“Misis, you good?” Tanong ni Minjeong sa asawang nagtitingin ng brochure at magazine ng mga wedding concepts and motifs. Naghahanda na sila para sa kasal nilang gaganapin in 2 months. Medyo late but, well, money will work anyway.

Hinagod nito ang likod ng asawa bago maupo sa tabi nito para makitingin sa ginagawa ni Karina.

Karina looked tired but still gave her wife a sweet smile. Inaantok nanaman kasi siya pero dahil kinakapos na sila sa oras dahil sa mga naging ganap nitong nakaraang mga linggo’t buwan, they need to exert extra efforts to achieve their dream wedding.

“Yes, all good.” Karina said, yawning as she snuggled on her wife's neck. Para na siyang si Ningning kay Gigi, nahihiligan na niya ang pag singhot singhot ng amoy ni Minjeong at naiinis na rin kapag pabango ang gamit gamit nito. Ayaw niya kasi nung amoy, mabaho raw.

“Sleepy? Misis don't tire yourself. Tara sa kwarto.” Winter took away all the things that kept Karina busy earlier and placed it above the coffee table.

Winter stood up and held out a hand for Karina to take. “Let's go upstairs.” And without hesitation, Karina took it with a smile, inaantok na rin kasi talaga siya. It's tiring kahit nagbabrowse lang siya at namimili sa mga magazine na binigay ng wedding coordinator nila.

“Okay. But, will you stay there with me? Are you done with your work?” 

“Yes, I'll stay there with you. Sasamahan ko kayong magpahinga.” And Minjeong flashed her a smile.

“Then let's go, asawa ko.” Karina excitedly said. Naging busy kasi silang dalawa kaya they rarely spend quality time with each other. Minsan naman kahit maagang matapos sa trabaho ang asawa ni Karina, siya naman ang tulog o kaya ay busy.

They went to their room hand in hand, with Karina leading their way.

“Let’s go to the bathroom, misis.” Agad na napalingon si Karina sa asawa at binigyan ito ng makahulugang tingin.

“What? We'll do our skin care routine.. unless..” Minjeong paused and laughed.

“Unless? Ano Minjeong, tapusin mo yan.” Natatawa ring sagot ni Karina.

“Unless magshashower kang mag-isa. I can wait here outside since I already showered just a few hours ago. Ikaw misis ah, what are you thinking? Di maganda para sa mga anak natin yan.” Karina was flushing red with all the jokes Minjeong threw at her. So instead of answering ay pumasok na lamang ito sa bathroom at nagumpisa nang maghilamos.

Minjeong followed her with a grin and stood there watching Karina do her thing.

“What?” Karina said after noticing her wife not doing anything aside from staring at her.

“Hmm?” Sagot din naman ni Minjeong.

“Akala ko ba skin care? Bat naka tayo ka lang dyan?”

“Inuna ko lang yung health care ko.”

“Health care?” Karina stopped doing whatever she's doing and faced Winter.

“Yes. Watching my stunning wife is a part of taking care of my health. Very much healthy, especially for my heart.” Winter answered with proudness habang si Karina, ayun nahampas na siya sa kilig.

“Bolera!” She said before going back to where she left off.

“What? Totoo naman ah.” Natatawang sagot uli ni Winter. “You're too pretty, ang swerte ko talaga. Buti sakin ka kinasal that day. Kasi kung hindi, baka single pa rin ako ngayon.”

Karina was too stunned to speak. Hindi na ata siya masasanay na ganito ang asawa niya, mukha lang cold pero deep inside, todo todo kung magpakilig.

Winter washed her face alongside Karina. They also applied facial products to each other’s faces after washing. Naging routine na din kasi nila yan.

“Done!” Karina said, satisfied with what she did to her wife’s face and lips.

“Okay! Tara sa kama.” Nakangising sabi ni Winter bago hilahin si Karina palabas ng bathroom.

Winter helped Karina lay down and comfortably tucked her inside the sheets.

“Asawa ko.. Akala ko ba sasamahan mo kaming magpahinga?”

Karina asked with confusion, akto kasing aalis ng kwarto ang asawa niya. Nasa pinto na nga ito at bubuksan na yun para makalabas.

“Just wait here, may kukunin lang ako.” Winter smiled and left Karina there.

Naiinis si Rina. Winter promised to stay but she still left. Paano nalang ang mga anak nila kung ganito si Winter? Magpapromise tapos aalis? Was that just empty words? [Si OA.]

Paiyak na si Karina, overthink malala kahit limang minuto pa lang namang nawawala si Winter. Clingy? Sisihin niyo raw yung mood ng buntis.

“Hey.” Winter came back, a hand behind her back and a smile plastered on her face. Bigla rin naman itong nawala nang makitang naluluha at masama ang timpla ng mukha ng misis niya.

“Misis, what happened? Bakit ka umiiyak?”

“Ikaw!”

“Ako? Bakit ako?”

