"Anong oras ka uuwi mamaya?" Addie asks. She was about to swing an arm over Diesel's torso when he suddenly pulled himself to sit. Addie pauses, then retracts her arm close to her chest. Maybe he has to go to work way too early again.

"Di ko pa alam," Diesel answers, not even bothering to look at her. He turns off the bedside lamp, pulls his legs from the covers, and stretches his arms before standing up.

Addie frowns. God, he won't even bother to kiss her again this morning? Pampitong umaga nang ganito ang nangyayari. Whatever it is that he's working on, Addie wants it done ASAP. She misses her husband.

Addie sighs. She reaches for her phone to keep her mind busy. She doesn't want to read too much into the changes in his behavior. Baka busy lang talaga. Baka sobrang stressed sa trabaho.

Addie smacks Diesel's pillow when she hears the water from the shower running. She doesn't want to throw a tantrum, but this has been happening for a week. She doesn't even get a hug before she sleeps. Diesel has been staying in his study for hours after dinner, if he ever decided to eat dinner at home. Sinusubukan niya itong hintaying matapos para sabay silang matulog, but she's tired, too, kaya kahit ayaw niya ay hindi na niya itong naaabutang tabihan siya sa kama.

Kaunti na lang, BINGO na sa kaniya si Diesel. She can feel her frustrations piling up, and she's scared that if Diesel doesn't do anything to reverse this, she will just burst. For the past four days, he hasn't even offered to drive her to work. Kaya naman niya ang sarili niya, at alam din naman niyang kapos lagi ang oras nila sa umaga, but all she wants is for him to ask. Or maybe just tell her whatever important thing he has to do every fucking morning for him to clock in so early. Pero kahit iyon, wala.

Last Sunday, hindi rin siya sinamahan nitong mag-grocery. Hindi naman talaga ang hindi pagsama ang ikinaiinit ng ulo niya, pero iyong sinabihan lang siya nito kung kailan paalis na sila. Bihis na ang dalawang bata at si Diesel na lang ang hinihintay na matapos maligo. Then, he stepped out of the bathroom and had the audacity to ask why she was still at home with the kids. Sana man lang sinabi agad nito noong mga nakaraang araw o noong kinaumagahan na may gagawin itong importante.

Since she has been going home earlier than him, she takes care of dinner. Dahil marami siyang time noong isang araw, siya na rin ang sumundo kay Nadia sa school. Diesel had texted her that he would come home late, but he didn't tell her that he would have dinner outside with his team. Hinintay-hintay pa niya itong makauwi para sabay sana silang kumain.

Hindi naman problema sa kaniya kung sa labas ito maghahapunan, pero gaano ba kahirap na sabihan siya? It wouldn't even take him a whole minute to compose a text. And when he came home, he didn't even say anything when she was having dinner alone. Didn't even bother to sit beside her and ask about her day. Addie almost smashed her plate at the kitchen sink after eating.

"Mama?"

Addie sighs. She sits down and carries Yanyan off the trunk bed. Kagigising lang nito at gulo-gulo pa ang buhok. Nadia just woke up, too, just in time for a bath. Samantalang kalalabas lang ni Diesel sa banyo. While drying his hair, he heads to the cabinets, probably to prepare Nadia's uniform and clothes.

"Good morning. Ano'ng gusto mong breakfast?" Addie whispers to Yanyan. Sinadya niyang ibulong dahil hindi naman si Diesel ang tinatanong niya. She doesn't care anymore what he wants for breakfast.

Yanyan thinks about it for a while. Papikit-pikit ang mga mata nito habang sinusuklay ni Addie ang buhok gamit ang mga daliri. "Pancake."

"Okay," Addie says, smiling. She kisses Yanyan's cheek before taking her with her to the kitchen downstairs. Kung ayaw ni Diesel na inaalagaan siya, e di mga anak na lang nila ang aalagaan niya.

Addie tries not to think about Diesel while making breakfast. Hindi naman siya ang tipong mapaghinala pero napapagod na siya kaiisip.

