A Beautiful Mess

PART 62: Easily Forgiven

Part LXII: Easily Forgiven

She was staring blankly far off.

“I searched for the number where your brother works and called him up,” he said, giving her the idea as to how he found out. “He was busy but he entertained me when I dropped by on his office and I was with Ava. That was the first time that they met. He let me in his office and I asked him how you relate to them at home. He told me that you’re always an achiever and that you are the sweet type of sister. He told me nice and funny stories about you. And he asked me why I wanted to know. Ava didn't know yet what happened exactly between us that time.”

“So Paul told you about my relationship with my father,” Raffy said, confirming what she had in mind.

“Yes. That night when I heard the conversation between you and your Dad, I didn’t know you were going thru that. People may think that if they hear my reason, what I did was too shallow. But I didn’t see it that way. Remember when we played shooting? You told me that you live based on other people’s expectations. I do not know how that feels but when I heard what your Dad said, I had an idea how hard it was for you to do what you want without being controlled. I know you can still be a top performer even without that scholarship but I don’t want the time to come that you would have to give up something just for me. I should be the one doing those things for you.

Em wanted to hurt the two of us. She wanted me to stay away from you and she knew right then and there that she already lost me. As foolish as it seems, she found her way to affect us negatively. I gave in because I don’t want you to be involved with something that you do not need. I tried to handle it on my own but at that time, it felt that the whole world wanted to separate us. I let them be. I let them because I wanted to take it as a time for me to put things on their right places. What made me decided is when Paul told me about your Mom.”

“My Mom?”

“Your real mother,” Ethan said and looked at her. “I didn’t know that she passed away when she gave birth to you. I thought your Mom – the one he married when he became a widow – is your real mother. Paul told me that he was 5 or 6 then when she gave birth to you and since it was a complicated pregnancy, it put her life at risk. And when you were born, he lost his wife.”

She stopped her tears from falling. Everyone in their family knew how detached he was to her while she was growing up. Being a surgeon, he dealt with their loss by spending longer times working and not going home. She and his brother were being attended to by their grandparents and their nurse. He never carried her once he got home from work but he would always check if Paul's on his bed before he heads to his own. He never sent her to school when she started studying and whenever graduation comes, her grandparents would be the one to attend. Five years after their mother died, he met Christina, the woman she considered as her own while growing up, and they got married.

Christina was a fine woman. She handled the responsibility of a mother really well and never mishandled their home nor them as her kids. Their father went home more often, but the distance between them never diminished.

It only got better when she had an accident when she was a kid. She was playing on the streets with Paul when a car hit her because of over speeding. She was confined on the hospital for a long time and it was the first time that her father expressed the love he had for her.

“He was afraid. He thought that he would lose me the way he lost my real mother. He was blaming himself for not doing something to save her life. He was afraid that if he forms a bond with me, it would bring up all her memories, hurt himself, and that if he loses me, he would just get hurt again,” Raffy told him. “And when I got hit, he thought I wouldn’t wake up. He was thinking that I would pass away without him being a father to me. So I went out of the hospital, well taken cared of. Until he became too strict that everything I would do, it would be according to what he wanted. What I would wear, I have to ask for his permission. I took up Nursing because he wanted me to become a doctor like him. I wanted to impress him at first and I never wanted to lose the attention he was giving me so I agreed but I know I’m not meant for it.

Dad was convinced by my Mom to let me do what I want. He allowed me to take up this course so long as I maintain this scholarship. He can pay for every cent if he has to but he wouldn’t do that. He’s thinking that I am the same old little kid that needs his hands every single step that I make. That time that we played shooting, he told me that he’s putting me up on some arranged marriage with another surgeon’s son. We argued real bad. It lasted for weeks. It was Mom who told him not to force me into doing anything that I do not want to. He listened to her. He found out about you and he was okay. He didn’t mind me going out with you. Then he learned about the inquiry. That’s when he started to get involved again.”

“Paul told me the same. When I learned that, I was afraid to snatch things from you. You need not to give him more reasons to think that letting you decide was a mistake. Your relationship with your family is far more important than your relationship with me. It pained me a lot to leave you alone but I didn’t have any choice then. It wasn’t easy.”

No one spoke for a long time. There were less and less number of people around them. It was past one in the morning and they were inside a coffee shop.

“It was crazy when I found out that you were coming here. I begged all of them to go with me since I do not know what will happen here and I do not want to be the lonely guy for Christmas. At least, if you push me away, I would have my family behind me,” he smiled and looked at her.

"How did you convince them?"

"I begged. Literally. I paid for their tickets and packed their things," he said.

“I missed you,” she told him sincerely, off topic. All the pain that they went thru were erased after what Ethan told her. “And I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to say sorry,” he said. “I love you Raf.” He closed the distance between them and leaned his face to meet her lips.

“ETHAN! RAFFY!”

He retreated.

He looked where the voice came from. It was Akira who yelled and was running towards them. Ethan positioned himself back to his seat and whispered, “Later.”

She laughed at him.

“You guys are okay now? Patched things up?” she asked excitedly.

Raffy nodded with a smile.

“That’s just great!” she said happily and hugged the two of them. “I’m glad. I’m so happy you did because Ethan here would be so damned for dragging us all here and nothing happened.”

“It would have been better Akira if you didn’t come in right away. I was just about to kiss her,” he chided.

Akira burst into laughter.

“We’re here in Boracay now and yet, you’re still both moping here on the same coffee shop,” Ava came in with Paul and Seff.

Raffy stood up and squeezed her into a tight hug.

“I know. You’re welcome,” Ava said right away without Raffy saying anything. They all laughed. “You, Ethan, aren’t you going to stand up and join us?”

He smiled and stood up to hug his sister and shook hands with Paul.

“You better take good care of my sister,” he told him.

“I will,” he said. “Drinks on me.”

They all had some cup of coffee before they all retreated to their own hotels. Ava and Paul were put on the hot seat as they got grilled and questioned by the rest. They had a lot of fun talking about different things and around three, they all decided to take some rest since it was already the 24th of December. Paul and Raffy went with the rest of the Yus as they headed back to their hotel before the two headed on their own.