Fireflies In My Heart (Blueprint Series #1)

Chapter 46

Dire-diretso akong bumaba sa parking lot at hindi na pinansin pa ang mga employees na tumitingin. I know Kuya Ali will follow me and I was right. He opened his car and told me to ride with him, so I did. Wala na talaga akong energy kahit pa magdrive. My eyes wandered outside the window. There, I found Aiden in his vulnerable state while watching our car drive away.

I feel like there's a lump in my throat, ni hindi man lang niya kami sinubukang habulin. He was just standing there and doing nothing. Is he letting me slip away from him? Napapansin ko ang simpleng pasulyap-sulyap ni Kuya sa akin. I guess he is worried about me. Though, there's nothing to worry about. Time will go by at mawawala rin itong sakit na nararamdaman ko. I wouldn't trade my mother for anything, even if it is Aiden. She needs me more. I sarcastically scoffed inside my head. I'll deal with him later.

Parang kailan lang noong galit na galit ako kay Mom. I regretted those hurtful words I said to her, you know. But not to Emmanuel. I still have a bad feeling about him. Ayokong magpaka-kampante.

I let out a long, deep, and lifeless sigh. We are nearing the hospital and almost the whole car ride, we were just silent. This is kind of what I needed. I thought of it as peaceful at first, pero sa sitwasyon ngayon na gulo gulo ang utak ko ay hindi ko ito maitatawag na peaceful. In a short period of time andami na agad nangyari. Imagine, I was just doing my usual work but then Aiden came playing with my mind na sinundan pa ng Kuya ko.

"Claudia..." Bigkas ng aking Kuya pagkaparada niya ng sasakyan. I was about to go out but he called my name. I slowly glanced at him with a questionable look. Wala siyang sinabi pero para siyang may malalim na iniisip habang naka tingin sa harap na siyang ikinakunot ng noo ko. It looks like he is staring at something or someone kaya sinundan ko rin ang tinitignan niya but I found nothing, just an empty entrance.

"What's wrong, Kuya?" I impatiently asked.

"Wala, I thought I recognized someone I know." Pagkasabi niya non ay napa-iling na lamang ako at tuluyan nang bumaba ng sasakyan. But as soon as we got in the building ay para yatang tumaas ang aking mga balahibo pero binalewala ko na lamang iyon. I'm nervous, I guess? Ngayon ko nalang ulit makikita ang Mommy tapos sa ospital pa. The familiar ambiance of the hospital welcomed us. Cold but painful. Iniwas ko ang aking tingin nang makasalubong ko ang mukhang bagong panganak na naka wheel-chair kasama ang kanyang asawa. Reminds me of something in the past.

Hindi ko alam kung saan ang daan kaya nakakapit lang ako kay Kuya Ali. Later on, I heard the voices of Abuelo and Dad. Nandito na rin pala sila at nag-aabang matapos ang operation ni Mom. Nakita ko ang pagod na mata ng aking tatay. He looks so gone, para rin siyang kinulang sa tulog. Para yatang ang tagal ko silang hindi nakasama at biglang ganito na lamang ang mga itsura nila.

Nang makalapit kay Dad ay sinalubong niya agad ako ng isang mahigpit na yakap. I hugged him back with the same warmth. He is brushing my hair like I'm still his little girl, while also dropping small kisses on my head. He keeps on murmuring things but my mind was completely blank until he said those words.