Hospital

...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.

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

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