One Night Mistake

Chapter 5

Serene's POV

"I already set an appointment with the OB."

Aeron took a glance at my path then back to the road. Biyernes ngayon at ito ang ika-apat na araw na sa kanya ako nakikisabay.

"Kailan?" tanong niya.

I answered, "Bukas, around 9 in the morning."

"Hmm," he mumbled.

Wala siyang kibo matapos ang sagot ko. Hindi pa rin naman kami talaga maayos at balik sa dating trato sa isa't isa. We're just like civil with each other, ngunit madalas pa rin kung magtalo lalo na tuwing nasa loob kami ng sasakyan niya.

We're on the way to our office already and are a bit stuck in traffic since I slept a little bit too late last night, which made me wake up late, also.

"I can go alone, to be honest. Ihahatid naman na ng driver ni Zero yung kotse ko mamaya galing sa casa. You don't have to join me." I said.

Aeron's foreahead creased. "I told you, sasamahan kita. Pero kung ayaw mo, edi huwag. Ayaw kong pilitin ang ayaw. Besides, I do have other businesses to do." he shrugged.

"Uuwi ka?" tanong ko.

Sinulyapan niya ako bago sumagot. "Why do you care?" pabalang na sagot niya.

I scowled and fired back.

"Mukha ba akong may pake?" pagtataray ko.

He looked at me with irritation. "Mukha bang tinanong ko?" said, Aeron.

"Argh! Ayaw mong magpatalo, ano? Bakit ba kita naging kaibigan?" tumama ang masamang tingin ko sa kaniya.

"Malay ko sa'yo. Ikaw nag-offer ng friendship pagkatapos mo 'kong bastedin, eh. Tapos ngayon tatanong-tanong ka riyan." aniya't nagkibit-balikat pa.

I rolled my eyes, not planning to say more. Baka maatake ako rito dahil sa pakikipagtalo sa kaniya.

"Uuwi ako bukas. Wala ka bang gustong ipabili?" nagulat ako sa matino niyang tanong.

I shook my head, "Wala naman. I told you, I am not pregnant. Bakit ba pinipilit mo?" I said, getting irritated by him, and I don't know why.

He mocked me by imitating what I said in the most ridiculous way. This man is really getting on my nerves! Bakit ba pumayag ako sa sinabi ni Zero na sa kaniya ako makisabay while wala pa yung car ko? Oh my.

Aeron chuckled huskily and gazed at me.

"Don't stress yourself too much, mare. We still don't know. Mas mabuti nang sigurado." aniya.

I just arched a brow as an answer and didn't bother muttering something anymore.

"Thanks for the ride. Hindi na ko sasabay sa'yo mamaya." I said and smiled fakely.

He just made a face and shoo-ed me away already. Lumabas ako mula sa kanyang sasakyan at saka pinagpag ang suot na jeans.

Naroon na ang sasakyan ni Amber sa basement nang makarating kami, bagay na sobrang dalang. Madalas ay palagi siyang nahuhuli, mapalakad man o pasok sa opisina.

Hindi naman heavy ang trabaho namin sa department namin kaya I can netflix and chill pa minsan sa desktop ko.

Diane doesn't mind naman as long as we get our work done and nice. Minsan lang talaga ay hindi ko gusto ang asta niya at pakikitungo niya to us.

Also, the pay is good! The owners, including Sachzna, prioritize their employees more than the workloads given to the employees.

Umikot ang aking mga mata nang patago nang umabot pa sa sinakyan kong lift si Aeron. It was about to close but then, someone's hand stopped it from doing so.

Kamay pa lang ay halata ko nang si Sachzna iyon. Siya lang naman ang naglalakas-loob magpakita ng tattoo rito. It's an infinity tattoo, pala. She's the CEO, eh.

Her eyes shined when she saw me inside. Napasulyap pa siya sa aking katabi na si Aeron bago ibinalik ang masayahing tingin sa akin.

"Good morning, Serene!" she giggled and sipped on her fruit drink.

"Good morning, Ma'am Sach!" I tried talking formally to her.

She chuckled and looked at Aeron. "Hi! I'm the CEO!" she transferred the cup of fruit drink to her other hand and offered it to him. Hindi ba kilala ni Aeron si Sachzna? Oh my, buti nalang talaga at mabait si Sach!

