The Revolution Came

Chapter 28: Children

December 30th, 1933

Cody sat on the recliner, hands clasped tightly together, his foot tapping an anxious rhythm against the wooden floor. The bitter cold of the Lawrencian winter seeped through the windows, but it was nothing compared to the chill settling in his stomach.

His cousin, Karlos, sat beside him, offering silent support.

It had been nearly an hour since the midwife entered the guestroom with Maria and Hannah. And with every passing minute, the weight in Cody's chest grew heavier.

Excitement. Dread. Exhaustion. It was all tangled together, making it impossible to focus.

He had given up on his book minutes ago, his eyes instead drifting toward the fireplace, where Karlos' young son played with a set of wooden soldiers.

Across from him, Karlos quietly shut his book, observing his son for a moment before shifting his gaze to Cody. He could see it, the tension in Cody's shoulders, the way his fingers twitched against the armrest.

With a sigh, Carlos stood and moved to sit beside him.

"Are you okay, Cody?"

Cody turned his head slowly, giving his cousin a deadpan look.

Karlos knew better than to ask that.

"Of course." His voice was flat. "I'm not worried about myself, Karlos. I'm worried about my wife. About my children."

Karlos studied him. There was sweat on his brow, damp palms resting against his knees, and beneath his sharp tone was something far more vulnerable.

He gave him a knowing look that left Cody sighing in reluctant admission.

"Alright." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "I'm not okay."

Karlos didn't interrupt. He let him speak.

"I'm afraid, Karlos. That I'll lose them. That something will go wrong, and I'll be left with nothing but grief." His voice lowered, barely above a whisper. "Or worse... what if they survive, and I fail them? What if I'm not a great father like Pa was?"

Karlos placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "I felt the same way."

Cody exhaled sharply. "But Pa, he was different. He was a great man, Karlos. He fought in the Revolution with Señor Bonifacio, for Christ's sake."

Karlos shook his head. "And yet, despite all that, he still made time to be a father."

But Cody?

Cody fought in two revolutions, leading one of them himself. He had drafted the Constitution, rallied the Assembly to vote in its favor, and worked tirelessly to bring his vision of a free republic to life.

Despite Dr. Rizal being a guiding light for the revolutionaries, Cody had been the heart the revolution needed, the man who reminded soldiers that the men they fought against were not so different from them.

And yet, standing here now, waiting for news of his wife and children, none of that seemed to matter.

How could he be sure he wouldn't fail them?

"I wonder what would have happened if we never left the Philippines."

Karlos glanced at him, thoughtful. "Then those islands would still be under an oppressive empire."

He leaned back slightly, expression unreadable.

"James and Kyra would still be trapped in the lives they had before the war. Nothing would have changed." He exhaled. "If it weren't for Dr. Rizal... and your determination to turn a disaster into something greater, we wouldn't be here today."