Someday Soon, With You

Chapter 59

TRISTAN JAMES

Ten days later

Mira and TJ, as usual, were having breakfast and Astoria seemed to be getting used to the time difference. She sighed watching her eat the mashed potato TJ’s feeding her. She will adjust again when they go back to Denmark.

“So, Mira” TJ started. Mira looked at him and waited what she’s going to say. “Uhm, there’s something I’d like to ask you” he said.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Well, you see, Kuya and Audrey got engaged” he said.

“Oh my gosh, really?” she exclaimed. “Oh, I’m so happy for them. That is so nice” she beamed.

“Yeah” TJ said.

“You don’t look happy. What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Uhm, you see, I am Kuya’s best man” he said. “And Audrey wants you to be her maid of honor” he told her.

“Really? Me? Audrey’s maid of honor?” Mira almost swoon with the idea.

“Oh, so that’s a yes?” he asked. “Cool. Also, there’s one more. They want Astoria to be the flower girl” he added.

“Oh, my baby. A flower girl” she said, still smiling. “When’s the wedding?” she asked.

“Next year. Just in time for this monster to stop crawling and start walking” he said and fed her mashed potatoes again.

“Why did Audrey chose me? Don’t she have other friends or cousins she can ask to be her maid of honor?”

“I think Ate Audrey’s an only child and the volleyball team are her friends. None of us can be a maid of honor” he simply answered.

“It will be my pleasure to be her maid of honor” she smiled warmly.

“Alavyu” Astoria cut them. She’s staring at TJ and most probably, talking to him too. TJ on the other hand is so surprised he looked at Mira, then Astoria and Mira and then back to Astoria.

“You’re talking to me?” he asked Astoria. “You heard that, right?” he asked Mira. “You said I love you to me? You love me? You love Tatay?” he then carried Astoria trying to talk to her.

“Tatay?” Astoria said copying him.

“I love you” TJ softly told Astoria.

“Alavyu” Astoria replied.

“Oh” he said and hugged Astoria. “I love you, too” he said rubbing her back. “Tatay loves you more” he said.

“You love tatay? What about nanay? Do you love nanay?” she asked Astoria who just stared at her.

“Tell her, I love you” TJ told Mira.

“What?” she asked.

“I told her I love you, that’s why she said it” he instructed.

“I love you” Mira told Astoria. The little girl just looked at her and rested her head on TJ. “She doesn’t want to say it to me” Mira said sadly.

“No, she might just be tired. You know, she just ate and I shook her around like this” TJ consoled her. “Come on, baby. Tell nanay you love her. Say, I love you. I love you, nanay” he continued persuading Astoria to tell Mira ‘I love you’. The little girl, however, continued to just stare at them. “Ah, you monster” he whispered.

“Momster” Astoria said.

“What?” Mira said.

“Monster, she said monster. She copied me” TJ tried to get away from it.

“Momster” Astoria repeated.

Mira’s eyes started to water. “Momster” she repeated. “She called me a momster” Mira walked out of the kitchen and went to the living room and silently sobbed.

“Mira” TJ called. “You know, she just copies whatever she hears” TJ said.

“She only loves you. And she’s still just a child” she continued crying.

“Of course, she loves you. You’re her mom” TJ sat beside her and rubbed her back. TJ watched Mira, and came to a realization about what’s happening. Just a moment ago, she was so happy about his brothers wedding and being a maid of honor to Audrey. And then the next minute, she’s sobbing because her daughter didn’t tell I love you to her. She even has excessive hair loss. Of course, he can’t say for sure, but there might be a chance this has something to do with her pregnancy. “Come on, baby. Let’s tell nanay we love her. I love you, nanay. You say it” he asked Astoria. “I love you, nanay” he continued convincing Astoria.

“Alavyu? Nanay?” Astoria asked TJ.

Mira stopped crying and looked at Astoria. “You love nanay?” she asked.

“Lav Nanay?” Astoria answered.

“See? She loves nanay” TJ told her.

“Lav Nanay” Astoria repeated the same as TJ’s tone. She’s really just repeating it.

“Oh, I love you too” Mira told her emotionally. Astoria stared at her, tears running down her cheeks, she also started bawling.

“No” TJ said. Now there’s two of them. She tried to distance Astoria to Mira because of her emotions.

Nineteen Months Ago

“Hi” Mira greeted TJ that morning.

TJ just nodded and walked to the kitchen to make his coffee. He looked at her, who followed him. “Do you want coffee?” he asked.

“Uhm, no” she answered.

He nodded. He thought she likes coffee. They had breakfast together, and he sees her looking at his coffee. “Are you sure you don’t want coffee?” he asked.

“No, thank you” she sadly answered. He nodded.