Aeron smiled at her before accepting her hand. It was a genuine one. Sachzna arched a brow when she saw me scowl.

"I'm married, by the way. Kung tipo mo ako, si Serene nalang. We have the same style! Ako na ang bahala sa boyfriend niya. Go na!" she joked.

Sinamaan ko ng tingin si Sachzna, dahilan para mas lalo siyang tumawa.

"Oh! My apologies, sissy! Don't make sumbong to my husband, please. He might tie me in bed," malandi siyang tumawa.

My eyes widened at what she said. This blunt girl! I'm really going to tell her husband!

"Kidding aside," she drifted her gaze to Aeron and smiled genuinely, raising a brow.

"You seem new. Welcome to the company! Come to the welome party at the end of this month. You'll meet most of the people in our building." aniya.

Oh, yeah, right. Ayun pa nga pala ang aasikasuhin namin nito. It's like about a week from now. Well, reservation of club lang naman yun. Yes, club. Sagot ng kumpanya lahat ng alak at pagkain, even the place.

Kay Zyriel kami madalas nagpapareserve dahil bukod sa madali lang makakuha ng slot, we have discounts pa. I'm the one asking him, eh. Mabuti nalang at hindi iyon kasing ano ni Kuya Zyver at Zero. You know.

Aeron reached his floor and said his greeting to Sachzna once again and ignored me. I don't care naman at all. Mas mabuti nga iyong hindi kami nag-uusap.

Sumunod ay ako ang lumabas ng lift. I was quite late since nandoon na silang lahat. Mabuti nalang at umabot pa ako ng saktong 8 sa biometrics!

They greeted me with their good mornings, excluding Diane. I greeted them back, except Diane, also. Busy naman siya sa phone niya so...I won't bother nalang.

I made the reservations on Zyriel's club already, like the usual, and then did other workloads.

Lunch time and Kuya Anthony just called, saying that he's at the lobby. Agad akong nagpunta sa lobby para puntahan doon si Kuya Anthony.

May kasama siyang isa pang driver. Maybe he's the one who drove my car here and he was just accompanied by Kuya Anthony.

He greeted me when he saw me.

"Good noon, Ma'am! Sorry po at natagalan etong sasakyan niyo." said, Kuya Anthony, and gave me the key.

"Ayos lang, Kuya. Thank you, po! Bawi ako next time, Kuya. May pasok po ako, eh."

Nahihiyang ngumiti sa akin si Kuya Anthony, making his 40's age face crease a bit.

"Ayos lang yun, Ma'am! Mauna na ho kami. Hinatid lang ho talaga namin yung kotse niyo rito." paalam nito.

They left after. Ako naman ay bumalik kila Amber na nasa cafeteria. I was shocked when Sachzna is on our table, eating.

"Uy, Ma'am. Napasadya yata rito sa grupo namin?" bati ko kay Sachzna.

Sachzna drifted her gaze at me with a smile. "Wala naman. It's just boring eating alone upstairs so...I decided to eat with you guys." she shrugged.

Kumuha na ako ng pagkain sa buffet table bago umupo sa bakanteng upuan sa tabi ni Amber.

Nakisali ako sa kanilang mga usapan habang kumakain.

"Ang gwapo nung bagong staff, noh, Ma'am?" saad ni Anna, humahagikhik pa.

"Who? Parang wala naman, girl." tugon ni Sachzna.

"Iisa lang poging na-hire, Ma'am! Yung Aeron, ba?" aniya pa.

Natigil ako saka liningon si Sachzna.

"Yung nakasabay natin sa elevator, Ma'am." I said.

"Oh. He's not my type pero okay na rin. Bakit? Bet mo, Serene? Nako ka, ha. We don't tolerate cheating here."

I was taken off by what she said but I didn't let her notice it. I shook my head and chuckled fakely.

"Hindi, noh! Kaibigan namin siya nila Amber at Zero. W-why would I cheat?" peke akong tumawa.

Napansin ko ang pagtawa ni Amber bago tumango. Nilingon niya ako nang may makahulugang tingin but I ignored it. What was that for?

"Really," anang Sachzna.

Tinanguan ko na lamang siya at saka nagpatuloy sa pag-kain.

