Chapter 3. The sign

Helsey's Pov

I woke up with a severe headache. I don't have enough sleep since I was anxious about my mother's condition. My heart is still burdensome from what happened last night. I don't want to think about it, but my heart wanted to.

I fell asleep beside my mom's bed.

Her consciousness returned last night.

"What happened?" My mom asked me as I got up.

"You fainted, mom," I said, holding her hand.

"I don't want to be here."

"I don't want too, mom, but you need to get better, and then we will go back home," I explained.

"We don't have money. We can't afford the bill if I stay with her longer." She said she was more worried about the money than herself.

"Don't think about it, mom; I can find way." I gave her a smile, thinking about Brandon's money that he had given me. Should I use it? I was planning to return the money to him.

I exited her room, and while I was holding the doorknob, I peered at her before I shut the door.

As I turned around to walk away in front of her room, someone bumped into me.

"Ouch." I groaned while holding my right shoulder.

He was running, and I didn't see him coming; we both fell onto the floor. My butt hurts.

"Sorry," he said, and he stood up. He offered his hand to help me get up.

I grabbed it, and as he pulled me up, I shook myself off and fixed my shirt.

"I'm really sorry again; I didn't mean to bump into you. I was in a hurry." He explained. I couldn't see his whole face as he was wearing a mask and a black cap. He was as tall as Brandon...

"Would you please stop thinking about him, just this time, Helsey?" my inner me said.

I closed my eyes and shook my head as I agreed with my inner self.

"That's okay," I said, even though I felt like I was being bumped by a metal object.

He bowed down as he left me.

As I returned to the room, I almost dropped the food and fruits I bought for my mother.

"Bianey?" I asked in shock as I opened the door. What was she doing?

"Oh! you're back," she said while putting the flowers in the vase she brought. As she did, she faced me and smiled.

"How did you---"

"Asset." And she winked at me.

"Whaaat?"

"Tsk." She took the plastic bag from her hand and placed it on the table.

"I brought some food and fruits too. You shouldn't buy that," she snorted into the plastic bag.

"If I had caught up with you, you wouldn't have bought food because I bought a lot." She said,

I let her arrange the fruits in the fruit tray, and I prepared the plate of food for my mother.

Bianey is nice; I just met her months ago and felt like we were longtime besties.

I sat down through the bed, where my mother was leaning her back toward the headboard. As I pushed a morsel of food into my mom's mouth, Bianey kept talking.

"I wasn't sure where your house was, but I saw your aunt as she entered the gate," she said.

For real? Did she know what street I was on? Oh God! How did she know my aunt too?

"I asked where's your house, then lucky me, she was your aunt and told me you weren't there. She told me everything, since I wasn't that busy as your beloved boyfriend. I decided to visit you here." She gave her sweetest smile to me.

I wish I could have a sister like her.

"Speaking of Brandon, Did he know it already?" My forehead creased as she mentioned his name.

"N-No." Her eyes widened. "What? Aren't you going to tell him?" She said in shock.

"We hadn't had communication these past days," I said, my voice thick.

"For real? Hmmp! That little brat... Nevermind! He was busy anyway since our mother sent him to Hawaii for our upcoming

"What? Is he in Hawaii?"

My mother, who was beside me, was startled as I raised my voice. Bianey looked at me with a wonder-struck face.

"Yes,he has been in Hawaii with Reagon for two weeks now," she clearly said again.

What? So who was that last night at Luxury Bar? I saw them; I clearly saw them... He was driving his BMW car, and he was kissing a girl. Everything that Brandon has looks like him.

I know what I'm seeing; I'm neither deranged nor dreaming that night. He was in a suit, as Brandon is always wearing. I called him that night, and he said he was busy. After that, I've never had to open my cellphone as I don't want to hear his excuses.

The moment I realized the time zones between the Philippines and Hawaii, I wanted to jump in happiness. The moment I called him, he said he was busy, and I thought he was in that car with that girl, accusing him of cheating on me. He might be in meetings or elsewhere at that time. I was so overdramatic yet disappointed that he hadn't just told me that.

It was my first heartbreak, but with a stranger, and that's absolutely insane.

2 weeks ago, as my mother rushed to the hospital, wasn't that boring as I expected since we last admitted her to the hospital? Several times, she had been admitted.

Brandon's sister casually visited me also.

"Can I talk to you, Ms. Helsey Kaden?" The doctor asked, as he was done checking my mom, who's now sleeping.

I nodded as I gave my response.

He sighs, "Your mother is in stage 4 cancer."

"Where am I?"

I asked myself as I toured the familiar room.

"Are you okay?" The familiar voice asked.

I tilt my head as I see Brandon sitting in bed beside me.

"What happened?"

"You collapsed earlier; I brought you home since your aunt said you were so stressed about what happened to your mother," he said, and I sighed.

I remembered the doctor trying to tell me earlier.

I fleetedly raised myself as I remembered what he said. I sat down on the bed and took a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" Brandon asked.

How's it possible that my mom was in stage 4 carcinoma cancer? How quickly is that disease spreading through her body? Can we survive this ordeal? I hope so. I don't want her to leave me.

"Sey." His hand wipes my tears. I didn't even know I had already cried, as I knew my heart was so heavy thinking about my mom's condition.

I don't want this... I don't want him to see me cry.

I cleared my throat, and I remembered he was in Hawaii. Why was he here?

"When did you come back?" I asked him.

"Earlier, Bianey told me everything," he said with his empty expression. "Why do you turn off your phone?" He furrowed his brows.

