Akala ko nun, pinakamahirap na ang mahalin ang taong hindi naman nakikita ang pagmamahal mo sakanya.

I was wrong.

Loving someone who doesn't feel the love that you try to make them feel is not the hardest thing in the world.

I always believed that because I, myself, went through it. Nahirapan at nasaktan ako sa dinanas kong 'yon. Mahirap, kase hindi ko alam kung ano ang dapat na gawin.

"Sky!" I heard a name being called by my second, Patricia. "Come back here! Could you please, please stop making me chase you, Missy!"

"Jei, stop making me chase you, too!" Jillian yelled, too, that was also followed by Aika's yelling voice.

"Col, you better come back here na!"

It's been five years narin. Anlalaki na ng mga bata. Parang kailan lang, ah.

"Children, stop chasing each other already!" I called them out. Kanina pa sila maghahabulan.

We're currently here in Naga, visiting my husband, Jesse's-

"Ma, ayaw paring tumigil, oh!" My eldest, Aika gave up. "Nakakapawis, jusko! Dag-dag pa 'yang isang parang bata rin sa kakatakbo."

"Hey, I said stop running around." I said in a stern voice. Effective naman dahil tumigil na ang mga ito. "Samantha, ikaw talaga pasimuno sa pagtatakbo, pati mga pamangkin mo sumusunod na! Stop na kayo, ako ang napapagot sainyo, oh, my God!"

"Sorry, Lola!" The three said in unison and turned to their aunt, waiting for her to say sorry, too.

"Sorry, mama!" My daughter held up her peace sign with a huge grin plastered on her face. "Come on, kids, let's stop running or your mommies are going to go RAWR~!"

Jeilorrde Maximilian Ruis, Skylarr Xin Persephone Robredo, and Nicoliann Jareiad Valle. My first grandchildren to each on of my daughters.

My children decided to let their youngest sister name their first borns.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang pumasok sa utak ng anak ko at ipinangalan niya almost kagaya sakanya ang name ng mga pamangkin niya.

Her sisters didn't argue with the names that their sister formed. They were happy pa nga kase raw unique. Go lang sila dahil malakas sakanila ang bunso nila.

For the past five years; six today, lumaki, umextend ang aming pamilya. I have now little mini-mes' of my own babies. I have three now, at may papunta pang dalawa.

Patricia's wife, Lauren, is currently pregnant with their second.

And the moment that we've all been waiting for is Maureese's incoming delivery.

Maureese Ashtonn Ruis, Jeileurv Samantha Nicolette Gerona Robredo's lovely wife.

We've all forgotten about what happened from the past. We learned how to forgive and forget so that we can continue to whatever the future holds for us.

"Kuya Afo, Auntie, play with me! Let's race with our control cars, come on!" I heard a jolly Nico yell. "Mommy, I'll play muna with kuya and Auntie, 'kay?!"

"Can I join, too, Col?" Jei approached the two boys who are currently fixing their toy car.

"Sure, sure! Come, place your car beside mine." Their kuya Afo told Jei and helped him with his car as their auntie Sam continued to check their cars. "There you go..."

"Thank you, Kuya!"

I smiled at the three boys who began racing with their cars now.

Natalia was just with her tita Jill, sitting while watching her little buddies.

I roamed my eyes around the place kase napansin kong kulang ang mga apo ko.

Skylarr Xin Persephone Weltz Robredo, currently my youngest, only girl (sa mga anak ko), grand-daughter (since wala pa ang fourth one).

The shy, quiet, and reserved one.

It's giving Sky talaga. Manang-mana sa bunso kong aki. Siya ata ang ina ni Sky at hindi si Trish, eh.

I spotted the three-year-old little girl behind a tomb box. She was sitting there like a princess with her sophisticated dress.

"Hey, birthday girl..." She looked up shyly and smiled."What are you doing here? Do you not want to play with your cousins, Sky?"

"No, Lola... I-ahh, there was a butterfly that landed on my cheek, it kissed me then flew away." She said in a gentle voice. "I felt like it wished me a happy birthday."

My heart skipped a beat because of what she said.

"I think it's Lolo Pogi, I know that it was him. It was a white, big butterfly. The butterfly that we always see." She said habang nabubulol pa. For a three-year-old, Sky can speak almost properly na. Sometimes lang bulol-bulol.

Ah, she was our 'Sky' now since Sam doesn't want to be called by it anymore because she wants us to use it for our new Sky, Skylarr.

My heart skipped a beat, for the second time. I hugged Sky tightly, trying to stop my tears from falling by looking up.

Even though hindi ito nakilala ang lolo ay she knows him kase palagi namin sila kinikwentohan about Jesse.

Ani pa ng isang 'to noon na sayang daw at hindi na nila naabutan ang lolo pogi nila dahil he sounds cool daw.

I couldn't agree more.

