He sauntered to his mother in law and sat beside her.

“How are you finding your stay here, dear?” Lean started as she peeled a mango and cut it in half with precision and ease. She then gave half to Cain.

Cain peeked at the laughing girl with her father, sitting under the protection of a small gazebo not far from them.

“I’m loving each day of it,” he answered without thinking as he kept his eyes at the enchanting girl who bewitched him ever since the first time they met.

“That’s nice. Now I want to show you something.” Lean took a bite of her mango and gave Cain the photo album.

“This is . . .” Cain only tore his gaze from Leanna when his eyes found something much more mesmerizing.

“Len-Len’s pictures when she was still a baby and growing.”

Cain couldn’t help a smile to form on his lips as he caressed a picture of a plump baby girl who was smiling heartily without any teeth while her large glazy eyes were crossing.

“She was a handful. She would always cross her eyes, which I had to correct every now and then.”

Lean pointed at a photo of Leanna laughing so carefree, showing her missing front tooth.

“Now this one, we made a little prank on her. You know how kids are, they easily get scared. We abandoned her on a plaza and secretly hid so we could take a picture of her crying face. But much to our chagrin, she just kept on toddling around and around on the fence, laughing crazily.”

Lean shook her head as though she remembered something. “That day, I thought to have her check on a psychiatrist.”

Cain bit back a laugh. He then looked over at his mother in law’s serious but smiling face.

“You know. Even when a kid, Leanna never cries, but I know she does. She just never shows it. She would always be this independent, mature little lady in front of us. Maybe because it was due to us –– being busy on how to salvage our family from poverty that we neglected our children. She took up the role of being a second mother to the twins.” Lean’s eyes moistened and reached for Cain’s hand.

“Thank you for coming into her life. Now, many people would tell me that love makes them stronger, but that does not necessarily apply to Leanna because she’s already a strong girl from the start. When you came into her life, I saw she had grown dependent on you. She became vulnerable in front of you. I know she truly loves you when she finally unmasked that strong facade of hers whenever you’re together.” Lean squeezed Cain’s hand as tears flowed down on her cheeks.

“Thank you for letting my baby girl feel the wonderful feeling of having someone to depend on.”

Cain cupped her hand and gave his sincerest smile.

“No. It should be I who should thank you. Thank you for giving birth to Leanna.”

He bowed her head and kissed the back of his mother in law’s palms –– the highest gesture of respect in their family.

“I won’t betray your trust.