“Sabi mo sasamahan mo kaming magpahinga! Tapos umalis ka? Ano ba tayo dito Minjeong, lokohan ba lagi?” Karina wiped her tears before facing the other side of the bed, iniiwasang makita ang magandang mukha ng asawa niya.

“HAHAHAHAHA!”

“At tinawanan mo pa ako! Ano ba yan Minjeong, mukha ba akong nagjojoke dito?” Again, Karina faced her laughing wife. She’s furious, tinawanan ba naman kasi siya eh seryoso siya ditong nagtatampo!

“Misis naman kasi, parang five minutes lang naman ako nawala tapos umiiyak ka na dyan. May kinuha lang ako.” Karina tried looking at Winter’s hand behind her back but failed to do so, nakahiga kasi siya.

“Ano ba yan at kailangan mong umalis? Mahalaga ba yan? Mas mahalaga ba samin yan?” 

Hindi talaga magandang galitin ang mga buntis.

Minjeong just sighed and showed her what she took from the nursery room. 

“You went out to get these? Why?” It was a bunch of storytelling books from the nursery room. It took Winter a few minutes to find, and another minute to randomly pick a few books that caught her attention.

“Yes, I’ve read that they might hear it? I’ve also read na kapag umiiyak ang mommy nila, they’re crying too.. So tahan ka na misis, please?” Minjeong cutely pouted to add to her plea, praying that it will work.

“Okay.. kiss ko.” Karina puckered her lips and waited for Minjeong to kiss her, to which Minjeong immediately answered. Effective yung pout.

Karina smiled and tapped the space beside her. “Come here, let us hear your bedtime stories, asawa ko.”

Minjeong did as instructed and sat beside her wife. She took a book with a blue cover entitled “Lake and Valkyrie”.

Minjeong wore her glasses and cleared before reading.

“Once upon a time, there was a little girl who never knew love, namely Lake..” Karina tried listening intently but seeing Minjeong in specs is making her mind go haywire. Nakita naman na niya itong naka salamin before dahil sa bahay lang naman nagtatrabaho si Minjeong pero seeing her this close? Mababaliw na si Karina.

“.. and, Valkyrie unknowingly taught Lake what love is..”

Minjeong just kept going without noticing Karina’s stares. Focus na focus siya dahil nagaalala siyang baka mabulol siya sa pagbabasa, baka daw mamana ng mga anak niya!

“In the end, Lake and Valkyrie learned how to love each other, leading them to have their own cute little daughter. The end!”

Minjeong happily closed the book, set it aside and went near Karina’s belly. “Hey there little ones, nagustuhan niyo ba yung story ni Lake and Valkyrie?”

Karina felt happy watching her wife. Maliit pa lang naman ang baby bump niya pero Minjeong treats their babies na para bang andyan na sila.

“Asawa ko..”

“Hmm? What is it, misis?”

“You’ll be a great parent to our little ones, asawa ko.” Karina said, smiling as she her wife’s hair. May mga nakaharang din kasing strands sa mukha ni Minjeong due to her leaning down on Karina’s baby bump.

“And you will be too, misis ko. We’ll both try to be.” Minjeong went closer to her wife and kissed her forehead.

They were about to sleep when Karina remembered something.

“Minjeong.. Asawa ko, what date is it?”

“Hmm.. 3? Why?”

“And when’s your succession date?”

“The 5th? Why?” Litong lito na si Winter, inaantok na siya pero dahil madali lang mainis si Karina ay hinahabaan na lang rin niya ang pasensya dito. She has to, kung hindi ay magaaway sila uli. Another suyo session for her kung ganon ang mangyayari.

“Why didn’t you remind me?! Wala pa akong susuotin!” Karina’s in a state of panic. Saan siya hahanap ng dress na babagay sa theme in just a day?

“Don’t worry misis, I got it handled. May susuotin na tayo para don, so relax. Matchy matchy kaya tayo ng susuotin so stop worrying and let us sleep.”

“Okay, good night asawa ko.”

“Good night, misis.”

—

“Minjeong yung tie mo!”

“Oh, sorry haha. I almost forgot. Thank you misis ko.” Minjeong said as she placed a kiss on her wife’s cheek. Nakakunot na kasi ang noo nito dahil malapit na silang malate at hindi pa rin nakaayos si Minjeong. Paano, napuyat kasi siya dahil may kailangan siyang ihabol na documents kagabi na kailangan ngayong araw. Kaya eto sila, nagmamadaling umalis ng bahay dahil in an hour ay start na ng event proper. Tinatawagan na rin sila kanina pa ni Joy dahil hinahanap na sila ni Minseok.

“Asawa ko, malelate na talaga tayo, sinasabi ko sayo.” Karina was already by the door, ready na siyang lumabas habang si Minjeong eto, nagsasapatos pa.

“A minute misis.” 

Minjeong checked herself one last time and fixed what needs fixing. “And.. done! Tara na.” Karina went ahead as Minjeong followed suit.

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