"There's no need for all this Sof, I already told you that I am fine, I will be good, I promise," Audriana said once Sofia parked close to the hospital for her to be checked.
She agreed that she was a bit shaken by what happened minutes ago but she has been trying to explain to Sofia that she was just in a state of shock that's why she couldn't respond then and was okay but her caring best friend begs to differ.
"Let's just be sure that things are okay with you before we leave for your parent's place" Sofia sighed "You know how worked up your parents might get just because of this, I don't want them to be worried when they find out what happened today"
"They do not have to know"
"But you're still shaken up by what happened" Sofia states.
Audriana couldn't argue about that because it's true. She still feels shaken up by what happened minutes ago and if Sofia had not come to take her away from that harsh man, he would have kept blaming her and she would have broken down in tears.
That 'not incident' brought back memories she wanted dead, memories she buried long ago and left in her past. Then something flashed through her mind.
"I just want to make sure that you are okay, You're my best friend and your safety is my priority. Now get down and let's go see a doctor to check you up" Sofia opened the door but Audriana stopped her.
"The man... that man that nearly hit me, you know him?" she asked her friend and noticed the sudden change in her countenance.
Sofia put the back of her hand on Audriana's face and cheeks then closed the door and started the engine. "I think you're feeling better now, let's get going to your parent's place," she avoided the question and turned around in the way of 'The Bernard's' residence.
Audriana was a bit confused by her friend's sudden reaction to the simple question she asked. She was still wondering why she refused to answer her question and stayed quiet about it.
They met with traffic and moved when the cars moved.
Sofia looked at her and then smiled which she couldn't reciprocate.
"Do you think we should get some groceries for your parents?" she asked but Audriana didn't respond "Ask them what they want us to bring for them," she pointed to her phone that sat on her lap.
"Why did you ignore my question?" Audriana inquired with a little furrow on her brows.
"What question?"
"Seriously Sofia?" she raised her voice a bit "That man, you mentioned his name and he mentioned yours, and even though you both looked hostile towards each other, you guys definitely know each other," she said.
Sofia looked to her front as the cars moved, she moved too and stopped when they stopped. She let out a sigh and refused to look at her friend even though she could feel her boring glaring holes in the side of her head.
"Ignoring me will not make me stop asking," Audriana said.
"He's someone I know, that's all you should know" Sofia answered gruffly. She sounded annoyed already.
"That's all?" Audriana couldn't believe her best friend of so many years couldn't open up to her about this mystery man. "That's not something you just tell your bestie, I know he is more than just someone you know, tell me. You won't need to go into details if you do not want to, just tell me who he is to you and I'll wait for you to give me the gist of why you hate his guts"
"I don't hate anyone" Sofia defends.
"Well, it does sound like you do"
"Can we just drop this?" she asked, her tone sounding angry already.
"Why are you getting all angry at me? I just ask a harmless question and you're here giving me attitude" Audriana scoffed then shook her head and looked out the window.
They stayed quiet for a while, the car moved along with the other cars till they were almost out of the traffic lane.
"Will you at least tell me who he is to yo-"
"CAN YOU JUST MIND YOUR BUSINESS? I TOLD YOU ALREADY THAT HE IS SOMEONE I KNOW, JUST... just leave it" she yelled, breathing in and out so loud, that anyone who passed by would hear her.
Audriana stared at her with wide-opened eyes that held hurt and anger. She suddenly felt the need to cry and just had to blink severally to keep them in.
"I'm sorry for being so concerned," her voice was heavy with emotions and she looked out her side of the window.
Sofia, realizing what she did, tried to apologize but Audriana stopped her and pointed to their front.
"The line is moving, just take me to my parent's place," she said.
Sofia wanted to say something but the cars behind them were honking for her to move so she continued their journey.
The ride was silent and they were almost at her parent's place but Sofia's phone kept ringing, she ignored it because of how tense the atmosphere was but the phone kept ringing, so she had to park to answer the call.
Audriana took a glance at her and leaned on the window with her eyes now closed.
Sofia looked at the caller, it was from the hospital. She took deep breaths in, let it out slowly, and tried to bite down her nervousness.
