Mirror Mirror

Chapter 13: Signs

"Uh, do we know each other?" Alex asked, her tone polite but clearly puzzled. She glanced at Martina, who also picked up on the tension.

"Kamukha mo lang siguro," Jordyn replied. Martina wanted to ask more, thinking it might be the other Alex, but she held back, knowing her wife gets jealous easily.

Time Skip

It was Tuesday morning, and Martina found herself back at the hospital. She exhaled deeply, bracing herself for another exhausting day. Since she had missed some of her required hours, she had to make up for the lost time, meaning her schedule was even more demanding now. She would have to juggle her internship with lectures, and there was no break in sight. Every day was going to be long, tedious, and draining. But that's how it was, and she couldn't afford to fall behind.

As she walked down the hallway, Martina felt her pulse quicken, but she couldn't tell if it was from the anxiety or excitement of being back. Probably both.

She spotted Sab a few feet away, standing at the nurses' station, her eyes focused on something on her phone. Martina made her way over, her steps sluggish as if weighed down by invisible stones.

"Hi," Martina said, leaning against the counter. Sab glanced up, breaking into a small smile before putting her phone down.

"Ui, kumusta?" Sab asked, her voice soft, knowing full well that Martina was still catching up on her hours.

"Barely hanging on," Martina replied with a half-hearted laugh. "But, you know, we're still here." She paused for a moment, debating whether to ask the question that had been sitting at the back of her mind for a while now. "How's everything with Jordyn?"

Sab's smile faltered slightly, and she sighed, leaning against the counter herself. "Taking things slow... yun sabi niya," she said, her tone thoughtful. "I mean, okay naman siya. Kaso mukhang di pa ata nakakamove on sa ex niya."

Martina raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "An ex? What happened with them?"

Sab shrugged, her gaze distant for a moment, as if she were replaying memories in her mind. "Ang complicated dzai! Basta may cheating na nangyari pero di sinasadya." She trailed off, clearly not wanting to dive too deep into it. Martina didn't press further.

"Hmm, sige. Mukhang personal masyado," Martina said. She tried to act normal, but inside, her thoughts spiraled. What if I know this ex? Could it be someone I've seen? Someone close? What if it's someone who—

Martina blinked, shaking her head slightly. She had to stop thinking like this. Sometimes she felt like her mind played tricks on her, pulling her thoughts in different directions, making her question things that probably weren't even real. Her chest tightened, and she blinked again, trying to focus on the present.

Sab's voice pulled her back. "Marti, kaya mo pa ba talaga?"

Martina forced a smile, shaking off the unsettling thoughts. "Yeah, just tired. A lot on my plate, you know?"

Sab gave her a sympathetic nod, but Martina wasn't sure if she was convinced.

The two of them stood there for a few moments longer, silence settling between them. Martina's gaze flickered around the room, her mind clouding with racing thoughts, images, and memories she wasn't even sure were real anymore. It felt like they were all crowding her, blending together in a haze. She tried to push them aside, but the harder she tried, the louder they seemed to get.