It's her birthday tomorrow. Usually, they spend the day before her birthday by themselves para sa mismong birthday niya, kasama nila ang mga anak nila. She's not sure what's going to happen now, though.

"Breakfast ka muna," Addie tells Diesel when he comes down with Nadia. Hindi niya na dapat ito aalukin pero hindi naman niya matiis. She hides her annoyance when Diesel shakes his head, checking his watch as if he could not wait to get out of the house. Addie looks at the wall clock. Bakit ba ito laging nagmamadaling umalis? Masyado pang maaga.

She doesn't want to fight in front of the kids, so she swallows her complaints. "Coffee?" she offers instead.

"Hindi na. Bibili na lang ako sa labas," Diesel answers, pulling a chair beside Nadia. He takes his phone out and tells the two girls to finish their breakfast quickly. Maliligo pa kasi si Yanyan na isasama niya sa work.

Addie wants to dunk his head on the plate of pancakes. Bibili pa sa labas e meron naman sa bahay.

She keeps her mouth shut. Her morning was ruined enough when he avoided her hug. Ayaw na niyang palalain pa ito.

"I love you," Diesel tells her before leaving the house. It's the reason why she couldn't get mad at him. He always tells her he loves her before leaving. He never misses a day.

"I love you. Ingat."

Diesel takes Yanyan with him to work and drives Nadia to school. Back at home, Addie wants to skip work and sleep her frustrations away.

* * *

Surprisingly, Diesel goes home a little earlier than usual. Kauuwi-uwi lang ni Addie nang marinig ang makina ng sasakyan nito sa labas.

Addie is expecting Diesel to be alone, so she is confused when Nadia enters the house, holding Yanyan's hand. It's not like she doesn't want to see her daughters, pero kasi, birthday nga niya bukas. She's supposed to spend the evening with Diesel alone. Ganoon na ang ginagawa nila noon pa man.

Pero, wala na siyang magagawa dahil nandito na ang mga bata. She crouches in front of Nadia and helps her take off her uniform.

Maybe it just slipped Diesel's mind. Or maybe he doesn't have time to take her out on a date tonight. Or he just forgot to ask their driver to pick the kids up and let them stay with their lolo and lola, or at her Mom's.

Addie sighs while folding Nadia's school uniform. She tells Nadia to look after Yanyan before heading upstairs. Nang makarating sa kuwarto ay ilang beses siyang huminga nang malalim para kumalma. She's disappointed and she's tired of trying to understand her husband. Hindi niya alam kung hanggang kailan siya kayang i-pacify ng araw-araw na pag-I love you nito.

Napalingon siya kay Diesel nang pumasok ito sa kuwarto. He takes his watch off and says hi. Addie waits for him to ask about their plans for tomorrow, but that didn't happen. Imposible namang hindi nito alam na birthday niya bukas. Sakali mang sabihin nitong nakalimutan niya, sigurado si Addie na uma-acting lang ito.

"Magpa-reserve ba ako sa restaurant bukas?" Addie asks. Siya na ang nagpresintang magtanong, kahit na ilang taon nang si Diesel ang nauunang magtanong ng plano sa birthday niya.

Diesel eases his tie, then he shrugs. He fucking shrugged. "Ikaw, kung gusto mo e."

Addie knows that she's physically frail, but at that moment she feels like she can flip their bed over. She stares at Diesel, waiting for him to take that stupid statement back. Pero parang wala itong namamalayan at patuloy lang sa pagtanggal ng damit.

Addie slams their closet door shut. She quickly changes into the pajamas she picked and throws her laundry into the basket. What Diesel said earlier is way worse than him forgetting her birthday. Kung gusto niya? So ano'ng pinalalabas nito?

"'Wag na lang pala."

Pakiramdam niya, nanginginig siya sa galit pagkalabas niya ng kuwarto. She stays quiet during dinner and lets Diesel handle the talkative Nadia. Pagkatapos ng dinner, hindi siya nag-stay sa kuwarto. She makes sure that Nadia and Yanyan are comfortable in their beds first before sitting on the front porch.

