One evening, after another long, quiet day, Gio notices that Sari has disappeared from the living room.
She calls her name but gets no response, and a sense of worry gnaws at her. She heads toward their bedroom and finds the door locked. A surge of panic and frustration rises in her chest.
“Sari?” Gio calls out, knocking firmly on the door. “Sari, buksan mo ang pinto.”
Silence. Gio presses her ear to the door, hoping to hear any sign that Sari is okay. After another few seconds, she bangs harder.
“Sari, please! Just let me in!” Her voice trembles with both worry and anger. This isolation, the silence, it’s tearing her apart too, and Gio can’t hold it in anymore. “huwag mo namang pahirapan ang sarili mo ng ganto”
From the other side, Sari’s voice comes back, weak and muffled. “Please, Gio… iwanan mo muna ako.”
Gio’s jaw clenches, and she leans against the door, her heart pounding with desperation.
“Sari, I’m here for you. But you can’t keep doing this! bakit hindi mo ako magawang pansinin mula…” She takes a deep breath, pushing back her own tears. “Mula nung nawala si Yuki.”
There’s a bitter laugh from the other side of the door. “Bakit, Gio? akala mo ganun lang kadaling mag move-on?” Sari’s voice breaks, and Gio can feel the weight of her grief through the door. “Palibhasa wala ka nung mga panahong mas kinailangan ka niya… you didn’t see her, every day… the pain she was in.”
Gio feels the sting of Sari’s words, and they pierce deep. She clenches her fists, a flash of anger mixing with her own guilt.
“Alam ko, Sari,I know! And I hate myself for it. But don’t act like I don’t care don’t act like you’re the only one who’s hurting!” Her voice is louder now, the pain in her own heart finally surfacing.
There’s a long pause. Then, in a broken voice, Sari replies, “You can’t understand. You’ll never understand. Akala ko yung pag iwan mo sa'kin noon, yun na yung huling pag luha ko pero… pero may maisasakit pa pala.”
Gio’s heart aches at Sari’s words, but a sharp retort slips out before she can stop herself. “And what about me, Sari? Am I nothing? Sari hindi lang ikaw ang nawalan, pano naman ako na hindi ko manlang nakasama ng matagal ang anak natin, Sari. nasasaktan din ako, pero pinipilit kong maging malakas kasi ayokong habang nang hihina ka ay makita mo din akong nanghihina”
The door finally opens, and Sari stands there, her face pale, her eyes red from crying. She looks at Gio with a mix of anger and sadness.
“It’s not about you, Gio. Don’t you get it? I don’t know how to let anyone in because I’m so broken, kahit ako hindi ko na makilala ang sarili ko.”
Gio’s anger softens as she sees the raw pain in Sari’s eyes. Her own voice drops to a whisper. “bebe… you’re not alone in this. Please, stop shutting me out. I’m hurting too, and all I want is to help you.”
Sari’s shoulders sag, her face crumbling as she whispers back, “I don’t know if I can do this, Gio. I don’t know how to live without her.”
Gio steps closer, hesitating, before reaching out to gently hold Sari’s hands. “Then let me be here with you. Bebe, huwag mo nang pahirapan ang sarili mo, for sure ayaw din makita ng anak natin na nag kaka ganyan ka… I know I was late before, but I’m here now. Please let me stay.”
In the silence that follows, Sari allows herself to lean into Gio’s embrace, her walls momentarily lowering. They stand there, each carrying their own pain, but finding a small moment of connection amidst the sorrow.
Another day, Gio sits quietly with her friends Cole, Mira, Mica, Tacia, Jo, and Scarlet gathered around in the warm, familiar setting of a local café. Each of them senses the change in Gio’s spirit since Miyuki’s passing and Sari’s deepening grief.
Cole, always one to check on her friends, gently breaks the silence. “Gio, kamusta kayo ni Sari?”
Gio sighs, her gaze dropping to her coffee cup. “She’s… not doing well. Ginagawa ko naman ang lahat, pero bakit ganun feeling ko hindi ko mabawasan yung sakit na nararamdaman niya.”
Mira reaches out, placing a comforting hand on Gio’s arm. “Dahil hindi ganu'n kadali ang mawalan ng anak, lalo na't kay Miyuki na umikot ang mundo niya.”
Mica, who’s holding Tacia’s hand, looks over with gentle concern. “Have you thought about getting her some outside support? Therapy, maybe?”
Gio nods slowly, the weight of the suggestion evident on her face. “I have, but she barely talks to me, let alone anyone else. She’s so deep in her grief, she’s locked everyone out.”
Tacia, who knows the emotional toll loss can bring from her work as a doctor, speaks up. “It’s going to take time, Gio. Sometimes, just being there is all you can do. People heal at their own pace, especially with a loss like this.”
As Gio sits with her friends, the weight of the conversation turns even more personal. After a moment of hesitation, she looks up, a deep sadness in her eyes.
“There’s something else I haven’t really talked about,” Gio begins, her voice trembling slightly. “Hindi ko alam kung pa'no ko sasabihin kay Sari, na na adopt ni Yuki ang sakit niya sa side ng Dad ko. My great-grandfather died of leukemia, and my aunt she passed from it too.”
The group falls into a heavy silence, processing Gio’s words. Mica’s hand instinctively tightens around Tacia’s, her face filled with a quiet sympathy.
Mira, Cole’s wife, reaches out. “Gio,i can’t imagine the pain you must feel, wondering if… if there was something out of your control, something in your family history.”
Gio nods, her voice barely a whisper. “kasalan ko to eh… masyado kong minadali si Sari na mag karoon kami ng anak. Kung alam ko lang na ako ang magiging dahilan ng sakit na nararamdaman ni Sari, sana.....sana hindi ko nalang ginawa.
Tacia speaks up, her tone gentle yet steady. “Gio, hindi mo kailangang sisihin ang sarili mo. Genetics are complicated, and even doctors struggle with understanding how these things pass down. Yuki was loved, and that’s what mattered most.”
Scarlet, with her compassionate gaze, adds, “Gio, walang may kasalan. Nung dumating si Yuki sa buhay ni Sari, at sa buhay namin ang daming nag bago.”
Jo nods in agreement, her voice soft but firm. “We’re here for you, Gio. And for Sari too. Whatever you both need, we’ll stand by you.”
Gio feels a sense of comfort settle over her, the quiet understanding of her friends helping to lift a small piece of the burden she’s been carrying. “Thank you, all of you,” she whispers, her heart heavy but a little less alone.
YOU ARE READING
MY FIRST AND MY LAST S2 (HAMBEBE AU)
Fanfic(🐰) and (🐨) A couple deeply in love and committed to building a life together. From the early days of friendship that blossomed into romance, they face life's highs and lows side by side, showing what it means to be partners in every sense.
