MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Waiting
---
One month had passed since the wedding.
The palace was empty now. The flowers were gone. The elephants had returned to their fields. The lanterns were packed away. The family had flown back to Manila, back to the house, back to the life they had built. But the joy was not the same. The laughter was quieter. The halls were colder. The corner was empty.
Lyra's corner.
Alex stood there every night. His hands were in his pockets. His face was blank. His eyes were on the window where she used to watch. He didn't speak. He didn't move. He just waited. He had been waiting for a month. He would wait forever.
Jay watched him from the study window. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers. Her stomach was round now, three months pregnant, the twins finally showing. She wore loose dresses now, soft fabrics, pale colors. She ate for three. She slept for three. She lived for three.
But Lyra was still asleep.
"She's not waking up," Jay said.
Keifer pulled her close. "She will. She's strong."
Jay leaned against him. "It's been a month."
He kissed her hair. "I know."
---
The hospital room was white.
The machines beeped. The tubes were in Lyra's arms. The bandages were gone, replaced by a scar that would never fade. Her face was pale. Her eyes were closed. Her hand was in Alex's. He was sitting beside her, his head on the bed, his eyes closed, his breathing slow.
He had been there for a month. He had not left. He had not slept. He had not eaten. He had not spoken. He just sat. He just waited. He just held her hand.
Care came every day. She checked the machines. She checked the monitors. She checked Lyra's pulse. Her face was calm. Her hands were steady. "She's healing," Care said. "She's strong. She's fighting."
Alex didn't look up. "She's been fighting for a month."
Care put her hand on his shoulder. "She'll wake up."
Alex didn't answer. He just held Lyra's hand. He just waited.
---
The house in Manila was quiet.
Percy sat in the garden, his hands in the soil, his face turned toward the house. He was planting roses. Red ones. Lyra's favorite. The same ones they had planted in India. The same ones that would bloom in her corner when she came home.
Honey sat beside him. Her hand was in his. Her face was calm. Her eyes were soft.
"She's going to wake up," Honey said.
Percy didn't look at her. "I know."
Honey squeezed his hand. "Then why are you planting roses?"
Percy looked at the small plants. At the green stems. At the buds that would bloom. "Because when she wakes up, I want her to see them. I want her to know we were waiting. I want her to know we never stopped waiting."
Honey leaned against him. "She knows."
Percy's face was wet. "I hope so."
---
Aries was in the kitchen with Ella. Their hands were in the dough. Their faces were calm. Their eyes were sad.
"She's going to wake up," Ella said.
Aries looked at her. "I know."
Ella touched their face. "Then why are you making bread?"
Aries looked at the dough. At the flour on their hands. At the bread that would rise. "Because when she wakes up, she's going to be hungry. She's going to need to eat. She's going to need to be strong."
Ella pulled them close. "She's going to be strong."
Aries held her. "I know."
---
Care was in the medical room. Her hands were on the supplies. Her face was calm. Her eyes were red. Cole stood in the doorway. His hands were in his pockets. His face was pale.
"She's going to wake up," Cole said.
Care didn't look at him. "I know."
Cole walked to her. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Then why are you reorganizing the medical supplies for the fifth time this week?"
Care looked at the shelves. At the bandages. At the medicines. At the machines that were waiting. "Because when she wakes up, she's going to need care. She's going to need help. She's going to need me."
Cole pulled her close. "She needs you to rest too."
Care held him. "I can't rest. Not until she wakes up."
Cole kissed her hair. "She will."
---
Rakki was in the living room with Ci N. Her hands were on the coffee table. Her face was hard. Her eyes were wet. Ci N was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"She's going to wake up," Ci N said.
Rakki didn't look at him. "I know."
Ci N squeezed her hand. "Then why are you sitting here? Why aren't you moving? Why aren't you—"
Rakki's voice cracked. "Because I can't. Because every time I move, I remember. I remember the gun. I remember the bullet. I remember her falling. I remember her white saree turning red. I remember—"
Ci N pulled her close. "I know. I know."
Rakki held him. "She saved them. She saved Jay. She saved the twins. She saved all of us."
Ci N held her. "She saved us."
---
Mica was in the study with Calix. Her laptop was open. Her fingers were still. Her face was focused. Calix was beside her. His hand was on her shoulder.
"She's going to wake up," Calix said.
Mica didn't look at him. "I know."
Calix leaned closer. "Then why aren't you working? Why aren't you tracking? Why aren't you—"
Mica's voice was low. "Because I can't find anything. Because there's nothing to track. Because there's nothing to do. Because all I can do is wait."
Calix pulled her close. "Then wait. We'll wait together."
Mica held him. "Together."
---
Freya stood at the gate. Her arms were crossed. Her face was sharp. Her eyes were on the street. Erdix was beside her. His hands were in his pockets. His face was calm.
