Without a moment’s hesitation, Cherry wrapped her arms tight around her husband. Her tears flowed in free with slow trickling down as the weight of Alfred’s revelation sank into her. She could hardly grasp what he had just told her.
He gazed into her eyes before pulling her into a deep kiss in a desperate and consuming reaction as if afraid they might never get this chance again. Even as they gave up to their emotions, Cherry’s tears didn’t stop from falling.
Now, their bodies lay beneath by the shared blanket, their clothes scattered across the floor. They had both fallen into a deep slumber—until Cherry suddenly woke up. Her eyes wandered to the clock and it widened her eyes to startle.
“Oh no!” she muttered in her mind. “It’s already eight o’clock. I have to prepare our breakfast.”
She quickly slipped on her slippers, worn a dress, and rushed to the kitchen to cook some meal for them.
After thirty minutes, she had finally laid out the dishes and rice on the table. There were eggs, hotdogs, and longganisa in just simple but warm offerings of love.
Moments later, she heard soft footsteps against the floor. Alfred emerged, carrying their youngest child, Cyprus, while their daughter Carina clung to his right arm.
Cherry smiled of have seen of her eyes “Perfect timing! Breakfast is ready.”
They gathered at the table. Then, they shared stories, laughed over jokes, and watched television together afterward as part of their simple family bonding. Cherry needs to go back to the kitchen to prepare next for their lunch—chicken tinola.
A small sense of peace began to bloom in Cherry’s heart. Things between her and Alfred were starting to feel better. But deep inside, she knew their trials were far from over—her husband still fought for his stage two bone cancer.
Cherry took on more side jobs to help cover the cost of Alfred’s check-ups and medication. He did what he could to contribute, taking on occasional gigs, but more often than not, it was Cherry who was left to manage everything—watching over the kids, running errands, and from dropping them off to picking them up from school.
One day, Carina’s school held an important event—it was the Family Day. Unfortunately, Alfred couldn’t come. He had to go out of town for a sideline job.
Carina noticed most of her classmates were accompanied by their complete families. “Mama,” she asked quietly, “Papa is really not coming?”
“No, sweetheart,” Cherry replied, gently caressing her daughter’s head. “Didn’t Papa tell you he has a work today? That’s why he can’t come. But it’s okay, right? We can enjoy this together even without him.”
The girl rolled her eyes and looked away, watching her classmates with a faint pout.
She sat quietly, sandwiched between her little brother Cyprus and her mother. A few minutes later, some of her classmates came over.
“Hey, Carina, where’s your dad?” asked Angel, who was a little shorter than her.
“Yeah, where is he?” Roger, one of the boys, echoed.
“Look up. You’re the only one without a father here,” Angel added again, not realizing the sting in her words.
“This is Family Day, so you’re supposed to be with your whole family,” Jannah interupts, Carina's other classmate.
Their conversation interfered when the host has spoken through it's microphone, signaling the start of the event. Families started preparing themselves for the planned activities.
Carina remained expressionless that observing her classmates in silence. Deep inside, envy was creeping slowly into her heart. She couldn’t help but it feels left out that everyone else had fathers with their own side. The everyone but not including her.
Upon arriving home, Cherry immediately ushered her children to take them rest and did the same as herself. But in fifteen minutes into her respite, her husband has arrived.
“How was work?” she asked in softened voice as Alfred entered the room.
“It was okay… but I don’t have the strength I used to,” he replied, his voice barely audible. The exhaustion on his face said more than words ever could.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and gazed at her with eyes heavy from more than just fatigue. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. It was all he could say—but to him, that single word carried everything he had held in for too long.
“I’m sorry for everything I’ve done,” he said again, reaching for Cherry’s hand. “I’m sorry I keep getting triggered you because of your past... because of Jared.”
He had always known deep down that even after they got together, a part of Cherry still loved her ex-boyfriend. When they were yet married, that truth lingered on him like a ghost between them. And in his mind, it never stopped haunting him that turns to jealousy, anger and all destructive thought that maybe he was just a rebound for the man she couldn’t forget.