Diesel, like how he has been for the past few days, is holed up in his study. Hindi gaya ng ginagawa niya noong mga nakaraang araw, hindi na siya kinatok ni Addie. Bahala ito kung doon sa study nito gustong matulog.

Nang tuluyang makaramdam ng antok, umakyat na si Addie sa kuwarto. Naabutan niya si Diesel na kapapasok lang din siguro dahil ina-adjust pa nito ang unan.

She doesn't bother to look at him. She takes her spot on the bed and faces the wall. She doesn't bother to tell him good night because this night is nowhere near good.

On top of all her frustrations, he hasn't fucked her in weeks. Good luck to him trying to have a son with his computer or something. She's annoyed.

Addie sleeps with her eyebrows furrowed. She doesn't know, but Diesel swipes his fingers on her forehead and tries to remove the crease before going to sleep.

* * *

"Ha'birthday," Yanyan whispers as Addie dresses her up.

Addie's heart melts for a moment, then she quickly buttons up Yanyan's skirt and pulls her to her chest for a hug. Nadia appears from behind, joining the hug and greeting Addie with a kiss on the cheek.

"Baka magusot ang uniform mo," Addie tells Nadia. Addie smooths her hand over Nadia's blouse. She laughs a little when Nadia kisses the tip of her nose.

She hears the bathroom door opening, but she ignores it. Diesel greeted her with a lousy happy birthday right after waking up, and that's not enough to make her feel less annoyed. For now, she chooses not to care anymore. At least her daughters are sweet.

Pumasok na agad siya banyo pagkatapos bihisan ang dalawang bata. Baka mamaya, may masabi na naman si Diesel na hindi niya magustuhan, kaya siya na lang ang umiiwas.

Pero nang may makita siya sa sink, parang napigtal nang tuluyan ang pisi ng pasensiya niya.

She picks up their wedding ring which Diesel had left on the bathroom sink. Parang nandidilim ang paninigin niya, but she reminds herself that their daughters are still in the room with her and she doesn't want them to witness her outburst. She clenches her fists and tries to momentarily cool her head so she can hand back the ring without saying anything she wouldn't want their kids to hear.

She understands taking the ring off before having a bath, but leaving the bathroom without it? She didn't know that Diesel could be this much of an ass.

Addie steps out of the bathroom and slams the ring on the bedside table, making Diesel pause on buttoning his shirt up. She turns her back to him and goes back to the bathroom before she completely snaps.

When Diesel tells her I love you before taking Nadia into the car with him, she doesn't say it back.

* * *

"Shit, shit, shit, shit."

"'Wag mong hampasin 'yan, baka mabasag," Pierre warns. Diesel's fist stops mid-air. Imbes na mahampas ang estante ay sarili na ang niya ang sinapak niya.

"Fuck, puta." He pulls a chair and sits. Parang tutumba siya sa sobrang stress. He runs his hands over his face before slapping his forehead multiple times. "'Tang ina, putang ina talaga."

Natawa si Pierre bago i-flip ang sign na nakasabit sa pinto. Buti na lang walang tao. Baka matakot ang mga customer kapag pumasok si Diesel nang nagmumumura. Madalas pa naman ang bata sa Butterbites.

"'Tang ina ka 'wag kang tumawa," saway ni Diesel kay Pierre. He removes his neck tie, balls it in his fists, and throws it on the chair across from him.

"Nasa'n si Yanyan?" tanong ni Pierre bago damputin ang kawawang necktie. He sits across from Diesel, pulling his chair back a little to keep a safe distance. Baka mamaya mahagip pa siya kapag napagdiskitahan ni Diesel ang center display ng table.

"Kasama ni Addie," Diesel answers. He heaves a deep sigh, trying to calm himself down. If Nadia weren't with him this morning, baka kung ano na ang nangyari sa kaniya sa daan. He couldn't focus on the road because he knew that Addie was mad. It's a miracle he made it alone to Butterbites alive and without a scratch on his car.

"So ano'ng plano? Kuhanin ko muna 'yong bata, 'tapos ipakuha ko kay Addie dito?" Pierre asks.