"She's going to wake up," Erdix said.
Freya didn't look at him. "I know."
Erdix stepped closer. "Then why are you standing here? Why are you watching? Why are you—"
Freya's voice was low. "Because I failed. I was supposed to protect them. I was supposed to keep them safe. And I didn't. I couldn't. I—"
Erdix pulled her close. "You couldn't have stopped it. No one could have stopped it."
Freya held him. "She saved them. She saved all of them. And I couldn't save her."
Erdix held her. "She knows. She knows you would have. She knows you tried."
---
Grace was in the garden with Denzel. Her hands were on the roses. Her face was hard. Her eyes were wet. Denzel was beside her. His hand was on her back.
"She's going to wake up," Denzel said.
Grace didn't look at him. "I know."
Denzel stepped closer. "Then why are you here? Why are you—"
Grace's voice cracked. "Because she was supposed to be happy. She was supposed to have her wedding. She was supposed to have her life. She was supposed to have her future. And now she's lying in a hospital bed, and I can't do anything. I can't fight. I can't protect. I can't—"
Denzel pulled her close. "You can wait. You can be here. You can be ready for when she wakes up."
Grace held him. "I'll be ready."
---
Kuya Angelo stood at the door of the house. His face was calm. His hands were steady. Ion was beside him. His hand was in Kuya Angelo's.
"She's going to wake up," Ion said.
Kuya Angelo didn't look at him. "I know."
Ion squeezed his hand. "Then why are you standing here? Why are you watching? Why are you—"
Kuya Angelo's voice was low. "Because I'm the oldest. Because I'm supposed to protect them. Because I'm supposed to keep them safe. Because I'm supposed to—"
Ion pulled him close. "You did. You did protect them. You did keep them safe. You did everything you could."
Kuya Angelo held him. "It wasn't enough."
Ion held him. "It was. She's alive. She's fighting. She's going to wake up."
---
Tita Gemma sat in the living room. Her hands were in her lap. Her face was wet. Tita Rachel sat beside her. Her hand was in Tita Gemma's.
"She's going to wake up," Tita Rachel said.
Tita Gemma nodded. "I know."
Tita Rachel squeezed her hand. "Then why are you crying?"
Tita Gemma looked at the window. At the garden. At the corner that was empty. "Because she was supposed to be happy. She was supposed to have her wedding. She was supposed to have her life. She was supposed to have her future. And now she's lying in a hospital bed, and I can't do anything. I can't—"
Tita Rachel pulled her close. "You can pray. You can hope. You can wait."
Tita Gemma held her. "I'll wait."
---
Keiran sat on the steps of the garden. His knees were against his chest. His face was buried in his arms. Keigan sat beside him. His hand was on his brother's back. His face was cold. His eyes were red.
"She's going to wake up," Keigan said.
Keiran didn't look up. "How do you know?"
Keigan's voice was low. "Because she's Lyra. Because she survived before. Because she'll survive again."
Keiran looked at him. His face was wet. "What if she doesn't? What if she stays asleep forever? What if—"
Keigan pulled him close. "Then we wait. We wait forever. We never stop waiting."
Keiran held him. "I miss her."
Keigan held him. "I know."
---
Jay sat on the steps of the garden. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers. Her stomach was round. The twins were moving. The garden was quiet. The steps were cold. The corner was empty.
"She's not waking up," Jay said.
Keifer pulled her close. "She will."
Jay looked at the house. At the window where Lyra used to stand. At the corner that was empty. "It's been a month. A month since the wedding. A month since she took the bullet. A month since she saved us. And she's still asleep."
Keifer kissed her hair. "She's fighting. She's always fighting."
Jay touched her stomach. The twins moved. Two small flutters. Two small lives. Two small hearts. "She saved them. She saved my children. She saved my family. And I can't do anything. I can't save her. I can't—"
Keifer turned her to face him. His hands were on her face. His eyes were steady. "You can wait. You can be here. You can be ready for when she wakes up. You can love her. You can never stop loving her."
Jay's face was wet. "I'll never stop loving her."
He pulled her close. "I know."
---
The hospital room was white. The machines beeped. Lyra's hand was in Alex's. His head was on the bed. His eyes were closed. His breathing was slow.
He dreamed of her. Of her corner. Of her blank face. Of her small smile. Of her hand in his. Of her voice in his ear.
"I love you," Lyra had said. "I love you."
He opened his eyes. The room was dark. The machines were beeping. Her hand was in his. Her face was pale. Her eyes were closed.
He kissed her hand. "I love you. I love you, Lyra Kulkarni. I love your corner. I love the way you watch the street. I love the way you protect the people you love. I love the way you held a knife to my throat and didn't cut."
He laughed. It was a small sound. Tired. Sad.
