I've been really happy lately.

 

Have I been a little too obvious? Kasi si Ate Marie, tired na makinig sa akin gushing about Winter. At first, cute pa daw eh kasi she has never seen me this kilig daw. 

 

How could I not be?

 

Winter has been a really great girlfriend. 

 

Kahit na our hang outs have been few and far between, hindi naman nakakalimutan ni Winter bumisita sa bahay even if it's just a few minutes before she goes to work. She even comes by after she's done work.

 

The effort is there.

 

We haven't been on a date officially as a couple pero we're going out soon! Which is exciting.

 

Nagtugma na yung days na free kami ng girlfriend ko and I can't help but look forward to it.

 

As early as now, I'm already thinking about what to wear. Gusto ko naman maging pretty for my girlfriend even though she always says na kahit daw I wear a garbage bag over my head, maganda pa rin daw ako.

 

Mama Mary pa rin.

 

Good Lord! 

 

Paano naman ako maging maganda if you don't see my face, diba? 

 

But, nakakakilig pa rin. I think yung praises ni Winter is slowly blowing up my ego.

 

Malapit na akong maniwala na I look like Mama Mary. 

 

Konti na lang. 

 

Pero obvious na obvious na yata ako with my happiness kasi even si Daddy has noticed my very cheerful mood.

 

Nagtataka siya why I'm always singing and skipping steps.

 

Ganun ba talaga ako?

 

Even my most hated chore, which is washing dishes, ay ginagawa ko daw with a smile on my face. 

 

"Anak, ano ba ang meron sa mga hugasin at ngiti-ngiti ka diyan?" Daddy said one time habang naglalaptop sa dining table. "Hate na hate mo maghugas kasi nakakadry ng kamay pero ngayon ngiti-ngiti ka diyan." 

 

I stopped washing dishes and turned to look at Daddy. I stopped smiling na rin, pouting instead sa pang-aasar ni Daddy sa akin.

 

"I'm just in a good mood, Dad." 

 

"Ay naku Kuya, si Winter yan," bigla naman dumating si Ate Marie from watering the plants outside. "Si Winter iniisip niyan kaya yan smile ng smile." 

 

Napatawa naman si Daddy sa sinabi ni Ate Marie. "Winter? Ang cute naman ng name." Cute din ang owner ng name. "Crush mo ba, Karina?" 

 

"Kuya, hindi!" Sus si Ate Marie, siya pa ang magsasabi. I haven't even told my parents about Winter kasi they've been away. Now they're on a week break so they're at home. 

 

I finished washing the dishes and sat beside Daddy sa dining table. He raised his brow at me, questioning, pero he was smiling at me playfully.

 

"Oh, hindi mo crush? So sino si Winter?" 

 

"Daddyyy…" I whined, stretching out the last syllable. "Remember I told you about the cute girl na kaklase ni Yuyu?" He just looked at me na nakangiti. "Well, uhm, g-girlfriend ko na siya." Nakakahiya pala magkwento sa parents mo about your love life. 

 

Daddy didn't say anything and I suddenly felt nervous. Did he change his mind about being open minded? Ayaw niya ba akong magka-girlfriend? 

 

Homo— gosh I can’t even say it…homophobic ba si Daddy?

 

But my worries were immediately squashed when my dad laughed and patted me on the head. "Hindi ka na pala nahihiya sa mga cutie girls gaya ng dati?" Oh my gosh, bakit alam ni Daddy to? "Marie, cute ba yan si Winter?"

 

"Mukhang tuta, Kuya," Ate Marie giggled. "Sobrang cute! Nakakagigil nga minsan eh." 

 

"Can I see a picture, Karina? Mukha ba talagang tuta?" I took my phone out and slid it towards Daddy. My wallpaper is a really cute picture of Winter, sobrang maamo ang mukha and yes mukha siyang puppy. 

 

When I told her before that she looked like a maltese, she protested. Bakit daw siya kinocompare sa aso meanwhile ako daw mukhang Mama Mary. 

 

Sabi ko naman puppies are cute that you want to cuddle and kiss all the time and ang mga puppies are always inaalagaan which is what I want to do kay Winter.

 

The way her face turned so red was so cute. She finally relented tapos bumulong na siya na nga ang puppy.

 

Of course! She's my puppy. 

 

Bigla naman umupo si Ate Marie sa tabi ni Daddy and nakipagchikahan. "Pero mahiyain yan si Winter. Hindi pumapasok kapag pumupunta dito. Nasa labas lang sila ni Karina palagi." 

 

Nagtaka naman si Daddy and raised his brow. He gave me back my phone. "Oh, why?" 

