One More Chance
Chapter 54: Why are you kissing your mistress?

~~~I don't see the smile you used to give to me, I don't see the same look in your eyes. I don't know why it's happening to us. It's hard to keep the pieces of a broken heart. Oh, maybe I just have to face the truth, I'm losing you and there's nothing I can do. Maybe it's time to let go, it's time to move on. It is the time to forget what we have shared~~~

-Sarah Geronimo Guidicelli-

As the days went by, I found it more difficult to adjust to Luke and I's situation. We hardly saw him around the house and I almost lost reason or alibi every time Cali asks me about her father.

I don't know what stopping from to leaving him when I know I was already suffering. Maybe because I just love him that much that if the love I have for him can be called a crime, I'm sure I have already been put in jail since day one.

Keeping secrets from my own daughter and my family has never been easy and the more I hide the truth, the more they get the answers... it seems like the truth itself has been the one spots close to them and I can't do anything to stop it. Just like what happened in the two following days...

Friday afternoon, after getting the laundry from the laundry shop, I walked into the house and saw my daughter sitting in the living room. She was playing and making her doll sleep in the dollhouse which was given to her by her Uncle Dale on her birthday. I sat on the couch and I smiled at her when she got up and stared at me.

"Mommy, can I ask you something?" She has furrowed eyebrows when she asked me.

"Sure, what is it?"

"What is a mistress?"

My forehead creased as I was shocked and confused as to where she got that word.

"Baby, where did you learn that word?"

"Hmm... I heard it from Maine when she yelled at Gerry---"

"Wait, who is Maine?"

"She's the woman from the movie Rory was watching yesterday."

"Ahh... and how about Gerry, who is he?"

"He's Maine's husband."

"Ohh, so he's Maine's husband," I said nodding, but my eyes were on Rory who's giving me an awkward smile.

"Yes, I heard Maine yell at Gerry and she said... she said... stop seeing his mistress."

"You heard her scream..." I repeat, nodding.

"Yeah, and she was so mad."

"Uhm..." I pretended to laugh, but deep inside I was already thinking what would I answer to her question. "Mommy, what is a mistress?"

She stared at me, waiting for me to speak.

"A mistress is uhm... a friend!"

"A friend?"

"Yup! Right, Rory? A mistress is a friend, right?" I turned to Rory whose eyes widened when I suddenly asked her.

"Ow, yes! It's a friend!" And since she was shocked too, I didn't miss the way she let out a sigh of relief when Cali turned to me again.

"Ahh... a mistress is a friend." Cali repeated and Rory and I both nodded.

***

While the next day, Saturday, at 7:00 o'clock in the morning, Cali entered her father's room but when she found out he wasn't there, she immediately ran downstairs to his study room and there she found him. But at that moment, Luke was talking to someone on the phone, so Cali waited for him to end the call. She remained standing at the door and listened silently to the one-sided conversation.

A few minutes when her father left for work, she ran upstairs and knocked on my door and the first question that came out of her mouth was kinda shocked me.

"Mommy, who is Cherry?"

I gulped in shock but her next question was left me open-mouthed.

"Is she daddy's mistress?"

I don't know what to say to her. I was also thinking if it's right that I told her yesterday that a mistress is a 'friend'.

"B-Baby, where did you hear that name?"

"I heard daddy talking to her on the phone."

"Ohh... come here." I lifted her up and placed to my lap. "Why did you do that? Didn't I tell you it's bad to listen to someone else's conversation?"

"Huh!" Her eyes widened. "I'm sorry, mommy, I just want to hug and kiss daddy before he goes to work, but I didn't know he was on the phone."

I sighed and then I smiled at her.

"He wasn't in his room, so I looked for him downstairs. I just don't want him to go to work without my good luck kiss."

Her answer brought me in tears but I immediately blinked them away.

"I'm sorry, mommy, I won't do it again."

"Shhh... it's okay, just promise me you won't do it again."

She nodded, smiling. I thought she already forgot about her question, but I was wrong.

"Mommy, who is Cherry?"

"Uhm... Cherry is---"

"I also heard daddy say I love you before he ended the call."

"Y-You heard him mentioned I love you on the phone?"

"Hmm."

When she nodded, I felt like there were a million knives that stabbed me from within. How could he easily say those words to her when he had never mentioned it to me in those four years? "She's your daddy's friend, I mean one of his friends from... college."

