Mirror Mirror

Chapter 11: Try to Understand

The woman, with an enigmatic smile, replied, "Hey, Martina."

Martina was too stunned to speak. The bubbly Alex had just turned around and walked out of the bathroom, leaving Martina standing there, dazed. When the door finally clicked shut, Martina shook her head in confusion.

"Alex?" she mumbled to herself, still trying to make sense of what she just saw.

She walked out of the bathroom and found her family—and Alex—waiting for her. Her wife was dressed in her usual all-black attire, standing casually like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Daddy, I swear, I saw someone who looked exactly like you," Martina whispered, holding Alex's hand as if to ground herself in reality.

"Huh?" Alex raised an eyebrow, glancing around the room as if expecting to spot her doppelgänger. "Saan?"

They made their way outside as their van arrived. Martina stayed quiet the whole ride, lost in her thoughts. If Alex had a twin, she would have already known, right?

As they arrived at Martina's unit, Alex stayed close to her, sensing that something was weighing heavily on her wife's mind.

"Baby, is it bothering you ba? Ano naman kung may kamukha ako?" Alex asked gently, noticing how quiet Martina had been.

Martina sighed, her thoughts still swirling. "Daddy... I met someone before. Her name was Alex, too. She looked just like you. Nung nakita kita sa hospital, akala ko ikaw siya. But you were in surgery that whole time na magkasama kami sa island..." she explained, her voice a mix of confusion and disbelief.

Alex's brows furrowed as she listened, trying to make sense of it all. "Weird. Wala akong alam na kakambal ko," she said, her expression thoughtful.

Martina studied her wife, searching her face for any sign of doubt or recognition. But Alex looked just as puzzled. The uncanny resemblance, the same name—it was all too strange to be a coincidence. Yet, here they were, both unsure of what it meant.

For a moment, silence settled between them, both lost in their thoughts, unsure of what to make of this mysterious connection.

Alex sat down on the couch, her brows still knitted in confusion. She pulled Martina gently beside her, sensing the weight of her wife's uncertainty.

"Baby, alam mo namang I'd tell you if may kakambal ako, right? I mean, wala akong ibang Alex na kilala aside from myself." Alex's voice was soft, but there was a firmness in her tone, as if she were reassuring both Martina and herself.

Martina sighed and leaned into Alex's shoulder, still feeling unsettled. "I know po. Pero ang weird talaga. It wasn't just the looks. She acted like you. She even had the same gestures... 'yung way ng pagtawa mo, the way she carried herself except sa pananamit." Martina paused, trying to recall every moment she had spent with that mysterious Alex on the island.

"Pero... paano mangyayari 'yon? I was in surgery for weeks. I barely left the hospital," Alex said, her tone more curious now than concerned.

"Exactly. That's why it's so strange." Martina's voice dropped to a whisper. "I was with her for days. We talked, we laughed, and... may something sa kanya na—" she trailed off, not sure how to explain the depth of the connection she felt with the other Alex.

Alex pulled away slightly to look at Martina. "Something? What do you mean?"

Martina bit her lip, hesitant to continue. "Parang... there was a moment. We had a moment together. It felt real. Pero pag gising ko, she was gone. And then you showed up sa hospital, and... I just thought it was her again."