Kinahapunan, matapos ang office hours namin, naroon na naman sila Amber at nag-aaya na naman mag-clubbing dahil weekends bukas.

Gusto ko sanang tumanggi kaso isa akong kaladkarin na babae. Kung saan sila masaya, dun ako. Ganyan ako bilang isang kaibigan. Minsan nga gusto ko na silang sakalin sa sobrang bait nila.

In the end, I joined them.

Pasalamat na lamang sa Ama sa itaas na hindi ko nakita o nakasalubong si Aeron sa basement parking ng opisina kahit sa condominium pa mismo. Siguro ay dumiretso na siya pauwi sa probinsya namin.

After taking a bath, I texted Zero, informing him of my agenda for that night. Mostly, sa umaga ang duty niya and madalas din ang pag-overtime niya hanggang 8pm.

It's just 7:30 in the evening and I think he's still doing his last rounds before going home.

He immediately replied to my iMessage.

I chuckled when I saw what he replied. It was a photo of him in his white gown covering his dress shirt in three buttons down with the background of the hallway, wearing a smile and a thumbs up, as his reply.

Serene: You done doing your rounds, babe?

Zero: One last, baby. I'm so tired. I want your hug.

Serene: Okay. Rest, aryt? Huwag ka nang magbiyahe ngayong gabi papunta dito. I'll go home maybe on Sunday, I think? May kukuhanin ako sa bahay, eh. Let's date!

Zero: Hmm, alright. Asa ka naman magbabiyahe ako ngayon, babe. Haha. Jk. See you, then? Ilysm, Serene.

I rolled my eyes. What do you expect from him?

Serene: Aryt, Z. Ilyt, Zero. Good night!

Zero: Don't drink too much. Have a great night. :)

Serene: Aye aye! ;)

I threw my phone into my bed and sailed through the walk-in closet for me to choose what to wear for tonight. I decided to wear mom jeans and a black lacey tube croptop paired with black wedge sandals for tonight.

Hinayaan ko na lamang ang buhok ko na tumama sa balat ko dahil lalo pa akong magtatagal kung aayusin ko pa ito, saka tinatamad na rin ako.

We all agreed to eat dinner first at our boundaries since almost of us are afar from each other. Our boundary and also the meeting place is a mall just around the city I am in.

Since I am punctual and the traffic doesn't suck that badly, I came first before them.

Nagpareserve na ako ng table sa isang buffet restaurant because we all eat big, no cap.

Sumunod na dumating sa akin ay si Alex, then nagsunod-sunod na. Obviously, Amber was the late one, confidently walking to us.

Agad na kaming nagsimulang kumuha ng pagkain dahil malapit na rin magsara ang mall.

We ended our meal at exactly ten in the evening since we started like around quarter to nine.

Nag-convoy kami papunta sa club na madalas naming puntahan. Marami-rami na ang mga taong pumapasok nang makarating kami roon. Mostly were businessmen, celebrities, and models.

Tinanguan ko ang ilang mga nadadaanan kong mga tao. They're acquaintances. Umupo ako sa pina-reserve na sofa nila Amber kanina at saka kinuha ang telepono ko.

I updated Zero on my whereabouts through text and didn't expect a reply. I was about to close my phone when I received a text from Aeron.

Aeron: Where are you?

I arched a brow, starting to get irritated by him and his nose, which kept on sticking to someone's business.

Serene: Pake mo?

Aeron: Where are you? Wala sasakyan mo sa condo kanina.

Serene: Nasa buwan, nagkakape.

Serene: Don't text na nga, ssob. You're just annoying me even more.

Aeron: Hoy hindi ako stupid son of a b***h. Anak ako ng maganda kong nanay at gwapo kong tatay. Bahala ka nga diyan. Tss.

There, I turned off my phone and faced my friends who's now busy ordering their desired liquors for this night.

Lumapat ang mata ko kay Amber at kita ko na naman ang makahulugan niyang tingin na kanina niya rin binigay sa akin. Seriously, anong issue niya?

Lalaine called her. She arched a brow before drifting off her attention to Lalaine, leaving my eyes irritated by her. Tiningnan niya pa saglit ang cellphone niya dahil may nagtext at nagtipa ng sagot bago niya ibalik ang atensyon kina Lalaine.

