The warm hum of conversation and clinking cutlery filled the air at the bustling restaurant in BGC. Mikha sat at the table with Colet, Jhoanna, and Gwen, sipping lazily from a glass of iced tea as her friends dug into the spread of grilled meat, seafood, and rice laid out in front of them.
It had been a hectic week at St. Luke's, and Mikha was grateful for the chance to unwind with her friends, even if she knew their "catch-ups" always came with a side of teasing and prying.
"So," Colet began, her voice playful as she stabbed a piece of shrimp with her fork. "Balita ko, naging Florence Nightingale ka pala recently?"
Mikha narrowed her eyes at her best friend, already bracing herself. "Florence Nightingale? Talaga ba?"
"'Yun nga ang sabi ni Maloi," Jhoanna chimed in, smirking as she leaned forward. "A little birdie told us na nag-alaga ka raw ng isang sickly influencer for days. How sweet."
Gwen snorted into her drink. "Grabe, Mikha. Kung sa ibang tao 'yan, sure akong wala kang time. Pero kay Aiah? Parang biglang free ka."
Mikha rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "Okay, first of all, I was just doing what anyone else would do. Maloi texted me, and Aiah was really sick. I couldn't just leave her like that."
"Hmm," Colet hummed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "So, ang kunwari reason mo is 'basic human decency,' pero ang totoo—"
"Colet," Mikha interrupted, giving her a warning look. "Don't start."
But Colet only grinned wider. "Pero ang totoo, Mikha, you care about her."
Jhoanna raised a brow, leaning her chin on her palm. "So? Do you?"
"Do I what?" Mikha asked, though she already knew where this was heading.
"Care about her," Gwen supplied, smirking. "Or at least, have you forgiven her?"
Mikha sighed, setting her glass down as her eyes flickered to the plate of grilled fish in front of her. She poked at it absently with her fork, her mind already drifting.
Had she forgiven Aiah? That question had been following her around ever since she'd taken care of Aiah during her flu. If she was honest with herself, that night—and the days that followed—had shaken her more than she wanted to admit.
She'd seen a side of Aiah she hadn't been prepared for: vulnerable, open, human. It had reminded her why she'd fallen for Aiah in the first place, why Coron had left such a lasting impression. But it also reminded her of why she'd built those walls in the first place.
"I don't know," Mikha admitted finally, her voice quieter now. "It's... complicated."
Colet raised a brow, surprised by her candor. "Complicated how?"
Mikha exhaled slowly, her eyes still on her plate. "I'm not mad the way I was before. I mean, it's hard to stay mad when she's... making all these efforts. Showing up. Saying all the right things." She paused, her grip tightening on her fork. "But forgiving her? That's a different story."
Jhoanna frowned slightly, her tone softer now. "So, what's holding you back?"
Mikha looked up at her friends, her green eyes clouded with uncertainty. "It's not just about saying sorry, you know? I need to know na hindi niya 'to ginagawa out of guilt or... I don't know, some passing whim. I need to know that if I let her back in, she's not just going to disappear again when things get hard."
