MY FIRST AND MY LAST S2 (HAMBEBE AU)

The absence of answer

The next day. It was a quiet afternoon when Sari walked into the living room, expecting to find Miyuki playing with her toys or reading a book. Instead, she found her daughter curled up on the couch, her small body trembling with quiet sobs. Miyuki's face was buried in her hands, her tears soaking the sleeves of her shirt.

Sari’s heart clenched at the sight. She rushed over, sitting beside her daughter and gently pulling her into her arms. “Miyuki, anak, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” she asked softly, her voice filled with concern.

Miyuki sniffled, her voice barely audible as she tried to speak through her tears. “Mommy... I’m sorry...”

“Sorry for what?” Sari asked, stroking Miyuki’s hair, her worry deepening. “You don’t have to be sorry for anything.”

Miyuki looked up at her, her eyes red and puffy from crying. “I didn’t know how to explain to my friends... I didn’t know how to tell them I don’t have a dad... They kept asking about him, and I didn’t know what to say.” Her voice broke, and more tears spilled down her cheeks. “I tried, Mommy, but I couldn’t... I don’t know what to say...”

Sari’s chest tightened. She had known this day would come, the day when Miyuki would feel the weight of questions she didn’t have answers for. But seeing her daughter so guilty, so confused, broke her heart in ways she hadn’t prepared for. She wiped away Miyuki’s tears, her own emotions welling up inside her.

“anak,” Sari whispered, pulling Miyuki closer. “You don’t have to explain anything to anyone. Families come in all different forms. Just because you don’t have a dad doesn’t mean you’re any less loved, or that our family isn’t special.”

Miyuki clung to her, her small body shaking with emotion. “But it feels different, Mommy. Everyone else has a dad. I don’t even know who mine is...”

Sari swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to find the right words. She could feel her own pain resurfacing the memories of Gio, the woman she had loved deeply, the woman who had left without a word.

Sari had been ghosted, abandoned, and left with unanswered questions of her own. She hadn’t seen Gio in years, didn’t know where she was, or what had become of her life.

She didn’t know how to explain all of this to Miyuki, how to tell her that her other mother had simply vanished from their lives.

Taking a deep breath, Sari gently lifted Miyuki’s chin so she could look into her daughter’s eyes. “I know it’s hard, sweetheart. And it’s okay to feel sad or confused. But just because your family is different doesn’t mean you’re missing anything. You have me, and I love you with all my heart.”

Miyuki sniffled, her voice shaky as she asked, “But... do I have another mom? I heard tito dad  talking once. Is she still around?”

Sari froze for a moment. She had never spoken to Miyuki about Gio, not wanting to confuse her further when she herself didn’t have answers. How could she explain that Gio had left without a word, without an explanation? That she had no idea what had happened to the woman who had once promised to be there for them?

Taking another deep breath, Sari nodded slowly. “Yes, you do have another mom.  But she... she left a long time ago. I don’t know where she is now, or what happened. But I want you to know that it’s not your fault. She made a choice to leave, and it has nothing to do with you.”

Miyuki looked up at her with wide, tear-filled eyes. “Did she love me?”

Sari’s heart ached at the question. She didn’t know how to answer it truthfully, but she couldn’t bear to let Miyuki feel unloved. “I’m sure she did, in her own way. But sometimes, people make decisions that hurt others, even when they don’t mean to.”

Miyuki was quiet for a moment before she whispered, “I wish I could meet her...”

Sari’s eyes filled with tears, but she smiled softly, pulling Miyuki close once again. “I know, baby. I wish things could have been different too. But no matter what, you have me, and I’ll always be here for you.”

They sat there in silence for a while, Sari holding her daughter as Miyuki’s sobs slowly subsided. The unanswered questions still lingered between them, but in that moment, Sari knew that love was the most important thing she could offer Miyuki, even if the past remained unresolved.

As she stroked Miyuki’s hair, Sari silently hoped that one day, she might have the answers her daughter sought. But for now, all she could do was be present, be strong, and show her that they were a family just the two of them, but a family full of love.