Chapter 38

Aiah’s POV

Everything happened so fast, yet every second felt like a lifetime.

​Naramdaman ko ang unang pitik ng sakit madaling araw pa lang. I tried to be brave, thinking it was just Braxton Hicks, pero nung sunod-sunod na at halos hindi na ako makahinga, alam kong oras na. We rushed to the hospital, and the drive was a blur of Mikha’s panicked voice and my rhythmic breathing.

Wala na akong mahihiling pa. This is a dream come true for me. Looking at the woman beside me and the tiny bundle in my arms, everything feels perfect.

Nanganak na ako, and I thank God hindi ako masyadong pinahirapan. But the real drama? It was all Mikha. Akala mo siya yung e-ere sa sobrang putla!

Flashback..

Sa loob ng delivery room, habang ako yung humihingal at nakatutok sa bawat bilang ng doctor, siya yung halos himatayin sa tabi ko. I had to hold her hand—hard—because she looked like she was about to meet her ancestors.

“Mikha, don’t you dare faint on me!” I yelled between my deep breaths nang makita kong nangangatog na ang mga tuhod niya at tumitirik na ang mga mata niya.

“I’m… I’m okay, love… just… why is there so much… red?” she stammered, her voice three octaves higher than usual.

The doctor actually had to stop for a second to ask a nurse to assist Mikha because she was literally swaying like a bamboo tree in a typhoon. “Ma’am, please sit down. Baka kayo po ang ma-ER,” the nurse said, trying to guide her to a stool before she face-planted on the sterile floor.

“No! I need to… I need to be here for my wife!” Mikha declared heroically, right before her eyes rolled back again.

But despite her world spinning and her face looking like a sheet of bond paper, she stayed. She held my hand like a lifeline—and watched as I pushed with everything I had. And when the first cry of our daughter,  “Jannaiah“, filled the room, I saw Mikha’s face change from pure terror to pure, unadulterated love.

She didn’t just cry; she sobbed like a child who lost her favorite toy.

After the delivery, the nurses actually had to check her BP and give her a body shot (pampakalma) para lang hindi siya mag-collapse sa tuwa at trauma. But even if she felt like a wet noodle, hindi siya umalis sa tabi ko.

Mikha’s POV

Our baby is a total angel. Three hours of labor and after just two pushes, lumabas na ang anak namin. Seeing her for the first time… it was like seeing the world in full color for the first time.

Nandito ako ngayon sa tabi ng hospital bed, maingat na sinusubuan si Aiah. I’m still a bit shaky, and the nurse told me my face is finally turning from “ghost white” to “slightly pale,” so that’s a win.

 Pero aminin ko, sobrang nakakahiya kay Aiah. Ako ‘tong walang ginawa kundi manood at humawak ng kamay, pero ako pa ‘tong mukhang malalagutan ng hininga.

“Kumain ka nang marami, alam kong nanghihina ka pa,” bulong ko habang inaalok ang pagkain. My hands were still trembling slightly as I held the spoon.

“Thank you, babi. Don’t worry, I’m okay. Ako nga itong nag-aalala sa’yo, you look so pale. Gusto mo bang umuwi muna para mag-pahinga? Baka ma-confuse yung mga bisita kung sino sa ating dalawa yung nanganak,” biro ni Aiah habang tumatawa nang mahina.

Napayuko ako sa hiyang naramdaman ko.  “Sorry about earlier, love. Dapat ako yung malakas para sa inyo ni baby, pero tignan mo ‘ko, kulang ma ER ako sa kaba kanina I’m sorry if I looked so weak.”

“No, babi. It was cute. It just shows how much you love us,” she said, squeezing my hand.

“Still… hindi ko lang talaga kayang makita kang nasasaktan. Kung pwede ko lang kunin yung sakit na naramdaman mo kanina, ginawa ko na. I really thank God that you’re both healthy.”

Maya-maya, pumasok ang nurse dala ang aming baby, bihis na bihis na sa baby clothes na binili namin months ago.

