Habang Buhay

9-B

Michelle watches as Anntonia walks down the hall.

"I saw my neighbor's dog pee in that exact spot yesterday," Anntonia tells her as she came closer and closer to finally stop right in front of where Michelle was sitting on the floor and leaning on the wall opposite Anntonia's unit's door. 

"Well, that's exactly how I've been feeling for the last 2 days- like piss, so it's fitting, I guess," she answers as she looks up at Anntonia. 

"How long have you been waiting there?"

More than an hour. "Doesn't matter, I would have waited forever if I had to."

Anntonia decides not to respond to that and looks through her purse likely looking for her key card. 

"You're the one who said we don't walk away, that we don't go crying to someone else," she reminds her. 

"This is different," Anntonia replies without even looking up from her bag search. 

"How so?" she asks so calmly that it scares her own self of how she can still remain this calm with what was happening between her and Anntonia right at that moment. "How is this different?"

"Unlike you, I don't have a Rhian or anyone to run crying to, Michelle," Anntonia, key card finally on her hand, looks down at her again. "I run to myself." She then turns around to swipe her key card, not waiting for Michelle to say anything.

"Then run to me."

The sound of the door's lock turning echoes through the silence of the hallway, but Anntonia freezes on the spot, hands on the doorknob. Michelle feels the gravity of her words swirling between them and she swears she could have counted to 10 before Anntonia finally turns the knob of the door and goes in. 

"Can I come in?" she calls after her.

Anntonia doesn't answer but leaves the door open behind her. Michelle takes that as a sign so she gets up from her spot, takes the paper bag beside her, and goes inside the condo unit. She places the paper bag on the table by the entrance and eyes the 2 key cards on it, one of which was previously situated in her bedside drawer just a day or so ago. She forces her eyes away from the key cards while she removes her shoes and watches Anntonia who's gone straight to the kitchen to open the fridge.

"Did everything go okay with Dr. Santos?" she asks as she walks further inside and stands beside the dining room table. 

"Yes, he removed the stitches. He said you did a good job in your wound care. Said you didn't need to send that much photo updates though," Anntonia speaks as she closes the fridge door. "He wants me to have a scan before my next follow-up." 

Michelle just nods, making a mental note to call Dr. Santos' secretary to help schedule that scan, and continues on watching Anntonia who walks around the kitchen counter and places the pitcher of water and glass she had in her hands on the dining room table. They stood directly in front of each other now, the dining room table between them. Anntonia then fills the glass with water and proceeds to drink from it. 

"When you said you needed space earlier... Was that you breaking up with me?"

Say no, deny it. Tell me what I want to hear, tell me we're okay.

Anntonia pauses her drinking and looks at Michelle through the glass still against her lips. Anntonia's always had good control over showing her serious emotions, but Michelle has gotten good at catching a bit of it before Anntonia's had the chance to mask it ever since they've been together. Right now the emotion that passed so quickly was a mixture of fear and panic. No, Michelle was convinced Anntonia didn't want to break up, that was clear from her reaction.