#CDFragments IV. When they talked about (like) kids

IV. When they talked about (like) kids Richard stood at the door of the house they were shooting in --supposedly the house of Dawn's character, Emily --- waiting for her to arrive. She was, certainly not in her usual fashion, ten minutes late. He was starting to worry and was tempted to reach for the phone in his back pocket when Vivian ran to the gate. "Sorry we're late, direk!" she said, air-kissing the director. Dawn walked behind her, struggling a little with the heels she was wearing. It struck Richard as odd since Dawn was so used to walking in heels. She loved the feel of being taller, except when it starts to hurt, of course. Vivian approached him and he obliged with a peck on her cheek. "Goma, sorry," she was saying, but he was too distracted by the somber look on Dawn's face. She laughed when she first read the lines with him for this scene, and added the punchline that just cracked them both up. Perhaps she's internalizing, he thought, as the scene was serious and emotional. Still, he couldn't shrug his worry off. Dawn walked to the door, to where Richard was, with a quiet "Hi" and a kiss on his cheek. For a moment, she smiled because of the hint of lipstick she left on his cheek. "Sorry," she said softly, wiping it off with her thumb. "Okay ka lang?" he asked. "Yeah, puyat lang. Nilagnat si Ayisha yesterday. Siyempre, I couldn't keep still." ~~~ "Babe?" He sat beside her. "Yes, love?" "Gusto mo bang magka-anak?" Usually, girls ask, How many kids do you want? --- a point of conversation that plays on the future but doesn't have much weight. But this time, Dawn looked serious, her eyebrows meeting.

"Buntis ka?" he exclaimed, shooting off the couch so he could really see her face. She laughed. "Sira! Tinatanong ko lang." She grinned, perhaps because of the dumbfounded look he was sure he had on his face. "Scared you, didn't I?" "Bakit naman kasi ganu'n ang tanong?" He let her pull him by her side on the couch once more. "Kasi kagabi napanaginipan ko na magkasama tayo in bed, and you were holding a baby." She smiled at the memory. "We looked so happy." "We are happy," he said, pulling her into a hug. "And to answer your question, isang dosena." "WHAT?" Her eyes flew wide open, searching his face, perhaps for an indication (and relief) that he was just kidding. It was his turn to laugh. "Three to five?" ~~~ "Ready na daw po kayo, Ms. Dawn?" the director's assistant asked, interrupting Richard and Dawn's conversation. "Yes, yes, ready na." She turned to Richard. "Saan nga ba ako ---" "I'll be coming from outside. Ikaw, here." "Right." She was walking to the dining area when... "Dawn." She turned. He walked closer and kissed her on the forehead. "She'll be okay." "I know. It's just ---" She sighed. "'Wag mo na akong paiyakin, 'di pa naman take." He smiled and gave her a quick hug. "You should have seen me panic over Juliana."

"Naku, naikuwento na ni Lucy. And I know how you panic about people that you love." He didn't have the time to answer because the director told them to take their places, but with that final glance before they got down to work, they both knew exactly what she meant. ~~~ "Richard, hindi ako bata." "Eh 'yung hindi mo pag-inom ng gamot? 'Yung paliligo nang malamig? 'Yung pagpipilit na pumunta sa shoot? Hindi ba parang bata 'yun?" Vivian entered the room and found the couple bickering. Richard was staring at Dawn, who was trying to cover the paleness on her face with make-up. Her fever had gone down since last night, and she insisted that she would show up at that day's shoot. Richard, fresh from an out-of-town committment, rushed to her place with a bag of medicine and a doctor who was a family friend, who was still waiting at the living room. He found her getting dressed when he arrived and the fight picked up from there. He turned to the manager, who couldn't help but notice the dark circles under his eyes and the brewing frustration on his face. "Viv, pagsabihan mo nga 'yan." He walked out of the room and shut the door quietly. Dawn sat down and tidied up her make-up table. "Siya kasi eh." Vivian sighed. "Dumiretso 'yan dito dahil gusto kang alagaan. Wala pang tulog 'yun." "Kaya pala bugnutin!" "Ha! At ano ka?" Vivian sighed. "Ikaw naman, inaway mo pa. Buti nga pinuntahan ka, at may dala pang doktor. Maikli lang siguro ang pasensiya kasi nga puyat, pero alam ko na kung titingnan mo lang, kikiligin ka." Dawn sighed in return, reaching for the roll of tissue. She started to remove the lipstick. "Napikon na 'yun. For sure, umalis na."

A soft knock interrupted their conversation. A middle-aged doctor peeked through the door. "Hihingi lang sana ng unan para kay Richard. Nakatulog na kasi sa sofa.