The torment festered inside him until it poisoned him. He had hurted Cherry over and over without even realizing it, the guilt and insecurity pushing him to lash out.
But now... now he saw it. And he hated the man he had been.
“I was selfish… and I hurt you,” Alfred choked out, tears brimming in his eyes. The sincerity in his voice was undeniable, sounds with remorse. “Please, Cherry. Forgive me. Let me make it up to you even just a little.” He cupped her cheeks tenderly, holding her gaze as if waiting for her verdict. “Let me help again.”
He had to. Especially now—when he no longer had the certainty of time. He didn’t know how long his stay in this world.
“Let me make it good… and returning us back to what we used to be,” he whispered, pressing a kiss on her forehead as his eyes clenched shut as if trying to hold in the fear and pain that trembled beneath the surface.
Cherry’s heart become softened. “Your apology is enough for me, Alfred,” she said quietly. “Hearing those it feels like thorns have been pulling out from my throat.”
Her husband smiled with the tears. “Please, Cherry. Let me do this.”
Then, without another word, Alfred leaned to his wife and kissed her. It was a sudden but in a gentle way, full of longing. Cherry responded, her lips meeting his with a tenderness she hadn’t felt in a long time. The kiss deepened, slow and meaningful. Alfred’s hands began to trace the outline of her body, while Cherry’s fingers ran along his sides, as if memorizing him all over again. And that night, they gave in to the moment they both needed.
Three months passed that Alfred’s illness become worse.
He could no longer move the way he used to. His body is thin, his bones started to swell painfully. The weight of his condition grew heavier by the day.
Cherry grew increasingly distressed. The next morning, her exhaustion showed clearly that was her co-workers have noticed.
“You okay?” Karen asked, concern etching on her face. Cherry looks tired and so drained.
Cherry merely nodded, trying to offer a smile.
“Maybe you should take some time off,” Glenda suggested gently. “You need to rest, Cherry.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted, trying to stay composed. “Don’t worry. I can still manage.”
She would’ve said more, but Aling Marietta arrived and glanced at them—her eyes narrowing slightly as she focused on Cherry.
“Something wrong?”
“Ma’am, it’s Cherry… she’s not feeling well,” Glenda answered honestly that wasting no time with pretense.
Aling Marietta stepped closer to examine upon her face. “Is that true?”
After a pause, the older woman sighed. “They’re right, iha. You need to rest. Don’t worry about your work. We’ll take care of it. What matters more is your health.”
But Cherry shook her head. “I can still work, Aling Marietta. I really can.”
She couldn’t afford to stop—not now. Not with Alfred sick. Her husband needed medicine, care, support… and she was their only hope. She couldn’t tell Aling Marietta the truth. She didn’t want a pity. And she certainly didn’t want to be a burden as a woman sending kids to school.
“You’re sure?” Aling Marietta pressed.
Cherry nodded again.
“Alright,” the woman relented. “But if I see you collapse or become faint again, I will send you home. Understood? Now go on, back to work. I’ve got some errands to run.”
The team returned to their tasks, while Cherry was gathering her strength and pushing herself forward.
Elsewhere, Jared had just finished packing his bags for America.
He had decided—it was time to leave for good. His uncle had called him last week, inviting him to start anew life with them.
“You really sure about this?” his friend Marlo asked, raising a brow. “Do your parents know?”
“I’d rather they didn’t,” Jared said. “If they did, they’d just turn it into a drama fest. Again.”
“But they’re still your parents, man.”
“I’ve changed. I don’t need their approval to make decisions. That chapter’s closed.”
Marlo could only shrug at Jared’s firm response. The guy had made up his mind.
“Okay, fine. It’s your life. I’m just giving you some advice.”
“Thanks,” Jared said. “But you get it, right?”
“Maybe. Maybe it is the right move—go to another country, change your lifestyle. And hopefully forget about that ex-girlfriend you were crazy about.”
