Runaway (MaiChard Oneshot Compilation)

Without Words (Finale)

"O, buti naman dumaan ka dito. Kamusta check up mo?" tanong mo sa'kin habang inaayos mo yung mga papel sa desk mo. Guess you didn't see how gloomy my face is.

I tried to form the right words. I tried to think of a way to break the news to you. Yeah, I know you're a doctor and you should be used to bad news. But I just can't.

"Alden?" you called out, as I wasn't saying anything.

Nilapitan mo ako, and then you kneeled, placing your hands on top of mine.

"What's wrong?"

I just shook my head.

"No," you answered unbelievingly, finally realising why I was so silent.

"'Di na talaga kaya, Dei."

"H-Hindi," you affirmed and stood up. "We can request for much frequent chemo. You'll get through this. We'll get through this," you continued whilst wiping your tears and turning around. You placed your hands on the desk, and all I could do was wheel myself over and hug your waist.

Your cries got worse. You were even trying to catch your breath. You then took my head into your arms and kissed the top of it."You'll get better, Alden. You'll get better," you repeated over and over again. My heart breaking at the sound of your voice doing the same.

You sounded like you were trying to convince me but I know that what you were doing was trying to convince yourself.

-

The doctors tried everything. You tried everything. Until they were firm to declare that nothing can be done. That all we can do now was to just...wait it out.

Araw araw mo akong dinadalawa sa condo ko. Kahit sobrang pagod ka na sa trabaho at makikita ko na lang na nakatulog ka na sa sala. And that one time where you were so busy at work, and still made the effort to come for an hour at one in the morning.

Kahit andiyan si Bernard, para tulungan ako sa lahat ng gawain, you always dismissed him. Dahil gusto mong ikaw ang gumawa ng lahat para sa'kin. Kapag andito ka, ikaw ang nagluluto, ikaw ang nagaayos ng higaan ko. Minsan gusto mo pa nga na ikaw na ang bumuhat sa'kin.

I knew you weren't just doing all of this because you were concerned. But also because you were slowly coming to the point of acceptance, and you were just wanting to make the most of everything.

Sorry for putting you through this, Dei. Sorry for putting you through all this stress, through all of these emotions.

Today was supposed to be a day of celebration. You and your team had just gone through a complicated operation, and it was a success. Instead of going out to dinner with them, you still chose me. You continue to choose me.

You were seated across my bed, staring out the windowsill into the dark sky.

"Hey," I called out.

"Yes?"

"Bakit?" I asked.

"Anong bakit?"

"Bakit kaya mong mahalin ang isang tulad ko, na alam mong iiwan ka naman?"

"Alden."

"Hindi nga. Paano mo nakakaya?"

"Hindi naman kasi 'yon ang iniisip ko. Oo, may cancer ka, pero hindi ako ganoong kababaw na tao, para gawing dahilan 'yon para hindi ka mahalin. May tiwala ako sa Diyos, na kung ano man ang mangyari, plano Niya 'yon. At kahit ganito man, nagpapasalamat ako sa Kaniya dahil ibinigay ka niya sa akin."

"Sarap namang pakinggan," I replied.

You gave me a smile as a reply, and then went back to looking out.

I can't leave seeing you like this, Dei.

"Dei?"

"Hm?"

"Halika dito."

"Ha? Bakit? Are you not feeling well?" you said, immediately going up to me.

"Hindi. I just want you to come closer, para marinig mong mabuti and sasabihin ko."

Once you came close, I reached my hand out and caressed your cheek. You clung on to my hand that was on your face. I pulled your head closer to mine to make our foreheads touch. We breathe in deeply, and as soon as we did so, we both started choking up. The lumps in our throats turned into full blown spurs of tears, as we realised how much our love is worth fighting for.

"Will you marry me?" I asked you

"Oo," you said immediately.

"Bilis, ah," I irked.

You laughed and smiled that big smile of yours. I couldn't believe what I was seeing but it looked the same as the first time I met you.

"Don't lose that smile again, my dear," was all I could say.

-

"Richard!"

"Mama!" an angelic little voice replies.

"Richard Alden Faulkerson III, diba sabi ko naman sa'yo, 'wag kang mag-tatatakbo masyado."

"Sorry, Mama," the child apologizes, his dimple deepening upon the appearance of a frown.

"It's ok, baby. Come on, I'll wipe your back. Sobrang pawis ka na," she forgives.

"Andito na kami!" two individuals called out in the distance.

"Lolo! Lola!" Richard shouted upon seeing his grandparents.

"Apo! Nako naman, miss na miss na namin 'to eh!"

"Glad you can make it, 'Nay, 'Tay," Dei acknowledged.

"Siyempre naman, taon-taon uuwi kami para sa birthday ng apo namin."

"Lolo, Lola. I'll go and play ulit na po."

"Sige, iho. Go ahead."

As soon as the child was out of sight, his grandfather following after him, Dei's mother sat down with her daughter.

"Kamusta naman, anak?"

"Okay naman po ako. Kayo po?"

"Mabuti naman. Ayos lang kayo ng apo ko?"

"Opo. Grabe, ang bilis po ng panahon. Limang taon na kaagad si, Richard."

"Hindi pa ba nagtatanong?"

"Hindi pa naman po. Pero nararamdaman ko na malapit na. Siyempre, pumapasok na din siya, nakikita niya 'yong mga kaklase niya."

"Anong plano mo?"

"His father can tell him the truth."

"Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

"Kasi, bago nawala si Alden, may mga ginawa siyang sulat para sa'kin. Kinuwento niya 'yong iba't ibang nangyari sa amin, mga naramdaman niya. And so it's perfect kasi, it's like I'll be telling our love story to our son, with his father."

"Okay ka na ba talaga, anak? I know it's been three years, already, but you didn't really take his passing lightly."

"I'm good now, 'Nay. I need to be," Dei says as she looks towards her son, who was waving frantically at her. "Para kay Richard."

The End

-

A/N: As always, thank you thank you sooo much for all the support. Kahit na ganito ang ending, I still really enjoyed writing it and exploring this kind of genre.

If you have any questions please feel free to comment. I'll try and answer them in a bonus chapter 😉.

Realidad is extra extra busy, and so I can't attend to the full fics as of the moment. I plan on doing so when semester finishes, or if I somehow find the time 😊.