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The van's taillights disappeared down the road, leaving Mikha kneeling on the cold pavement, chest heaving with the weight of regret.
Every breath felt like shards of glass slicing through her lungs. The world around her seemed to fade away, as if nothing else existed but the echo of Aiah's voice in her mind.
'I chose for you Mikha'
'Your mother begged me...'
'I surrendered my love just for you to be with them'
'I love you so much, pero nakakapagod kang mahalin'
The finality of her words rang in her ears, louder than anything else. The silence that followed the van's departure felt deafening.
Sheena, Stacey, Maloi, and Gwen stood behind Mikha, their faces etched with varying degrees of pain and sympathy.
Sheena was the first to break the silence, stepping forward cautiously, her voice soft but tinged with guilt.
“Mikha...”
Mikha didn't respond. Her eyes were vacant, fixed on the stretch of road where Aiah had disappeared.
The reality of what she had just learned continued to unravel inside her, like a cruel movie playing on loop.
The plane crash, Aiah's coma, her parents’death, and Aiah's silent suffering for years, all of it hit Mikha like a freight train.
She couldn't believe it—she hadn't been there. She hadn't fought for her, hadn't defended her, hadn't even known. The guilt clawed at her chest.
Stacey crouched beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Mikha, hindi naman namin ginusto ito but Aiah begged us. She was scared, so scared of hurting you more than she already had."
Mikha's throat tightened as tears blurred her vision. She felt utterly broken.
"I should have known, Stacey. I should have been there for her. Instead, I pushed her away. I let her walk out of my life, and now, now I've lost her again."
"Sana pinakinggan ko nalang siya, Stace.."
Maloi shook her head, her voice firm but gentle. "You didn't know, Mikha. You couldn't have. Aiah made her choice to protect you, even if it meant sacrificing herself. But that doesn't mean it's over. Nasaktan ka pero mas nasasaktan siya"
Mikha wiped her tears with the back of her hand, her breathing shaky. “What am I supposed to do now, Chase after her? Beg her to stay when I'm the reason she's been in so much pain?”
Gwen, who had been silent until now, spoke up. “Mahal mo pa rin naman siya, hindi ba?”
Mikha's lips quivered as she nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “I never stopped.”
“Then fight for her,” Sheena urged, stepping closer. “Mikha, gustong gusto kitang sakalin ngayon but I know you feel like you've lost everything, but Aiah she's still here. She's still hurting, and you're the only one who can heal that pain.”
“I don't even know if she'll listen to me,” Mikha replied, her voice cracking. “I've hurt her so much. What if it's too late?”
Sheena's gaze softened. “It's never too late when it comes to love. You just have to show her that you're willing to fight this time, no matter what. She needs to know that she's not alone.”