She picked up the call and placed the phone on her ear to listen to what the doctor had to say.
"Hello?"
"Miss De Leon," the voice of her mum's attending doctor said. Sofia felt her heart banging against her ribcage, faster and it sounded like she could hear it.
The doctor sounded panicked so something happened, and she knew that it was bad.
"There's a problem" she didn't need to ask, Audriana looked at her when she heard her say that.
The doctor hesitated "Your mum... she, your mum... could you come in, it's serious" he said.
"What's going on Sof?" Audriana asked when she saw the ghostly look on Sofia's face and how her hand that held the phone was slightly shaking "Sof what's going on, talk to me" she demanded.
"Please tell me she isn't dead," she whimpered and covered her mouth.
"No, but I don't know how long she can hold on, How long this will hold her" he replied to her.
"Sof" Audriana whispered, her eyes holding unshed tears while her friend was already crying.
"Please come Sofia, it's not something to be said over the phone"
Sofia nodded her head "I'll be there" she whispered then let the phone slip out of her hand to her lap as she sobbed hard against the steering wheel.
"Sof, please tell me what's going on. Is your mum okay? Tell me she's not dead, Sof" she cried, holding her friend's hand and bringing her to herself.
Sofia cried against her shoulder for some time then she raised her forehead and cleaned her eyes. "We... I need to get to the hospital, I'll take you home and I'll co-"
"Are you nuts? I'm not going home till I am sure your mum is okay. We are both going there to make sure things are good," she opened the door and walked over to the driver's side.
"Move to the passenger seat and I'll drive," she said when she opened the door.
"I can sti-"
"Sofia don't let me repeat myself. Move now," she pointed to the chair and Sofia did as she was told.
They got to the hospital in no time and were ushered to the doctor's office, the doctor was already waiting for them as he checked her mother's file.
"What happened Miles?" Sofia asked when she sat in front of him with Audriana beside her.
Miles put down her mother's file and then let out a sigh as he looked between both ladies.
"The cancer happened again," he said then showed them the MRI result of the test conducted on her mum. He points to a distorting part of the image "The cancer grew but now it's in her brain, her marrow, her pancreas, and if we don't act fast, it will eat her up and..." he didn't complete his sentence but they knew what would happen.
"Is there anything that can be done?"
"There is but it's not one hundred percent reliable. The last surgery should have eliminated all the cancer like we predicted the other time, so it's really... I don't know what to say" he rubbed his temple.
"This treatment is still being tested to be at least 60% sure it can cure this cancer your mum has but..."
"But?"
"It has its side effects, and if the treatment fails..." he didn't complete his sentence, and she gasped when she understood what he meant.
Sofia was torn by what was happening., It is challenging for her, and there's only one way she can go about this.
"If we do nothing, she'll die. Go ahead with the treatment, who knows," she shrugged "This could be the treatment to wipe all her pain and make her whole again,"
"She might never remain the same Sofia, why not give in to her req-"
"No, she's the only family I've got, and I can't lose her. She's my mum, and I'll do anything to make sure that she is better, anything," she cried.
Miles nodded and then explained more about the process and how long they will monitor her mum when they start the treatment for her.
She thanked him, and both ladies left the office.
Sofia cried in Audriana's arms when they were in the waiting room, and all she could do was give her all the support she needed.