He’s not in the mood to babysit her, or tolerate more of her broken heartedness. For crying out loud, he’s also broken hearted. By her!

The next morning, she didn’t join him for breakfast. She didn’t come to work that day, and also the day after that. She doesn’t seem to care how much she’ll be deducted for her absences. The next morning, Saturday, he saw her on the kitchen eating ripe mango with a peanut butter. “Good morning” he greeted her. Mira nodded but didn’t look at him. She continued devouring the mango with an open jar of peanut butter on her side. “What a common breakfast choice” he commented and sat near to her. Mira stopped eating and ran back to her room. She didn’t even clean up before she went back to her room. He stood and about to clean the table when he saw Mira’s door opened. He walked at the door and stood there. It felt like he can hear something. He stayed still and listened. And then it occurred to him, Mira’s throwing up. It’s not supposed to be his business. Slowly, he went back to the kitchen and started to cook rice. He heard footsteps, a few movements behind him and then footsteps quickly going away. He looked behind and saw the peanut butter and bowl of mangoes gone. He tilted his head. She took her food back just after throwing up.

He continued his day, not asking anything despite his growing curiosity. That afternoon, he opened his door and it so happened that Mira also opened hers at the same time. Startled, she stared at him and slowly closes the door.

“Mira, wait” he stopped her. Mira didn’t say anything but didn’t open her door as much, just a slight opening so she can see him. “Did I do anything wrong? Why are you avoiding me like I have some disgusting, contagious disease?” he asked.

“I’m not” she answered.

TJ rolled his eyes. “Really? Is that why you don’t even want to open your door wider so we can get a proper talk?” he sarcastically asked.

“It’s not what you think” she said. “It’s just—” and she stopped. She covered her mouth and ran inside. Her door opened wider. TJ walked closer to it and heard Mira throwing up again.

“Mira? You’re throwing up again? What’s wrong? Are you sick?” he asked.

“No” she answered when she stopped vomiting.

“Did you get a bad stomach? The food maybe?” he remembered how she’s eating mango with peanut butter. He looked at her, could it be?

“It’s not the food. It’s your smell” she said.

“What?” he asked.

“I think it’s your shampoo. I don’t like it” she added.

“Are you pregnant?” he asked. Mira looked at him and nodded.

“How many months?” he asked.

“Two” she answered.

TJ then helped her with almost everything. There were times when Mira leaves her door open so when she suffered from leg cramps, he can easily go inside and massage her. And everything is history.

PRESENT DAY

“Ate will miss you baby” Ara told Astoria as she tries to carry her, Archi’s sitting down, carrying Astoria and trying to level down to Ara’s height.

“We will miss you, and Astoria” Aro told Mira.

“Me too” Mira replied and hugged Aro. “Just remember, if you and Archi ever, you know” she said and laughed. Aro chuckled. “I’m first in line, okay?” she told her.

“Okay” Aro laughed. “If that ever happened, no more courtship, let’s just get to business and get married” he said.

“Okay” she squealed and almost jumped.

“I am just here” Archi interrupted them.

“Bye, Aro” she hugged him one last time. “Baby, you visit Astoria when you have the time, okay?” she told Ara.

“Okay, Tita” Ara replied. “I miss you, already. Ate miss you already” she hugged Astoria and kissed her cheek.

Archi, then, stood up and gave her Astoria. “Your bags are all in. If you need anything, just call. And also, call mom. She gets jealous when you only talk to Tita Dolly” he said and kissed the top of her head. He also kissed Astoria’s head and hand. “I miss you already” he told her.

“Papa” Astoria said making him smile.

“Yeah, I don’t know if you’re talking about me but yes, I am also Papa” he said laughing a bit.

“Mira, let’s go” TJ called her. She saw Anthony and their mother with them.

“Congratulations to you and Audrey” she told Anthony who smiled while scratching the back of his head.

“Thank you. I hope Astoria can walk by then, she’s going to be the flower girl” he said.

“I’m sure she’ll be walking by then” she answered. She looked at Flora and smiled just a bit. Flora smiled back and nodded.

After their goodbyes, the three of them boarded the plane back to Denmark.

“Do you need help with anything?” TJ asked Mira as they clean and organize their apartment again.

“No, we’re all done here” she answered as she threw the baby wipes to their trash bin. She’s just taken a bath and cleaned Astoria. If anything, she wants to sleep but Astoria looked like she still wants to play.

“Okay, I’ll just be in my room. Just call me if you ever need anything” he told Mira. He went to his room and started to prepare for bed. He’s lying down, staring at the ceiling thinking about Mira’s outbursts from time to time and her excessive hair fall. He sat up and took his laptop. He went online and searched: Postpartum Depression