One month passes, Greggy go with the flow of his life without saying his problem to anyone, literally to no one.
"Nahihirapan na ako sa sitwasyon namin ni Greggy." Irene said, "Bakit?" Dawn ask.
"Hindi ko alam kung ganon lang ba talaga siya, o may feelings siya sa akin." Irene sigh.
"Ano bang sabi sa'yo?"
Irene stare at Dawn, "Madami..."
"Anong madami?" Dawn scratch her nape.
"Mahal na daw niya ako." She look down.
Dawn isn't even shock when she heard that. "Mahal mo?"
"Sobra..."
Finally, she can say it more freely now.
"Oh, eh ba't di kayo mag take nang step?"
Irene shake her head, "Hindi ko alam, hindi ko siya maintindihan."
"Alam mo may suggestions ako sa'yo." Dawn grinned.
Irene look at her.
"What if, layuan mo siya like many days wag mong bigyan nang rason. Kung mahal ka niya hahabulin ka niya."
"What if ano, hahabulin lang niya ako pero di niya talaga aaminin?" Irene ask in second thought.
"Aamin yan, kilala ko yun pag gusto niya may masasabi talaga siya." She smile.
"Ewan ko sa'yo Dawn, mga galawan mo din." Irene sigh, leaning at the chair.
Dawn smile, "Hindi man umepek sa akin, baka sa'yo."
Irene look at her once again, "What do you mean?"
"Ha? Wala yun hayaan mo na, try mo lang walang mawawala."
"Meron kaya, what if layuan din niya ako?" She said.
Dawn open her mouth a little, "Mahal mo na talaga siya sissy ko!"
"Bahala ka nga diyan Dawn, kamusta kayo?"
"The who? Nino?" Dawn ask.
"Anton?" She sipped her tea to hide her smile.
"Hindi na kami nag uusap, matagal na daw siyang may feelings sa akin. I mean— naamin na niya finally." Dawn answered.
"Kailan kaya aamin si Greggy?" She suddenly thought, "Aamin na harap harapan."
"Hindi ko alam, baka kapag wala ka na." Dawn answered.
"Anong wala na? Para namang ewan to." She chuckled, biting her lips thinking about him again.
"Kaya nga nag sa suggest diba?" Dawn laugh a little.
"Oo na, sige na." Irene said.
"Grabe ang bilis nang araw." Greggy said, "Wala kang baon ngayon?" Krysten ask, watching him eating a cafeteria food.
"Wala misis ko eh." Of course, a beautiful smile appear just thinking how Irene will become her wife.
"Hahahaha! I see, I see." Krysten just laugh it.
Greggy receive a text that he need to attend another clinical visit, "Doctor nga naman." He whispered.
"Ubusin mo muna pagkain mo." Krysten said, looking over his phone.
"No need, di ko bet." He stand up, "Wala kang clinical visit?"
"Bukas pa, sa large animals."
"Ingat, baka makain ka. Liit mo pa naman." He sarcastically said before leaving her alone.
"Tanginang yan!" She cursed.
"Kapag nag text edi wag mo replyan tas kapag tumawag wag mo sagutin." Dawn instructed.
"Paano naman si Aimee? Syempre hahanapin niya kuya Greggy niya." She's just finding another reason.
"Sabihin mo busy siya, bata lang naman yan. Mabilis mauto."
"Bata pa siguro talaga ako noh?" Irene laugh herself.
"Bakit?"
"Mabilis pa akong mauto eh." She answered.
"Te, magpapauto ka na lang. Sa gwapo na." Dawn laugh too, she knows that Irene's statement is half true.
"I miss—" Irene close her eyes, "Hindi Irene, naalala mo lang siya."
"Raphael?"
"Hindi wala yun." Irene smile, gripping at her phone.
"Hindi ka pa ba sigurado?"
"Kay Greggy? Sigurado na ako, pero naalala ko lang talaga minsan sa Rap siguro ganon talaga kapag matagal din nagkasama." Irene answered, in fact sometimes she's afraid to spit something fact to Greggy, thinking that he will get angry like how Raphael.
"Baka na trauma lang. Limang taon ba naman kasi eh." She sigh.
Dawn just nodded, "Ganyan talaga minsan."
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"I'm not in school ha."
"Tell me, when you will go home. I might fetch you."
"Ingat lagi!"
Greggy sigh, "Should I send it?" Looking at the inbox where the last text is waiting.
"I love you so much!"
"Natatakot talaga ako eh." He can feel how his heart was heavy and thumping too faster.
"Hindi ko nga maamin kalagayan ko, yan pa kayang pagmamahal ko sa'yo." He added in his thoughts.
"Doc Araneta?" The doctor called.
"I'm sorry, what is it again?" He put down his phone, and continue his job.
He continue his work, even his mind is just filled about Irene. "Inhale exhale, Greggy you must focus mamaya na yan."
He did not even notice that he left alone inside the clinic, with the dogs and cats barking and meowing.
"Doc wag ka munang umalis, we have an emergency." The doctor lay down the weak dog.
Greggy help the doctor, he help to survive the dog... But then...
The dog shut his eyes and his heartbeat fall down.
Him and the doctor sat down defeatedly. "Run freely now." Greggy can't imagine if it will happen to Laya.
"Ganyan talaga, hindi tayo Diyos para maisalba sila kapag hindi na kaya." The doctor answered.
It's a biggest shock for him, it's his first time handling a patient who will be eventually dead soon.
"It's hurt."
"It's more hurt if you will see them suffering kahit hindi na nila kaya. Minsan ganon talaga Doctor Araneta, may mga bagay na hindi na kayang isalba pa, at may mga bagay na kailangan palayain na."
Lakay
"
I just went home."
"Sayang you are not here."
"So many stories to tell."
