"And you're done little mister!" The dentist said while smiling behind the mask.

"Now Let's get your tooth out of here, shall we?"

"Ow, that hurt!" The little boy said holding his left cheek.

"Oops, sorry but thought you said you were brave." The doctor said raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah, no cap I am brave." He said getting up from the dental chair.

"Alright! You should go to your mom." He remarked. The boy went out if the cabin.

"Ngl, but you look so chopped." He stated before leaving, causing the dentist to pause for a moment.

"WHAT?! What even is that?" He frustratedly said before taking off his mask.

Soon the door was opened by a man in his early 30's. 

"That was the last patient today, Dr.Damian."

"Ok fine I'll leave now you should also go home" Damian replied. The man nodded.

"Also, I won't be coming tomorrow. You know right? I'll just take my leave bye, Chris." He said before getting out of his office clothes.

"Why? Is there anything special?" Chris enquired.

"Special.... maybe. Oh wait, do I look chopped?" He asked pointing at himself his brows furrowed. Chris couldn't hold back his laughter.

"Absolutely-" As soon as he said that Damian glared at him.

"NO! WHO SAID THAT? You look handsome my lord." He joked.

"Better!" Damian nodded.

...----------------...

Damian came out of the hospital, ready to buy a gift for his beloved. 

He hopped on his bike and rode with full energy. It was afternoon so the streets weren't busy. 

He picked a small dainty necklace for Grace, his girlfriend. The necklace had a green diamond, maybe like her eyes or her favorite color. It was beautiful but still worthless on it's own.

He returned to his bike. He stopped in front of the flower shop.

The door of the shop opened and bell rang, indicating someone had come. 

A girl in light yellow dress that reached to her knees, loosely curled long brown hair, hazel green eyes appeared with a greeting smile on her face.

"Happy 25th!!" The man almost screamed with happiness. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

"Huh, Damian, You're late!" she sternly said breaking the hug, almost sulking.

"I'm really sorry, Grace. You know I was very busy since morning And also didn't you pick up my calls? Anyways, see I brought cake. let's celebrate!" He said placing the cake on the table. 

"Okay, I forgive you. By the way how do I look?" She said spinning showing him her dress

"You always look breathtaking" Damian replied smiling.

"You're just being cheesy again." She laughed it out.

"Fine Miss, let's cut the cake."

"Sure" She seated at her seat.

She took the knife sitting beside the cake box and carefully blew out the candle.

"What did you wished for?"

"I don't know. Maybe... love " She said as his smile laded for a second or two.

"Alright, cut the cake before it melts!" He spoke in between being oblivious of her bitterness. She cut the cake, with a forged smile.

"Also. Here's your gift" He said handing her a small box. She took it and opened it.

"Wow! That looks so pretty. Thank you so much! I'm going to show this to Regina real quick! " She smiled because it perfectly resembled her.

His phone buzzed before he could say something. It was his brother.

"I have to pick this call."

"Sure" She nodded looking at his disappearing figure. 

"Yeah. Damian here."

"WHERE ARE YOU?" A loud voice emerged. Almost piercing Damian's ears.

"Ow Shut up freaky man you're so loud"

"Oh yeah right there's an emergency COME RIGHT AWAY

"Fine, don't scream" He spoke being done. He hung up and walked towards Grace.

"Sorry but I have to go." Grace looked at him, almost as if he was slipping away again. 

"Fine. I'll clean this up, bye" She sighed.

She wanted him to stay, but couldn't say it. Maybe it was right for him to go, or maybe she was unsure if she mattered to him.

"Yeah, bye." Damian said without a smile.

With that she left after picking up their celebration or rather a mess it has become is now. 

Damian stood there for a moment until she went out if his sight, completely. He sighed before turning to leave. 

That was their farewell, without a goodbye kiss, without a hug or even a smile. It was the truth.

After a few seconds.

The shop door opened again. Grace turned at it with full force almost cracking her neck as she knew who it would be.

"Is my best friend here? Her name is Grace Saint" A girl same age as her shouted from the door.

Grace ran towards her and gave her a bone crashing hug. It was her best friend, Regina.

"Damn, you'll definitely kill me one day with your hugs." She fake complained.

"Don't be mean, you're the only one getting hugs from me." She murmured.

"Really?" She asked immediately sensing something.

