✓ Never Is A Promise, p.js

16 | the endless pool of tears

16. THE ENDLESS POOL OF TEARS

— ANAIS' POV

The night before her mother's surgery in the next morning, Anais and Sunoo had filled up the ward room with their tiny giggles and dumb dad's jokes just to make their mother to smile all over again in attempt to prevent her from being too nervous about the surgery. Those moments totally reminisced her of their old time together as a small family — when they used to stay up late on a Saturday's night to play games and exchange their lamest jokes to ever exist. The difference between the past and the present was that they used to be doing all of that in a place called home, but their fate now has completely changed.

"Now that it's already past nine, you should have some sleep, Mom. Tomorrow will be a big day for you" Anais muttered while slowly massaging her hand closer to her side. "I also kind of want to have some rest. Can I sleep next to you on the bed? It's been awhile since I slept in your arms before" Anais jokingly exclaimed, leaving her younger to roll his eyes in a manner that was full of sass. "Sleep next to Mom? Seriously? I bet Mom can't even sleep peacefully while having to hear your noisy snore!" Sunoo snapped.

"Tsk, snore? The audacity of you to speak something that are untrue about me as if you didn't wet your pillow with your drool" Anais replied back like a typical older sibling who never gave up in any argument or bickering. As a result, Sunoo stopped teasing her back as soon as he hushed down next to their mother, "Quiet, will you? Mom needs some energy now for tomorrow" The younger brother retorted, only for their mother to finally break their tiny bickering apart by continuing.

"Oh my sweethearts, you guys should have some rest too. Don't you both have some classes and training to attend tomorrow?" The mother asked reassuringly while stroking both Anais and Sunoo's hands in hers soothingly. Both of the siblings nodded their heads slow. "Yup, I do. But I planned to have some sleep in the ward, so that I can watch you first thing in the morning before going into that operating theatre" Anais replied a matter of fact.

"Same goes with me. I'll leave tomorrow morning too." Sunoo muttered. The three of them ended their night by exchanging kisses on the foreheads with their mother — as this used to be their tradition as a family back then. There was a vacant bed in her mother's ward room, so Anais chose to sleep on the bed whilst Sunoo took over the couch at the corner of the room. Anais couldn't read what was in her Mother's mind or heart, but she could read the expression of her face. It was the look that was trying to convince that she'd be strong for the both Anais and Sunoo. She'd be strong to live for those two loving children of hers.

Although it almost had been two hours since she lay herself on the bed, her body kept on tossing and turn as her brain was getting louder than the silence that over the room. Anais kept thinking about what the future holds — the fate of her Mother if she's not able to live the same life as before. She got extremely agitated with how things are going to turn out on the awaited day with her mother's transplant surgery. Unknowingly, she didn't realise she fell asleep quietly right after that and awoke by some streaks of sunlight through the blinds at 7 a.m. in the morning.

As the first person to wake up first, she got herself freshened up — putting her hair into a messy bun, brushing her teeth, washing her face and went back into the room. Anais woke Sunoo up for him to be ready later before sending their mother off to the operation room in two hours. In between, she went to grab some light snacks from the vending machine downstairs as a breakfast until the time had finally arrived.

Dr Ahn and his two other nurses came inside the room, checking on the mother's health condition for the day as they had to ensure that the patient would be in a good state for the surgery. After everything had been completed, it was eventually the time for her mother to be moved to the Operation Unit. Before watching her mother go, both Anais and Sunoo went for a hug with her and kissed her on the cheeks. There was a bead of tear at the corner of Anais' eye as she whimpered, "I know you're strong for this, Mom. Please remember that me and Sunoo will always love you until forever" Anais said, planting a kiss on her forehead for the last time before watching their mother disappeared slowly from the hallway.