Five years later…
“CAN you at least force a smile, Uncle? Weddings are joyous, yet you look like you’re about to meet your end.” His nephew, Kyler, sighed as he shook his head.
Rohan caught his tie and adjusted it anxiously. Suddenly, it was hard for him to breathe. He didn’t know why he felt like that, as though he’d had a wedding trauma.
“Then you shouldn’t have made me your best man,” he told his nephew afterward.
Kyler laughed and leaned his head on his shoulder. “But you’re my favorite uncle.”
He couldn’t help but smile. They were almost the same age, so it wasn’t surprising that they got along well.
“Where’s Joaquin anyway? He should be here by now!” His nephew straightened his back and looked around for his cousin.
Rohan’s eyes wandered inside the chapel and saw Joaquin approaching them on the aisle.
“He’s here now.”
“Hey, bro! Congratulations on your wedding,” Joaquin said with a grin.
His two nephews shook hands and bumped their arms while laughing.
“Uncle,” Joaquin greeted him with a nod afterward.
Rohan smiled and nodded back.
“Another favorite nephew of yours is getting married,” Joaquin said when he stood beside him. “When do you plan to get married?”
He gave him a side-way glance.
“Are you rushing to throw me out of your life?” Rohan countered. “Why? Are you getting married as well?”
It’d been five years since his mother stopped pestering him to settle down. Since then, all he had done was keep himself busy with work and bother his favorite nephew’s life from time to time. But now that Kyler was getting married, Joaquin was the only one he could disturb whenever he liked.
“It’s not like that, Uncle.” Joaquin patted his back and smiled. “Everyone in the family’s getting married. Aren’t you afraid to be left alone? I think that’d be sad.”
Rohan clasped his hands and looked around once more. He must admit his nephew was right. Five years ago, he didn’t bother about the fact that he’d be left alone. He thought he’d master the art of being alone and enjoying solitude, but after what happened between him and Yvonne… things suddenly changed their course. Rohan was no longer the same as before, especially when Yvonne suddenly disappeared and flew to Italy without a word.
 He couldn’t blame her for leaving like that when he’d wronged her. Yvonne was hurt so badly, and the only thing he could do was blame himself for that. His realizations came too late. Rohan didn’t get the chance to apologize for everything. When he tried to ask for their friends’ help, Yvonne also didn’t hesitate to cut them off. That was when he realized that everything was over. Yvonne must be moving on, building a life away from him, so he must do the same.
The last thing she heard from her best friend was that she was doing well and had no plans to come home. Carmina said she’d found a work that suited her best. He was happy for whatever Yvonne had achieved in Italy, but he couldn’t deny that a part of him longed for her. A lot of what-ifs kept bothering his mind every time he went to bed, preventing him from sleeping.
If truth be told, those what-ifs could’ve been answered. Rohan had gone to Italy a few times already in the past years. He had plans to find Yvonne, talk to her, and apologize for everything. But he’d lose courage each time and return home defeated by his fear.
He was indeed a jerk, maybe the biggest one who ever walked the planet.
Rohan was pulled out from his reverie when his nephew suddenly nudged his side.
“The wedding’s about to begin,” Joaquin informed him.
He inhaled deeply, pulling himself together. Rohan then faked a smile. He must endure the occasion before indulging himself in solace once more.
 
YVONNE stopped making breakfast when she suddenly felt pain in her chest. It was too painful. Beads of sweat started to form on her forehead and rolled down her cheeks.
“Mommy, what’s wrong?”
At the corners of her eyes, she saw her daughter entering the kitchen, scratching her eyes. She could feel her body shaking, panicking from her pain. But she must act as if nothing was wrong in front of her child.
“Everything’s fine. Can you get Mama her phone, patatina?” She flashed a faint smile.
Her daughter nodded consecutively and ran out of the kitchen. She took the opportunity that her daughter was away and caught her breath. Yvonne wasn’t feeling good about it. It hurt too much, and it wasn’t the first time she’d experienced that kind of pain. It couldn’t be just her anxiety. There must be something wrong. She could feel that.
After a few moments, her daughter arrived in the kitchen with her phone.
“Here’s your phone, Mama.” Gold held out her tiny hand holding the phone.
But even before Yvonne could reach it, she passed out. When she opened her eyes, she was already inside the hospital’s emergency room.
“Aileen…” she muttered upon seeing her neighbor talking to the nurse. Yvonne sat up and looked around. “Where’s Gold?”
Aileen sauntered to the bed and patted her shoulder.
“How’re you feeling? Gold’s waiting outside. I told her to wait there because it’s safer.”
“Did you bring me here?” she asked.
“Hm.” Aileen sat on the edge of the bed. “I was about to take the trash out when I heard your daughter screaming for help as she ran down the stairs. And then, I saw you unconscious on the floor. The nurse said she already scheduled you for a check-up next week.”
“Thanks, Aileen.” Yvonne heaved a sigh. “Can you please call the nurse? I want to go home now.”
“Why don’t you spend the day here and rest? Don’t worry about Gold. I’ll take care of her—”
“I don’t feel good staying in the hospital.” The thought made her feel sick even more.
“Oh. Okay.” Aileen left the bed to call for a nurse.
Yvonne stared blankly at the ceiling. She was getting anxious at the thought of being sick. But even before her mind could wander far away, her neighbor returned with the nurse, who attended to her immediately. Once her IV line was removed, she got off the bed to see her daughter.
Gold ran toward her the moment she saw her come out of the emergency room. Yvonne immediately crouched and hugged her daughter tightly.
“Mama, are you okay?” Gold’s tiny hands cupped her cheeks and showered her face with butterfly kisses. “I’m worried about you. I thought you were dead. I’m so scared you’ll leave me alone.” Her daughter started sobbing.
“Oh, patatina… I’m so sorry Mama made you feel like that. I’m fine… Everything’s fine.” Yvonne wiped her daughter’s tears and forced a smile. “We’re going home now. Do you want some gelato?”
Biting her lower lip, Gold shook her head.
“Why?” she asked with a knot on her forehead. “You love gelato, don’t you?”
“I want to go home, Mama. I want you to make me my muffins, please…”
Her heart ached to hear her daughter’s simple plea. Yvonne stood up afterward and held Gold’s hand.
“Let’s go home now.”
Her daughter’s other hand held onto the hem of her shirt tightly. Yvonne could tell that she was still scared.