of the album. The moment I see the first photo, I smile and our memories naturally come running back to me.