" A love beyond words "

A Heartbreaking Goodbye

The phone call came early in the morning, the kind of call that you never want to receive. Yna’s hands trembled as she held the phone to her ear, listening in shock as her father delivered the devastating news. Her mother, Kim, had passed away in her sleep.

Yna stood frozen, the world spinning around her as the words sank in. Her heart felt like it had shattered into a thousand pieces. She had spoken to her mother just a few days ago, and now… she was gone. The finality of it hit her like a wave, and before she knew it, tears streamed down her face.

Joshua, who had been in the kitchen preparing breakfast, saw the look of anguish on her face and rushed to her side. "What happened?" he asked softly, his brow furrowed with concern.

Yna couldn’t speak at first, her voice caught in her throat. She clutched his arm, her body trembling. Finally, through the sobs, she whispered, “My mom... she’s gone.”
Joshua immediately wrapped her in his arms, holding her tightly as she cried into his chest. He didn’t say anything—there were no words that could ease the pain. All he could do was hold her, letting her release the flood of grief that had overtaken her.

Later that day, Yna and Joshua, along with baby Josh Daniel, made their way to her hometown, where the reality of her mother’s passing truly hit. Her brother, Yabi, was already there, standing by the door of their family home. His face was pale, his eyes red from crying. The siblings embraced tightly, sharing in each other’s grief.

“She was so proud of you, Yna,” Yabi said through tears, his voice breaking. “She was so happy to meet Josh Daniel. She talked about him all the time.”

Yna’s heart ached even more at his words. Her mother had been so full of life, so full of love for her family. The thought that Josh Daniel wouldn’t grow up with her in his life was almost unbearable.

The days that followed were some of the hardest Yna had ever faced. The wake was a blur of tears, condolences, and memories. Family and friends came to pay their respects, offering words of comfort, but nothing seemed to ease the heaviness in Yna’s heart. She spent hours sitting beside her mother’s coffin, holding Joshua’s hand, while her mind replayed all the moments they had shared—her mother’s laughter, her warm hugs, the way she always knew the right thing to say.

Yna and Yabi stayed close to one another throughout the entire ordeal. Though their personalities were different, the grief had united them in a way that nothing else could. They sat together, sometimes in silence, other times sharing stories about their mother, laughing through the tears.

“She always made the best adobo,” Yabi said with a soft smile one evening. “No one will ever make it the same way.”

Yna nodded, her throat tightening. “And how she always used to sing while doing the laundry... I can still hear her voice.”

They sat together, reminiscing, each memory both a comfort and a reminder of the loss they were now forced to carry. Yna cried the most, her heart heavy with the knowledge that her mother wouldn’t be there for the moments ahead—she wouldn’t see Josh Daniel grow, or witness Yna continue building her life with Joshua. It was an absence that felt too large to fill.

The funeral came, and with it, the final goodbye. Yna stood beside her brother as they watched the coffin lowered into the ground. Her father stood on the other side, his face lined with grief. Joshua, standing beside her, kept a comforting hand on her back, steadying her as her legs threatened to give way beneath the weight of it all.

As the first handful of earth was thrown onto the coffin, Yna broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. It was too much, too final. Joshua pulled her into his arms, and Yabi, tears streaming down his face, placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer what little comfort he could.

I’m sorry, Mama,” Yna whispered through her tears, her voice barely audible. “I love you.”

It took a long time for her to gather the strength to walk away from the grave, but with Joshua and Yabi by her side, she eventually did. The pain didn’t leave—it was there, deep in her chest, an ever-present ache. But Yna knew that her mother’s love would always be with her, guiding her as she moved forward in life.

That night, back at the family home, Yna sat in silence with Joshua, holding Josh Daniel close to her. As she looked down at her son’s sleeping face, she felt a small measure of peace. Her mother’s spirit lived on in her, in Yabi, and now in her son.

Yna wiped the last of her tears and leaned into Joshua. “I’ll be okay,” she whispered, though the road to healing was only just beginning.

Joshua kissed the top of her head. “I know you will. We’ll get through this together.”

And as Yna sat there, surrounded by the love of her family, she knew that while the pain would never fully go away, the memories of her mother would stay with her forever, woven into the very fabric of her life.