REINA As I strolled alongside Lucy through the hospital's serene corridors, the soft beeping of machines and gentle hum of conversation created a soothing melody. The scent of disinfectant and fresh flowers wafted through the air, a poignant reminder of the fragility and resilience of life. "Thanks for being here, Lucy," I said, genuine gratitude warming my voice, my words echoing off the sterile walls. Lucy's smile illuminated her face, her eyes sparkling with warmth. "I'm happy to help," she replied, her voice infused with sincerity. "You and Andrew are important to me." Her words wrapped around my heart like a gentle hug, but a lingering doubt remained, a whispered caution in the recesses of my mind. Was Lucy genuinely invested, or did she have ulterior motives hidden beneath her benevolent facade? I studied her profile, searching for any hidden agenda, my gaze tracing the contours of her face. Her features seemed chiseled from kindness and compassion, yet experience had t
REINA Ethan's strong arms enveloped me, holding me close, his warmth seeping into my skin. I felt safe, shielded from the world's chaos."You're my home," he whispered, his breath tickling my ear.My heart swelled, overflowing with emotion."You're mine too," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.We stood in our cozy apartment, the city lights twinkling outside like stars. Soft music drifted from the stereo, a gentle melody.Challenges still lingered, shadows of our tumultuous past.Lucy's secrets.Andrew's recovery.Victor's haunting legacy.But in Ethan's embrace, fear dissipated, replaced by tranquility.Love conquered, its gentle touch soothing my soul.His lips brushed mine, a gentle kiss that sent shivers down my spine.Time melted away, leaving only us, suspended in this moment.The world outside receded, its noise and worries fading.Only Ethan's touch mattered.Only our love remained.Ethan pulled back, his eyes sparkling like diamonds."Forever?" he asked."Forever,"
Reina Some weeks had passed. Weeks we all enjoyed until something happened. The sun was just setting. It casted a soft orange ray through the windows as I carefully set the last plate on the dining table. I glanced at the clock one more time. It was almost time. Tonight was very important to all of us. We had not had the whole family over in a while, and I wanted everything to be just right. No complications at all. “Andrew, slow down! You're going to break something!” I yelled out. I tried to conceal my laugh as I watched my son run round the living room like he was being pursued by something. "I am just excited, Mom!" he giggled, his legs running circles around the coffee table. He was too high on energy and his energy was infectious. It drove me crazy sometimes but, I just have to remind myself that he is just a boy. I smiled and shook my head, turning my attention back to the dining table. I lit up the candles and made sure they remained that way throughout dinn
ReinaThe next few days after Riri’s unexpected visit felt heavy. The air between Ethan and me was so thick that we hardly spoke to each other. We moved around the house like strangers, speaking only when necessary, mostly about Andrew. Every time I tried to bring up the topic, Ethan would brush it off, assuring me that I was overthinking things. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.I went about my daily routine, trying to distract myself. I cleaned, cooked, just to keep myself busy. But, no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept drifting back to RiRi. I hated feeling this way, like I was losing my grip on something important. I had always trusted Ethan, but now, doubt had taken root, and I could not ignore it.Not this time. Ethan had gone out to pick up Andrew from school, leaving his phone on the kitchen counter. He forgot it because he was in a hurry and was running away. I was not the type to go through his things. In fact, I hardly go through his
ReinaIt had been two days since our confrontation. I didn't like how things were going on between the both of us. We are love birds and should remain as such. I hate to admit that a random person from the past was coming in between us and causing trouble. If he was really transparent with me. We won't have these issues. I was very sure of that. Ethan had tried to be present, to show me how serious he was about fixing things between the both of us. I could see all the efforts he was putting in but, no matter what. I was human and my mind would not stop spinning about things like this. Every time I looked at him, I saw RiRi’s face. I saw the messages, the lies and the secrets that he hid from me. Andrew was at school, and Ethan had left for work. I was sitting at the dining table, staring blankly at my cup of coffee, trying to make sense of everything when my phone buzzed. An unknown number flashed on the screen. My heart skipped a beat as I answered and my spine stiffened as
Reina I had been leaving the house nowadays to avoid seeing Ethan.We have stopped sleeping in the same room and most of the time, I wake up before him and leave the house. I was still reeling from Riri's confession a few days ago. Ethan had been quiet since then, trying to act normal, but nothing felt normal between us anymore.It was surprising that we were a sweet couple and suddenly everything changed. The distance between us was growing. I didn’t know how to talk to him, and every time I looked at him, I felt a wave of anger, confusion, and sadness within me. The man I thought I knew was becoming a stranger. He was becoming so distant from me and I could not help it. The rain that was falling this afternoon had plans on keeping me at home. I could not step out of the house to do anything. Instead, I occupied myself by watching some series, trying to distract myself from the endless thoughts in my head. Andrew was at a friend’s house, so I was alone when the doorbell rang.
