Chapter 19

"Hindi makapupunta si Brian mamaya. Thamara isn't answering my calls naman, and I know you can't stay for the night dahil may work ka bukas and I wouldn't ask you to stay. You've got a whole life out there and I don't want to put you in this box that you always have to look and care about me and my son."

Jordan grabbed her hands and pulled her closer to him, wrapping her arms around him and he did the same thing to her. He rested his head on hers while he was rubbing her back smoothly. He cared so much about her that she didn't want to make her feel any less. 

"Hey, I don't mind staying here with you tonight. Yeah, I've got work tomorrow, but I could go and leave tomorrow morning. I don't want to leave you here tonight and I'll get back home and sleep comfortably on my bed while you are here. Don't think about it for now. I want to be with you."

Iniangat naman ni Stacia ang tingin kay Jordan. "I appreciate you. Everything you do for me. I never had someone like you before in my life. Someone who doesn't even know me deeply, but would do anything even though that may take their time or personal stuff away. . ."

"I love what I do when I'm with you so it doesn't feel like you were taking my time away from me. . . It doesn't feel like that for me. Don't ever think that, okay?"

"Okay. . . Thank you. . ."

He giggled. "No problem. Now, what do you want for dinner?"

Stacia shrugged off. "Anything you'd like to have, I would have it, too. . ."

"Sure thing. I'll be back later." Jordan kissed Stacia on the cheeks before leaving the hospital's private room.

Napabuntonghininga naman si Stacia at saglit lamang ay narinig ang pang-aasar sa kanya ng anak nito.

"Yie, si Mama. . ." panunudyo pa ni Kian. Nilingon naman nito ang anak at hindi mapigilang mapangiti. "Mukhang hindi maalis ang tingin mo kay Jordan, Ma, ha? Di bale, okay lang 'yan. . . Masaya ako para sa inyong dalawa."

Lumapit naman si Stacia sa anak nito at niyakap nang mahigpit. "Thank you, Kian. . . Alam mong mahal na mahal din kita." Nang umalis ito sa pagkayayakap sa anak ay halos nangingilid pa ang luha sa gilid ng mata. "Alam mo bang natatakot akong ipaalam sa 'yo kung anong meron kaming dalawa ni Jordan ngayon dahil alam mo na. . . Ayokong ipamukha sa 'yo ang taong kakakilala ko lang din naman."

Napangiti naman ito. "Naiintindihan ko naman po. . . No'ng makilala ko si Tita Marlyn, hindi ko naman agad naintindihan kung bakit nagkaroon kaagad ng ibang partner si Dad. Gusto kong magalit. . . Gusto kong sabihin sa kanya na bakit hindi na lang kayo magkabalikan ulit? Nagalit ako. . . Gano'n din naman ang naramdaman ni Ate Tham. . ."

Napabitaw naman ito nang malalim na hininga. "I'm sorry you have to go through this because of me and your father's indifferences. Our separation led us to this situation. . . I knew if we were still together, you wouldn't end up in this place. . ."

Napailing naman si Kian. "Hindi niyo naman po kasalanan kung bakit nandito ako ngayon. . . It was me. It was my fault. I was just being reckless and there I paid for it."

"And we're all grateful you survived the accident. . ."

Kian smiled, nodding his head. "Me, too,  Mom. . . But how did you meet Jordan? Tell me something I don't know, Mom."

Stacia giggled. Remembering how it all started, she didn't want to spill the specific moment they had in the restroom, but she guessed she could still tell him some of the things that wouldn't make it less awkward.

She told me how she met him and how it all started. She didn't want to push Jordan into his face, but she found that he liked the way she told him about them. At that point, it was enough for her to get this kind of reaction from her son because she was so afraid that just like Thamara, she wouldn't like him for her. She felt like it was unfair for her side, but didn't say a word about it. It was clear to Kian that Jordan liked her Mom. He wasn't against it and not just because they found a common interest in loving the Star Wars movies, he bonded just great with someone who didn't him personally, but felt like they knew each other for a long time.