Nakipaghalubilo ako sa ibang kasama ko at uminom ng tubig. Nagpapababa pa ako ng kinain dahil baka marami akong isuka kung hindi.

Tumayo ako at nagpaalam sa kanila na magre-restroom lang habang sila ay umiinom na. I'll just pee before starting my night.

I won't really get myself that drunk because the last time I got really drunk I...made a sin.

Hinugasan ko ang mga kamay ko at nag-retouch nang bahagya bago ako lumabas ng restroom.

I almost yelled when someone grabbed my wrist while I was walking out of the restroom.

Unang tingin ko palang ay kita ko nang si Aeron iyon. Irritation and annoyance started brewing inside me.

Pinilit kong tanggalin ang pulso ko mula sa kanyang pagkakahawak but he won't let go! What the f**k is his problem?! Paano niya nalamang nandito ako?!

"Let me go, stupid son of a b***h!" I said.

Pabagsak niyang binitawan ang palapulsuhan ko saka ako hinarap. His dark eyes, filled with irritation, bore into me.

"Sige, panindigan mo pa yang tawag mo sa akin. I told you, anak ako ng nanay kong maganda at tatay kong pogi." he said it withour humor.

"Ano bang ginagawa mo dito?! Do you really like annoying me?! Hindi na ako natutuwa, Aeron!" I yelled at him.

Walang emosyon siyang tumawa bago basain ang ibabang labi niya gamit ang kanyang dila.

He clenched his jaw before looking again at me.

"Tanga ka ba? Hindi ka siguradong buntis ka or hindi. Walang kasiguraduhan tapos iinom ka? Tanga ka ba? Seryoso ka?" he said bluntly.

Sa kaloob-looban ko ay natawa ako nang kaunti. Ganon pa rin pala talaga siya magsalita. Prangka at nandidiretso.

But how can I forget that?! Hindi nga pala ako sigurado kung may laman na ba itong tiyan ko o wala!

"Ano? Sagutin mo ako. Tanga ka ba?" ulit niya.

"Ipapalaglag ko na lang ang bata kung meron-"

"The f**k are you thinking, Serene? I told you, pananagutan ko kung sakaling may mabuo! Iluwal mo lang at ako ang magpapalaki!" he said, his eyes firing in rage.

"I know it's your body, and it's your choice pero may karapatan pa rin ako sa bata kung may mabuo man! Kahit hindi mo mahalin yung bata, nandito ako," he added.

Mataman ko siyang tiningnan, walang masabi.

He licked the insides of his cheeks, making him calm a bit. Ako, nananatiling tahimik at nag-iisip ng masasabi.

"Still, I want to abort-"

Napapikit siya nang mariin at huminga nang malalim bago ako hinarap muli.

"Walang kasalanan ang bata sa kasalanang nagawa natin, Serene. Tayo ang dapat humarap sa mga maaaring mangyari, hindi siya. Kung may nabuo man, iluwal mo lang at ako ang magpapalaki. Kahit hindi mo mahalin, nandito ako para punan 'yun. Walang kasalanan ang bata, okay?" he was calmer this time.

"Now, go home." aniya.

Hindi ko alam bakit sumunod ako sa utos niya. Hindi ko alam kung guilt ba yun or ayaw ko nalang talaga makipagtalo pa sa kaniya.

To think na wala ngang kasalanan ang maaaring mabuo na bata sa nagawa namin, I really feel guilty for saying the 'abort' word. I feel like I am a murderer.

I texted Amber na mauuna na ako sa kanila because of an emergency. Si Aeron ay bigla na lamang nawala sa loob. Wala na rin siya sa parking nang makarating ako roon. Nakatanggap ako ng mensahe mula sa kanya.

Aeron: We need to tell this to Zero sooner, Serene.

Serene: Oo. Hinahanda ko lang ang sarili ko.

Pinukpok ko ang ulo ko sa airbag nang maisip ko na makakasakit nga ako ng tao. Hindi ko alam anong magiging reaksyon ni Zero pag nalaman niya ito.

A friendship will be over, and a...relationship.

Is this worth the risk?