Irene take a deep breath, "Tama ba tong desisyon mo Irene?"
She felt pity to Greggy, "Pero okay na to. Hayaan mong masabi mo din sa akin gusto mong sabihin."
"Ate?" Aimee went to the bed, "Yes?" She smile.
"Where's kuya?" She knew that Aimee will ask that question, "She's busy po, madami sigurong pasyente na dogs."
"Sana po, nagpapahinga pa rin po siya."
How sweet of the innocent child is.
"Sana nga po, gabi na." She said, "Matulog ka na para bukas mag school ka ulit, sama ka kay mommy."
"Opo, masaya po dun madaming friends!" Aimee happily said, "We are always playing po kapag ano nila—" she doesn't know the word break time.
"Siguro next year, mag school ka na din." Irene said.
"Gusto ko po ngayon na."
Irene smile, "Pag naayos ko, magiging anak na kita— magiging anak ka na namin"
"Opo, tapusin ko lang po yung inaasikaso ko sa'yo."
Aimee nodded, "Thank you po, ate!"
"Welcome, you are always welcome!" Irene smile widely, "Ano let's sleep na?"
"Pray po muna sabi ni lola." She giggled.
"Okay lead the prayer na, Aimee."
Aimee started to pray, saying her prayer so Irene can hear it.
"Thank you po sa lahat-lahat, thank you po sa pag gabay sa akin, kay lola, kay ate Irene, kay tita Imee, at kay kuya Greggy, pati po sa mga playmates ko. Sana po peaceful po kaming matulog ngayon, sana rin po masarap ulam ni kuya Greggy at makatulog siya nang maayos, in the Lord's name, Amen!"
Irene just staring at her, she's always praying about Greggy even he's not with him.
"Noon pang hindi pa bumabalik si kuya Greggy sa place niyo pinag dadasal mo din?" Irene ask.
Aimee nodded, "Opo, I always pray po na sana bumalik po siya, para makita niya po si Sammy." Her dog.
"Where's Sammy na?" Irene ask.
"I left her po, ayaw po sa kanya nang nanay ko." She answered, sadly.
"We will find Sammy ha, para may playmate si Laya." Irene smile.
"Opo, prayer ko rin po yun." She hugged her, ready to be patted and to fall asleep.
"How's life?" Patricia watching the building passes by, Greggy will send her to the airport she's flying later at two in the morning.
"Pagod..." Greggy look at Beatriz if she's sleeping.
"You've been pacing out." She answered.
"I have a question." Greggy said, Patricia kept quiet.
"What will happen if you don't cure a cancer?"
"Greggy!" Patricia reacted.
"Hoy! Chill lang, I'm just asking random thoughts lang."
"What type of cancer, and what stage?" Patricia sigh.
"Lung cancer, stage two." He whispered.
"Kaya pa yan, malaki ang chance nang curable." She answered.
He nodded, debating if he should say it or just kept it.
"So yun nga, ano nga mangyayari?" Greggy ask again.
"Ba't ba kating kati ka malaman? Malamang kakalat sa loob hanggang sa ma sira yang lungs hanggang ma dissolve ka sa mundo." Patricia is already annoyed.
So Greggy just kept quiet.
"I have something to confess." Greggy pull at the parking lot.
"Hmm? May anak ka na?" She ask.
"Malapit na." He chuckled unseriously.
"Greggy naman eh!" Patricia said.
"Hindi joke lang, I have someone na mahal na kasi you know ano ba to." Greggy low his head down being ashamed.
"Oh anong gagawin ko ngayon, yan ba yung dinala mo? Si Irene?"
"Oo, kaso di ako makaamin." Greggy answered.
"Bakit naman? Mukhang mutual din naman."
"Hindi ko sure, inamin ko kasi yun thru letter wala siyang react di ko alam kung nabasa niya o nag sabawala— nag sa walang bahala na lang siya."
"Na to tongue tie ka na naman." Patricia reacted, "Te, wala kasing babae ang unang aamin. Kung ako sa'yo harapan kong sasabihin."
Greggy look at her inbox, he only left seen.
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"Galit ka ba?"
"May nagawa ba ako?"
"You are not responding eh."
"Natatakot ako." He repeated what's always on his mind.
"Paano ka makakaamin kung pangungunahan mo." Patricia answered.
"Ewan." He sigh.
"Basta Greggy, you must be sure of that feeling before you confess, malay natin gusto mo lang siyang kasama dahil siya na yan eh. Pero not in a long run, baka naninibago ka lang kasi ganyan siya sa'yo, inaasikaso ka which is rare lang sa buhay mo." She said, not minding him.
"Don't rush things if hindi ka pa sigurado." She added.
"Sigurado na ako eh, nasa point na ako na kung hindi siya, bakit hindi? Huwag na lang kung hindi rin siya."
Patricia just nodded, "Ikaw, alalahanin mo iba ang pagmamahal sa type mo lang."
"Mahal ko siya." He defended.
"Emotion always change darling."
"But my love for her won't change, honey." He chuckled.
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"Can we meet?"
"Can I go there?"
"Greggy, alis na kami para di masyadong maano sa immigration." Patricia look at the time, one hour before the flight time.
"Ohh, may ibibigay ako sa'yo but don't open it unless nakarating ka na dun." Greggy give a folder.
Since Patricia is also hurrying up, she put it on her hand bag.
"Good bye, bilin ka sa'yo then balitaan mo ako kung kayo na." She jokingly said but half true.
"Oo na sige na di ko na kayo hahatid dun." Greggy said watching her leaving now.
"Ingat kayo ate!" He wave his hand.
"Kayo din." She said taking steps carrying Beatriz and pulling the baggage.
Greggy stop by at the convenience store. Watching the airplane one by one. "I miss you, Irene."