Everything Has Changed

XXI

She lies down beside him, under the blanket, and embraces him to try to stop him from shaking. She stares at his face. Oh, her favorite face in this big world. She never thought she could get this close to him again, after those long sleepless nights in many years. "Walang hiya ka, Migo Javier." -she whispers very softly. "Ang guapo mo pa rin talaga." She wrinkles her nose and pokes his gently. She breathes deeply. She thinks for a long moment before speaking again. "Nandito na 'ko." She looks at his eyes, as if they're looking at hers too. "I've come back, Migo." She smiles lightly. "I came back for you..."

He moves closer to her, still sleeping.

She buries her face in his neck. "You won't need Olive anymore." She closes her eyes. "Nandito na ang original mo..."

•••••••

Migo wakes up the next day, feeling a bit better. He finds no one beside him so he gets up slowly, careful not to fall out of dizziness. As he goes downstairs, he smells something mouth watering. "Olive?" -he calls out. "Olive, is that you?" He reaches the kitchen/dining room and his eyebrows meet as he sees Patricia cooking brunch.

She lowers the temperature of the electric stove before turning to him. She smiles lightly. "Sorry to disappoint you, but Olive is at work today. Nag text sya sa akin kagabi so I came here to check on you."

He bobs his head. "Didn't she say what time she'll be back?"

She shakes her head. But I'm the one who's here with you.. Why look for her?

"Uhm... Sorry nga pala if I didn't make it yesterday."

"Oh, no, no, it's okay." She gets some empty plates and two pairs of fork and spoon and places them on the table. "Kamusta ka na nga pala? Are you feeling better?"

He shrugs. "Medyo nahihilo pa..." He sits before the dining table. He watches her serve the food, how she knows where most of the kitchen utensils are. "Sino nga palang kasama ni Trixie sa ospital?"

She looks at him. "Si David.."

"Does he know you're here?"

She doesn't know if it's because he's not feeling so well or something else, but one thing's for sure, he's suddenly being cold to her. "He doesn't need to know."

He smirks bitterly. "Mabuti pa bumalik ka na doon. Baka mamaya ako pa pag initan no'n eh." He starts to eat.

Shoot. If I tell him that I prefer to stay, he'll probably think that I want to spend the day with him. But if I go, no one's going to watch over him. She sits in front of him. "And why would he do that? He doesn't have the right to tell me where to go."

"Si David yun. We both know that he'd do anything just to be with you at para wag lang tayong magkasama." He chuckles. "Para namang hindi mo kilala yon."

"Are we okay?" -she suddenly asks.

He frowns. "What do you mean?"

She shrugs. "Ever since Dave got here, you've been acting weird. Minsan awkward ka, ngayon naman ang init ng ulo mo."

He doesn't answer and continues eating just to avoid her question.

"Yung sinabi mo sa'kin sa ospital noong isang araw." -she finally talks about it. "Anong ibig sabihin no'n?"

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Migo." She sighs. "Bakit mo sinabi yun?"

He drinks from the glass of water before him and places it back on the table after. He breathes deeply. "Forget that."