1437 - I Love You Forever

47.

— TW // Mentioning death

*****

"You accepted Mom's invitation to the foundation dinner?"

I nodded before letting out a rough breath. "What should I do?"

Jagad chuckled and walked over to the walk-in closet that was next to his room after taking his shirt off. His presence behind the door was no longer visible to me, but I could still clearly hear him speaking.

"Yeah, just come. But I don't think I can accompany you."

"Why?!" I reflexively shouted because, for some reason, just telling him about his mother's invitation made me nervous.

He poked his head through the door. His forehead was furrowed, and his eyebrows were knitted together. "Why are you panicking?"

I snorted. "It is natural, right?"

He gave me a sharp laugh before approaching and settling down next to me. "I have three surgeries scheduled for that day." He poked my head.

"Gad."

"Hmm?" His fingers were busy moving through the film list on the television in front of us.

"Tell me more about Ibu, please."

He stopped what he was doing and turned to face me. "Ibu?"

I nodded. "But it's okay if you don't want to, because I'm afraid you'll be sad."

Yes, he called his stepmother "Mama" and her birth mother "Ibu" respectively.

"Ibu can't cook."

I frowned.

"To be honest, I still want to taste what my mother cooks. I considered Ibu to be a workaholic who valued coffee over food." He gave me a glance. "But I'll try to understand whatever she did as long as it doesn't hurt other people. She is my mom after all."

I smiled. He could have said a lot of things, but he decided to remark that his mother couldn't cook. In all honesty, it only made me feel sadder because, from what I could tell, a 12-year-old boy could barely remember his mother. Even if his mother was sick before he reached that age, what could he recall at such a young age?

I hugged him tightly before whispering. "Your mother is the greatest person in the world because she gave birth to a remarkable boy who is full of love in this world."

"I'm also grateful to have Mama Mara, who introduced that love to me." His arms were encircling me again as I felt it. "I was able to become the capable doctor I am today because of those two great women," he said, stroking my back and putting his head on my shoulder. "The first is the reason I decided to become a doctor, and the second is the reason I went through all the steps needed to become a doctor in this particular way."

Haira once mentioned to me how Bu Mara backed all of the decisions made by her two children. And whatever they decided, they were obliged to accept all the risks that followed. Though Jagad was the first to raise concerns when Agni wanted to pursue a profession as a doctor, he felt that his younger sister would fare much better in law school.

"Speaking of doctors." I pushed his body slowly to get a better look at his face. "Can you tell me more about your work?"

He gave me a startled expression before chuckling.

"Okay." He crossed his arms. "But this might sound boring to you."

I nodded, still enthusiastic to hear the story.

"So actually, oncology is a sub-specialty of medicine that focuses on examining, diagnosing, and treating those who have cancer or are at risk for developing it. It contains drugs for prevention. Such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, and other cancer treatments provided by medical oncology. While an oncologist himself is a doctor who treats cancer and provides medical care for a person diagnosed with cancer,"

I used my hand to support my chin. Letting the man in front of me explained a subject that he was competent about.

"An oncologist may also be called a cancer specialist. Medical oncology, radiation oncology, and surgical oncology are the three main subfields of oncology based on treatments. Cancer is treated by medical oncologists with drugs like chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Radiation oncologists utilize radiation therapy to treat cancer, which entails utilizing powerful x-rays or other particles to kill cancer cells. Surgery is used by surgical oncologists to treat cancer, including the removal of the tumor and surrounding tissue during an operation. This kind of surgeon can also carry out particular kinds of biopsies that help in the cancer diagnosis."

"So you are a surgical oncologist, right? What is it, to be exact?" I questioned him as I gazed into his brilliant eyes. He sounds as though he really likes what he does as he discusses his line of work.

He nodded.

"A surgical oncologist is a medical professional who specializes in using surgery to identify, classify, and treat cancer, as well as to alleviate some of its symptoms. The kind, size, location, grade, and stage of the tumor all play a role in determining whether a patient is a candidate for surgery. The patient's age, level of physical fitness, and any coexisting medical disorders are only a few other basic health considerations."

I said a silent 'wow'.

"That sounds complicated."

He laughed. "Of course!"

He gave me a hug, fluffed my hair, and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

"Besides, why do you suddenly want to know that?"

I grinned and gave him a cheek kiss in response.

"Because I also want to know about you, Gad. I don't want you to be the only one desperately learning about me. I also want to be someone who knows about you. If possible, before anyone else."

I peered into his surprised-looking eyes.

"But for now, I'd like to learn from you about what I don't know. I really need to know about your profession, how you were raised, and other things because they are all quite different from mine." I let out a shoulder shrug. "Maybe you can also tell me why you liked Juwita. I've already told you about Bentala and Padma."

He sneered.

"I was moved by what you had just said, but then you started bringing up Juwita. That annoys me." He feigned irritation.

I chuckled at his pretended outrage.

"No matter how many times I think about it, I might have saved one country before I finally met you, Gad."

The last rays of the sun had set on a very tough day when I found both of us enjoying the sunset through the big window in his apartment. This day looked to be the culmination of a recent string of unforeseen happenings in my life.

I was not sure when it started, but this apartment had always been a place of solace for me, a sanctuary where I could escape the pressures and responsibilities of daily life.

"Everything is like an ongoing series of surprises for me, from how I got a large project with the Andaru Foundation, how my father acted out to you supporting me, and today I really got to know your mother."

As I was staring blankly at the window, without a word, Jagad wrapped his arms around me in a comforting hug. Through that straightforward action, I experienced an adrenaline rush, emotional relief, appreciation, and an overpowering sense of understanding.

He whispered softly, "I'm always here for you, always. You don't have to bear this burden by yourself."

In that instant, I realized that no matter what difficulties lay ahead, I would always have a companion by my side who would not only offer words of consolation but also retain the unwavering backing of a devoted companion when my lifeline was in a sea of uncertainty.

Hopefully, there will always be happiness and prayers around us.

I suppose I could wish for it, right?