Happily Ever After

The sunshine coming in from the window beside their bed was too bright. She clenched her eyes tighter to fight the slow dissipation of her slumber while simultaneously cursing him for choosing opaque lace curtains.

She slowly rolled to her side to keep her eyes away from the morning sunshine but nearly squashed something small and warm. Vaguely, she recalled that she went to sleep with only her husband last night...

Alex cracked an eye open to see her youngest son snuggled closely at her side. Her eyes softened as she stared at this little three-year-old miracle of life in dinosaur pajamas.

Antonio definitely inherited her almond eyes, kissable lips and strong chin. It was just unfortunate that he got his father's aristocratic nose and autocratic air. A tiny, happy sigh escaped her lips as she slowly smoothed his dark bangs away from his face.

She slowly lifted his tiny head so he could use her left arm as his pillow. Her little boy snuggled closer to her chest and snored. She giggled at his adorableness like a young girl. He was so cute! There's no doubt in his mother's loving eyes that he was going to grow up like a handsome man just like his father.

In mornings like this, she could choose to forget that she's the chosen one who's supposed to keep Metro Manila from imploding in itself while trying to forge a new path that doesn't mean choosing between dark and light. On days like this, she could pretend that she's just a normal mom with two boisterous, rowdy boys with a handsome but infuriating husband...

She could just be herself.

Alexandra Trese.

She was the hope of Metro Manila as the last bastion against the forces of darkness. She was a business owner. She was a police consultant. She was the gatekeeper of worlds and the last babaylan. She was a beloved wife and mother. She was all these and more.

Alex didn't move when she felt her husband's arm wrap around her tiny waist. He inched ever so closely towards her body in a way that warmed her heart. When he buried his face between her shoulder blades, she chuckled at the tickling sensation of his warm, even breaths.

She had been with him long enough to know that he was still deeply asleep and traveling far into the dreaming worlds. Maybe he was even guiding their little ones into the Balete trees or racing around Luneta Park in the 1800s. She giggled to herself as she hugged Antonio closer to her and kissed his forehead.

When she closed her eyes, she could already see the day playing itself out. Her first agenda was to leave her boys to their Titos, the Kambal, who loved to play babysitter when she needed to do business during the day.

They lived in a three-bedroom condo unit near their house. The Kambal had insisted that they wanted to live on their own and enjoy the rest of their life as eligible bachelors. Now that she had her own family, she didn't want to cramp their style.

She would pick them up later in the afternoon to deposit them to their doting father at home. They lived in a nice, spacious house in Makati that had been in her husband's family for generations. It was very close to the Philippine Stock Exchange building where her husband worked as a stockbroker.

Alex would then go down to the Diabolical to check on the bar and restaurant. There were bills to pay, account books to review and gossip to hear. Hank, in his late fifties, was still fit and hearty to manage the family business. She often teased him for having an agimat because he was more fit and agile than men who were 20 years younger. Hank would only wink or give a shit-eating grin.

Then she would have to go to Heaven- a sister company that was also slated to be a new cafe and art collective- in BGC to survey the construction and to talk to the interior designer… Oh, there were so many things to do!

By the time she came home in the late afternoon, she would find her husband playing hide-and-seek with three-year-old Antonio and five-year-old Andrew.

She would get started on dinner as they ran around the backyard at inhuman speeds while playing tag. Her husband loved it when they showed off their prodigious skills in running and climbing trees...

Alex had seen this day play out in different ways and on different days. She loved the normalcy, the stability and the predictability of her family life. There was love, safety and security. Her husband's devotion and her burning love for him kept their boat afloat and moving towards the right direction.

He always teased her when he said that he was her compass. In turn, she was his North Star. They needed each other and they blended well together.

For her, this was her well-deserved happily-ever-after. A husband, two kids, a business and a life of crime-fighting was her ideal life.

She felt his lips graze her neck tenderly before planting a gentle kiss on her cheek. An overwhelming rush of love filled her heart to bursting. His arms tightened around her petite frame even more.

"I can't breathe," she whispered furiously in mock anger.

"I love you," he told her with a roguish grin. His eyes twinkled at her annoyance and he thanked Bathala again for being alive right now.

His tough but sweet wife gave him a long-suffering sigh with a glare. How he loved it when she was all prickly and huggable at the same time! She really reminded him of an angry hedgehog.

He found her unbearably adorable and lovable when she was like this in the morning. If only Antonio slept in his own bed then they could make another brother for him...

"Ma! Pa! I'm hungry!" Their eldest son, Andrew, yelled from the doorway. Then he was a blur who jumped into their bed to join them and also jumped vigorously on the mattress for extra measure.

Antonio woke up and started to cry because of his elder brother's interruption of his sleep. Alex smothered her youngest son's faces with kisses as her husband wrestled their firstborn into submission.

Alex and Maliksi exchanged looks before laughing together. They laughed so hard that their sons joined in. Her sons and husband piled on top of her like happy, warm and wriggling puppies.

There was no doubt in her heart that her love for Maliksi had led to this beautiful, messy and crazy life. She thanked Bathala in her mind for her family and for all of the blessings she received.

After everything she'd been through, she definitely deserved this happily-ever-after.