While they were waiting for Jordan to come back, Stacia was surprised when Kian asked about Thamara.

"Will she come over tonight?" he asked.

Napailing naman ang magulang nito. "No. . . I haven't heard a word from her since that day. I would give her some space for now if that is what she wants, but I don't want her to think that what I have with Jordan would make me forget my relationship with both of you. You and your sister are the most important people in my life. I don't know what to do with my life if I would lose both of you. . . Ikaw pa nga lang nang mabalitaan kong idinala sa hospital ay hindi na ako mapakali. I wished I was the one who was in your position rather than you. . . You've got a whole life ahead of you and I can't let you miss those beautiful things you could do that's why I would do everything to bring a future that you deserve. . ."

"I'm sorry if Ate reacted that way. . ."

"No, baby. Don't be sorry. . . I understand your sister and she has the right to be mad at me. For what I've caused and what is happening, I couldn't blame her. I wouldn't also blame you if you would feel that way because that's just how a human being should feel. No one would be okay magically about that news. . . I hope I can talk to your sister soon and resolve this soon enough. . ."

"I'll try to talk to her, Mom. . ."

"Alright. . . But don't push her if she doesn't want to. I don't want her to hate me more. . ."

Kian nodded. Stacia found a way to end that conversation by asking Kian for something to eat. When he answered he wanted an apple, she peeled an apple and sliced it. After doing it, she handed it over to her son and handed over a bottle of water as well with it.

Later on, she realized that Jordan was taking too long to come back, so she called and sent him a message just to know where he was now. Pero hindi sumasagot ito. Hindi naman siya totally nabahala pa at hinayaan niya munang lumipas ang ilang minuto. Jordan could had his phone left in his car and or has no battery at this point.

When Kian asked where Jordan could be right now, Stacia didn't know what to answer. Muli naman niyang tinawagan ito, pero hindi sumasagot. Sa puntong iyon ay namuo ang kaba sa dibdib niya. She doesn't know who to reach out to ask where Jordan would be at. He could be playing around or he was stuck in traffic trying to get to the hospital as soon as possible. She thought they should've just ordered food rather than Jordan going out by himself.

She took a glass of water and drank from it. While she was trying to compose herself and think not too crazy about what could happen, it kept bugging her mind. The trauma that got into her from all the things she went through, she couldn't think of any less than that.

Mayamaya lamang ay narinig nila ang pinto ng kwaro na bumukas. Mabilis na napatayo sa kanyang kinauupuan si Stacia at hindi naalis ang tingin sa taong papasok ng silid. Nang makita niya si Jordan ay nakahinga ito nang maluwag ngunit mas ipinangamba nito nang makita ang pasa sa mukha.

"Jordan!" agad naman itong lumapit na puno nang pag-aalala ang mukha. "Anong nangyari sa 'yo? Bakit puro galos at pasa ka? Na-aksidente ka ba? Saan ka nanggaling? Jordan?" Niyakap na lamang ni Stacia ang lalaki ngunit ininda nito ang sakit sa katawan kaya naman inalis nito ang pagkayayakap sa lalaki.

"I've got us some food. . ." aniya. "It's cold now, but we could still eat it. . ."

Iniangat nito ang tingin niya sa lalaki. "I don't care about the food, Jordan. What happened to you?"

Napahugot ito nang malalim na hininga saka binitawan ito at inilayo ang tingin sa lalaki. "I got mugged off. . . I just come across this people who were wearing masks on their faces. I wasn't able to get to know who they were, but they all just came at me. I couldn't help myself. I wasn't able to defend myself. Before I get here, I go to the police station and report the incident and they will get back to me once they've got a lead. . . For now, I just gotta wait. . ."

"Oh, Jordan. . . I'm so sorry. . ." 

"No, it's okay. . . I'm well and alive, that's all that matters. . ." he said, wrapping his arms around her, and kissing her on her hair. "I'm here now. . . Don't worry about anything now. . ."

But Stacia wouldn't let it go. . . Not until she found out who did it to him.