In A Day Or Two

Chapter 5: The Ache

It's been a month since Xia got out of the hospital, and just like she requested, I let her live as normally as before. We do our morning walks along the bay every day. I take her out at night to eat at the beach. We never visited the busy town again—or maybe I just never brought it up. She seemed happier here, and I didn't want to ruin that. So we stayed where she wanted, in the shed her father built.

The shelter looks prettier inside than how it seems from the outside. Xia has all the pictures she's taken since day one posted on her bedroom wall—tiny memories frozen in time. There's even a portrait of me, smiling while staring at the ocean. I didn't even know she'd taken that.

A picture of her tiny feet soaked in the sea.
Another of the sunrise breaking over the bay.
And dozens more—each one beautiful, each one showing the way she sees the world.

She's been doing fine since the day she was discharged. No strange behavior. No signs of pain. She's smiling more often than before—those genuine smiles that make me want to keep them for the rest of my life.

"She looks so happy, doesn't she?" Mrs. Pearson's voice breaks my thoughts. We're standing a few steps from the shore, watching Xianon collect shells with a small bucket swinging in her right hand.

"She is," I reply, unable to stop smiling myself. Her eyes light up every time she finds a shell she likes, like she's holding treasure in her hand.

"You know..." Mrs. Pearson's voice trembles. "Sometimes I ask God—why? Why, out of all the people, did He choose my daughter to suffer? I even... I even blame myself sometimes. I raised her. Was it something I did? Did I go wrong somewhere?" She wipes at her cheeks and takes a shaky breath. "But then, every day, I watch her fight for her life... and it makes me want to fight with her, to stay strong for her. I think... maybe life really does give the hardest battles to the strongest soldiers."

She lets out a small laugh through the tears, brushing them away. "If it were me in her shoes, I wouldn't have made it this far. But she did. And I'm so proud of my baby."

I place a hand gently on her shoulder. "You raised a beautiful daughter, Mrs. Pearson. And I know Xia wouldn't want you to blame yourself for any of it."

She covers my hand with hers, squeezing lightly. "Thank you, Francis. Thank you for not leaving her here alone. I was worried sick when she ran out of the house. And then—" she laughs nervously, shaking her head— "I nearly fainted when she called me one night, telling me she was in the hospital."

I try to lighten the mood with a half-smile. "Yeah... she can be stubborn. And reckless."

"She gets that from her father," Mrs. Pearson says without missing a beat.

I chuckle. "Oh, I thought it was from you."

She gives me a playful glare. "Careful, Francis. I might make you sleep outside tonight."

We both laugh, and for a moment, the heaviness between us lifts. Out by the water, Xia waves excitedly, holding up something in her hand.

"She probably found another 'rare' shell," I say, grinning.

Mrs. Pearson shakes her head fondly. "That girl... she could make a pebble look like a diamond if you gave her the chance."

And honestly? She's right. Xia's always had a way of finding beauty, even in the smallest things.

Mrs. Pearson's eyes widened when we heard the light patter of footsteps crunching against the sand, growing nearer. She quickly dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve and straightened her posture, smoothing her hair as if she could erase the traces of her tears. I understood—she didn't want Xia to see her pain. Any mother who truly loved her child would rather carry that weight alone than let them see it.