Ace of Spades ✅

28; My plea to you.

And she has.

It has been eating her up for the longest time, not being able to share it that is. She felt as though she couldn't bring herself to break the news to her loved ones; she wasn't sure she could handle their reactions...especially her sons'.

Yet, there she was, blurting it out to Inaya out of the blue like that. She honestly doesn't even know why she did that, but she felt relieved knowing she could finally share the news with someone. Maybe, she wouldn't ha e much regrets if she passed on without telling the others.

Inaya blinked, trying to gather her thoughts. Swallowing thickly, she darted her tongue to wet her chapped lips—all in an attempt to make sense of the entire thing. Just a second ago, she was glad to be spending time with the woman...and now everything has changed just because of a single sentence.

Life...it has surprising ways of breaking you.

When Inaya finally managed to put a lid on her thoughts and find her voice, she flicked her head up to meet Maa's eyes, hers filled with a mirage of confusion, worry, disbelief and denial. "I don't understand." She stated earnestly. "What do you mean you're dying? I mean we all are, aren't we?" She awfully joked, forcing out a chuckle all out of denial.

She was mostly worried about Aadil. She could tell he has a good relationship with his mother. And yet when the news broke to her, his face flashed right across her eyes at first. She could only imagine how torn he would be.

Maa didn't take any offense in her words; even she could recall her reaction when her doctor broke the news to her. She could still remember it as the day her life truly broke down.

Her husband marrying Anita wasn't the real reason she left; honestly, she couldn't care less about them. How could she when she was practically told her death is around the corner. She didn't have the time to sit and worry about them.

She had other things to worry about, like her kids. They matter to her, more than anything.

"If you're sick, I—I have some contacts. I can find someone that would treat you. You can even travel abroad, I'm certain Aadil would be more than willing to go with you. If he can't, I will--"

"I have stage four ovarian cancer." Maa cut her off yet again before she could go far, her tone soft. "No treatment can cure that."

Inaya was quick to shake her head, refusing to believe that. She doesn't want to. She would rather be in denial for as long as she could. "We can still try." She pressed on. "I know an oncologist, a good one. I can introduce her to you and we can try any option possible." Even if it wasn't for Aadil, she wouldn't be comfortable sitting around and watching someone die like that when she can help.

Of her connections, she can try to get her a good doctor. She knows the family is more than capable of getting one on their own as well, but she's willing to help as well if needed.

Maa's smile didn't waver in the slightest. She simply gave Inaya's hand a small squeeze, and the eventually uttered. "I've already made up my mind, Inaya." She shifted her gaze from their intertwined hands to meet the younger woman's eyes. "I'm just simply letting you know because I needed to get it off my chest. Forgive me if I dumped such information on you unannounced. I know I'm being selfish by making you bear the burden with me."

Inaya looked down, not knowing what to say. Her head is a mess. She's always prepared for the situations she finds herself in but this time, she suddenly wasn't certain how to act and what to say.

"—however, there is a reason I am sharing this news with you." Maa added, making Inaya hesitantly lift her suddenly heavy lids to meet hers. For someone who had accepted her fate, there was still this light in her orbs hard to miss.