Hindi lang pagkakaibigan ni Zero at Aeron ang masisira. Nasira na ang amin ni Aeron pero paano sila Amber? Panigurado ay magagalit sila Amber sa akin, at kay Aeron. That's for sure. They might...leave me alone forever.

My tears pooled my eyes to think na that really might happen. I don't want to be selfish pero paano na ako? I have always been lonely since high school, kung hindi dumating si Zero, wala akong kaibigan katulad nila Amber, Megan, Trixie, at Michael.

Ayaw kong maging mag-isa. To be fact, I am scared of being lonely, again. I know the feeling and I don't wanna feel it again.

Walang magagawa 'tong mga luhang pumapatak ngayon pero ganito ako kahina. I am just a weak girl, kakayanin ko ba lahat ng mangyayari sa hinaharap? Kakayanin ko bang...iwan ako ng lahat?

Damn.

I sighed.

I can't be a coward. Mas lalo lang akong makakasakit ng tao kung patatagalin pa ito.

The next day, I was like a zombie, walking deadly around my condo, not knowing what to do next day.

Buong gabi kong pinag-isipan ang maaari kong maging hakbang sa susunod na mga oras. My appointment with the OB is one in the afternoon and it's almost twelve and I haven't eaten anything yet. Wala naman akong balak kumain, though.

I took a long bath, almost drowning myself in the bathtub. Kung wala lang tumawag ay hindi pa ako magbabanlaw at magbibihis.

It was Aeron who missed called.

Pinindot ko ang call button para tawagan siya pabalik. It didn't last even two rings before he answered. Hinintay niya bang tawagan ko siya pabalik?

"Bakit?" I asked.

"Nakabihis ka na ba? Nandito ako sa labas ng condo mo." aniya.

Tiningnan ko ang sarili kong hindi pa bihis nang husto. "Teka lang. Give me a minute." I ended the call and ran to the closet to choose an outfit for today.

I just wore a simple denim T-shirt dress paired with white shoes then wayfarers. I didn't waste my time to get my hair dry. I just put small amount of foundation on my face, blush and then matte lipstick, and I was done.

Kinuha ko na ang susi ng sasakyan ko na nakatapon lang sa aking side table at saka hindi na namili ng sling bag.

Tumakbo na ako papunta sa pintuan para pagbuksan siya. He was wearing printed black shirt, denim jeans, and a white shoes. Aeron removed his wayfarers covering his eyes and arched a brow, roaming his eyes from my head to toe.

"Ang tagal mo magbukas," naiinip niyang sabi.

I rolled my eyes. "Pwede ka namang bumalik sa pad mo, duh. Ano bang sadya mo't pumunta ka pa rito?" tanong ko at saka gumilid para bigyan siya ng daan papasok sa loob.

He casually walked in with his eyes judging my condominium.

"Very plain," bulong niya.

I scowled.

"You came here to judge my place? Get out, asshole." I said.

He looked at me before chuckling. "Magsuklay ka muna. Hindi ba may appointment ka sa OB mo ngayon? Anong oras na, oh." he glanced at his Rolex watch.

"Ay kailangan ba nandoon ka?" I said sarcastically, making a face.

"Tss. Ewan ko sa'yo. Ano, ganyan ka na ba? Tara na. Let's just use my car. Mabagal kang magmaneho." aniya.

Tumaas ang kilay ko. "Excuse me? Baka may record ako ng overspeeding sa expressway?" mayabang kong sabi.

Humagalpak siya ng tawa, obviously not buying what I said.

"Tangina, proud ka, girl? Yuck, may record." aniya, halos mapahawak pa sa tiyan kakatawa.

I rolled my eyes and hit him using my sling bag. He winced on what I did.

"Maghintay ka riyan. I'll just suklay my hair." I said.

"Okay, you can suklay your hair na, conyo." he mocked.

Sinimangutan ko siya. Minsan lang talaga ito magseryoso, ano? Madalas, he's annoying! He's even calling a conyo when I am not! What is his problem ba? Argh!

Dumiretso ako sa kwarto ko para suklayin ang basang buhok ko nang mabilisan at saka nagmadali na rin dahil I will be late! It's just five minutes before 1!

Nagkibit-balikat si Aeron nang makita ako bago naglakad palabas. Hindi na ako nakipagtalo pa at sumunod na sa kanya papunta sa basement.

