Unveiling beauty " Ambw"

The remainder of our thoughts

I watched as a figure, once recognizable, grew smaller and smaller until they eventually disappeared in the distant speck of the parking lot.

"What's wrong?" Nani asked with a gentle voice, her eyes brimmed with concern. I shook my head slowly, telling her there was nothing to worry about before guiding us both towards a near park bench. We settled ourselves on the timber frame, my hand shaking ever so slightly as I locked my gaze onto the pastel blues that filled the sky. An eerie silence consumed us, an overwhelming presence that shattered through our thoughts as if time had come to still itself until reality soon returned.

Nani broke through the suffocating hush, her voice trembling and fragile like glass. "Are you angry that I didn't tell you?" Her hands writhed clumsily in her lap; completely overwrought by stress and anxiety.

My chest heaved with a heavy breath before connecting my gaze to hers. My response lingered on my tongue for a short moment before I released it into the air. "I was, for a moment," I confessed truthfully.

I paused, my gaze dropping to my own idle hands. "Then, I wondered why the woman who had always shared every high and low with me would withhold such crucial information."

I sighed, while the weight of my thoughts continued sinking deeper. "I contemplated your experience - the car accident, witnessing the gruesome end of two people you considered family, losing our unborn child. And at that moment, my anger found its place. I think I'm angrier at the fact that I couldn't prevent it - couldn't stop the loss, the tears."

Her next question pulled me out of my reverie. " So, are you going to tell me why were you so taken aback yesterday? If this didn't even change your mood for a second. Then what caused you to feel so overwhelmed? "She queried; her brows knitted in genuine concern.

"Just some banter with Jun," I deflected, attempting to wave off her concern.

Her gaze, however, held an unwavering look.

"I didn't ask about Jun," she pointed out, her hand reaching out to clasp mine. "If we are to start anew, we need honesty."

I allowed my gaze to meet hers once more, my hand moving to cradle her arm. "Jun told me about the abortion," I revealed.

Her reaction was immediate, a look of genuine bewilderment painted across her features as she let out a scoff. "What are you talking about? There was no abortion, I chose not to proceed with it, I told you, it never..." Her voice trailed off, leaving the rest of her sentence unfinished as I reached out.

"And now I understand, but my response wouldn't have been any different, even if you had gone through with it. I didn't leave because I was angry with you. I left because I needed time to figure out how to process everything."

"It wasn't his place to share that," she mumbled, her gaze fixed on the ground.

"You're right, it wasn't," I agreed.

After some time, she grew even more quiet: as she sat there, her eyes downcast, I found myself squatting before her. Carefully, I brushed back her Afro, trying to catch a glimpse of her face.

"Are you feeling embarrassed right now?" I probed gently.

She hesitated, "It's not...that..."

"Then why look away? You haven't done anything wrong."

"But how could he find... and why did he..." her voice was thick with unshed tears, her question trailing into silence.

In an attempt to provide her some comfort, I clasped her hands in mine tighter but before I could find the right words, the older woman from our previous encounter made her appearance once again.