Chapter Text
The alarm clock cut through the silence of the room.
Maloi groaned, her hand instinctively reaching out to smack the stop button. Her eyes fluttered open and she immediately froze.
Lying right beside her, asleep, was Aiah Arceta.
"AAAHHH!”
Aiah bolted upright, eyes wide and panicked. "What happened? Bakit ka sumigaw?"
Maloi was shaking, her chest heaving as she pointed a trembling finger at the girl beside her. "Aiah?! Bakit... bakit tayo magkasama sa iisang kama?! Nasaan ako? Bahay mo ba ‘to?”
Aiah blinked, looking more confused than alarmed. "Relax, Mahal. We’re at our house.”
"Our house?! Mahal?!" Maloi’s voice cracked.
"Bakit mo ako tinatawag na 'Mahal'? We’re just classmates! Student Council President ka, at... at Music and Arts club president ako! How am I here?”
Aiah let out a soft, nervous chuckle, shaking her head. "That was years ago, we’ve been married for 7 years now. Well, 8 years this month. Don’t tell me you forgot—"
BAM!
The bedroom door burst open, and a little girl came sprinting in.
She jumped straight onto the bed and wrapped her small arms around both of them.
"Mommy! Mama! Good morning!" the child chirped happily.
Maloi felt like her soul had left her body. She stared at the little girl, then at Aiah, then back at the girl.
The child tilted her head, noticing Maloi’s wide-eyed expression. "Mommy? Why are you looking at me like you saw a ghost?”
Maloi couldn't breathe. Everything was too much. Without a word, she shoved the covers off, scrambled out of the bed, and bolted out of the room.
Maloi was sitting at the dining table, gripping a glass of water.
Her eyes landed on a small hanging calendar on the wall. She squinted, her heart stopping as she read the numbers: June 1, 2042.
"2042? Hindi... hindi pwede 'to," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I was just doing my art commission last night. Paanong naging 2042 na?"
She took a shaky sip of water, trying to force her racing heart to slow down. Just then, footsteps echoed on the floor.
She looked up to see Aiah walking in, holding the little girl’s hand.
"Mommy..." the girl whimpered, her eyes welling up with tears. "Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?”
Aiah looked at Maloi with a pained, questioning expression. "Willow is scared, mahal.”
"Willow," Maloi choked out, her voice barely a whisper. "I... I'm not mad. I'm just... so confused.”
Maloi reached out, gently wiped the wet streaks from Willow’s cheeks. She then shifted her gaze to Aiah.
"Can we talk? Please?”
Aiah searched her face for a long moment, her own eyes filled with worry, before finally nodding. She turned to the child with a gentle, reassuring smile. "Willow, anak, go to your room muna, okay? Me and Mommy will go there later to talk to you.”
Willow sniffled, looking between them one last time before nodding. "Okay po."
They waited until the muffled sound of a bedroom door shutting echoed through the house.
Aiah immediately pulled out the chair beside Maloi and sat down.
"Maloi, anong nangyayari? Bakit ka biglang lumabas ng kwarto kanina nung niyakap ka ni Willow? She’s confused and she thinks na galit ka sa kanya."
Maloi took a deep, shaky breath. "Aiah... I am not the Maloi you know.”
Aiah’s brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"Hindi ko alam kung paano nangyari, pero nagising na lang ako dito sa future—in 2042. But for me? It’s still 2026. I was just doing an art commission last night, and now I’m here."
"So, how old are you?”
Maloi blinked, caught off guard. "Ano? 'Yun ang tinatanong mo? You aren't asking if I'm pranking you?”
Aiah let out a soft, knowing chuckle. "Maloi, you were never good at pranking. You always laugh halfway through. And, I know when you’re lying.”
“Naniniwala ako sa'yo. I believe everything my wife says.”
Maloi went silent, stunned by how easily Aiah accepted her reality.
Aiah stood up, her smile turning soft and encouraging. "Tara, puntahan na natin si Willow. We need to explain that her 'Mommy' right now is from the past.”
Maloi glanced toward the hallway. "Sa tingin mo maiintindihan niya?”
Aiah’s eyes lit up with pride. "Willow is our smart girl, she’ll understand.”
The next morning, the three of them sat around the dining table.
"Willow, don't forget to put your lunchbox in your bag after you eat, and don't share your utensils with anyone, okay?"
“Mama, I know that already! I’ll be 6 in a few weeks, so I can handle it po.”
Willow’s attention immediately shifted to Maloi, who was sitting quietly, still trying to process the reality of having a family.
"Mommy," Willow called out, her eyes shining with hope.
"Will you come with Mama to pick me up later? You and Mama always picked me up together when I was in kindergarten. I know that you're only 17 right now, but you’re still my Mommy. It’s still you. Please?”
Maloi instinctively glanced at Aiah. Aiah caught her gaze and gave her a small nod.
