When not performing onstage, singer Geneva Cruz is first and foremost a mom to Heaven—her nine-year-old son with former husband Paco Arespacochaga—as well as a committed companion to MTV veejay KC Montero, her husband.
Only last July, Geneva and KC moved to a bigger house in Quezon City. The new location suits them just fine. "We're near ABS-CBN and GMA," she says. "And malapit lang sa EDSA."
In contrast to the flamboyant world of showbiz, the house looks laid-back, its décor reflecting the couple's preference for country-style living.
"We're into country stuff," Geneva says. "And ayaw ni KC ng maraming borloloy. Gusto niya simple, livable. 'Yong pag may tumatakbong bata, hindi maraming tatamaan. Kasi malikot si Heaven, mahilig magbangga-bangga... If you have figurines that are really expensive, never mind."
Another thing that Geneva and KC have in common is a fondness for horses. This was a regular subject of their conversations when they were still in the stage of getting to know each other.
"We talked about that, and na-realize ko, ay, matalino naman pala 'tong lolo ko. Akala ko kasi no'ng una dense, kasi playful. 'Yon pala, playful lang siya, pero matalino naman."
Geneva's glad that the two most important men in her life, Heaven and KC, get along so well. "Niloloko nga ako ng mga kaibigan ko. Kaya daw yata na-in love sa 'kin si KC dahil sa anak ko, at may kalaro siya. Para akong may dalawang anak!"
That doesn't mean there are no differences between the two of them. "Ay, marami!" she exclaims. "Si KC kasi, he's an American, so he loves to drink, beer lang naman. Pero talagang kaya niya from 10 a.m. to 10 the next morning. Kaya nga kumitang-kumita na 'yong San Miguel Beer dito. 'Tapos, ako naman, sobra akong may pagkaingat sa gamit. May pagka-OC [obsessive compulsive] ako, pero hindi sobra. Kunyari tabingi 'yong mga bagay, kailangang ayusin ko. Kahit pagod ako, kung 'yong comforter sa kuwarto hindi ayos, or 'yong curtain medyo naka-open, tatayo ako. Hindi ko talaga kaya. Aayusin ko talaga. Gano'n ako."
The willingness to accept each other's "quirks" could be one reason she and KC are still going strong. "Sabi nga nila, if you love someone, matatanggap mo lahat 'yon. You just learn to laugh about them."