"Paula stop crying, kanina ka pa umiiyak" Irene said and handed her a box of kleenex.
"I-Irene w-what s-should I do now? H-hindi ko n-na alam" iyak pa rin ni Paula.
They've been in her condo for more than an hour and Irene was shocked to know the story Paula said to her.
Kahit na hindi niya alam ang irereact dahil masyado siyang nabigla sa sinabi ni Paula ay she still manage herself na pakalmahin ito dahil isang oras na rin siyang tuloy tuloy na umiiyak.
Nakikita niya ang sarili niya kay Paula nung mga panahong mag-isa lang siya at walang makapita. Problematic at walang mapagsabihan.
"Shhh stop crying Paula, first you calm down yourself at hindi na makakabuti sayo yang pag-iyak na yan dahil isang oras ka ng umiiyak" wika niya at inabot ang isang baso ng tubig.
"Does greggy know that you're here na?"
"Yup, I told him"
Tumango si Irene.
"You calm down and just talk to him tomorrow para makapagpahinga ka. Stop thinking your problem muna at hindi magandang naistress ka. You are a doctor Paula, dapat alam mo rin kung ano ang makakabuti sayo hindi lang palaging sa pasyente mo" tumango si Paula.
"Thank you so much Irene, h-hindi ko na talaga alam kung sino ang kakausapin ko kaya kahit nahihiya ako nilakasan ko na ang loob ko dahil para na akong mababaliw"
"Im always here Paula, Alam ko hindi maganda yung naging umpisa natin and it is weird to think dahil ex ako ni Greggy but maniwala ka man o sa hindi sincere ang pakikitungo ko sayo"
________
"Greggy hindi ka ba papasok sa trabaho ngayon?" Emma asked when she saw Greggy staying at the Lanai early in the morning.
Umiling iling si Greggy at napasimsim pa sa kape na iniinom
"You're still thinking about what I told you yesterday?" Her mom asked again at naupo na sa tabi ni Greggy.
"I can't help but to think about it Mom. If only I hadn't let my pride win, I would have had a chance to see my son" puno ng pagsisisi niyang wika.
"Greggy its now all in the past. Wala ka ng magagawa about dun anak kasi kahit anong sisi mo sa sarili mo hindi na maibabalik ang buhay ni Gregoire" Emma said and tapped her son's shoulder, assuring him that everything will be okay soon
"I know but I just can't help not to think about him. Kung anong itsura niya, kung paano yung pag-iyak niya, kung paano siya tumahan"
Emma secretly hide her tears. Hindi rin niya mapigilan na hindi umiyak while seeing her son na puno ng pagsisisi.
"We are scheduled to fly in San Francisco a week after Imee went to our house but Unfortunately Irene told me that Gregoire passed away because his body was unable to handle it anymore.
So I cancelled all my work that week and we flew to San Francisco for his wake. He looks just like you Greggy, he got your lips, nose and even the shape of your face. His eyes were from Irene. Sayang at ang gwapong bata. I can't help but to cry when he got buried, It was hard for me to be there without you because of all people isa ka dapat sa nandun para sa anak mo" umiiyak na wika ni Emma.
"How's Irene during our son's wake mama? How did she handle those things?"
Umiling iling si Emma, "She was silent the whole time ever since we arrived at San Francisco for her son's wake. Hindi siya umiiyak, she's just always spacing out whenever she was looking at her son. The day when Gregoire buried, that was the time we saw Irene cried really hard. Ayaw niyang iwan yung puntod. She lost consciousness two times that day, naiuwi lang siya nung pangatlong beses na siyang nanghina" napapikit si Greggy.