She was so small, so fragile. I was smiling like an idiot, my heart bursting with so much love.

Dumating na rin sila Dad at ang pamilya ni Aiah. Aiah’s mother immediately hugged her, habang si Dad naman ay deretso sa tabi ni Aiah.

“My little Mikha!” sigaw ni Dad, referring to the baby. “How are you, sweetheart? Congratulations!”

“I’m getting better, Dad. Hindi po ako pinahirapan ng apo niyo,” Aiah answered sweetly. (Yes, she calls him Dad now. My heart swells every time.)

“Anything for my grandchild, Aiah. At para sa’yo din, dahil part ka na ng pamilya Lim.”

Nagkakasayahan ang lahat nang ibalita rin ni Dad na umuusad na ang kaso laban kay Leo. Patong-patong na demanda ang sasalubong sa kanya. But for now, that didn’t matter. What mattered was Jannaiah—the name we chose for our little princess, who was currently the center of our universe.

…..

After a long time staying at the hospital, nakauwi na rin kami sa bahay. But let me tell you, the first week was absolutely chaotic.

Halos wala kaming tulog. Every 2–3 hours—about 8–12 times a day—we need to feed Jannaiah. Para makatulog kahit papano si Aiah, ako muna ang kumukuha kay Janna. I’ll carry her, rock her, and talk to her, tapos gigisingin ko na lang si Aiah kapag oras na ng dede.

Pero madalas, kapag umiiyak na talaga siya nang malakas, si Aiah lang ang nakakapagpatahan sa kanya. It’s like she has a built-in “Mommy Sensor.” Hindi biro mag-alaga ng bata 24/7. You have to be on high alert because they are so fragile. Nakaka-drain mentally, lalo na kapag umiiyak yung baby tapos hindi mo alam bakit. Walang tulog, tapos puro kaba.

I actually took the personal number of Jannaiah’s pediatrician dahil kada iyak, nag-aalala ako. I was literally planning to rent a stay-in doctor for my peace of mind!

But Aiah said ” it’s too much. We just need to figure this out because we are first-time parents. Hindi kailangan ng hospital wing sa loob ng bahay,” she would say, laughing at my paranoia.

One morning, I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a truck. But duty calls.

Nakaluto na ako ng agahan at napakain ko na rin si Aiah. Actually, ang ginagawa ko, sinusubuan ko na lang siya para habang karga niya si Jannaiah, nakakain siya. Hindi rin kasi ako pwedeng kumarga sa kanya bandang umaga; doon madalas maging “cranky” si Janna, at si Aiah lang ang nakakapa tahan sa kanya.

Ang trabaho ko? Maglinis ng mga kalat, magluto, at i-prepare lahat ng kailangan nila. After Aiah finished eating, I finally got a chance to breathe. I went out to the veranda with my coffee and pandesal, opening the newspaper. Ah, peace.

Nang biglang… “Mikhaaa?!”

I jumped, nearly spilling my coffee.

 “Papunta na po!”

Pagpasok ko sa kwarto, sumalubong sa akin si Aiah. Gulo-gulo ang buhok, may pawis sa noo, at halatang pagod na. Even so, she still looked beautiful to me—just very, very exhausted. Agad ko namang inayos yung buhok niya at kinuha si Jannaiah sa bisig niya.

“Sige na, ako na bahala dito,” I said softly.

“Thank you, babi. Mabilis lang ako, I just need to go to the bathroom real quick,” she whispered.

“It’s okay, ako na bahala kay Janna. Maligo ka na, mag-ayos, magpahinga. Tatawagin na lang kita if baby is crying.”

“Thank you, babi!” She gave me a quick, sweet kiss on the cheek. I wiped the sweat off her forehead before she disappeared into the bathroom.

I was swaying Jannaiah back and forth, humming a song. The sound of the shower started, and the scent of Aiah’s expensive floral soap began to waft through the room. Fresh. Sweet. Fragrant.