Jared laughed, but beneath the surface, his heart was still aching. He would miss Cherry—more than he could say. But he had to do this. He had to leave the Philippines and never looking back. No more chasing. No more begging.
His flight was at 1:00 PM. There was a twinge of excitement—it was, after all, the start of something new.
Two months later, Cherry’s home was filled with warmth and laughter over dinner. For the first time of her life, joy was present in simple, genuine.
After their meal, she reminded her children, “Go wash your faces and brush your teeth, okay?”
“Yes, Mama,” Cyprus replied sweetly.
“Hey,” Alfred chimed in, “You two, do you want to sleep with us tonight?”
“Really, Papa?” Carina’s eyes lit up. It would be the first time they’d sleep beside their parents like that.
“Yes, but only if you both clean up first.”
“Okay, Papa! Cyprus and I will wash up now!”
The kids jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Cherry began clearing the table.
“I’ll wash the dishes,” Alfred suddenly said.
“No, let me do it. You should rest.”
“Come on, Cherry. I can do this,” he insisted. “It’ll just make me feel worse if I sit around doing nothing.”
This—this was all he could give them now. Seeing them happy and seeing their smiles was enough. Helping with house chores might seem small but for Alfred it was his way of making things right. It was his way of showing love before time ran out for him.
“Alright,” Cherry relented. “But if there something goes wrong, call me right away.”
“Of course, my love,” he said with a playful grin.
“I’ll go fixing first the rest of the living room,” she said.
And for a brief moment… everything felt almost normal again.
"Alright."
An hour later, the family slowly lay down on the soft bed, the night wrapping them in a rare warmth that felt almost too perfect to be real.
“I wish every night could be like this,” Carina murmured with a dreamy smile, her voice barely above a whisper.
Cherry and Alfred looked at each other in silence, their eyes heavy with unspoken thoughts.
“If you want, it could be,” Alfred said softly, his tone gentle yet strained.
“But it can’t,” Cherry gently added, brushing her daughter’s hair away from her face. “Not on weekdays—you have school in the morning.” Her voice was firm but loving.
Carina and Cyprus both pouted slightly at the reminder.
“Oh, right,” Carina replied, a bit disappointed.
“You can only sleep here on weekends, okay?”
“Okay, Mama,” Cyprus said with a nod. Carina didn’t respond, her expression quiet and contemplative. Alfred noticed and, despite the dull ache he was feeling, began to tell them a story—something light, something silly, something to make them laugh.
Their laughter drifted in the air like lullabies, comforting and warm, shielding them for a while from the cold truth lurking in the silence between their words. The night grew deeper, and with it came a peaceful drowsiness that gently pulled them under.
Alfred leaned in, pressing soft kisses on the foreheads of the three most important people in his life. Cherry stood up to turn off the light, then returned to bed, her hand instinctively finding his.
That would be the last time she felt the warmth of his skin.
The morning sun filtered gently through the window, casting golden beams on the sleeping figures. Carina stirred first, her eyelids fluttering open. She turned to her side, expecting to see her father’s sleepy smile—but instead, she was met with stillness.
Something wasn’t right.
“Papa?” she whispered, nudging his shoulder. He didn’t move.
Her small hand trembled as she placed it over his chest, waiting for the familiar thump of his heartbeat.
Nothing.
“Papa?” Her voice cracked. Her heart began to race.
Then, louder, more frantic: “Papa!”
Her scream tore through the walls, shaking the morning calm like a thunderclap.
Cherry bolted upright, the sound of her daughter’s sobs crashing into her like a tidal wave. She rushed into the room, dread sinking its claws deep into her chest.
And then she saw him—still, lifeless, and far too quiet.
“No—Alfred!” she cried out, her knees buckling as she fell beside him. She threw her arms around his cold body, shaking him as if love alone could summon life back into his veins. Her cries were guttural, broken, soaked in a grief too heavy for words.
"Alfred!!!"
Her scream echoed into the morning, a cry that would haunt the silence for days to come.