It's been six years na from that happening from the past. My daughter survived. It was a miracle and we could never be more happier dahil okay na ulit ang lahat. Mas na-okay na ito. Malaki ang pasasalamat namin sa diyos at sa mga doktor at mga nurse na tumulong din sa anak ko.

"Lola, don't cry..." Happy tears, apo, happy tears. The little girl who's hugging me said after she pulled away. "Labs na labs..., Lola."

"Labs na labs, Sky..." Napahagulgol ako sa harap ng aking apo. "Labs na labs."

That day, we were so hopeful na sana'y gumising ang bunso namin. Umasa kami. Asang-asa. Then a miracle happened. We are all happy nang magising ito kinaumagahan. Masaya rin kami, napakasaya dahil tapos na ang pain na dinadanas ng bunso kong anak.

And now, we are living life gratefully.

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"Sky, please let your Lola answer the phone for me, honey!" I heard Tricia yell from the kitchen. "I'm still not done washing the plates."

"Lola, here's mommy's phone." My little apo gave me her mother's phone. "Who's on the phone, Lola?"

"Hello?" I said after accepting the call. "Who's this, please?"

"Ate?"

"Ate? Who's this?" I asked, confused. I pulled the phone away from my ears and looked at the caller ID; Unknown. "Hello?"

"Ate...?"

"You called with Tricia's number, who's this, please?"

"Sino 'yan, Mama?" Lauren asked with Tricia behind her, drying her hands with a towel.

"Hindi ko alam. Unknown, eh." I offered her, her phone. "Eto, oh. Ikaw na makipag-talk. Ate raw, eh. Baka wrong number."

"Hello?" Tricia asked the caller. "Yes, this is Tricia speaking..." She paused. "Mars!"

"It's just Maureese, Tita... Nag-change yata ng number." Lauren said with a smile. Umupo ito sa tabi ng anak. "What are you doing, Sky?"

"Drawing the butterfly that I saw earlier, Momma." She smiled then continued to draw. "It kissed me, you know. Lolo Pogi kissed me a happy birthday."

"Wow, that's so nice, honey."

"How are you feeling, Anak, Lauren?" I asked the pregnant woman beside my apo. "Kamusta ang apo ko? Kamusta ka?" I asked as I placed my hand over her stomach.

"Ayos lang po, Mama." She gave me a gentle smile. "He's been kicking since earlier, pero okay lang naman. Kakayanin."

"That's great to hear. Ano plano ninyong ipangalan sa baby boy ninyo?"

"Jesrei Xin Eleonor, po, Mama."

"What a good name..."

"Thank you, po. Si Colit parin po ang pinapili namin ng pangalan." We both laughted at what she said.

We both looked up when we saw Patricia enter the living room again. "So, it was Maureese who called. Natawag kase gusto raw tayong makasama sa time ng kapanakan niya."

"Did you tell her that we'll come?" I asked my daughter. "Akala ko next week la manganganak."

"Yes, po. Tatawag nalang daw si Lalabs Nicolette niya soon kung manganganak na. Eeee! Excited na akong makita ang pamangkin ko kay Colit, mama!" Natawa kami sa sinabe niya, making us join her and agree with her, too. She then turned to her daughter. "Sky, honey, do you want to eat?"

"Bread and bananas, Mom, please." She gave her mother a huge grin. "Thank you!"

"Magiging kamukha mo na ang pandesal, anak." Tricia teased her daughter. "You're going to turn into a monkey, too."

"Parang siya hindi pala-pandesal noon, oh."

"Si Mama, I'm just teasing my baby. Tina-try ko lang 'yong ginagawa ninyo nina Ate saakin back then."

"Mama, we're back!" I heard a voice coming from the entrance. "Wala pong Coke Zero, Ate Pat!"

"We bought the original nalang." Aika said after Jillian.

"Binilhan din namin ang mga bata ng ice cream, po." Jillian's husband said. "Binilhan ka rin po namin ng Choc Nut, Ma."

"Salamat, Arkyel." I took the pack of chocolate-nut that her gave me. "Nasa kay Vonn ang mga bata, nasa room nila ni Aika, nanunuod ng pelikula."

They nodded. "Sky, do you not want to watch with your cousins?" Jill asked her niece.

"Nope. I'm drawing, Tita."

"What are you drawing, baby?" Aika asked next. "Ang ganda naman niyan, Sky."

"I'm... I am drawing a butterfly. You know, Tita, the butterfly kissed me earlier when visited Lolo Pogi." She looked at her Tita and smiled sweetly.

"Yeah, really?" Aika became emotional. The child nodded and went back to drawing.

"Ahuh, lolo kissed me. He's always with us..."

He's always with us. He is, he really is.

Miss na miss ka na namin, Bok. Kamusta ka na jaan? Bantayan mo kame, ha. Guide us always, Jesse.

"Pack some things, we're going to go to the hospital earlier than they'll expect us to. Hindi na tayo maghihintay sa tawag ng kapatid ninyo. We'll be there for all the time."

Another apo on the way, sarap sa feeling.

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