When Best Friends Kiss

The Crisis - Part 1

As we sped towards London by car, barely any words were exchanged between me and the man who was determined to break my heart a second time. Words from the people I loved echoed in my mind.

"They said she doesn't have much time left and we should say our goodbyes."

As soon as we got home, I'd tell my mother off. During our phone calls, I didn't have the nerve, but sitting in the car for hours had built an irritation in me that I knew I couldn't subdue once I saw her face. Tía had been diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease two years ago when she had a heart attack in the hospital---right before the Christmas Liam and I made up. Pneumonia is what my mom had told all of us. We'd had no clue. Now my beloved tía was on her deathbed and the only person who'd had time to prepare to lose a loved one was my mother.

Bitterness filled my lungs as I wiped a tear to clear my view of the road ahead. Though, there wasn't much point. There was no pavement and no cars; my emotions were all I could see.

"I wonder how Lily's doing," Liam whispered from the passenger's seat.

And Liam. "Let's break up. You deserve someone better."

Since the phone call from my mom, we hadn't said a word about our relationship, so I assumed there was a silent agreement that it'd go on the back burner until after the funeral. But there was one thing I wanted clear.

"Liam. Don't tell anyone what's happening between us." I glanced over to see his expression, sombre since the day the news came. No---it'd been sombre for months. "Our family doesn't need more worries." Besides, I knew we would figure things out together.

There was an unsettling silence.

"Liam!"

"Of course!"

An awkward atmosphere permeated the car but there was nothing I could say to clear it. After all, our problems were on hold.

***

I hated hospitals. They were places of pain and death and only the thought of us finally no longer being alone pressed me forward. They were sitting in the waiting room, the four of them.

"Mami!" I ran up to my mother who jumped from her chair and hugged me.

Liam met his parents' arms as well, but their embrace had less urgency.

"Mami, tell me what's happening." I gripped my mother's hands. She nodded, glanced at the Santos' and pulled me aside towards a small hallway of vending machines.

"Yesterday, they brought the other doctor in. Last night, she said surgery is possible. Your tía didn't want surgery last year, but what could I do?" My mother's eyes moistened. "She had heart failure so I told them to go ahead. So they did it early this morning. It went good, but she hasn't woken up."

I smiled nervously. "Then that's good---"

My mom shook her head. "She's in a coma. They don't know why or if or when she'll wake up."

No... "What kind of surgery did she get?"

"I don't remember what it's called."

"Mom! You're all tía has, you have to know these things. You two---" Now was the time. "What's wrong with you?! This is serious, you can't just screw around. You have to make sure she sees the doctor and takes her medicine! You're all she has and she's stubborn so you can't just---"

"Alex." A hand landed on my arm and I looked over to see Mr. Santos.

"Not to mention none of us knew anything! Why did you hide it from us?! For two years?!"