Christopher Roxas (left) and Gladys Reyes (fifth from left) with their kids Grant, Christophe, Gavin and Aquisha
—Photos by MARINEL CRUZ
That’s when you realize that every moment counts,” said actress Gladys Reyes, who admitted to feeling sad that while she and husband Christopher Roxas are celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary, a lot of couples in show biz have chosen to part ways for good.
“Uso nga ang hiwalayan. This is why we really chose to celebrate our anniversary. Life is unpredictable. You’re not sure of what will happen later. Christopher and I were boyfriend-girlfriend for 11 years before we got married. The news of all these couples breaking up also made me think: if we didn’t decide to get married on our 11th year, is it also possible for us to not end up together? There’s also this thing called overfamiliarity,” Gladys told reporters during a party at Glass Garden Events Place in Pasig City that she hosted for their eldest, Christophe, who turned 18 this month.
“Thank God, we ended up getting married. For the record, neither did I force Christopher to propose to me nor give him an ultimatum,” Gladys said, laughing. “Our only regret was not having children early on in our relationship.”
Gladys said she couldn’t remember them having any major fights, except for when they were much younger and didn’t talk for a month and a half. “When we were already married, we would quarrel in the morning, but would eventually make up at the end of the day. This is normal for those who have been married for a long time. Pero pagsapit ng gabi, naiiba ang ihip ng hangin. I don’t know, it must be my charm! When we go to sleep, I make sure to wear something that will awaken his senses,” Gladys quipped.
Making an effort
“Seriously, though,” the 46-year-old actress continued. “Intimacy in married couples is important. You have to keep the fire burning, as they say. The two of you should make that effort. When the day ends, it’s not healthy to just sleep facing opposite each other. You should also find time to go on a date or a staycation. Before, I would feel guilty for doing this, so I would bring our kids along. As they grew older, I realized that they will all live their own lives eventually, and Christopher and I will be left to ourselves. That’s reality. The two of us have to build a solid relationship as early as now.”
Reyes
This was also why the couple went on a European holiday recently. They traveled to London, Amsterdam, Prague and Austria. “I was so excited because it was my first time to go to these places. I’m grateful to my sister-in-law, who allowed us to join their trip. I told her, ‘Ilista mo na lang ha?’” Gladys quipped. “Christophe was supposed to join us, but he backed out because of an accounting exam. He got so disappointed when the school announced at the last minute that the test can be done online. On the other hand, I was so impressed because he gave up the trip for school.”
This is why Gladys will return to London with Christophe in May, she said. “He saw us taking pictures on Abbey Road, and he is the Beatles fan from among us. Fortunately, there are Filipinos there who are requesting to see me. Let’s bring ‘Gladys’ Night’ to London, shall we?” she said, laughing.
Not worried
When asked to react to the idea of her eventually becoming a grandmother, Gladys said: “I don’t mind it that Christophe has a girlfriend. We all wish for inspiration, but I also saw how much he values school, even though he has extracurricular activities and enjoys making music so much. He is also into jujitsu. I’m not worried because I know he grew up with a family that has a solid and secure foundation.”
She continued: “What I can only do is pray for his safety because I cannot guard him 24/7. This is also why, even though I sleep late, I make sure to wake up at 7 a.m. to pray with the kids before they go to school. As the mom, I constantly remind Christophe to always be responsible. This is because [when he eventually gets a girl pregnant] there’s no turning back. He can’t say anything bad about us as his parents because, even though we’re childhood sweethearts, our parents really guarded us. It took a while before they allowed me to go out on dates with Christopher. Also—and I’ve always been open about this—it was only after we got married that we slept together.”
Thankfully, Glady said, Christophe is growing up to be a responsible big brother to his three siblings—Aquisha, Grant and Gavin. “I noticed that he would think hard first before doing something. Also, kids of this generation are more career-oriented. They prefer to raise a family at a later age. I’m also happy that he is doing well in school as an HRM student. I guess he wanted to be like his parents who are restaurateurs.”
As a birthday surprise to Christophe, ABS-CBN Music executives Roxy Liquigan and Jonathan Manalo attended the party to announce that the teener will be signing up as one of their talents. “Christophe has already visited them in ABS-CBN and made them listen to the songs he composed. As parents, we agreed to sign him up because the company promised to adjust to Christophe’s school schedule. For the moment, hosting and making music are fine.”
Gladys said she would also like to return to school and finish her mass communications course this 2024. “I’d like to walk the talk. I want to show my kids that when you’re educated, people will not look down on you. I have no more wish for material things. I’m not into luxury bags and shoes—people change fashion preferences too quickly, anyway. I guess Christopher and I will just save up for the renovation of our house. We both don’t want to leave it because it seems to give us good luck.” INQ