Everything was going great. I was winning at this parenting thing. CEO Mikha is in control, I thought.

Pffffft-splat-glug.

I froze. That wasn’t a baby coo. That was a wet, heavy, and very suspicious sound that vibrated through her onesie.

Suddenly, the scent of lavender and roses was brutally murdered by a smell so foul, it felt like a physical punch to the face. My eyes started to water instantly.

“Oh… oh god. No. Jannaiah? Baby? Please tell me that was just a loud fart from your lower half,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

I took a peek at the back of her onesie. My soul literally left my body. It was a poop-plosion. A yellowish-green biological hazard was slowly making its way up to her shoulder blades. It was like a scene from a disaster movie.

“OH MY GOD! AIAH! LOVE! THE BABY EXPLODED, HELP ME” I yelled, my voice hitting a soprano note I didn’t know I possessed.

“Babi! Malapit na ako matapos!” sigaw ni Aiah mula sa banyo, her voice muffled by the water and a very obvious giggle. “Andyan yung diaper and wipes sa table! Pasuyo na lang, love! I love you!”

“I LOVE YOU TOO PERO AIAH! HINDI ITO KAYA NG LOVE! IT’S REACHING HER SOCKS!” I looked down at Janna, who was looking back at me with the most innocent eyes, as if she didn’t just commit a war crime in her diaper.

I laid her down on the changing mat, holding my breath until my face turned purple. I grabbed a wipe with two fingers—acting like I was handling radioactive waste.

Gag. I wiped once. Double gag. 

“Okay, Mikha. You handle multi-million business deals. You are a mother. You are… bleh!” I dry-heaved.

Growing up as a Lim did not prepare me for this. “Jannaiah, bakit?! Bakit ang dami?! Did you eat a whole burrito in your sleep?!”

Every time I wiped, Janna would kick her tiny legs. Splat. A bit of the “evidence” hit my wrist.

“NOOOOO! OH MY GOOOOD! IT’S ON ME! AIAH, IT’S ON MY SKIN! I’M INFECTED!”

I was masuka-suka na talaga. My eyes were tearing up, and I was making these weird “Ugh-ack-ptui” sounds like a dying walrus. I used about thirty wipes, but it felt like the poop was regenerating every time I wiped.

“Aiah, please! Bilisan mo! I’m gonna pass out! I’m seeing the light!” I screamed again, tears of genuine trauma rolling down my face.

Narinig ko lang ang tawa ni Aiah mula sa banyo. “Kaya mo ‘yan, Babi! Welcome to motherhood!”

“I am resigning! I want to talk to the manager of this baby!” I yelled back, while desperately trying to tape a new diaper on using only my pinky fingers to avoid further contamination.

By the time Aiah came out, looking fresh and smelling like a garden of lilies, she found me slumped on the floor, pale, sweating, and staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Tapos na, babi?” she asked, giggling at the sight of me.

“Aiah…” I looked at her with a haunted expression, my voice a mere whisper. “Amoy ko pa rin siya sa kaluluwa ko. From now on, you take the diapers, I’ll take the college fund. Deal?”

She just laughed and kissed my “pale” forehead. Motherhood is definitely the wildest business venture I’ve ever joined.

…..

Pagkatapos ng “traumatic” diaper experience ko kanina, akala ko ay wala na akong lakas na harapin ang mga gawaing bahay. Pero nung makita ko si Jannaiah na dumedede habang nakatingin sa akin, biglang nawala lahat ng pagod ko.

Ngayong hapon, medyo mainit ang panahon kaya nag-decide kami ni Aiah na paliguan ang aming “little boss.” Sabi ni Aiah, kailangan daw naming magtulungan dahil madulas at mahirap pa kargahin si Janna kapag basa.

“Hon, ready na ba yung warm water? Check mo yung temperature gamit yung siko mo, ha? Wag masyadong mainit,” utos ni Aiah habang nilalatag ang towel sa kama.