Diesel nods with eyes closed. Nananakit ang ulo niya sa sariling katarantaduhang ginawa. "Sunduin mo na rin si Nadia."

Napasabunot ulit si Diesel sa sarili nang maalalang hindi siya nasabihan ng I love you kaninang umaga bago siya umalis. 'Tang ina talaga. He knew that taking their wedding ring off and leaving it on the bathroom sink on purpose would be too much. He should have omitted it from his shitty plan.

Pierre remains quiet, enjoying the view in front of him. Paulit-ulit na hinampas ni Diesel ang sariling noo, at panay ang bulong ng mga mura.

Pierre checks the time on his wristwatch. May oras pa naman siya para enjoy-in ito. He could go and pick Yanyan up already, but he didn't want to leave Diesel in the mini kitchen at the back when he's at this state. Baka pagbalik niya kasi rito, sunog na ang Butterbites.

"Sabi na, dapat bumili na lang ako ng cake," Diesel says after a while. Pierre was about to agree when Diesel slammed his fist on the table, startling him. "Putang ina, ang dami ko kasing alam."

Pierre nods. "E ano? Nandito ka na e. Nagtampo na pati sa 'y—"

"Fuck, puta, paano kung hindi ulit ako I love you-han n'un bukas?"

Hindi napigilan ni Pierre ang tawa roon. His cousin married a big idiot. Fortunately, that big idiot is so in love with her. "Tanga ka talaga minsan."

Diesel lets out a frustrated grunt, letting his head loll back. He goes home late, not because of work, but because he has to ask Addie's aunt and cousin to teach him how to bake a cake. When Pierre isn't around, he helps at the shop until closing time and drives Addie's aunt home. He leaves home a little earlier than usual for the same reason—attempting to make Addie a birthday cake. He thought he could do it, but for the past consecutive days he had miserably failed. Being shitty on purpose was hard, especially every time he saw Addie upset, but he thought he could use it for her surprise birthday dinner later.

But now his wife hates him. He's not sure whether to throw anything he comes across or just curl up in a ball and cry.

"Kapag ginantihan ka ni Addie sa birthday mo, ano'ng gagawi—"

"No." Diesel's eyes snap open. Fuck, no. He would die if she didn't tell him that she loved him for a week straight. "No more surprises like this. Ayaw ko na."

Pierre laughs before dragging Diesel with him to the back of the shop. Nakadalawang ulit pa si Diesel bago makagawa ng medyo matinong cake. Nilait-lait pa iyon ni Pierre, pero wala na silang magagawa dahil kulang na sa oras. Hindi rin iyon naisalba ng design na icing.

"Archi ka, di ba? Straight line la—"

"Sige, papantayin ko basta ikuha mo 'kong ruler, hayop," naiiling na sabi ni Diesel. That earns him a smack on the back of his head from Pierre.

Pangit din ang nakalagay na Happy birthday, Mama Addie sa cake dahil hindi niya matantiya ang bigat ng kamay sa paghawak sa icing bag. Pinagpilitan niyang pagkasayahin ang Sorry sa isang gilid kahit sinabi ni Pierre na huwag na dahil lalo lang papangit.

Pierre picks Yanyan up, but not before warning Diesel not to touch any of the appliances in the kitchen. Diesel spends the remaining time cleaning up the place and staring at the horrendous birthday cake he made for Addie. She loves him, right? She just didn't tell him earlier because she was seriously pissed off. Will this awful-looking cake be enough for her to forgive him? He doesn't know, but he hopes so.

Pierre comes back with Yanyan and Nadia. They still have about two hours to spare before Addie clocks out at work and goes here for the two girls.

The kids spend their time making birthday cards. Yanyan tells Diesel that the cake is ugly, like, every ten minutes.

Umayos ng upo si Diesel nang mag-text si Addie. Uuwi ka?

Where does she expect him to sleep the night? Of course he'll come home. He hesitates as he types. Mamaya pa.

Ah ok. The dry reply makes Diesel want to crush his phone on the table.

