The Good Family

Temor 🦋

"I can't blame Irene that Yara is everything to her"
Irene: I agree with all of you, I love my girl so much! I guess my world just revolves around that kid.

"Well, she's the little Irene of yours"
"Just yours, Irene!"

Irene: *calling Yara* I tried several times, but it didn't work. Gosh, I'm worried.

Irene couldn't shake off her growing worry. As they sat down to eat, she absentmindedly pushed the food around her plate.

"Are you alright, Irene? You seem a bit off,"
Irene *forced a smile* I can't help it, I'm just really worried about Yara. She's never been this out of reach before.

Her friends exchanged sympathetic glances.

"Maybe she's just caught up in the moment, Irene. You know how kids can be"
Irene: *eyes flickered with concern* I know, but she usually keeps me updated. It's not like her to be so elusive.

The conversation continued, they went from one place to another, but Irene's mind was elsewhere. She couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. She excused herself to try calling Yara again.

No answer.

The worry intensified, Irene texted her daughter, her messages growing more urgent with each attempt. Back at her group, Irene's friends exchanged worried looks, recognizing the depth of her concern.

~~

As the hours ticked by, Irene's worry deepened into a gnawing anxiety. It felt like an eternity since she last heard from her daughter. Every ring of her phone sent her heart racing, only to be met with disappointment as the calls went unanswered.

Irene called their house, but Yara hadn't arrived yet. She also tried reaching out to the security, but there was no answer. She felt a sense of impending collapse, the fear of the unknown tightening its grip.

As she desperately called out to her husband, Greggy, only to be met with the endless drone of his ongoing meetings, Irene's panic intensified. She couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness, trapped in a world where time seemed to stand still.

Ditta's concerned touch brought her back to the present, but Irene's distress was palpable.

"Ok, ka lang ba? Am sure safe naman yung daughter mo"
Irene: The worries kept growing in me for hours now, Ditta.

The words of her friends offered some solace, urging Irene to take a moment of respite.

"Calm down, Irene. Try calling your house, maybe she went home and dozed off"
"How about Yara's security?"

Irene's frustration spilled out, a mix of fear and exasperation.

Irene: I already did call everyone! *frustrated* But no one was answering me about where my daughter is! *voice cracking* My daughter isn't home, my husband's not answering, security isn't responding to me.

Alex's attempt to reassure Irene only served to amplify her agitation.

"Maybe she was having fun with her friends, Irene."
Irene: I am so frustrated right now, Alex. I couldn't get to hold where my girl was.

Irene's POV
My goodness, where is my daughter!? I feel like I might collapse any moment now, my mind racing with worry about where she could be. It's been, what, five hours since she last called me, and I can't even get through to her. I've been trying to reach my husband, but he's still stuck in his meetings. Oh dear, I'm at a loss. I must look like a frantic woman right now.