EthanThe house was quiet. Too quiet for me to live in. I stood in the living room, staring at the space where Reina had been sitting only moments ago. She had walked out after another argument, and I was left to pick up the pieces of a conversation that went terribly wrong.It always went wrong no matter how hard I tried. I felt like everything was slipping through my fingers, like no matter what I did or said, nothing could fix this.I was beginning to accept my fate because everything was becoming frustrating on my end. I could not count the number of times I had sighed. It was countless. I ran my hand through my hair, frustrated and tired of everything that was happening. This was not how things were supposed to go. We had a good life. We had a good family. Why couldn’t we just go back to the way things were before? Before RiRi’s name came up again, before all the secrets I had tried so hard to bury started to resurface.Was IG really necessary to tell your spouse all you
EthanI didn't inform Reina of where I was going. It was even easier because she was not talking to me that much. I just had to wave my car keys in her face and move out.As I drove down the road, the night air was thick. It was almost suffocating for me. I got to the meeting spot in no time and I walked through the park towards where I was meant to meet her. It had been years since I last came here, but everything still felt so familiar to me.Too familiar. The memories I had long tried to forget kept coming to me as I took each step. I tried so hard to shove them aside. That Was not why I was here. I was here to know the truth and not to remember anything in my past.RiRi said someone was watching us. Watching my family. I had to figure out if this was just another one of her mind games or if there was any truth to what she had said. Either way, I could not afford to take chances. It would be very risky to do such a thing. The park was nearly empty, just a few scattered peop
Ethan “ A therapist? We are going to see a therapist, Ethan?” Reina blurted out and I had to calm her down that it's for the better. “Yes. I made that decision and I have already paid for a session. It is a good thing and I think our marriage will get better.” “Oh dear. I'm just scared.” *** Sitting across from Reina in the therapist’s office felt a little weird and I was trying to keep up. This was the first time we had actually met with a therapist about us. The therapist, a calm woman in her mid-50s named Dr. Laura smiled gently at us. “Thank you for coming today. The first step to healing is often the hardest, so I commend you both for being here.” I glanced at Reina, who gave me a small, nervous smile. “We are ready,” I said, squeezing her hand. “Good. Why don’t we start with why you’re here? What made you decide to seek therapy now?” Dr. Laura asked. I looked at Reina, silently asking if she wanted to go first. She nodded and took a deep breath. “I think we h
Reina Evans was at my house again. This time, I was very convinced that he had something off his sleeves. How can someone who I haven't seen in years suddenly show up in the new country where I relocated to? Has he been stalking me all these years? Evans stood at the door, his hands shoved in his pockets, and today he looked so confident in himself. But, I was here to destroy whatever confidence he had. I had hoped I would see the last of him after his first visit, but here he was again, uninvited and unwelcome. “What are you doing here again, Evans? Haven't I told you that I don't want you around me?” I thundered and my pulse was racing. “I needed to talk to you,” he responded calmly, despite my raging anger. “I don’t think we got to finish our conversation the last time.” “There’s nothing left to talk about,” I said, stepping out onto the porch and closing the door behind me. I didn’t want Ethan or Andrew overhearing any of this. “Reina, please,” he said, his eyes pleadin
Ethan I didn’t know where I was driving. I just needed to get out of the house. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, my mind racing with thoughts of Reina, Evans, and everything that had gone wrong. Evans. Just hearing his name made my blood boil. The nerve of him to show up out of nowhere, to text me like he was some concerned friend. And Reina, why hadn’t she told me right away? She keeps doing things like this and it pisses me off. She of all people knows that something like this was the cause of our problem sometime ago. I pulled into an empty parking lot and turned off the engine. When I finally walked back into the house hours later, the living room was dimly lit, and Reina was sitting on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest. She looked up as I entered, her eyes red and puffy. “You are back,” she said softly. I didn’t answer, dropping my keys on the table and heading for the kitchen. “Ethan,” she called after me with her voice trembling. I paused, leani
ReinaI was wiping down the kitchen counter when the doorbell rang. Andrew was upstairs, resting after a long day of physical therapy, and Ethan had stepped out to pick up a few things from the store.It was odd for someone to come by unannounced, especially at this hour. I wiped my hands on a towel and I headed for the door to check who was there. I was so curious and at the same time cautious that I checked the security camera three times. When I opened it, my heart stopped. I thought I was dreaming or something. “Evans,” I whispered, gripping the doorframe right. He was standing there, looking exactly as I remembered him. He was quite tall, with those piercing blue eyes and well shaved beards. But seeing him now didn’t fill me with the same warmth it once did. Instead, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been splashed over me.“Reina,” he said, his voice soft but steady. “I hope I’m not intruding.”“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. He w
