THE FAINT morning light seeped through the heavy curtains of the grand bedroom. Nagising si Selestina, hindi dahil sa sikat ng araw kundi sa maliliit na galaw sa tabi niya. Nakaupo na si Elijah, rubbing his eyes with the back of his tiny hand while clutching his worn-out stuffed toy against his chest.
“Good morning, Mama,” he whispered, his voice still thick with sleep.
Pinilit ni Selestina ang isang mahinahong ngiti sa kabila ng bigat na nakadagan sa kanyang dibdib.
“Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?” paos niyang tanong.
Elijah nodded slowly. “Mama, Daddy’s not here.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”
“Kanina paggising ko, wala na siya. Sabi ni Ate Anya, umalis daw si Daddy kasi may lakad.”
Isang matalim na kirot ang gumapang sa dibdib ni Selestina. Umalis s
