Infinity

8

It was a typical afternoon when I noticed that Finilene seemed a bit off. She was unusually quiet, and though she tried to hide it, I could see the worry in her eyes. We were sitting in our favorite café, sipping on coffee and talking about our plans for the weekend.

“Are you okay, Fin?” I asked, looking at her closely. “Parang may nangyayari sa’yo.”

She tried to smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Oo naman, Mikey. Medyo pagod lang siguro,” she said, but I could sense the heaviness in her tone.

As days went by, I noticed her condition was slowly deteriorating. Sometimes, she would get tired easily and often complained of headaches. One day, I asked her again while we were at home, resting on the sofa.

“Fin, hindi ka ba magpapatingin sa doktor?” I asked, my concern clearly showing. “Mukhang hindi okay.”

She tried to downplay it, but the worry in her eyes was undeniable. “Sige na nga, Mikey. I’ll see a doctor. Pero huwag kang mag-alala. Baka stress lang ito.”

The following week, she went for a check-up. When she returned, her face was full of concern. “James,” she said, sitting beside me on the sofa, “may nakita ang doktor. Sinasabi niya na parang may signs ng leukemia.”

It felt like the world fell apart with what I heard. “What? Are you sure?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“Oo, pero hindi pa sigurado. Kailangan pang mag-run ng tests,” she replied, her voice weak and full of fear.

Her words hung heavy in the air. Each time I looked at her, the pain in her eyes wrapped around my heart even more. I tried to stay strong, but inside, fear and worry were battling.

“Pumunta tayo sa ibang doktor para siguradong masuri,” I said, trying to be strong for her. “Magiging okay tayo, Fin. Kakayanin natin ‘to.”

Even though I knew the coming days would be tough, I was determined to be strong for Finilene. Every moment was important now, and our journey would continue, no matter how hard it became.