“Yes, po. 37°C exactly, Madam. I used a thermometer and my elbow for double validation,” biro ko. Kinuha ko ang baby tub at maingat na nilagay sa table.

Nung hinubaran na namin si Jannaiah, nagsimula siyang mag-wiggle. Ang cute niya tignan—yung maliliit niyang legs na parang nag-bibisikleta sa hangin.

“Okay, here goes nothing,” I whispered. Maingat kong binuhat si Janna habang si Aiah ang taga-suporta sa ulo niya.

Dahan-dahan namin siyang nilubog sa tubig. Akala ko iiyak siya, pero laking gulat ko nang lumaki ang mga mata niya at nagsimulang mag-splash gamit ang maliit niyang kamay.

“Oh my god, look at her, Aiah! She likes it!” excited kong sabi.

“Wait, babi, wag mo masyadong—”

Splush! 

Nasabuyan ako ng tubig sa mukha. Jannaiah let out a tiny, gurgling sound—parang tumatawa siya sa akin.

“Did she just laugh at me? Aiah, pinagtatawanan ako ng anak natin!” I wiped my face, but I couldn’t stop smiling.

“She definitely did. Mana talaga siya sa’yo, mapang-asar,” Aiah giggled.

Kinuha niya ang baby soap na amoy milk and honey. “Sige na, sabunin mo na yung legs niya, ako dito sa taas.”

Habang sinasabunan ko yung matataba niyang hita, Jannaiah grabbed my finger with her tiny, soapy hand. Sobrang higpit ng hawak niya. Bigla akong natigilan. This small human, she trusts us so much.

“Love, look,” I whispered to Aiah.

Aiah stopped what she was doing and looked at our hands. Napansin ko ang pamumuo ng luha sa mga mata niya.

 “She knows you’re her protector, Mikha.”

Pinunasan ko ang mga mata ko (kunwari ay dahil lang sa wisik ng tubig). “I’ll protect both of you, always.”

After the bath, binalot namin siya sa towel na may dinosaur hood. She looked like a tiny, grumpy dinosaur. We spent the next hour just lying on the bed with her between us. 

Aiah was humming a lullaby, and I was busy taking about a hundred photos.

“That’s too much, stop na babi, puno na yung cloud storage mo,” Aiah teased, leaning her head on my shoulder.

“I need every angle. Look at her nose! It’s perfect.”

Jannaiah eventually fell asleep, clutching Aiah’s shirt. In that moment, inside our cozy house, the chaos of the diapers and the sleepless nights didn’t matter.

I looked at Aiah, who was looking so blooming and soft under the afternoon light. Kahit pagod, iba yung ganda niya ngayon—yung ganda ng isang ina.

“Alam mo Love,” I started, putting my phone down and pulling her closer. “Sabi nila mahirap daw ang buhay pagkatapos manganak kasi madaming pag babago, pero bakit ikaw? Bakit lalo kang gumaganda?”

Aiah blushed, hitting my arm lightly.

 “Bolera. Gulo-gulo na nga yung buhok ko oh, amoy gatas pa ako.”

“Kahit na. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. No makeup, messy hair, amoy baby… it doesn’t matter. You’re glowing, Aiah. My heart just melts every time I look at you.”

“Mikha…” she whispered, her eyes sparkling with kilig.

I leaned in, my heart racing just like the first time we met. Dahan-dahan kong inilapit ang mukha ko sa kanya, and I was about to claim her lips for a sweet, long-overdue kiss—

   “WAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Biglang umalingawngaw ang malakas na iyak ni Jannaiah. Nagulat kaming dalawa kaya napahiwalay kami agad.

Napa-facepalm na lang ako habang si Aiah ay tawang-tawa. “See? Sabi ko sa’yo bawal muna mag-landian, eh. Selosa yung anak mo!”

“Jannaiah baby, timing ka talaga,” I sighed, but I couldn’t help but smile. I kissed Aiah’s temple instead and then the top of Janna’s head. This is the best business deal I’ve ever closed—the deal of a lifetime.