The family spends quality time doing arts and crafts, walking and playing at the park, and traveling around the Philippines. (Photo by PINGGOT ZULUETA)

One humid Monday afternoon, the Abrera household was abuzz. Three young girls clad in pink and white were watching a fairy cartoon on television, all the while busying themselves with watercolor paintings. Paolo was going back and forth the house, carrying a stainless steel pot cover and trying to fix its handle, while his wife Suzi was in the kitchen, preparing grilled cheese sandwiches and coffee.

From time to time, the young girls would go to their parents and show off their artwork, and both Suzi and Paolo would smile encouragingly at them.

“Relationships are supposed to be easy,” shares Suzi. And by the looks of their family, the relationship they share with each other does look easy and natural.

Suzi and Paolo first met during their Game Plan days. Paolo thought Suzi was great, while Suzi thought he was hot. And though nothing really “romantic” happened between them for the first year or so, their mutual attraction helped pave the way for their relationship.

The couple professes that things just “fell into place” for them, and a lot of what happened to them can be attributed to fate. And even with eight happy years of marriage tucked under their belts, Suzi and Paolo can still laugh with each other and act lovey-dovey without being sickeningly sweet.

Together with their three children—Leona, Jade, and Nella, Suzi and Paolo have built a loving home for their family. And the secret to their happiness is not really so secret: the couple simply shares an open communication with each other, and helps each other out with daily, mundane tasks.

Their home boasts of artworks made by their children. Several papers with “I Love You Mommy” and “I Love You Daddy” are posted on their walls. The family need not say it anymore, for seeing the family in their home says it all: love, laughter, and friendship is indeed a mainstay in the Abrera household.

On How Things Started:

He said: I would go out of my way to be where Suzi was. I had always been around them, and even if I had already taken a break when they started hosting, I continued to hang around. Maybe it was done subconsciously, because I wanted to be around Suzi.

She said: I was very attracted to Paolo, but I did not know if he was attracted to me. He was just this brooding personality nobody really knew about. He was a fun guy to be with, but it was not obvious if he liked anybody. I just had a crush on him, and it was a good thing things worked out.

On the Proposal:

He said: I have decided to pop the question a long time before I actually asked her. I had the ring in my possession for quite a while, waiting for the moment to present itself. I didn’t plan anything, nor did I make reservations in fancy restaurants. I just had the ring with me, and was waiting for the right time to propose.

She said: I was crying so hard, I couldn’t see the ring! And of course, we texted people that we had gotten engaged, and we called people at the office, and they even put us on speaker phone. I can’t remember who it was, but there was even one guy who was so excited to get to the phone, he fell down the stairs. It was a wonderful celebration of our love with the love of the people around us.

On Parenting:

He said: I think the realization that we are now parents came one to two weeks after the baby was brought home. I would get the baby out and sit in the backyard, and I would think, what do we do now? How can I be responsible for another human being? How am I supposed to know what to tell them? I don’t even know the answers myself!

She said: I think the way we raise our kids shows what kind of personalities we both have—I’m worried about how to breastfeed the baby and how to do this and that, and he’s worried about more “global” concerns. I’m more practical; like right now, I’m thinking of what we are going to eat and stuff like that. And Paolo has concerns that are bigger than that or are more forward-thinking than that.

On Solving Problems:

He said: Problems are only problems until you solve them. If it’s not something you make an effort to resolve, then it becomes a problem or an obstacle. So you figure it out. For me, the essence of a relationship is being able to live with another person and to be able to live with yourself living with another person.

She said: Even the person you feel you are most similar to—for instance, your sister or your best friend—magaaway at magaaway pa din kayo just because you’re just two different people. The idea there is that you have to resolve a problem completely, otherwise it will just keep cropping up.