With that quiet reassurance, Maloi turned back to Willow and offered a gentle, genuine smile. "Of course, susunduin kita mamaya, I promise.”
Willow’s face lit up again, satisfied with the compromise. "Yay! Okay, see you both later!”
Maloi and Aiah stood by the front door, waving until the school bus finally disappeared around the corner.
Aiah let out a soft sigh, turning to Maloi with a regretful look. "I hate that I have to leave you alone while you're still adjusting to all of this, but I have a meeting with some investors that I can't move. Don't worry, though. I’ll be back before lunch.”
“Okay, pero pwedeng ako magluto? So when you get back, kakain na lang tayo.”
Aiah went completely silent.
“Sorry! I—I didn't mean to overstep.”
Aiah shook her head quickly. "No, Maloi, you’re not overstepping at all. Actually... you always cook lunch when I'm at the office. And when I come home, we always eat together.”
Maloi felt a sudden warmth in her chest at the image of their routine.
Aiah glanced down at her watch. "I have to get going.”
She leaned in, as if to give a kiss on Maloi’s cheek but she caught herself halfway and pulled back.
“Sorry.”
Maloi blinked, a slight flush rising to her cheeks. “Okay lang, ingat ka.”
Once she finished preparing lunch, Maloi went to the living room and spent time looking at the framed photos on the wall.
She felt a genuine spark of happiness seeing Sheena, Colet, and Gwen featured in memories from their college graduation, her wedding, and Willow’s first birthday.
However, her brow furrowed as she noticed her mother’s absence from every single frame.
She pulled out her phone to call her mother, but the number was no longer in service.
She checked her messenger app, only to find that the last chat with her had been years ago.
She decided to set the confusion aside for the moment, resolving to simply ask Aiah about it later.
As they set their plates aside, Maloi decided it was time to address what she had found.
"Aiah?”
“Hmm?”
“Sinubukan kong tawagan si Mama, pero hindi na available yung number niya. I was looking at the pictures in the living room earlier, and wala siya. Nasaan siya? Okay lang ba siya?”
Aiah froze.
“Bakit hindi ka nagsasalita? Nasaan si Mama?”
Aiah took a shuddering breath before speaking, her voice barely a whisper. "Maloi... matagal na siyang wala. She passed away 11 years ago.”
Maloi’s breath hitched, turning into a broken sob as the reality settled in.
Aiah stood up abruptly and moved around the table, pulling Maloi into an embrace. She buried her face in Maloi’s neck, holding her, while Maloi clung to her, shaking uncontrollably in her arms.
The school gates swung open, Willow’s face was glowing with excitement as she reached the car.
"Mama! Mommy!”
“Mommy! You came!" Willow beamed, looking up at Maloi.
Maloi smiled, she knelt slightly to reach Willow’s level. "Sabi ko naman sa'yo kaninang umaga, susunduin kita, 'di ba? So, here I am.”
Once they were settled inside the car, Aiah started the engine and looked at their daughter in the rearview mirror. "So, how did the first day of our Grade 1 student go?"
Willow started chattering away, recounting the games they played and the funny things that happened during lunch.
"Oh and don't worry, Mommy. I didn't tell my classmates that you’re from the past."
Maloi smiled.
However, Willow’s sharp eyes narrowed as she studied Maloi’s face. "Mommy, did you cry? Your eyes are puffy."
Maloi quickly shook her head, trying to look composed. "Hindi ah, I didn't cry."
Willow giggled, shaking her head. "Even if you’re 17, you’re still so bad at lying."
Maloi sighed, her smile fading into something more wistful. "I just... I miss your Lola Lina.”
Willow went quiet for a second before asking softly, "Is Lola Lina still alive in your time, Mommy?"
Maloi nodded. Willow turned to Aiah, her voice small. "Mama, can you unbuckle my seatbelt?"
"Why, anak?" Aiah asked, glancing over her shoulder.
"So I can hug Mommy," Willow replied.
Aiah smiled warmly, stepping out of the car and moving to the backseat to unbuckle Willow.
She then opened the passenger door and Willow immediately scrambled to climb, wrapping her small arms around Maloi’s neck. Maloi pulled her close, closing her eyes.
Aiah stood by the open door, watching the two of them with a heart full of love. Maloi felt a stray tear escape, and she quickly wiped it away before it could fall.
Willow pulled back just enough to look at her. "Please don't be sad, Mommy. Mama says she lives in the way you laugh and the way you take care of us. So, she’s not really gone, right? She’s just hiding in your heart.”
She hugged Maloi’s neck again, squeezing tight. "I’ll give you all the hugs until you feel better. I love you, Mommy.”
Maloi caught sight of Aiah who was quietly wiping a stray tear from her cheek.
Then, Maloi closed her eyes again, pulling her daughter into an even deeper, more secure embrace, feeling the comfort of both Willow and Aiah anchoring her.
"I love you too, anak.”