บท 12: CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER 12

LUMUKOT ang mukha ni Victoria nang makita ang damit ng asawa. "That's it? Simple shirt and jeans? Ano nalang ang sasabihin ni daddy kung makita niya ang suot mo? They'll think that you're cheap!" Singhal niya sa asawa.

Hinihintay nila sa mansyon ng mga Salvador ang pagdating ng daddy ni Victoria at mga kapatid na sina Vivienne at Kero.

"Ano ang isusuot ko? Ito na ang pinakadesente kong suot." Reklamo ni Noah.

Pinandilatan siya ni Victoria. "Wear your suit, nerdy! Attorney ka like dad. You should be descent." Sambit niya.

Napakamot nalang ng batok si Noah. "Victoria, wala akong dalang suits. Pinagmadali mo ako kaninang umaga kaya hindi ako nakapaghanda." He defended.

Nakapamaywang na humarap si Victoria kay Noah. "So kasalanan ko pa talaga? Ilaw itong late na nagising. Dad and my siblings will come home in less than ten minutes. Fix yourself." Utos sa kaniya ni Victoria.

Noah just tsked before combing his hair and fixing his clothes from time to time.

Rita squealed. "I'm so excited to see my husband."

Vincenzia interferred. "Mom, ipapaalala ko lang, Vivienne and Kero, your children are with dad. Bakit si daddy lang ang gusto mong makita?"

"I'm excited to see Vivienne and Kero too but of course, I'm more excited to see your dad." Rita grinned.

Vincenzia just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Nilapitan siya ni Noah at bumulong. "Why are you not excited to see your dad and siblings? Yung mommy mo, excited. Lalo na si Victoria na hindi tumitigil kakasalita kahapon sa pagdating nila."

Sa halip na sumagot, Vincenzia smiled sweetly. "You will know later."

Tumango-tango nalang si Noah kahit wala siyang naiintindihan sa sinabi ni Zia nang sumigaw si Victoria. "Noah!"

His bored eyes drifted into hers. "Ano na naman?"

Victoria anxiously combed his hair using her fingers. "You look ugly! Wala ka na bang igagwapo? Gosh, your ugliness is making me anxious. Ano nalang ang sasabihin ng dad and siblings ko pag nakita ka nila?" She anxiously said while fixing Noah's hair and clothes.

Habang inaayos ni Victoria ang buhok ni Noah isang tunog ng busina ng kotse ang umalingawngaw sa mansyon ng Salvador.

"Ohmygosh they're here!!" Rita squealed and ran outside to greet the newcomers.

Agad na kinabahan si Noah. He doesn't know what kind of people are Victoria's dad and siblings. Paano kung nakakatakot pala ang daddy niya at singhalan siya?

Her dad is an attorney like him. Mas lalong nadagdagan ang kaba niya.

Victoria smiled before running towards the gate. Si Vincenzia ay nakatayo lang sa likod ng couch at mukhang kinakabahan din.

Lalong kumabog ang dibdib ni Noah nang pumasok sa kabahayan ang isang maskuladong lalake at akbay si Rita. Mukhang ito ang ama ni Victoria.

Sa likod ng ama ni Victoria ay isang babae na yakap yakap ni Victoroa at isang binatang lalake na nakaheadset.

Sinalubong sila ni Ophelia, ang lola ni Victoria.

"My very gorgeous apos! Welcome back." She exclaimed before hugging Victoria's siblings.

Noah blew a loud breath before walking towards Vincenzia. Tahimik lang ito. "Kinakabahan ako." He confessed.

Vincenzia flicked his forehead. "Bakit ka kinakabahan? They're just dad and my siblings. Hindi sila masasamang tao—I think."

Noah looked at Zia, horrified. "You think?" Ngumiwi siya. "Bakit hindi mo salubungin ang pamilya mo?"

Vincenzia shrugged. "No use. Hindi kami close."

Then, Noah heard Rita's voice. "Oh, baby, you should meet Noah, Victoria's husband and our son-in-law."

Noah stilled when he heard his name. Dahan-dahan siyang tumingin sa ama ni Victoria na nakatingin sa kaniya. All eyes are on him.

Sinenyasan siya ni Victoria na lumapit sa kaniya so he did.

Rita gestured at him. "Baby, meet Vergel Noah Alegre. An attorney like you and Victoria's husband."

Kinamayan siya ng ama ni Victoria. "Nice to meet you, Noah." He smiled.