"Well, we can talk about that later." She asserted.

"What's with you?" Regina asked.

"Umm let's sit. I'll tell you" her voice sounded hesitant as if she was unsure of the whole situation.

They both sat on the same table from earlier.

"Oh did your boyfriend just drop by?" Regina asked looking at the cake he brought. It was sliced but no one ate a piece.

"Yeah, he did." She stated.

"Regina, there's something I really need to tell you." She continued.

"Uh-huh, what is it?" She said setting down the cake piece she took before as if sensing Grace's tone shift.

It was this exact moment she anticipated something, it was a gut feeling about to become the truth.

"Actually, I think I'm falling out of love with Damian" 

She timidly declared. Regina coughed on the cake, her eyes turned wide after hearing what she said.

It was just the beginning of Regina's world starting to turn upside-down.

"Huh? Sorry what? Tell me everything." She pleaded.

...****************...

...…Meanwhile…...

Damian reached his home and entered the living room. There was an unknown tension. He looked at his elder brother.

"Wh-what happened? Why did you call me saying it's an emergency?" He whispered loudly.

"Grandma's critical, her health is declining." His brother replied with the same terror as him. Damian's expression frowned. 

"What? Are you joking, Louis please." He begged. He put his  hands over his mouth, shivering, as if they could control the emotional disaster.

"Where is mom and dad?" His voice cracked.

"At the hospital, I was waiting for you to come. We need to go there." Louis replied.  

......................

......................

...At the hospital...

"Mom, what happened to grandma?" Damian asks as soon as he entered the hospital room. His breaths were uneven.

His eyes moved to the still body of his grandmother, her skin was pale. Wires attached to her body, the machine beeped slightly off rhythm.

"Damian, the doctor said she might go into a coma." His mother replies, her voice cracked, sitting on the nearby chair.

He kept a hand on his mother's shoulder, comforting her.

"She'll be fine, okay?" He states, holding onto hope.

"Mom, you don't have to take stress. Have you eaten anything?" Louis asks, looking at his mother's concerned face.

"No, your dad and I came here as fast as we could, to get your grandmother admitted. " She says with a worried tone.

"Okay, I'll bring something to eat for you and dad. Damian, you should wait here with mom. " Louis said as he gave his brother a pat on his shoulder. His hands lingered oh his shoulder longer than usual. Damian murmurs in response.

After Louis left, Damian sits beside his mother.

"Mom, how did this happen? I mean, grandma was fine yesterday when I visited." His question made his mother look at him with tearful eyes.

"The doctor said she suffered a cardiac arrest. This afternoon, I was going into mom's room to call her for lunch but she was sleeping, I thought I'd wake her up." She pauses before continuing.

" Damian, she hasn't woken up until now. I'm worried, your dad hasn't even touched food since morning." She spoke, holding both of his hands. Tears flowed from her eyes.

Damian takes a deep breath before saying.

" Mom, I know you're worried, but please stop crying." He says, as he wipes her tears with his thumb.

"She will be fine, hmm?" His mother nodded, looking at his grandmother.

The door of the room opened, revealing Louis.

Louis kept the bag of food on the table.

"Mom, here. You should eat, I'll call dad." He said, taking out the food one by one. His mother nodded.

Damian can't help, but notice his face, his jaw was tighter than usual. Almost like he was holding onto something really hard. The tension in his shoulders and his downturned eyes said enough.

"Your father must be in the doctor's cabin." His mother replied in her shaky voice.

"Yeah, I'll bring him here. You should start." Damian said in a low voice, like a whisper.

...----------------...

...Meanwhile........

"Actually, I think I'm falling out of love with Damian." 

Grace timidly declared.

"Huh? Sorry what? Tell me everything." Regina pleaded.

"I no longer feel the urge to call him or even text him. I know I wasn't like this before, but I feel like I can't give this relationship the same effort he does. I'm trying my best to be in love again, to feel the same as I did back then. Being with him feels....wrong now, and I hate that it does" She mumbled and looking at Regina.

Regina was about to say something but couldn't as her mind was feeling hollow. She sensed something but couldn't name it.

"I think....I think I might just.....end it." She spoke, staring into nothing.

"Look, Grace, I know you since childhood, we've been friends for ages but you should think about this more clearly." She implied, her face etched with worry.