"I thought you're going home?" I asked, putting on my seatbelt.

He started the engine of his car.

"Mamayang hapon nalang. Samahan muna kita." aniya, nagsimulang lumarga.

I shrugged and didn't talk anymore.

We were 15 minutes late in my appointment. Mabuti nalang at matagal ko na siyang OB at pumayag pa rin siya despite her busy schedule. Si Aeron ay pinaghintay ko na lamang sa labas ng mga opisina kung saan may mga nakapilang ibang tao.

"Oh, good afternoon, Serene!" Dra. Alliyah Guerrero stood up and greeted me.

We made beso.

"Doctora! You look blooming even more! Mukhang di stressed sa trabaho." I said.

She laughed. "Ano ba,"

Nagkukwentuhan kami habang nagsisimula.

"Ano bang sadya mo rito? Do you feel something or what? Bakit wala si Dr. Gonzalez at mag-isa ka rito?" aniya.

Natigilan ako. Oh my. I forgot she's friends with Zero! What now? Nandito na ako, wala nang atrasan 'to!

"U-Uhm...I wanna check if I am pregnant." I said, looking away.

"Oh my god! Nagplano na kayo ni Zero? Did you already take a PT? Oh my, am I gonna be a ninang? Oh my! Let's check I am so excited! Buti nalang I have an in-house laboratory. You can get it in just a few hours!" she said excitedly.

I want to stop her from being excited because me, myself, doesn't even feel any excitement brewing inside. I feel like...I am not ready.

We started the test, and it was quick and painless. I stayed quiet about what happened and just nodded on what she is saying. Hindi ko yata kayang ipagsabi ang kasalanan na nagawa ko.

Tahimik akong lumabas mula sa loob at naabutan si Aeron na parang hindi mapakali sa ilabas, pabalik-balik ang lakad habang nagtetelepono.

His eyes landed at my path. With his pale lips and nervous eyes, it's visible that he's nervous.

"Oh, an'yare?" pinilit niyang maging kaswal ngunit bahid pa rin doon ang kaba.

I gave him a smile.

"Mamaya-maya lalabas ang resulta," parang may nagbara sa aking lalamunan, pinipigilan akong maglabas pa ng ibang salita.

He let a deep breath out before looking again at me.

"Saan tayo magpapalipas ng oras? Boring dito, dude." aniya.

I chuckled, letting out the heavy feeling inside me. Hinablot ko ang kanyang palapulsuhan at hinila siya palabas.

I took the car key from his finger and drove his car. Kanina ko pa naririnig ang pagrereklamo niya pero hinayaan ko lang siya.

Gusto ko lang...maalis 'tong nararamdaman ko ngayon. Ang bigat na kasi. Ayaw ko namang maging mapag-isa. Mas lalo lang bumibigat pakiramdam ko.

"Saan ba tayo pupunta? Nakakaloka ka, ha!" aniya, nagsusuot ng seatbelt dahil sa mabilis kong pagpapatakbo.

Weekend ngayon at kaunti lamang ang mga sasakyan sa daan kaya mabilis din ang pagpapatakbo ko, dahilan para mapahawak si Aeron sa seatbelt, pinagpapawisan na.

I adjusted the thermostat and looked at him.

"Juskolord, maria santisisima! Bagalan mo ang pagpapatakbo! Oo na! Nag-over speed ka na sa expressway! Anak ng tinapa, oo!" he did a sign of a cross before intertwining his fingers, his eyes looking up the sky.

I winced, cannot believe what he's doing.

Nakarating kami sa mall na pinakamalapit at doon na nagpalipas ng oras.

After eating and playing at the arcade, we decided to come back at the hospital because I already received a message from Doc Alliyah, saying the results already out.

Parang nawala lahat ng saya na naramdaman ko kanina sa mall. Lahat napalitan ng takot at kaba.

Doc Alliyah seems excited with the results and I am already having the guess of what the result says.

Oh my.

I let Aeron drive because he was calmer than me.

Last night, after Aeron slapped me with the reality, I have decided not to abort the child and sooner...tell Zero about what really happened. I already told Aeron about my plan and he's insisting to join me since we both did it.

