Autumn is a second spring

78. Disappeared.

Earth gently helped Sammy lower herself onto the plush couch, his hands steadying her as she adjusted her weight. She let out a soft sigh of relief, her large, round belly making even the simplest of movements feel like a chore. 

At eight months pregnant, she was nearing her due date, and it showed. Her skin had that glow expectant mothers often have, though it was accompanied by the obvious fatigue of someone who was juggling far too much. Her hands, slightly swollen, rested protectively on her belly, and her hair, pulled into a messy bun, framed her glowing yet tired face.

"Thanks, Earth," Sammy said, flashing him a grateful smile. She rubbed her belly absentmindedly, her body sinking into the cushions as she tried to get comfortable.

"Are you still not ready to take a break?" Earth teased, raising an eyebrow as he sat down beside her. "You know, put your feet up, relax a bit?"

Sammy let out a breathy laugh, though it was clear she was too tired to fully engage in the banter. "Oh, trust me, I want to, but these two artists of mine won't stop giving me headaches," she said, rolling her eyes. Her tone was light, but Earth could sense the frustration beneath her words.

"Prem and Fluke?" Earth asked, settling back on the couch.

"Who else?" Sammy groaned, shaking her head. "Prem just got back from his trip. But instead of easing into things, he has taken on so many jobs that I had to clear out the entire month for him. His schedule is jam-packed." 

She waved her hands in the air as if to emphasize just how crazy it all was. "And Fluke? Don't even get me started on Fluke."

Earth frowned, picking up on the shift in her tone. "What about Fluke?" he asked carefully. Fluke had always been responsible, a little too much sometimes, so the idea of him causing any real problems seemed odd.

Sammy shot him a look of surprise. "You don't know?" She raised an eyebrow, her hands still resting on her belly as if she expected Earth to be in on the news.

"Know what?" Earth asked, his confusion growing.

"Earth," Sammy's voice lowered, tinged with shock. "Fluke has disappeared."

The words hit Earth like a punch to the gut. He blinked at her, unable to process what she had just said. "Wait... what? What do you mean disappeared?" His voice had an edge of urgency to it now.

"I thought you knew." Sammy frowned, suddenly realizing that Earth was as much in the dark as she was. "Fluke and P' Ohm broke up. After that, he just... disappeared. No one knows where he is, not even P' Ohm."

Earth's heart dropped into his stomach. "Broke up?" he repeated, his voice a mix of disbelief and confusion. "Fluke and P' Ohm? They broke up?"

"Yes," Sammy confirmed, her expression serious. "And it's been a mess ever since. P' Ohm's been looking for Fluke like a madman. He is completely broken, Earth. I have never seen him like this before."

Earth sat in stunned silence, his mind racing. Fluke and Ohm had always seemed so solid. They were the type of couple that everyone thought would make it through anything. But now, hearing that they had broken up and that Fluke had vanished without a trace—it didn't make any sense.

"When did this happen?" Earth asked, his voice hoarse.

"A few weeks ago," Sammy replied, her voice soft. "No one knows why they broke up, but after it happened, Fluke just... left. He hasn't contacted anyone, not even me. We have all been trying to find him, but it's like he has disappeared off the face of the earth."

Earth's hands were already reaching for his phone. "Have you tried calling him?"

"Of course," Sammy said, shaking her head. "Dozens of times. Everyone has. But he is not picking up. His phone is either off or out of service."

Earth swallowed hard, his fingers trembling as he scrolled through his contacts to find Fluke's number. He pressed the call button, his heart pounding in his chest as the phone rang once, twice, three times—before going straight to voicemail.

"Fluke, it's Earth. Call me back when you get this. Please." His voice cracked slightly as he left the message, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. Hanging up, he turned to Sammy, his face pale. "No answer."

"Yeah," Sammy sighed, leaning back against the couch cushions. "That is what we have all been getting. No one knows where he is, Earth. We thought... well, we thought you might know."

Earth felt a pang of guilt. He and Fluke had always been close. But lately, with everything going on in his own life, he hadn't been checking in as much as he usually would. And now, this...

"I had no idea," Earth muttered, more to himself than to Sammy.

Sammy reached out and touched his arm gently. "None of us blame you, Earth. We are all just... worried. Especially for P' Ohm. He is really not handling this well. He is a complete mess."

Earth nodded, still in a daze. "I will find him," he said quietly, more to himself than to Sammy. "I have to find him."

Without wasting another second, Earth pulled out his phone again and dialed Kao's number. The phone rang a few times before Kao picked up.

"Baby?" Kao's voice came through, slightly muffled. "What's up?"

"P' Kao, listen," Earth's voice was tight with urgency. "Do you know anything about Fluke and P' Ohm? I just heard from Sammy... they broke up. Fluke is gone. No one knows where he is."

"What?" Kao's voice shot up in surprise. "Fluke and Ohm broke up?"

"Yeah, Sammy just told me. And now Fluke has disappeared. P' Ohm's been looking for him everywhere, but no one has any idea where he is."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line as Kao processed the information. "I had no idea. This is the first I am hearing about it too."

"I tried calling Fluke, but he is not answering. Sammy said no one has been able to get in touch with him."

"Wow..." Kao sounded shaken. "Okay, let me check on Ohm. Maybe I can get more info on what happened. You should try calling your family or someone else close to him. We need to figure out where Fluke might have gone."

"Yeah, I will do that," Earth agreed, his mind already racing with possibilities. 

" Keep me updated, okay?"

"I will."

Earth hung up, his hands trembling as he sat back on the couch, staring at his phone. His mind raced with a thousand thoughts at once. 

Fluke had always been the strong one, the steady one. For him to just vanish like this—it wasn't like him at all.

"I am going to find him, Sammy," Earth said, his voice firm. "I don't know how, but I will."

Sammy gave him a tired but hopeful smile. "I know you will." She shifted slightly, wincing as her body protested the movement. "Just... be careful, Earth. Fluke's disappearance has messed up a lot of things—not just for him, but for P' Ohm, too. Things are... complicated."

Earth nodded. "I understand. I will figure it out." He rose from the couch, his mind already working on the next steps. He had to find Fluke. There was no other option.