The promised!

Rain stood there in dazed. 

Parang nawalan sya ng kakayahang kumilos. He wanted to bring Leo back and start another fight with him.

It feels so good!

Anya sa sarili pero sa kaloob looban nya alam nyang kahit ilang beses man nyang paulit ulit na saktan si Leo, he could not change the fact that despite everything, Leo is still innocent.

Kasalanan ba nitong naging ama ang taong kinamumuhian niya?

Looking back to what happened, parang ibang Leo ang nakita niya kanina. When they were fighting, parang sinadya talaga ng lalaki na magpagulpi sa kanya.

"Is he sick?" 

May pag aalalang tanong ni Rain sa sarili. Noon paman Rain already felt something towards Leo na hindi niya maintidan that's probably one of the reason he prejudice him easily.

Knowing that Mondejar is Leo's father just make him hate Leo even more.

"I've meet Leo—"

Bigla nalang naapakan ni Sophia ang brake ng marinig ang sinabi ni Rain.

"What did he said?"

"It's just some nonsense!"

Nakakunot noon na sagot ni Rain sa tanong ng dalaga.

"He's telling me about my family"

"About your what?"

Sophia asked shockingly. Napabaling syang bigla sa ibang direksyon upang itago ang kanyang pagkagulat.

"What exactly did he—"

"Your acting weird!"

puna ni Rain sa kanya.

"He just told me about the possibility that my family might be looking on me, but don't worry sinabi ko na sa kanya that I already found a new family!"

Sophia sighed in relief, dahil pag nagkataon she'll never forgive Leo for telling Rain the truth. 

Hindi sa ayaw niyang malaman ni Rain ang tungkol sa kanyang tunay na pamilya but the timing is just off at magkakagulo lang ang lahat.

Would Rain let everything slide knowing that their mother is Mondejar's hostage? Selfish na kung selfish pero ayaw niyang maipit si Rain sa gitna.

"Did you ever considered looking for them?" 

Sophia asked with guilt, she also knew the truth but for Rain sake dadalhin niya kahit sa kanyang hukay ang sekretong iyon.

"Nope!" 

Rain aswered bluntly.

"We all knew the truth why parents abandon their children, it's either they're a mistake or probably it's for the sake of that unfortunate children. But either way it doesn't matter to me, ba't pa namin pahihirapan ang aming mga sarili, we already lived this life, long enough without each other!"

Rain said with bitterness, he may seems calm but Sophia knew Rain is bleeding inside.

Everything he said is exactly the opposite, It was just his defense mechanism, a wall he build for himself. 

Kung hindi lang sya mapilit noon malamang Rain will never open up on her.

"What If someday you found your family would you—"

Natawa ng mahina si Rain.

"You are my family now, regardless whether I'm unwanted child or whatever reason they had. I'm still thankful to them for abandoning me, beacause I found you, you found me. And I'll never leave you!"

Sophia suddenly sobs di niya mapigilan ang sariling maiyak. Partly Sophia and Leo are guilty for playing Rain's emotion but this is all for the better.

"I won't hold you back, just incase you want to see your family. You're always welcome to us!"

"Are you crying? Woaaah—seriously?"

Di makapaniwalang tanong ni Rain kay Sophia, Rain thought that the idea of him leaving makes Sophia upset.

Only God knows what he's going to do pag nalaman nito ang totoo!

"I told you I, don't need them. . .Geez!"

Impit nalang na napaiyak si Sophia, parang gusto niyang pagsisihang pinakialaman nya noon ang laptop ni Rain, hindi sana sya mahihirapan ng ganito ngayon.

"Nga pala Leo invited us to attend his mom birthday!"

Sophia clutch her hands in the steering wheel while gritting her teeth.

"What does he want? For heaven sake!"

Hindi niya mapigilang itanong sa sarili.

"If you don't—"

"No! We're going!"

Mabilis pa sa alas kwatro niyang sagot, naisip niyang pag hindi sila dadalo baka magduda pa si Rain. 

"But are you ready to see Mondejar just in case?"

