Love Found Me (English Version)

One

Claudine Montefrio's POV

Ah, weekend finally!

I stretched my arms as soon as I opened mh eyes while feeling the coldness of my room.

The delicious aroma of the pancake that dad was cooking reached my room and I could only smile with contentment and delight.

I immediately stood up and went to my bathroom to freshen up.

I went downstairs and saw mom and dad talking at the dining area.

"Let Cla live her own life. She will just get mad at you if you decide for her." I heard Dad said to her.

"I'm just afraid that she will live alone when we reach our deathbed. I just want someone to be there for her until she grow old." Mom said in her defense. There was a worried tone in her voice.

I cannot tell if I was affected by mom's words.

As their only child, I have accepted that fate if ever that time will come.

Since I am not used to getting all mushy amd melodramatic at the beginning of the day, I noisily went to the kitchen.

Both of them looked at me and gave me their awkward smiles.

Mom's eyes were also watery as to what I have noticed.

I sighed. These are the scenes I am always trying to avoid.

"Thank heavens that this lady is finally awake!" Dad said to me. "Let's have breakfast, shall we?"

Like what we always do, we enjoyed our meals and went to our living area to do the thing we missed doing.

Watching korean dramas, I mean.

Yes. I have influenced them during the lockdown season.

It's a good thing that I was able to find a job and the authorities have found a solution to the pandemic which has spread and killed many lives.

We were currently watching an episode of Itaewon Class when mom's phone rang.

My eyes rested on her and expected her to instruct me to stop playing the episode but no words escaped her mouth.

"Go ahead. Just watch. I'll be out for a couple of minutes." She said and went to the kitchen with the phone in her hand.

Dad shrugged and pulled out some junk foods from the refrigerator for us to share while watching.

"--oh really? Uh, I'm not sure if she's available next week. As far as I know, she has an event that time. But I'll ask her." I heard mom said.

I almost did not understand what we were watching because my attention was on mom's actions.

"- I'll just text you once her schedule is free. Alright. Thanks! Miss you!" came Mom's cheerful voice.

When she returned to the living room, I chewed on the junk food I was holding and drank on my C2 beside me.

"What happened?" Mom asked and sat beside me.

It was dad who responded to her question.

We finished a couple more episodes before resting our eyes and went out our house.

It has been our routine whenever my niece of around three years old and nephew who is one year of age arrived in our compound that we will go out and play with them.

With the house keys in my hand, the three of us headed to their house beside us.

"'Auntie Cla!" Via exclaimed when she saw me.

Von wiggled his chubby knees in delight when he recognized me.

"Hi baby V!!" I exclaimed with equal enthusiasm.

She hurriedly ran to hug me.

"Awww.. Love love!" I exclaimed teasing Von when Via hugged me tightly. It's as if Von could understand when he began crying.

"Oh, Clang! Get a boyfriend and be married already!" Uncle Roy, my twin cousins' father and Via & Von's grandfather, taunted at me.

"How will she even get married if she has no boyfriend in the first place?" Uncle Jury, mom's younger brother, added.

The elders laughed as if it was the funniest joke they have ever heard.

I rolled my eyes and decided to play with my niece and nephew.

I tried to search for mom to see her reaction.

I saw her chatting with Aunt Stella, her younger cousing, and Aunt Ruby, Uncle Jury's wife.

I did not bother to know what they are talking about and focused my attention to the kids in front of me.

"Hey, Clang! I saw Iliad at the mall last week. He was asking about you. He was with his wife and daughter." Riri, Von's mom, said.

"Oh, really." I said and made myself busy with my cellphone.

"Oh, twinnie! Looks like someone is asking for a come back! I saw Zurich when he bumped into him at the drug store last week  when I bought Via's medicines. He was also asking about Clang!" Ruru, her twin and Via's mother, added.

I drew a deep breath.

Looks like I knew where this is going.

"Hello? Yes ma'am? Ah yes. For awhile." I said over the phone.

I pretended I was talking to someone and headed back to our house.

Really? That Iliad?? Ever since we became a couple, he was never faithful to me!

I suddenly remembered Zurich and what we had years ago returned in my memory.

I cannot hide the fact that he still has some impact on me.

He's my one that got away.

***

Nicholas Lagdameo's POV

"Good morning, doc!" I was greeted by the patients and nurses of Hospicio de San Carlos.

I have been their resident doctor for almost five years.

I see relatives and loved ones of patients who spent their remaining days in the center before they pass away.

"Good morning too!" I smiled at them and headed to the canteen to make myself some coffee.

This has been my daily routine every morning.

Coffee session, breakfast and it will be proceeded by regular rounds for the patients.

"Doc, Mrs. Romualdez is having a cardiac arrest!" Nurse Jenny approached me during my breakfast, almost out of breath.

I immediately put down my coffee mug and ran to Mrs. Romualdez' room.

I put on my stethoscope and found out that we didn't make it in time.

Her son, Gerard, was crying beside her.

"Time of death: 8:45am. Condolence, brother." I sincerely said and tapped his shoulder.

We left him for his privacy with his mother.

This is one of the scenarios that usually happens in this place.

It was in this unexpected moments when someone will sadly passed away.

This should not be new to me.

But, in every person who expires because of old age and illness, my heart aches for them.