"I know, but I can't help feeling guilty" She noticed the subtle hint of sorrow in Grace's eyes.

"Don't be guilty, if your heart stopped loving him it's not your fault. Love isn't constant for anyone but neither temporory. You get me?" She asked and looks at Grace in the eyes.

"Well, you're right. I think I should think about it more clearly. Yet still I can't get rid of this guilty feeling. I feel like I'm-

I'm just holding him back.

I'm toying his feelings." She spoke as her hands reached her forehead pressing it gently.

Regina sighed before replying.

"You've always been so tensed about things since past." She paused before continuing.

"Hey, don't tell me you're gonna sit here alone on your birthday. Come let's go we'll celebrate." She says, taking Grace's hand and dragged her towards the exit.

"I'm going Ashley, please take care of the shop." She sang as she left the shop.

"Yes, Grace." The girl replied.

They reached the Cafe

' The Golden Latte ' the sign read.

"Come on, my mom and dad are waiting for you" Regina uttered, dragging Grace inside the cafe.

Although she noticed the gloom on Grace's face, the way her lips were parted, showcasing her inner turmoil. The way she kept checking her phone from time to time, a habit of hers when she's overthinking.

"Mom, see I brought your other child. A Saint for your sanity." She sang, gesturing towards grace with finger.

"Oh come on, Regina. It's her birthday, don't embarrass her in front of the customers " Her mom spoke as she came out of the barista table.

"Thank you so much aunty, you're the only one who understands this Grace Saint, this Lawrence definitely not my bestie. " She said, wrapping an arm around Mrs.Lawrence's shoulders and points at Regina.

Her mother smiled at them.

"Okay, ladies go to your favorite spot I'll bring the coffees immediately." She said, taking the cups.

Regina took Grace to their favorite spot in the Café, a table located near a window. The view from there was perfect, busy streets, rushing cars and a sunset after all the tiredness of the day.

It felt like peace to just sit there. It was a reserved table in a corner.

"Oh, look who's here! The birthday girl!." A middle-aged man said cheerfully.

"Oh uncle, thank you so much! " Grace greeted and offered him a seat next to her.

"Dad, I thought you were feeling low." Regina said raising one eyebrow. She was already aware of his dramatic acting from the start.

"Umm...I feel better now." Her dad said clearing his throat still acting as if he didn't just get caught by his own daughter.

"Oh hon, you're here. I was just about to call you." Mrs.Lawrence entered with coffees and snacks.

"Yeah, I should be here for my daughter's birthday, right?" He said, serving everyone the coffee and snacks.

Grace let out a chuckle. Maybe this was the place she wanted to be on her birthday. Not in front of an untouched cake. This was her family, not biologically but wholeheartedly.

Her mind drifted back to the moment before, where the person she cared about left without a goodbye smile.

Regina observed the tension on Grace's face again. Her face shifted from light to cold really quick.

"Grace?" She called out.

"Huh-oh yeah I'm happy, it's my birthday!" She said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and Regina again notice it first.

...----------------...

...On the other hand...

Damian had lunch with his parents, the slight beeping of the machine could still be heard. No one broke the silence, no one dared to.

Then, the nurse enters in the room.

"Can you all please wait outside, we have to check the patient." She requested keeping a tray on the side table. They all nodded, and went outside.

"The doctor said.. the possibilities are very little." His father stated, his voice lowering after each word he said.

"What does that mean?" Louis asked, his face had an emotion, rather than the usual blank face. His face was enough to know he was scared.

"She ...she went into a coma." His father declared, covering his mouth with his palm. His eyes watery.

Across the city, candles flickered on a cake as a family celebrated a special day for them. Filled with laughs and giggles.

...****************...

Damian sat beside his grandmother. The silence in the room was frequently being broken by the machine. Everyone went home, but Damian insisted to stay by her side, again for the 3rd night.

His grandmother laid on the bed, still, uneven breathing. The room felt too close, almost caging him. He holds her hand close to his heart, almost begging her to feel his heartbeat; As if that would wake her up. But nonetheless her fingers were unable to feel him. The silence felt too loud that day. His gaze travelled to her face-pale, distant. Her eyes no longer held joy, they were closed.

The hospital smelled like antiseptic.

And suddenly-

he was ten again, sitting beside his grandmother, as she applied ointment on his scraped knee. His face showed the traces of his dried tears. His grandmother smiled at her little boy.

