As if being alone with him again, that too in her apartment where every corner echoed their story, wasn't enough.
He tried to start a conversation, maybe about that night, maybe about them.
But all she could see was his back as he had walked away — no pause, no explanation, not even once looking back.
And her...
calling, waiting, hoping —
Until hope had started to feel foolish.
He had never turned back.
"Can we talk?"
She turned towards him, a smile touching her lips as she tilted her head slightly.
"Now?"
The word didn't come out, but it sat there between them anyway.
Her anger was written all over her face.
And he saw it.
She didn't need words. Her eyes held everything she never got to say.
"Sorry, I know it's not the best time. Let's go, I'll take you to the hospital," he said quickly, almost as if delaying would make it worse.
He walked ahead, stretching his hand slightly, not quite touching hers, just enough to guide.
She hesitated for a fraction of second... then followed.
The door clicked shut behind them.
Only the hum of the engine filled the space between them.
Streetlights slipped across the window, one after another, like passing thoughts neither of them chose to voice.
For a moment, she found herself wondering...
What could it be... that he wanted to talk about?
Her fingers curled slightly in her lap.
Old habits. Old expectations.
She exhaled.
No.
Whatever it was...
it didn't matter anymore.
But for him... it wasn't the same.
Her angry face kept flashing in his mind.
He was so lost in the thoughts that he barely noticed the car ahead.
He hit the brake suddenly, the tires screeching as the car lurched forward, narrowly avoiding a collision.
The sudden jolt threw them ahead.
His hand shot out instinctively, stopping her from hitting forward.
He turned to her, eyes filled with worry... and guilt.
"Are you okay? I'm sorry about that," he said quickly, his voice tight.
She was still shaken. Without realizing it, her hand had moved to her belly — protective, instinctive.
Just like his had reached out for her.
"What was that? You didn't see the signal? Let me drive if you can't focus," she snapped.
Once, she had always looked at him with love.
Her voice used to soften, her tone turning almost playful whenever she saw him.
But now...
he could only feel anger, distance, and something colder settling between them.
"I'm sorry. I'll drive carefully," he said, forcing his thoughts aside and focusing back on the road.
"THANK YOU SO MUCH," she shot back, adjusting her hair, sitting stiff this time — as if she didn't trust him anymore.
Soon, they reached the hospital.
She stepped out quickly, almost rushing ahead, before realizing she didn't know the way to her mother's ward.
She paused...
glanced back at him...
and waited.
He was walking at his normal pace,
while she stood there, silently cursing him for being slow.
He caught up, and they walked towards the ward.
Her heart sank the moment she saw her father.
She ran into his arms, like a child who had found her guardian after being lost for a long time.
Something inside her finally loosened.
She felt light... almost weightless, her mind falling into a rare, quiet stillness.
He took her inside.
And the moment she saw her mother —
she broke.
She went blank.
She had thought she was ready to see her... but she wasn't.
She had never imagined her mother laying there so still, her head wrapped in a bandage.
The faint drip of the IV echoed in her ears, each drop striking louder that it should — like a pendulum marking something she didn't want to count.
Time slowed.
She stood there... unmoving...
lost.
"Aira... child, stay strong," her father's voice pulled her back to the moment.
She moved closer to her mother and sat beside her, holding her hand.
The dryness of her skin... the coldness of her fingers...
it made something inside her tighten.
She took out some cream and gently rubbed it over her mother's hands, slow and careful, as if warmth could be brought back through touch alone.
Then she applied a little lip balm to her mother's lips, quietly fixing what she could...
as if everything were normal.
She couldn't do much.
But at least...
she could make sure that when her mother woke up, she wouldn't feel neglected...
she wouldn't look fragile.
She would look cared for.
Looking at Aira, so quietly broken, everyone in the room felt it — that heavy pull of emotion returning once again.
They had only just managed to steady themselves...
and now, it was slipping again.
Slowly, time passed, and she sat there, still.
"Child, you go have something. I'll stay with your mom. Ian, Shasha, and your aunt are downstairs. Go with them," her father said, taking over beside her mother.
She gently tucked her mother's hand inside the blanket and nodded.
She took the lift.
The giggle of a little baby caught her attention.
She stared at the baby, her gaze softening, and for the first time in a while... a pure smile touched her lips.
There was something about that small, effortless happiness —
it made her heart feel lighter.
The Lift stopped.
The women carrying the baby stepped out, and aira followed behind.
As if something inside her quietly stirred...
something familiar.
Near the exit, they parted ways —
and the first face she noticed...
was his.
She immediately looked away, before their eyes could meet.
"Hello, Aunty. How are you feeling now? Shasha said you weren't feeling well," she said turning towards her aunt.
Her aunt pulled her into a comforting hug.
"I'm fine, sweetheart. Lets go to the canteen, we'll talk there," her aunt said, and they walked ahead.
As she entered the canteen, a realization hit her hard —
she had never imagined she would return here for this reason.
She also realized that something inside her was still unresolved... something that needed attention.
And at the same time, her mother — a part of her she could never separate from — needed her too.
They sat at a table for four.
He sat right in front of her.
And yet...
neither of them looked at the other.
"How did things turn out like this? Life is so unfair," her aunt said, her voice breaking slightly.
No one answered.
Not because they don't want to —
but because none of them had an answer.
Silence settled over the table.
Her aunt passed some vegetables to her, then to Shasha, and then to Ian.
"No, no, Aunt. I'm good" Ian said softly.
He hesitated.
"Don't be shy, child. We are not strangers," her aunt said, making sure he wasn't left out.
She let out a quiet sigh.
"We would have already became family..."
Aira paused.
She didn't fully understand what her aunt meant —
But she didn't ask.
She continued eating, her attention fixed on her aunt,
waiting...
hoping someone would say more.
And her aunt did.
"I still couldn't believe all of this was happening. Life can be so unpredictable...
One moment, people are lost in happiness — and the next, everything falls apart."
She sighed softly..
"It still feels like a nightmare. Just a while ago, we were discussing the engagement...
and the very next moment, everything turned into this."
"I just hope my sister wakes up healthy soon... so we can still give her the happy news."
She paused, then seemed to remember something.
"Oh... right, Aira, you don't know yet."
Aira looked up.
"We were at Ian's parents' place, talking about Shash's engagement...
when your father called about this."
Another pause.
"We've postponed the engagement... until she gets better."
The words settled.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the table..
Heavy.
Final.
Aira stilled.
Shocked... blank...
as if something inside her had quietly shattered —
as it had before.