Ethan “Our anniversary was tomorrow?!” That was my exact reaction when I checked the calendar and I saw that I had long forgotten the date of our anniversary . An idea had come to me while sitting in the car, waiting for Reina to return from the grocery store. Our anniversary was tomorrow, and I wanted to do something special. Something that would remind her of the good times we had shared before everything got complicated.I had been racking my brain all week, trying to come up with the perfect plan. Reina deserved something meaningful, something that was not just flowers and a card. She needed to see how much she meant to me.“Okay, Ethan,” I muttered to myself as I parked in front of the house. “You will get our way around this.”The plan was simple yet heartfelt. I was planning a surprise dinner at the place where we had had our first official date before we got married. It was not the fanciest restaurant, but it held a special place in our hearts. I had reserved a private cor
Reina“I want to support you,” he said. “In everything. Just tell me how.”“I will of course. You have to write me some checks,” I responded and winked at him. I sat there, my coffee cup in hand, still warm but untouched. My mind was racing. So much had happened in the past few days. Andrew’s illness, the fear, the worry and now, with him finally waking up and starting his recovery, things were slowly returning to normal.But there was something else on my mind. It was Ethan. He had changed. In the best way possible. After everything that had happened, after all the mistakes, I hadn’t expected this. I could not help but worry about how he had been surprising me with little gestures. The breakfast in bed, sweet notes hidden in my purse or jacket pocket. He was not perfect, and neither was I, but somehow, it felt like we were slowly finding our way back to each other. We were slowly finding out long lost love. I glanced at the note I found this morning. It was simple, yet the word
Reina“Are you going to work today?” Ethan’s voice broke the silence at breakfast.I glanced up from my plate, startled by his tone. It was not the regular cold or distant tone and it was almost… soft. He had been trying to be different lately especially after Andrew's was back from the hospital and I didn’t know how to feel about it.“I’m not sure,” I replied, poking at my food. “I might work from home.”“Good,” he said. “You have been stressing yourself. You need rest.”I blinked, unsure of how to respond. This was not the Ethan who used to complain about my hours or make sarcastic remarks. I kept quiet and continued eating.When I returned to the bedroom later that morning, something caught my eye. There was a tray on the bed. I could not remember keeping any tray on my bed. I also noticed that there was a cup of tea, a bowl of fruit, and a small note on the bed. The note read:“ You have been carrying too much on yourself lately. Let me take some of the weight. Allow me.”I s
Reina POV“Do you think he’ll wake up today?” Ethan’s voice broke the stillness of the room.The room was quiet as usual and even if a pin dropped to the floor it would be heard. I glanced at Andrew, who was still lying on the hospital bed. He was looking fragile as always and the machines were still giving him the support that he needed. “I have no idea, sweetheart. I wish he could wake up today. It would be a relief. Don't you think so?”I asked and I reached out to brush a strand of hair off his forehead. “I want that to happen too. It would be a miracle.”“He has to wake up,” I said firmly, though my heart trembled with some doubts. I was uncertain about what was happening. “I can feel it. He is going to open those eyes and look at us.”Ethan sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I wish I had your faith.”I turned to him, my eyes narrowing. I was the most pessimistic person but, somehow I had a little faith in me. “You do. You are just scared to admit it.”He stared at me for a
Reina POV The hospital was lit with some fluorescent lights and I was having chills all over my body as I remained there. I was just like a patient who was admitted there. I hated hospitals. Who doesn't, by the way? By this time of the day, the hospital was quiet and the silence was not really comforting. It just kept reminding me that there was a battle Andrew had to fight alone. I didn’t think it was possible to feel this helpless. Sitting in that chair, watching my son fight for his life, knowing there was nothing I could do but wait, it was agony. Ethan was not himself. He was pacing around the room again. “You are going to create a hole in the floor if you don't stop,” I murmured to him. My voice was low and strained. He stopped mid-step, turning to look at me. “I can’t sit still,” he admitted. “Not when he’s in there, fighting for his life.” “I know how you feel Ethan. I feel the same way. ” I said, more to myself than to him. “He has to be strong so that he can com