Bukas, like what I told Zero, I am going home. Kung kakayanin ko bukas, I'll tell him, alone. Alone. Ayaw kong masira ang pagkakaibigan nila ni Aeron.

I have been selfish with him all my life, I think this is the right time to be selfless.

They are more than friends. They're like brothers but with different parents. Kahit pagkakaibigan ko nalang kina Amber ang masira.

After all, I was alone since I started studying. If not for them, I wouldn't have friends. Mas mabuting ako na lamang ang mawala sa grupo, not just their friendship.

It was a hard decision for me...but I have to do this. This life has three stages. The losses, lessons, and the last...blessings. I think I am on the second stage because so far...in my mind...I already lost people. Soon, that will happen in reality.

I somehow thank this sin I have done. I learned new things. That not all things you desire, can be yours. That all things might be temporary for a specific person. This mistake is a lesson for me.

I just hope...I can face my fear...loneliness.

"Dito nalang ako sa labas or sasama ako sa'yo sa loob?" tanong ni Aeron nang makarating kami sa tapat ng opisina ni Dra. Alliyah.

I looked at him and gave him a fake smile, giving him assurance that I am fine.

"Ako na lang ang kukuha. Mabilis lang 'to." I stated.

He nodded. "Okay, dude." Tumalikod na siya at umupo sa bench.

Huminga ako nang malalim, nakatingin sa pintuan, bago tuluyang pumasok.

Sinalubong ako ni Doc Alliyah ng nagagalak na ngiti. Mas lalo akong natakot dahil alam ko na ang resulta kahit wala pa ang papel ng resulta sa kamay ko. I tried smiling at her even though inside me...I feel like crying.

"W-what's the result?" I sat in front of her table.

She giggled. "Congratulations, Serene! You are 2 weeks pregnant! You are going to be a parent! I'll just congratulate Doc Zero after you tell him! Surprise him, ha! Inform me! I already wrote the things you can't do and you can't eat on a separate paper inside." aniya.

I got teary-eyed. Hindi ko alam kung masaya ba ako or hindi. Every child is a blessing from the Man above kaya masaya halos ang mga tao. Ako? Ewan ko. Pero I'm sure this is just temporary. I'm sure I'm gonna love him like how I love Zero. Just...not now. My own self just can't contain the happenings right now.

She presented a white envelope on the table. I took it and stood up.

"Thank you. Yes, I'll inform you. I gotta go." tumalikod na ako bago pa tuluyang pumatak ang mga luha sa pisngi ko.

There I saw Aeron patiently waiting outside, with both hands intertwined while sitting on the bench. He immediately stood up when he saw me.

He looked gently at me and came to me, wiping my tears.

"What's the result, dude? Stop crying. You look ugly." he tried to make my feeling light but my tears just can't stop.

I sobbed and gave the envelope with a few drops of tears in it. He gladly took it from my hand and opened it. He unfolded the paper and read it.

Aeron's eyes landed at the bottom part and that's where his gaze stopped. Shock sailed through his eyes, his mouth muttering inaudible words. His gaze drifted to me and then to paper, doing it again and again.

"s**t," he mumbled, saying it repeatedly.

I didn't respond. I just watched his reaction for a mean time, trying to hear proper words from his mouth but it didn't came.

"Hindi ko naman ipapalaglag ang bata. It's fine if you don't really mean what you said na pananagutan mo. I don't hold grudges naman. I'll love him as my own child. Sasabihin ko na rin kay Zero lahat bukas kung kaya. Alone. Ayaw kong masira ang pagkakaibigan niyo." I tried sounding normal but a sob came from me.

I was so emotional. He folded the paper back to the envelope and faced me, reaching for my eyes. His caressed his thumb on my cheeks.

"Shh, don't cry." he hushed me down but I can't even stop.

Aeron smiled at me, an assuring one, making me feel better, and reached for my eyes. His gaze caught my eyes.

"I told you I'll take responsibility, right? I don't break promises," said, Aeron.

"Don't stress yourself about it, alright? I'll be with you tomorrow. You can't stress yourself." he added.

"But-" he cut me.

"He leaves you or not, I'll still be by your side, okay? I won't leave you." he whispered and kissed my forehead for a quite a long second, hushing me down.