He closes his eyes, calms himself down, and tells himself that it's only for a few more hours before they can make up. They'll have the birthday dinner at Addie's mom's home, and he had made sure to invite the people most important to Addie, after asking all of them to turn down Addie if she had ever tried to invite them to celebrate. He's definitely going to cry if Addie decides not to forgive him yet after all this.

"Andiyan na yata," Pierre whispers when they hear a car engine from outside. Diesel stands up and gets the cake from the fridge while Pierre goes to the kitchen at the back to grab the party popper. Diesel was about to tell the kids to hide first at the back, but they were already running towards the door when Addie entered the shop.

"Happy birthday!" halos sabay na sabi ng dalawang bata. Yanyan is already hugging Addie's leg, and Nadia keeps on jumping around. Kitang-kita ni Diesel kung paano napatigil si Addie sa entrada dahil sa gulat. He sighs. He doesn't wait for Pierre anymore who seems to have gotten himself lost in the kitchen. He walks over to his wife and kids.

"Happy birthday, mahal," he greets Addie, this time making sure that it doesn't sound cold like what he did this morning. He leans over to kiss her on the temple, then winces when Addie smacks his chest.

The corners of his mouth curve up in a smile when he sees a teary-eyed Addie. She accepts the birthday cards from their daughters, and Pierre finally comes back with the party popper in hand. Hindi na nga lang nagamit dahil late na siya.

"Don't cry," Nadia says, craning her neck up to take a good look at Addie's face. She transfers her gaze to her papa and pinches his leg. Napaigtad si Diesel nang kaunti roon. "Sabi na ni Yanyan kasi pangit cake mo po e."

Yanyan nods, still hugging Addie's legs, waiting for her mom to carry her off the ground. "Cry Mama 'cause cake ugly."

Natawa sina Addie at Pierre doon. Diesel frowns. Well, at least patas lang sila ni Addie na walang alam sa baking.

"Pierre," tawag ni Diesel. "Sakay na kayo nina Yanyan sa kotse. Gutom na 'yan. Alis na tayo."

"Okay," Pierre says, nodding. He greets Addie with a hug before taking the kids with him to the car, telling them that they'll have dinner with their Wowa. The kids follow him without question after hearing that.

The moment that they are alone, Addie smacks Diesel again on the chest, finally letting her tears run down her cheeks. She wraps him in a tight hug and Diesel meets her halfway, careful not to tip her birthday cake he's holding.

"I'm so sorry," Diesel whispers in her hair, taking slow steps backward until he could finally reach a table. He puts down the cake carefully before wrapping Addie with his both arms. "Sorry. Tahan na."

"Nakakainis ka," Addie says in between sobs. She lifts her head and slaps Diesel's arm. "One week mo akong hindi k-in-iss!"

That makes Diesel laugh. He swipes Addie's cheeks with both his thumbs before leaning over for a kiss. Addie's wrong, though. He kisses her on the forehead whenever she's asleep.

"Di ka nag-I love you kaninang umaga," Diesel says in between kisses. Addie pulls away, gently pushing his shoulder back.

"Di ko pa tinatanggap sorry mo. Di ko pa mabasa nang maayos 'yong sorry mo sa cake," she says, shooting the cake a glance.

Diesel lifts both his brows; there's something about a mopey Addie that turns him on. He nods to Addie's complaints, pulling her closer by the waist before mindlessly leaving a trail of kisses on her cheek and the base of her neck. That shuts Addie up. "Magso-sorry ulit ako mamaya."

Addie hums in agreement, swinging her arms around his nape and craning her neck to give him more access. His grip on her hips tightens. "Dapat lang."

Diesel chuckles at that. "Kay Mama matutulog ang mga bata," he says, pertaining to Addie's mom.

"Bakit naman?" Addie asks, although she already has an idea why.

Addie catches her breath when Diesel fondles her clothed chest before claiming her lips again. She prays for her cousin not to go back inside the shop. "Para makapag-sorry ako nang maayos," Diesel mumbles.

Sunod-sunod ang pagbusina ng kotse mula sa labas. Addie chuckles before peeling herself away from a frustrated Diesel. She fixes the creases on his shirt, cups his cheek, and tiptoes to plant another kiss on his lips before they leave.