"Noah, meet my sexy husband, Vaughn Kyran Salvador."

Noah smiled politely as he can. "Nice to meet you, sir"

"That's tito Vaughn for you, Noah."

Sunod na tinuro ni Rita ang dalawang nasa likod ni Vaughn. "That's my handsome son, Kero Vance Salvador."

And she pointed towards the girl who's been clinging unto Victoria's arm. "And that's my gorgeous daughter, Vivienne Rose Salvador."

Vivienne waved her hands at Noah and all Noah could do was gape.

Vivienne...

He remembers her name and her face!

Si Vivienne, siya iyong nakilala niya noong nasa bridge siya. Ang babaeng nagbigay liwanag sa buhay niya...ang babaeng dahilan kumg bakit hanggang ngayon ay buhay siya...

"Vivienne.." he mumbled to himself.

His heart is pounding. She met him once again!

"Dad, you've been away for months. Dapat may pasalubong ka. Kung walang pasalubong, hindi ma makakatulog dito." Victoria exclaimed.

Tulala pa rin si Noah kay Vivienne na abala sa pagbubukas ng maleta.

It's really her.

The distinct facial features...it's really her!

~*~

Nakaupo lahat sila sa L-shaped couch sa sala ng mansyon habang nagpapamigay ng pasalubong sina Vaughn, Kero at Vivienne.

"This one is for my wife." Sambit ni Vaughn habang nagbigay ng limang paper bag na mamahaling bag.

Rita squealed at hinalik-halikan ang asawa sa pisngi. "Thank you baby!"

Si Kero naman ay naglabas ng isang mamahaling cellphone at binigay iyon kay Ophelia. "This one is for you grandma. You changed your phone two months ago, right? Luma na ang phone mo kaya binilhan ka namin ng latest phone ngayon."

Vivienne took out three boxes of shoes and five paper bags of expensive clothes. "This one is for my favorite sister, Victoria!"

"Thank you, Viv!" Victoria hugged Vivienne.

Then Vivienne took out a box wrapped with a black wrapper at binigay iyon kay Noah. "That's for you. You're my sister's husband kaya binilhan na rin kita."

Noah smiled. "Thank you." He replied bago binuksan ang regalo. It's an expensive neck tie.

Umconsciously, Noah looked at Vincenzia. Ito lang ang hindi nakatanggap ng pasalubong.

Katabi lang niya si Vincenzia. Her legs and arms are crossed.

So without thinking first, Noah pointed out, "Vincenzia didn't get her gift."

Everyone fell silence. It was Vivienne who answered, "oh, we didn't know what you liked so..." tumingin ito kay Vaughn.

Vaughn smiled. "We'll just give you money and go buy everything you want, okay?"

Vincenzia smiled inwardly. "It's fine. I don't like gifts anyway." Aniya at umalis.

Victoria scoffed. "She doesn't deserve to be given some gifts." Komento niya.

Saglit na tinignan ni Noah ang papalayong bulto ni Vincenzia. What's up with her and her family? Mukhang hindi sila magkasundo.

~*~

NAKANGIWI si Noah habang naghahapunan kasama ang pamilya Salvador.

Maingay ang mga ito at panay ang bangayan.

"So, Noah, how's the honeymoon?" Vaughn suddenly asked.

Isang matalim na tingin ang pinukol sa kaniya ni Victoria. "It was good. Nag-enjoy naman ako."

"Are we gonna expect a grandchild soon?"

Napaubo sa kinakain si Victoria at agad na uminom ng tubig. Noah smiled. "Hindi po."

Tumango-tango si Vaughn. "Good. I'm not ready to have a Victoria 2.0 grandchild yet."

Tumawa ang ilan habang si Victoria ay nakasimangot lang.

"Rita told me that you're an attorney. How's work?" Tanong muli ni Vaughn.

"Okay naman po." He shortly replied.

"Do you want to build your own law firm? Just tell me. Tutulungan kita."

Noah nodded. "I'll think about it, tito Vaughn."

Vaughn nodded and continued eating while the rest are eating loudly while arguing.

Napabuntong-hininga nalang si Noah at napatingin sa gawi ni Vivienne.

It's really her..

Hindi niya alam kung paano kakausapin ang dalaga. He wants to confirm if it's really her. Noah is sure that the girl he met is Vivienne pero mas maganda na ang sigurado.

Maybe he'll try to talk to her...

Just maybe...