Rain shrugged his shoulder. 

"Leo is the one who invite us not him, so why bother?"

Baliwalang sagot ni Rain sa kanya.

"Ok!"

Sophia said with finality.

Meanwhile. .

Leo was standing outside their gates habang bumubuga ito ng usok. Sakto namang papalabas ang kanyang ina nagulat pa ito ng makita syang may hawak na sigarilyo.

He was caught red handed pero hindi man lang ito nabakasan ng galit.

"Why are you standing here?"

She asked him gently.

"Throw it—and come inside!"

She's always soft and understanding. Hindi niya maintindihan why his mother choose to live this kind of life!

The exact defination of living hell!

His father just wasted his mother youth and beauty, if Leo would've given a chance to choose a father, nungkang pipiliin niya ang magaling na ama.

He would rather choose someone who valued his family more than anything else, kahit mahirap man sila ok lang as long as he had a father whom he could confine with, argued over silly things and a father who could defend him.

For once he wanted to be vulnerable but he could only pretend to do so, infront of his mother, habang halos magpatayan na sila ng ama pag nagkakaharap.

He suddenly throw the cigarettes at inakbayan ang ina papasok.

"I'm sorry!"

"For what?"

Patay malisyang tanong ng kanyang mama, minsan gusto niyang sigawan ito dahil sa sobrang pagiging mabait.

"For smoking!"

"Tsk. .I understand but just don't do it next time. Don't waste your precious lung on that stupid thing!"

Natatawa nitong pangaral sa kanya.

"By the way, why are you standing outside in dazed? May gusto kabang sabihin?"

Napatitig sya sa kanyang ina, bigla nalang niyang niyakap ito. 

Kung ibang mga anak na lalaki hindi clingy sa kanilang mga magulang but Leo is defferent he's always been fond of his mother, it's not beacuse he feel pity  but he really loves and respect her.

Ma, paano kung gusto kung sabihin sayong pupunta tayo sa malayong-malayo?

Malayo sa impernong lugar na ito!

Sa lugar kung saan hindi na tayo makikita ng magaling kung ama? 

Would that be ok with you?

Gusto sanang niyang itanong sa kanyang ina, gusto niya itong ilayo sa kanyang ama pero alam niyang para sa kapakanan niya hindi ito papayag.

"I just want to asked you kung anong gusto mong regalo sa iyong birthday?"

Natawa ito ng mahina.

"Having you as a gift is already enough for me!"

Her voice crooked.

"I'm sorry ma, for being such an annoying child. I promised from now on, I'm going to make you happy!"

Nang marinig ang mga katagang iyon bigla nalang napabitaw ang kanyang ina sa kanya at tinigan sya nito ng makahulugan.

"Are you going somewhere?" 

Anitong pinigilang maluha, iba kasi ang dating sa kanya ng mga katagang binitawan ng kanyang anak tila ba namamaalam ito sa kanya.

"I told you Lee, being with you is the happiest of my life. I don't need anything in this world, ok?"

"Geez ma! I'm not going anywhere. I'm gonna grow old with you!"

"Nevermind! I'll be sick if ikaw nalang lagi ang aking makikita. Sana naman in the future bigyan mo'ko ng maraming apo!"

They both laughed, itinawa nalang nila kung ano man ang totoong naramdaman nila ng araw na iyon. 

"Nga pala ma, I invited my friends to come over gusto ko rin silang makilala ka!"

"Talaga?"

Gulat ngunit masayang tanong ng kanyang ina sa kanya. This is the first time that he told his mother about his friends.

"I just don't know if darating ba sila!"

Leo said in a matter of fact tone, pero sa kaloob looban nya, he's really hoping that Rain would show up. 

Gusto niyang bigyan ng closure ang kanyang ina tungkol sa kanyang kapatid at gusto rin ni Leo na makita ni Rain ang kanilang ina kahit hindi man nito alam ang totoo.

"As I promised you ma, I'm gonna bring you to my brother!"

Leo knew that this is all he can do, to protect both of them.