"You're going to wake up. You're going to yell at me. You're going to stand in your corner. And I'm going to be there. I'm always going to be there."
He put his head on the bed. He closed his eyes. He held her hand.
Her fingers didn't move. Her eyes didn't open. Her voice didn't come.
The machines beeped. The night was still. Lyra slept. And Alex waited.
---
The sun was rising over Manila.
Jay stood at the window of her room. Keifer was behind her. His arms were around her. His face was in her hair. Her stomach was round. The twins were moving.
"One month," Jay said.
Keifer kissed her neck. "One month."
She looked at the garden. At the roses Percy had planted. At the steps where she had sat. At the corner that was empty. "She's going to wake up."
Keifer pulled her closer. "She's going to wake up."
She turned to face him. Her face was calm. Her eyes were steady. "I'm going to the hospital today. I'm going to sit with her. I'm going to talk to her. I'm going to tell her about the twins. About their kicks. About their flutters. About the lives she saved."
Keifer kissed her forehead. "I'll come with you."
She touched his face. "I know."
---
The hospital room was white.
Jay sat beside Lyra's bed. Keifer was behind her. His hand was on her shoulder. Her stomach was round. The twins were moving. Alex was on the other side, his head on the bed, his hand in Lyra's. He didn't move. He didn't speak. He just waited.
Jay took Lyra's hand. Her fingers were cold. Her skin was pale. Her mehendi was gone. The patterns had faded. The stories had faded. But the scars remained. The scars from the warehouse. The scars from the bullet. The scars from the life she had lived.
"Lyra," Jay said. Her voice was low. Her voice was steady. "It's me. It's Jay. I'm here. I'm always here."
The machines beeped. Lyra didn't move.
Jay touched her face. Her skin was cold. Her lips were pale. "The twins are moving. They're kicking. They're growing. They're waiting to meet you. They're waiting to meet their aunt. The one who saved them."
The machines beeped. Lyra didn't move.
Jay's voice cracked. "You have to wake up. You have to wake up and see them. You have to wake up and see the garden. Percy planted roses. Red ones. Your favorites. They're going to bloom soon. They're going to bloom in your corner. They're going to be waiting for you."
The machines beeped. Lyra didn't move.
Jay's face was wet. "You have to wake up. Alex is waiting. He's been waiting for a month. He hasn't left. He hasn't slept. He hasn't eaten. He's just been waiting. For you. For you to wake up. For you to come back to him."
The machines beeped. Lyra didn't move.
Jay held her hand. "I love you. I love you, Lyra Kulkarni. You're my sister. You're my family. You're the reason I'm alive. You're the reason my children are alive. And I need you to wake up. I need you to come back. I need you to—"
Her voice cracked. She couldn't finish.
Keifer pulled her close. His arms were around her. His face was in her hair. "She knows. She knows you love her. She knows you're waiting. She knows."
Jay held him. "I need her to wake up."
Keifer held her. "She will."
---
The days passed. The weeks passed. The month passed.
Lyra didn't wake up. Her face was pale. Her eyes were closed. Her hand was in Alex's. The machines beeped. The tubes were in her arms. The scar was white on her chest. The mehendi was gone. The patterns were gone. The stories were gone.
But Alex waited. He sat beside her. He held her hand. He talked to her. He told her about the house. About the garden. About the roses that were blooming. About the corner that was waiting. He told her about the ring on her finger, the gold, the diamond, the promise he had made. He told her about their wedding. About the fire. About the rounds. About the vows.
He told her he loved her. He told her he would wait. He told her she was not alone.
Jay came every day. She sat on the other side of the bed. She held Lyra's other hand. She told her about the twins. About their kicks. About their flutters. About the lives growing inside her. She told her about the house. About the garden. About the roses that were blooming. About the corner that was waiting.
She told her she loved her. She told her she needed her. She told her she was waiting.
Care came every day. She checked the machines. She checked the monitors. She checked Lyra's pulse. Her face was calm. Her hands were steady. "She's healing," Care said. "She's strong. She's fighting."
Percy came every day. He brought flowers. He brought food. He brought noise. He talked to Lyra like she was awake. He told her about the garden. About the roses. About the steps where she used to stand. He told her to come back.
Aries came with him. Their face was calm. Their eyes were soft. Ella came with them. Her hands were folded. Her face was steady.
Rakki came with Ci N. Mica came with Calix. Freya came with Erdix. Grace came with Denzel. Kuya Angelo came with Ion. Tita Gemma came with Tita Rachel. Keiran came with Keigan. They all came. They all waited.
But Lyra slept. And Alex waited. And the family waited. And the corner was empty. And the roses were blooming. And the twins were growing. And the world kept moving. But Lyra was still. Lyra was waiting. Lyra was fighting. Lyra was somewhere in the dark, trying to find her way back.
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END OF CHAPTER NINETY-NINE