5 #An Acquainted Neighbor

"What are you doing here? Both I and Brandon said at the same time, amazed by finding each other on either side of the door.

"That's what I want to know," we both said again together.

"Go ahead," Brandon said, allowing me to speak first.

"What are you doing on my doorstep?"

"You live here," he said with a smile. "Guess what? We are neighbors.

I looked at him uncertainty, not trusting his words, but before I could say something, a sweet little voice distracted me.

"Daddy," I lowered my gaze and noticed a tiny girl around five tugging Brandon's pants.

"Oh, yeah… How can I forget? Brandon murmured, brushing his hair with his fingers. "Sorry, can we use your bathroom?"

"What!"

"I can't hold more, please," pleaded the child, jumping up and down.

I pointed my finger towards the bathroom door, and on my note, Brandon ran with his child in his arms towards the door.

"Thank you," Brandon said after some time standing outside the bathroom door.

I nodded my head in reply.

I don't know if it's fate or something else. But first, I met Brandon at the hospital, and now he is standing inside my house. " Sorry to bother you, but the plumbing in our house is not working well.

"It’s fine," I replied.

"Daddy,"

"Are you okay? Brandon asked upon hearing the voice of his daughter inside the door. "Do you want me to come in?"

Brandon entered the bathroom at her request. "What happened?"

"Can you open the water? I need to wash my hands," Brandon nodded.

I was standing by the door when I saw Brandon turning the faucet a little too hard. Then he should, I guess, because within seconds the faucet was in two pieces, one on Brandon’s hand, as the water started splashing in every direction, making him all wet. He turned his head, looking at me, smiling nervously as he attempted to stop the water. Well, her daughter is smart enough to run away from him to stay dry, and poor Brandon, in an attempt to fix the faucet, broke it completely, making the water fall from every direction in the whole bathroom.

Brandon gave me a nervous smile before slipping on the bathroom floor, with all the water splashing everywhere. I don’t know why, but I couldn't help myself laughing at the scene in front of my eyes, and I don’t think I’m the only one to blame here because even his daughter can’t stop her cackling seeing her father like this. The sound of our laughter echoed through the bathroom as Brandon struggled to regain his balance.

"Ha-ha... very funny," Brandon complained, trying to stand but slipping, falling on his ass, and starting to laugh himself.

The view is funny as heck. I can’t lie, but he can’t lie all day like this, so I went to stop the main valve of the water supply, making the splashing stop. I will fix the faucet later. And I came back, lending my hand out for Brandon, with both our hands held to each other. Brandon tried to stand but slipped again, this time making me fall on top of him. The fall made us cackle again. We couldn't help but laugh at our ridiculous situation.

But this time something started to feel heavy in my chest. With the laughter, every type of emotion started flooding through my heart and into my eyes, making me realize all my losses—the emotions that were there but still hidden—the realization, the thought that I wanted to but was not being able to accept for so long—the fact of losing everything and everyone all at once. As the laughter subsided, a wave of sadness washed over me, causing tears to stream down my face. It was as if the weight of my losses had finally caught up to me at that moment. The realization hit me hard, leaving me feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed with grief. There wasn't a single tear in my eyes on the day when I lost everyone, but now, in front of a complete stranger, the heaviness that has been beneath my heart for so many days is finally coming out as tears.

I'm crying and mourning for the first time in days.

Brandon looked at me with concern, as tears didn't stop streaming from my eyes. With my heart so heavy, I felt as if I couldn't breathe. "Jane, Are you okay? I shook my head at his words.

Brandon picked me up in arms, concerned looking at the condition. He gently whispered, "It's okay to let it all out. I'm here for you. Holding onto him tightly, I finally allowed myself to fully surrender to the overwhelming grief that had consumed me.

It didn't hurt that bad when I lost everyone, but now that I can't even see their faces or their smiles, they will never talk to me or cheer me up again. I'm alone with no one—no family, no love, no siblings, nothing. My body started shivering, not from the cold but from the realization. Tears streamed down my face as the weight of loneliness settled upon me, a heavy burden that seemed impossible to bear. In that moment, I understood the true depth of my loss and the profound emptiness that now filled my heart.

Brandon placed my body on the bed. "You get changed, and I go get some water for you. He said, leaving me alone. I was inert, with my mind heavy with all my emotions, and changed into the first thing that came in hand, sitting on the bed, as my eyes stared at my hands that were shivering badly. The room felt suffocatingly quiet, amplifying the ache in my chest. I longed for solace, for someone to understand the pain that consumed me.

Brandon knocked on the door before coming in. "Drink this," he said, placing a glass of water in my hand. With my hand shaking badly, I couldn't even take a gulp of water on my own. Brandon placed his hand on mine, helping me drink a bit of water. "Why don’t you take a rest? Take my number and call me if you need anything. He wrote his number on a piece of paper.

"Don't leave, please," I said, holding his hand. I don't want to be alone, not now. I'm too afraid of myself. Brandon looked at me with concern in his eyes, understanding the depth of my fear. "I won't leave you alone," he reassured me softly. "I'll stay by your side until you feel safe again. He sat on the bed as he asked me to go to sleep. I nodded my head, trying to close my eyes, holding Brandon's hands in mine.

It was that day, and it's today. It’s because of Brandon that I decided to get proper psychiatric treatment. At first, I thought it was a waste of time, but I started to feel the change in me. The pain of the suffering hasn’t disappeared, but it is better than it was before. Making me a better person and providing me with a friend like Brandon in life.