 

"Winter has work kasi, Dad. She comes by before her shift lang so hindi na siya pumapasok," I explained. 

 

"Well, next time invite her in. It's rude to let your girlfriend stay outside," sabi ni Daddy. "Dalhin mo siya dito, anak. I want to meet her. Does your Mommy know?"

 

I shook my head and told him hindi ko pa nakakausap si Mommy but like him, aware siya about Winter. 

 

"Si Ate? Alam niya?" I nodded. "Inaasar ka?"

 

I rolled my eyes. "Like it's her job." 

 

Tumawa naman si Daddy and patted my head again. Moments like this talaga na namimiss ko parents ko. Being the bunso of the family, they really baby me a lot. "Well your Ate is seeing someone," binulong niya sa akin. My eyes widened and I was going to start whining pero umiling lang si Daddy.  "Di niya sinabi sa akin pero I saw them one time sa office. Ang sweet!" He winked at me.

 

Humanda yan si Ate next time. May secret kalandian pala. May pang-aasar na rin ako. 

 

I left the dining room na rin to go to my room kasi tumatawag ang girlfriend ko. Before I even got upstairs, Daddy yelled na dalhin ko daw si Winter sa bahay.  

 

I’d have to ask her if she’s ready to meet the parents. 

 

Break na ni Winter I think and she never fails to call me para lang to hear my voice daw.

 

Goodness.

 

How do I even begin to describe how Winter is as a girlfriend? 

 

There are actually a lot of things I learned about Winter ever since naging girlfriend ko siya. 

 

Winter is already cute but I didn't know may mas ikakacute pa siya. And she definitely knows that she is. She uses it to her advantage especially if there's something she wants. And it's not like it's a big deal naman sa akin pero I guess she feels bad if she's gaming with her friends. 

 

Nagpapacute siya if she wants to play but I told her she doesn't need to ask me if she can. She can do whatever she wants, just an update is all I need. 

 

Pero it's not like I'm complaining. Seeing Winter puff her cheeks and bat her eyelashes at me is more like a treat.

 

Totally my puppy. 

 

And I did not know Winter can be very observant. Tapos ang talas pa ng memory niya. I don't know how she still remembered pero back when I was still so shy around Winter (my gosh, the thought of it is embarrassing), I guess I mentioned my odd fascination with dinosaurs. 

 

Bumili kasi siya ng matching dinosaur phone case.

 

I cannot! 

 

She's honestly the sweetest.

 

This is a side of her that I didn't know. Ganito pala siya maging girlfriend. 

 

I wanted to ask her about it but I remembered that she wanted to do all the jowa things since she wasn’t able to do it before. I normally don't care about having matching couple stuff but if Winter wants it, then I'm all for it.

 

Kahit matching tsinelas pa kami. 

 

One that I really appreciate is how Winter has turned 180 with the whole updating thing. Kung before, hindi siya marunong mag text, ngayon, ang galing na niya. 

 

However, she prefers phone calls and video calls. According to her, mas maganda daw kapag naririnig niya boses ko at nakikita ako.

 

Okaaaaaaaay. 

 

I'm not complaining! 

 

Ito yung tinatawag ni Yuyu na “ang haba ng hair” daw. Rapunzel? 

 

I, too, love hearing my girlfriend's voice especially kapag bagong gising siya. Mas lalong kumucute yung boses niya. 

 

That's why, right now, tumatawag siya during her break time when she can just simply text me.

 

"Hi, baby," my girlfriend's pouty face appeared on my screen. 

 

I think busy sila and she probably just dealt with a difficult customer. "Why the long face?"

 

"Ang sarap talaga tirisin ng ibang mga customers," she complained, nakabusangot pa ang mukha while sumusubo ng chips. "The customer is not always right minsan! Wrong sila!" 

 

This is also what I discovered about my Winter: her letting out her feelings really easily. Madalas siya mag vent sa akin about work and she's never shy about telling me her feelings. 

 

I like that about her.

 

Kung upset siya or naiinis, she tells me about it. And I like making her feel better. 

 

Kaya when she's having an especially bad day at work, I just let her vent to me. Kahit na hindi ko naiintindihan ang nangyayari or the things she does at work, I just listen. 

 

"Want me to drop by later? You're at the branch near sa amin right?" I offered pero gusto ko rin siyang makita. "I'll give you a big hug!" 

 

She shook her head, "It's okay, baby. Malapit na rin akong matapos dito." 

 

"Are you sure?" I pushed further. "Akala ko ba you like my hugs?" 

 

"I do! Ano ka ba," she finished eating and wiped with a tissue. "One hour na lang kasi at uuwi na ako. Ako na lang pumunta diy