clumsy, small steps and where it would take us

19

Thirdy watched his mom discarding the remains of food she had with his father. Even if he missed the training, Thirdy had a reason to finish requirements, which forced his dad to pull him out of his training practices. He came home after completing his assignments at Bea's place.

His mom was washing dishes. "You're home. Kumain ka na?"

"Yes po."

"Sige." The woman answered. "Go wash up na and take a rest. You need it for tomorrow."

Mozzy was removing the dishwashing liquid from the utensils when she felt arms wrapped around her waist, head on the back of her shoulders. "What – "

"Saglit lang, mom," Thirdy whispered, inhaling the familiar scent of his mom. Mozzy stood there, not even moving an inch. It wasn't always that Thirdy was this affectionate. She just stayed there, placed a hand on her son's hand, and nodded.

"Do you want me to figure this one out? Or you will tell me?"

That was as if it was the cue for Thirdy's tears to come out. He tightened the hug around his mom's waist and cried in silence. He was desperately trying to hold it together until he went home. They were doing their homework. Maddie was writing on a small board she brought to discuss their math lesson when Bea asked them a favor.

Will you please write my answer for me? She says with a soft smile. Bea's hands were trembling. She couldn't hold her pen at that moment. Maddie wrote it for her. She often changed the graphing paper as her tears smudged the answer she wrote for Bea.

Mozzy wasn't that dense not to know the situation of Thirdy and his friends. She knew that it was his friends that kept him going. That allows him to stay on the ground and enjoy the moment, even if the immense pressure from his dad is overwhelming. Mozzy knew Thirdy could find solace with his friends, something he could never have in his home. And it breaks Mozzy's heart that his son was like this, trying to mend every broken piece of him and act okay after a while. She wished she could help her son because that was what a mother should do. But how could she do it if she couldn't mend her own broken heart?

She lets her son cry. He deserved to cry when things were too much for him to bear. After all, her son was just a human.

...

Besties GC

Anton: [Maddie, sasabay ka ba samin papasok?]

Anton: [Isaac, saan ka? Kanina pa kami ni Thirdy dito.]

Maddie: [Yes po.]

Thirdy: [Daanan ka namin.]

Maddie: [I called Bea's mom. Hindi siya papasok. Sabay din ako pauwi. Kukunin ko books ni Bea from locker.]

Thirdy: [Okay.]

Thirdy: [Isaac!]

Isaac: [Hindi ako pasok today. Ang sama ng pakiramdam ko.]

Anton: [Okay. Alis na kami.]

Anton: [Don't forget to eat! Isaac, Bea!]

Anton: [See you later.]

...

Bea was staring intently at the boy sitting on her study desk, peeling the apple he had bought for her. She was confused. She called his name.

He turned to her, handing her the apples he had just cut into thin slices. "Why?"

"H-here?" Bea raised a brow. "Why? I thought you were sick."

Isaac just shrugged, collecting all the peel waste before tying the plastic and throwing it in the bin. His eyes didn't miss the empty medicine bottles inside the trash. He shook his head, dismissed his unnecessary thoughts, pulled the chair, placed it beside Bea's bed, and sat down.

"Eat." Isaac intentionally cut them as thin as possible. Bea was having a hard time ingesting food already. They noticed that when they had their prom party in her room a few days ago.

Bea nodded, trying her best to eat the apple Isaac had prepared for her. Isaac was a big brother to Bea. He was always there to help her. He always defended her when one bullied her when they were kids. He takes care of her, spoils her, and encourages her to do everything. He never gets mad at her, and if she did something stupid and wrong, Isaac was there not to tolerate her but to tell her that what she did was wrong. Being with Isaac means she is safe, loved, and adored. She loved Isaac with every fiber of her being, just like she loved all her friends.

There was colossal guilt inside her when she noticed him looking down, his hands on his face, crying. She never wanted to hurt anyone around her. Isaac never tried to show even an ounce of pain and sadness when she was around. It stabs Bea's heart to see him crying because of her.

Isaac felt a soft, frail hand on his head, making him cry even more. "I'm sorry."

"...'s okay," Bea whispered.

"I didn't mean to hear the conversation," Isaac admitted. "I am so sorry."

It was not his plan to go to Bea's place. He wasn't sick. He was just not interested in going to school. Feeling bored, he decided to visit Bea earlier than his friends. He arrived on his bicycle and saw Loel hurrying out of the house with his phone in his ears.

"Kuya!" he hollered.

Loel looked, a hand signaling to go inside. He parked his bike outside the lawn, walked inside the house, and locked the door behind him without any worries. He was halfway up the stairs when he heard someone talking. Bea's door was open, and the conversation came from there. He walked up in toes, hoping he wouldn't bother anyone inside the room.

"...her condition is progressing as expected." A man said. Isaac tried to peek and saw a man in blue collared long-sleeves, dark pants, and a stethoscope hanging around his neck. "Det, you should consider putting her in hospital care."

"But this is too fast." Bea's mom said in a low tone. "This wasn't the same as her father's."

"She was diagnosed too late, Det." The doctor sounded apologetic. "She was having a hard time breathing lately. Things may start going down the hill. All of these will increase in the next few months. It will be hard for her if she stays here."

"But my daughter, she's graduating in three weeks. Her life is just about to start."

"I am sorry, Det."

Isaac just stood outside the room as he listened to the doctor telling more of Bea's condition and how it would worsen in the coming days. It sounded foreign to him, but it didn't stop Isaac's heart from breaking. He mentally takes down some notes when the doctor mentions what they can do to manage future symptoms.

"Doc..." Bea said weakly. "How long?"

"Come again?"

"How long do I have?"

And Isaac wished he never heard any of that. He almost dropped the apples he bought just for Bea.

"A year or less. I am sorry, little one."

Bea kept caressing the sides of Isaac's head, wishing that gesture could take the pain away from her friend's heart. Isaac grabbed the girl's hand, holding them tight with no intention of letting them go. "Please, stay with us. Please–."

"Isaac..."

Bea held them up together. When things are falling apart between them and Thirdy, Bea goes out of her way to mend their relationship. No one has said a word, but Isaac knew Bea was the first person to make Thirdy bear his feelings. Bea did a lot of things for them. Bea accepted them and treated them as her family. And his whole world was shattered because they would lose her in less than a year. It's impossible, right? But Isaac couldn't stop his heart from breaking.

"Stay for us. Please, Bea?"

Bea just kept consoling him.