… Six months later … “Here you go” Sofia handed her a glass of juice and a plate of snacks, she sat on the couch beside her and rubs her really visible bump. “Thank you” she sniffed the snack then scrunch her nose as she looks at Sofia who frowned at what she did. “Did you make this with fish?” she asks. “No?” Audriana’s brow rose and she shrugged “Maybe there was some fish seasoning added but there isn’t much of that inside,” she says. “I am not eating that, I feel disgusted, no offense” Audriana dropped the plate on the table and looks at her friend who was irritated. “Well, for your information lady, my pregnant ass is offended and I am eating them because I am craving them” she took the plate and starts eating from the plate. “I am sorry ma’am, I…” Audriana sighs and placed the glass of juice on the table then turns fully to her friend who gave her full attention “I… I have been so stressed these couple of days” she said. “Oh baby, what’s going on? Still on that Daniella’s c
“Do you feel okay today?” he asked and she nods then lay back on the bed properly while he packed the plate they just finished eating with. It’s been a few days since that incident and they are slowly accepting what happened and wanted to move on. Dimitri had been shuffling between coming to spend time with her, going to work, and helping to find out what caused the blast that took his baby and nearly took his wife’s life. “I feel okay, I guess,” she said to him then moved a bit so that he can sit properly on her bed “I still feel weak though” she chuckled and he took her hand then kissed her knuckles and palm. “No one is expecting you to jump back on your feet so soon, we are still in the beginning stage of our healing so easy does it” he leaned in and pecked her. “We’ll be good, okay?” he whispered then kissed her cheek and leaned back. “Thanks for being here” “You don’t need to thank me, everything will be good” he nods and she nods too. “Do you need anything else?” “No, I am
It was evening already and he was woken by one of the nurses who told him to step out for a while so that they could check Audriana properly. He sat up on the couch and looked past the nurse to his wife who looked a bit pale and had no smile on her face as she responds to whatever she’s been asked by the doctor that was sitting on the stool beside her with a clipboard in his hand. “Is she okay?” he looked back at the nurse “She has no memory loss?” he asked and the nurse shook her head. “She will be fine sir but please step out for a while,” she tells him and he nods then stood up on his feet and looked back at his wife to see that she was already looking at him then she tore her gaze from him and back to the doctor. For that brief moment that their eyes met, he felt his knees go weak and the urge to cry for what she will come to know of made his heart heavy. He blinked several times and walked out of the room with wobbly legs. When he was outside, he saw only Aiden sitting outsid
“Yes, I am Dimitri Lorenzo” he walked closer to him. “Doctor please, how is my wife? Where is she?” he asked looking hopefully at the doctor. “Please be calm Mr. Lorenzo… my name is Chargo Arrivederci, I am the doctor in charge of Mrs. Lorenzo’s case” he introduced himself and held his hand out for a handshake. Reluctantly, Dimitri accepted it and kept asking about his wife. “According to the reports we were told when she was brought in, it was a blast that prompted her to be here, and seeing that she hadn’t been in any way close to where the blast happened, is a good thing” he explained. Dimitri’s face softened and he began to relax from what the doctor was explaining but he still needed to be sure. “So, she’s fine? She’s okay?” “Well, like I said the blast did nothing to her only that when she was brought in, she was bleeding so bad, and when we checked the cause of the bleeding sir… I am so sorry, but we tried our best” he said. Heart sinking… that was exactly how he was feel
“Okay, sure… just give me updates on how it's improving, and one of these days I will come over to see how far you guys have gone with testing,” she said over the phone as she made her way out of the university building and to the car park that was outside the compound where she had parked. “Thank you so much for your help with fishing out who was behind the disruption of the model we thought had failed testing, it means a lot to me and my dad… yeah, I am aware that you are a long-term employee here and I appreciate your honesty so thank you Mr. Hans” she thanked. Finally, they were able to pull out all the bad weeds in their company and employ fresh talents looking to grow in the field… now they are testing another model and hope that this time no one messes with it, especially now that they have heavy security watching the engineers overlooking the project. “Thank you once again and I will call you later,” she said and disconnect the call then walked out of the university’s compou
The past weeks have been really stressful and it’s taking a huge toll on Dimitri. Him following up with his secret investigations to put Daniella Copello behind bars for good this time and him asking himself countless times if he should go get his wife now or not. He has been battling that within him every single day and would sometimes go to Sofia’s apartment building and stay at the angle where her window was to just catch a grasp of her. He had gone there multiple times to the extent that a resident that didn’t recognize him told him that she would report his creepy routine if he came back to creep on the window he looks at every time comes around that area so he stopped going, even a disguise wouldn’t help. So, he got news about her well-being from Aiden frequently and it brought him some sort of peace that she was okay but just trying to cope with their little space as he calls it. It is never a separation, it is just them having space to figure things out. He would be comple