I learn something new about Winter everyday. 

We've been hanging out a lot lately since hindi na siya masyadong busy sa shop nila. She only goes there twice a week. And whatever free time I have, I spend with her.

Most of the time nasa bahay lang kami. Sabi pa naman ni Daddy kay Winter one day na i-visit ako palagi sa bahay kasi wala akong kasama most of the time kasi they're always on business trips.

Winter just said yes. 

Sabi pa ni Daddy Winter is free to sleepover whenever. Since summer naman, bumalik si Ate Marie sa Baguio after ng Batangas trip namin. Babalik lang siya when school starts again. 

Kaya Daddy suggested na samahan lang ako ni Winter when she can kasi Ate Irene only comes home once in a while din. 

Namula lang naman ang girlfriend ko.  

She's so shy! Kahit nga yung trip namin sa Batangas, she was very stiff when she slept beside me. Hindi ko na lang siya finorce to sleep closer to me because I didn't want her to be uncomfortable. Even though I was looking forward to cuddling with her, okay lang naman. She ended up cuddling with me anyway, hehe. 

We'll get there eventually. I'd much rather have Winter feel comfortable around me at her own pace rather than force her to do it. Parang mali naman yun. 

And she is! 

She is slowly getting used to my physical affection at siya rin naman naging clingy na! 

But I digress. 

And because we spend a lot of time at home, I found out that Winter can cook! Ang galing niya magluto. Actually, gusto kong magpaturo sa kanya kasi all I know how to cook is yung mga pwede lang i-prito. Kahit yun nga lang, nasusunog ko minsan.

One time, Winter cooked one of my favourite dishes which is yung ginisang monggo. Grabe, parang I fell for Winter again.

The way to a woman's heart is through her belly nga naman.

Ang sarap ng niluto niya! She added coconut milk which made it so much better?  

"Baby, can you cook for me often? Ayaw ko ng mag grab. Sumasakit na tiyan ko from all the fast food." 

"Oo naman! Grocery tayo sa mga gusto mong kainin."

Na-excite naman ako! The thought of doing something so mundane and domestic with Winter makes my heart melt. 

But more than that, I found something I don't like about Winter.

Pero it's not about her talaga.

It's a general pet peeve of mine. 

My girlfriend chews with open. 

Hindi ko alam kung bakit ngayon ko lang napansin itong habit niya. I guess before careful pa kami sa isa't-isa since we were just getting to know each other so hindi pa talaga namin nalabas yung whole pagkatao namin.

But now that we've grown closer, I guess mas comfortable na kami being ourselves sa isa't-isa. And it's a good thing! 

I just can't stand chewing with the mouth open.

Nakakadiri kasi. Yung sound pati na rin yung makikita ko yung kinakain mo inside your mouth. It's disgusting! 

"Baby, can you close your mouth when you eat?" Irita kong sabi kay Winter. 

Nagulat siya at napatakip sa bibig niya. "Ay, sorry." 

She would close and then she would do it again! 

I get that you don't really think about how you look when you eat, pero hindi naman mahirap mag close ng mouth kapag kumakain? 

Etiquette lang din.

"Baby, seriously, ang kadiri pakinggan," I stopped eating because I could not stand the chewing sounds. "Please close your mouth." 

Nawalan tuloy ako ng appetite.

"Okay, sorry baby," Winter wiped at dahan-dahan ng kumain. 

Nakita niya how I wasn't eating anymore so she worriedly looked at me and asked, "ayaw mo ng kumain?" 

I just shook my head and fixed my plate. "Just finish your food na lang. Tapos na ako." 

Tahimik lang ako naghugas ng plates while Winter waited for me sa sala. Hindi naman ako nagtatampo. It's not like Winter can change that habit in a snap.

Nandiri lang talaga ako.

When I finished washing the dishes, I found my girlfriend looking kind of sad habang umuupo sa couch. I just sat next to her.

"Do you want to watch anything?"

She shook her head no. And with those puppy eyes, looked up at me and asked "gutom ka pa ba?" 

Oh, my pure and beautiful little puppy. 

I just smiled at her and pinched her cheek. I almost feel bad for telling her kadiri yung way of eating niya pero I had to voice it out. Kadiri talaga. I don't want to pretend naman. That wouldn't be fair for both of us. 

My girlfriend just rubbed her cheek and pouted. "Bakit mo ako kinurot? Papakainin ka na nga eh." 

"Sorry baby, you're just too cute."

"Pero sabi mo kadiri ako," she sulked. 

I put my around her, pulling her closer to me. "Hindi naman ikaw. Yung chewing lang." 

"Pareho na rin yun. Hindi na ako kakain!" Pagbibiro niya pero ang OA ha? 

I never expected Winter to be this OA. 

"Baby, ang OA ha. I can't stand it lang yung chewing sounds, babe. Ikaw rin naman, pwede mo naman sabihin sa akin yung ayaw mo." 

"Gusto ko naman lahat sayo."

I laughed at napasimangot lang siya. "I find that hard to believe." 

Sumiksik na lang ako sa kanya and smiled. "Bili mo na lang ako ng mcdo," I said cheekily. Sayang lang that I wasn't able to finish my food. Masarap pa naman. 

"So gutom ka nga!"

"Just a bit," I giggled. 

***

Winter asked if I could come over sa bahay nila to hang out para maiba naman. Also sabi niya her parents were home and gusto daw nila akong mameet.

I immediately said yes. 

Gusto ko rin naman mameet ang parents ng girlfriend ko. Mas nervous pa nga si Winter kesa sa akin.

I asked her why? She said it's because it's her first time introducing someone to them.

I get it. It can be daunting naman talaga at nakakatakot nga naman if your parents don't like your partner. As much as possible, you want the people close to you to like who you are dating. 

But it was all good. Her parents were very warm and welcoming. Winter is a carbon copy of her mom. Parang phinotocopy lang sila ni Ate Taeyeon. They all look alike! Ate Taeyeon even joked that wala daw ambag daddy nila aside from you know what. 

And I can see where Winter got her way with words.

Ang galing mambola ng daddy niya! 

Maybe not mambola, but what a sweet talker! Manang-mana si Winter sa kanya.

Her daddy said that palagi daw yata tiningnan picture ni Olivia Hussey when Mommy was pregnant with me kaya daw may hawig ako sa kanya. 

How do they even come up with this? 

I had to Google what Olivia Hussey looked like and parang ang layo naman yata? Although Olivia Hussey kinda looks like Mama Mary when she was younger. 

I just smiled and shyly thanked him. 

After that, I was ushered into my girlfriend's room. 

I've seen her room multiple times because we video call a lot pero not the whole thing. Hindi ko nakikita yung mga baby pictures that littered all over room plus the medals that hung on the wall. 

"Baby, ilang taon ka dito?" I asked whe