"I told many times not to ride Louis's cycle. It's too big for you. See now, what happened to my little boy." She said, as she was blew the wound. He sniffed in response.

She chuckled,

"Alright, young man. You should be careful the next time otherwise, I'm not saving you from trouble." She says, keeping the first-aid box in a drawer.

"Thanks, grandma. I promise I'll be careful." He said with a low voice and showed his pinky finger.

"Mom said you are sick, will you be careful?" He tilted his head, his eyes big and sparkly. His grandmother smiled at his question.

"Yes, my little boy. I'll be careful." She pinched his cheeks like a small baby.

She was still smiling in his memory, sunlight warm on her face.

Beep*

The sound pulled him off.

It was a notification from his phone. He picked up his phone to check, it was his mother.

'Eat on time, don't starve yourself.'

That was all, but it still meant a lot. He exhaled the tension in his shoulders. He stood up from the chair, and threw on his overcoat. His fingers tightened around the door knob before closing it again.

"I'm grandson of the patient in room 006, I'll be going out for a while, please inform me if anything happens. " He said to the receptionist before heading out of the hospital.

He stepped outside the hospital and exhaled a breath even he didn't know he was holding. It was past 11 at night. The streets were not silent but not loud either, just enough for him to spiral back into his thoughts, without the silence eating his mind.

He was entering a nearby café, just then a person walking out bumped into him.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking. " The woman said immediately.

"Are you entering the Café? It's closing time." She added.

He answered after a beat.

"Oh, I didn't notice. It's fine, I'll go back." He turned his shoe to go back.

"Wait!" She uttered as her eyes scanned him.

His eyes seemed hollow, his shoulder slouched. His dark under eyes screamed he hadn't slept in days. Hair slightly disheveled, enough to know his guard was down.

"Actually...." She stopped before continuing.

"You can come, I'll bring your order." She opened the closed door again.

He entered, his steps heavy and slow. He discretely pulled a chair, and sat on it. She observed him, not with intent but just out of habit.

He looked like a man drained but-with dignity intact.

"What's your order, sir?" She questioned while tieing her work apron.

"Umm,…a macchiato." He quietly replies.

"Anything else?" She picks up the glass.

"No."

That was all he said, but she did hear something more.

"Coming right up." She replied out of habit, nothing more.

His head down as he kept staring at the table.

"You ordered wrong." She places the cup on his table.

He looks up, confused.

"Coffee on an empty stomach? That’s just asking to collapse."

She slides the plate toward him.

"This one’s on the house."

"Why?" He questioned looking at the plate of tiramisu.

"Because I said so." She stated-no smile, no explanation.

She turned to sit on a nearby table. Far enough to not disturb him yet close enough to announce her presence.

He watches her every move as if studying her. Her face was calm, not smiley but calm. Almost as if she practiced it. It was quite the first time a stranger comforted him without actually saying a word.

"How do you know?" His hand gripping the cup. Her face turns to him slowly as she sipped her own drink.

"I studied psychology long enough to read people." She replies after a beat.

He chuckles before commenting.

"Should've been a therapist."

"Not necessarily though." She remarked.

Silence filled the room, except it was not awkward but strangely comforting.

He took a bite of the cake, the sweetness spreading his mouth almost immediately. A stark contrast to his life in hospital rooms. No wonder he preferred sweet coffee over bitter one.

"Your face screams it tastes good." She keeps her cup on the counter before taking off her apron.

"That's because, it does." He admits.

The silence came back.

Few minutes passed.

Damian stands up from his chair, walking towards the counter.

"Your total is 5.95 dollars. " She checks the computer before looking at him.

"And the cake?" He tilted his head.

"Told you, it's on the house." She spoke looking straight in his eyes.

"Name?" She questioned unusually.

She never asked that to other customers.

"Damian, Damian D'Angelo." He replied, no hesitation. He handed her his card to pay.

"Damian." She muttered, almost to herself. That name tasted familiar.

Was it Grace's boyfriend?

No, he was Mian, right?

He turned to walk out after paying. His hand still warm from the coffee before. His steps slowed down as he reached the door.

He looked over her shoulder. She was packing everything, ready to leave.

He sighed before walking again, to the hospital.

His breath steadier than before, because even just for ten minutes, he forgot to be afraid.

...****************...