Through the Nights

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Up till Midnight

Francine regretted her question the moment it escaped her lips.

What was I thinking? Hindi ko dapat sinabi 'yon, sermon niya sa sarili niya.

And there was no point in saying it either. Matagal na silang break para ungkatin pa 'yon. Buti sana kung last month lang pero halos ilang taon na rin ang lumipas.

"Sorry—"

"Paano ko naman malilimutan?" sagot ni Nicco.

Which made her stop for a moment.

"May mga reminders ka pa sa akin dati tuwing nag-aaral ako, 'di ba? Naglalagay ka ng tabs sa readings ko tapos kapag na-reach ko na 'yong tab na 'yon, sign na dapat mag-snack break ako?" he added.

Francine nodded slowly. Hindi pa rin makaimik. Of course she remembers those things. It was their memory, after all.

And it's him.

The moment they broke up, she tried to convince her mind not to let their memories slip away. She tried to remember all of their pieces.

Even their little moments together. She tried her best to account everything. Para kahit sa isip man lang niya, at least okay sila. Masaya sila.

And that's the only thing she wanted to remember because after all, what they had was something beyond precious.

She didn't want to forget about it.

She didn't want to let it go.

"Francine?" tawag ni Nicco.

"Hmm?"

"Okay ka lang ba?"

"Hindi? Naka-confine ako, o."

He chuckled. "I know. But natahimik ka kasi."

"Ah . . . wala. Napaisip lang ako."

"Can I ask kung tungkol saan?"

Francine secretly let out a breath. Okay lang kaya? What if sabihin ko na napaisip ako tungkol sa amin dati?

"Nothing," she said.

Tumango naman si Nicco. "Okay."

She noticed how he momentarily looked at his wrist watch.

Iba na rin pala suot niya ngayon, she thought. Silently eyeing him. Nicco wasn't in his scrubs anymore. He's now wearing a navy blue polo underneath his white coat, a pair of black jeans, and white sneakers.

Nicco took his phone from the pocket of his coat and a slight creasing appeared on his forehead when he read something.

She watched as he typed something on his phone before putting it back to his pocket.

"Busy ka ba? Hinahanap ka nila?" Francine couldn't help but ask.

Umiling si Nicco. "No. Nagtatanong lang 'yong isang intern kung p'wedeng mag-assist sa surgery sa Tuesday. Gagawin niya raw charts ko basta pumayag ako."

"And? Pumayag ka ba?"

"Sabi ko pag-iisipan ko."

"Why?"

"Anong why?"

Francine laid on her side. Umalalay naman si Nicco nang gumalaw siya.

"Just lay on your back—"

"Gusto kitang makita, e," she said.

"Ha?"

Francine bit her lip. Okay, kanina pa ako. Dahil ba sa gamot 'to?