And here we are. I remember that night again. I know it was my fault. But it's his fault too for not telling me he was going to Hawaii.

"Why aren't you even telling me you're going to Hawaii?" I furrowed my forehead while asking him.

He scratched his head. "I thought we had just a quick fix to fix things there." He said, That's all?

We are having dinner, and then I will be going back to the hospital. I am afraid to go back there, but I have no choice. I know my mom would be sad that I wasn't there when she woke up.

"How's your feeling right now?"

"A bit okay, but these past few days I felt like I was just going to sleep the whole day."

"Are we going to see a doctor?" I furrowed my brow at him and stopped digging my food into my plate.

"Why?" I asked, as I astonishingly look at him why we had to do that.

"To check your health," he said. I rolled my eyes.

"You're overacting; I'm just tired. Sleepless, that's all," I said, pricking the pork with a fork.

I bit extra, as I felt like I wasn't full yet. The pork adobaw he cooks makes me hungry. I placed another rice and pork adobaw on my plate as I ladled it.

"I never knew you were a good cooker," I said with my mouth full. Brandon was just staring at me.

"Do I?" He asked, and I nodded.

"Aren't you feeding yourself while I was away?" I choked, and he immediately grabbed the glass of water and thrust it to me.

"What was that question?" I frown at him. After drinking the water. Does he sarcastically ask it? Of course! I eat every day, but it was just the pork adobaw he cooks that made me hungry this time.

"Nevermind, just continue eating."

AT THE HOSPITAL

As we entered my mom's room, my Aunt was sitting on the sofa.

"How are you?" My aunt said as I put some food on the table and Brandon Mano to my aunt.

"Are we going to have her have another chemo aunt?" I asked her while she was giving me her down-in-the dumps look.

My aunt looks at Brandon,

"Maybe you need some privacy; I need to go home since I have much to do on paper work," Brandon said. Before leaving, he kissed my forehead and said goodbye to my aunt too.

I watched him exit the door until he shut it.

I sigh and sit down beside my aunt. "She looks so pale." My voice cracked as I said it.

"Her weight was far from what it was before," my aunt added.

"I pity her on why she needs to experience this horrible disease. Seeing her fighting for her life makes me weak. I don't want to look at her enduring the pain she felt. It hurts seeing my mom, aunt. It hurts knowing if I lose her, I have nothing. It's so unfair. I know Dad loves her so much, but he was so selfish for taking her from me. I can't stand my whole life without my mom." I sobbed,

My aunt grabbed me and let me lean on her shoulder. "Don't say such things; you still have me, your boyfriend, and your friends. Your mom will survive this, trust me," she said while chafing my back as she tried to comfort me.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

We tilted our heads to the door where Mira was about to enter.

"You can come," I said, wiping my tears. I stood up and walked toward her.

"I'm sorry, I just got time to visit you here; how was your mother?"

"I'm glad you had time, but still she wasn't that strong as before. Still lying down and barely eating..." I explained. She hugged me as I sobbed again, and I hugged her back. It feels so good when you are in difficult times and your best friend is hugging you.

"I see. Don't cry. Things will be okay." We separated from our hug, and as she glanced at my aunt, she walked towards her and did her \*Mano\* to her.

"Is Brandon from here earlier? I saw him in the parking lot of the hospital," Mira asked. "Yes, minutes ago," I responded.

As my aunt says goodbye to us, me and Mira.

She was going home for awhile.

Mira and I talked about everything.

"Does she need chemo again?" She asked me, and I forgot about that. I was asking my Aunt about it earlier.

"Maybe I haven't yet asked about it with my aunt.",

"It should cost a bit of money again."

"Probably," I said. "But I'll do everything just to cure her of her illness," I added.

"Everything? Like what?"

"I don't know, since I have been dispelled from my work," I said, turning my face away as I felt ashamed.

"I see... I'm sorry, Sey, I guessed I should go now; it's already 9 p.m.; I'll be back tomorrow," she said, and she stood up. She hugged me again as she said goodbye.

Now that I was alone with my mother, I kept staring at her like she was really losing so much weight. Her bald head makes her look like a different person, and her lips are pale. The bags on her eyes looked like she was so tired.

"Are you tired, mom?" I asked her while kneeling down to match the height of her bed. Even though she wouldn't answer because she's still sleeping.

I hold her hand and kiss it. "Don't leave me, mom," I said, and I felt a sudden squeamishness and was about to spew\... I jogged through the bathroom and vomited through the bowl.

I continued vomiting until I felt okay after a few minutes.

"Why was I puking knowing I wasn't that full from our dinner earlier? I wondered while facing the mirror and washing the ends of my hair as I vomited it. I'm glad there's a bathroom inside my mother's room; I can't imagine if I'd puke on the floor of the hospital while running to the public toilet.

I'm back from where my mom is, and while sitting on the sofa not far from the bed, I lean my back as I relax myself. I feel dizzy.

My phone rang.

I immediately grab my phone from my bag, as I know from the screen who's calling...

"Unknown..." I murmur.

I answered it while still leaning against the sofa.

"Hel--"

"It's Mrs. Wilsome; I need to talk to you at exactly 8:00 a.m.; meet me at the hospital near coffee shop."

"Don't tell Brandon Rhey." She added and hung up the phone.

My heartbeat was fast as I knew she was calling me. How did she know my number? Why wouldn't I tell Brandon about it?

Argh! Don't think such things, Helsey! I know she's a freak, but not that desperate to kill me... That wasn't so easy; if she planned bad things for me, I'd be meeting her tomorrow at the coffee shop.

I should go, whatever she plans for me. I would fight!