"College?"

"Uhuh... when he was studying."

"Oh, alright, does that mean Cherry is his mistress?"

-'Oh, goodness! When this mistress topic would stop?'- I asked silently. How would I answer her? Would I say yes? "Baby---" but I was interrupted when we heard a knock on the door, and seconds later, Elaine's face came into our sight. "Sam, I'm sorry, I didn't notice we ran out of kitchen supplies. I'm thinking of going to the supermarket this afternoon." "Oh, sure. You can also ask Rory to come with you."

She nodded.

"Mommy, can I go with them?" I turned to Cali.

"Baby, there are going to the supermarket to buy groceries and no one will hold your hand because they will be both busy."

"It's okay, I'll be the one to hold their hands and I promise to behave myself."

I glanced at Elaine who just smiled at me.

"Mommy, please?"

She gave me light kisses all over my face in order for me to agree. And because I was so weak when it came to her, so I had no choice but to say yes.

"Yehey!"

I noticed that the question she asked me a while ago, had already slipped in her mind. I don't know if I should thank Elaine for coming on time and for saving the bell or not because I just added another lie to my daughter's head.

So I was left alone that afternoon and since I have nothing to do, I decided to make Cali's favorite, blueberry cheesecake. I happily took all the ingredients and started preparing.

An hour later, I was already indulged by what I was doing that I had no idea what's going on with the girls on the road.

A few kilometers away from the house, they were about to pass a pizza restaurant and Cali asked the two girls to stop and buy her favorite pizza. They parked the car in the parking lot and they all entered the restaurant.

Elaine was the one who ordered at the counter while Rory, Cali and their driver tried to find a seat while waiting for their food. But since the kid has a lot of curiosity at her age, her eyes wandered all over the venue. And there, at the corner near the entrance, she was surprised to see her father.

It was a rare moment for her as she knew her dad was always busy at work. But what confused her little mind at that time was, why does her dad kiss a woman on the lips? She was always jealous about that thing because, in their home, she was always told that her parents shouldn't kiss anyone else but her.

"Daddy!" Her voice came out loud that caught Rory's attention, but it was too late for her to stop the little girl as she already ran towards her daddy and the woman's table.

Rory's eyes turned wide when she found out where Cali was running, but what struck her most was what she witnessed. Luke was kissing another woman.

She ran after Cali, but deep in her mind, she really had no intention to stop her. Why would she if that was the only way to stop Luke for hurting Sam? She stopped a few steps away from the table and watched how the curiosity of the smart little girl attracted the attention not just the two but of all those seated near the table.

"Daddy?"

She couldn't help but shake her head when the two stopped from what they were doing and looked at Cali with both shock written in their eyes.

"Cali..." Luke uttered, surprised and confused as to how to talk to his daughter whose eyes were moving from him and to the woman next to him. "What are you doing? Who is she, daddy and why do you kiss her?"

"Uhm..." But before he could answer, the woman smiled and talked the little girl.

"Hi, you must be Cali, right?" She asked and Cali nodded. "You're so cute, don't you know that? By the way, I'm Cherry."

"Huh!" Cali's eyes lit up, but Luke and Cherry didn't notice her reaction.

"Princess, she's my---"

"She's Cherry, so does that means she's your mistress?" Her voice came out loud that gained glances and gasps from the people around them.

"Oh, my God!" Cherry uttered embarrassed. Her face turned into crimson red and she immediately covered her face.

But since in the little girl's mind, a mistress is just a friend, she has no idea what commotion her words were given to all the people who listened to them at the moment. "She's the mistress that you're talking to on the phone this morning, isn't she?"

"Cali, stop."

"But why are you kissing your mistress on the lips, daddy?"

"Cassandra Lizeth, I said stop!" He accidentally scolded her daughter which caused the tears to form in her eyes. She wasn't used to being scolded especially with her father.

"Y-You're mad at me, daddy? But I was just asking if she's your mistress."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry, my princess. Daddy is not mad at you, okay? I'm sorry."

Luke instantly wiped his daughter's eyes before her tears could flow.

"But, baby, what are you doing here and who taught you that word? Don't you know it's bad to call someone a mistress?"

He still asked her, even though he already has an idea who taught his daughter about it. He clenched his jaws as he waited for Cali's response, but that was the time Rory came and took Cali's hand.