ARLENE MARIELLA's POV
Auntie turned to me and sadly smiled at me. I smiled at her too but it was fake.
I approached and hugged her. There, my tears finally flowed, but I stopped myself from crying. I'd watched Stewart breathe. There was a white cloth wrapped around his forehead, as well as on his arm. Other parts of his body were bruised and wounded, especially his arms.
I rubbed Aunt's back. I even stroked her hair to calm her down before I let go of her and faced her.
I smiled again.
"Stay strong, Auntie. Please be strong for Stewart. He surely doesn't want to see you like this, he'll be okay. Everything will be okay. Just... trust God." I spoke, assuringly.
She stroked my cheek. I felt it with a smile. "I am. You need to be strong too, for your Mom. She needs you, hija." I nodded. "I'll leave you here first, huh? Talk to my son, I know even when he's asleep he feels like you're here. He loves you so much, hija." She kissed my forehead.
Hopefully, Auntie.
After that, he invited Uncle and Ciara out. I noticed that she also treated that woman coldly. Which was a bit confusing to me. That should be up to her, ha!
When the door closed, I slowly walked closer to Stewart's bed. Tears started to flow again, I'd let it go. I was not restrained or rubbed. Because I love him so much, I didn't stop because I'd let it get worse to be with him every time.
I sat on the single sofa that was already on the side of his bed. I reached for his hand and held it tightly on my palm, rubbing my thumb on his.
"H-happy.. 2nd Anniversary, baby," I whispered crying. I bent down and kissed his hand. "Please, don't leave us. Stay strong, baby hmm?"
"I know Ciara is the one you love... I'm ready to set you free if that's what makes you two happy..." my voice broke. "Thank you so much for staying with me for 1 year, 11 months, and 23 days. It's a pity you haven't reached our anniversary yet and you're in bed right away. I'm the only one who got a chance to greet the two of us, get up, now! It's September 24 now, baby! Get up soon and let's celebrate our anniversary." I laughed hilariously at my craziness. "Maybe you're planning to see me, that's why you did that huh? Why didn't you just call me? And why did you drive alone? You're still practicing from it," I snapped even though he couldn't see.
"Ahuh! Maybe you want to surprise me for our anniversary, don't you? Maybe you plan to wait until midnight, hm. That's fine too," I grinned.
"I love you so much, baby. I hope everything will be okay. I hope we can go back to the past when the two of us are still happy. Where we don't have a problem in our relationship. And the one... That I'm the only one you love," I said and took his hand, I caressed my thumb.
"If you want me to stay away from you. I'll do it if you want me to leave you.... I'll do it, of course, you want to, right? I shouldn't stop you, I don't want to force myself on you if you're no longer happy with me. I will... I will accept, even if it will crush me. I will do everything because I love you. "
"That's probably how it is, when you love that person so much, you'll sacrifice everything. Like Mama... She also had an accident because she cared so much about me. Am I too blind to see their suffering because of me? It's just like you, that's hard for me because you can't bond with Ciara freely?"
"Maybe my love for you has blinded me so much that I can't notice the people who haven't left me before. I love you so much that's why I'm like that. I hope when you wake up you‘ll find me right away. I hope you‘ll smile right away, I hope you’ll feel fine. I hope everything will be okay, and I hope when you wake up I'm still the one you love..." the important thing is for him to know that, and for him to remember even if he is not conscious now.
Why does it all have to happen at the same time?
"Arlene, hija." I was startled by a tap on my shoulder. I fell asleep in tears here next to Stewart. I rubbed my eyes harshly to clear my vision.
"Why, Auntie?" I said sleepily. I looked around when my gaze stopped to Uncle and Ciara who were sitting on the sofa. That's what Ciara is still wearing so I'm sure she hasn't come home yet.
"He's awake," she whispers.
I looked at Stewart who was now conscious, with his usual furrowed brows and cold expression. I abruptly took his hand and my tears started to flow on purpose again because of the great joy and pain.
"Baby!" I greeted, joyously. And was about to hug him when he pushed me away.
"Who are you?" he coldly asked me confused on what I should feel..
"Baby, I'm Arlene. The one that you love, your girlfriend." I taught myself while holding back my tears. I put my hand on his bed to support myself so I wouldn't fall.
"I don't know anyone named Arlene. Besides, Ciara is the only girlfriend I remember." He even pointed out to Ciara who was also shocked by what was happening. It was as if my heart was breaking every time it was repeated in my hearing.
"Baby, don't joke like that. It's not funny," I faked a laugh and then held his hand.
"I'm not joking here, I don't know you!" he suddenly shouted and averted his hand from me.
"Hija, h-he had amnesia, the doctor said earlier." Auntie touched my shoulder. But I turned to her and laughed in disbelief.
"A-amnesia? S-Stewart will have amnesia? You're kidding me, Auntie." Laughing, I wiped my tears as I looked at him. Crying, she pulled me into a hug.
"You're just kidding, Auntie, aren't you? The doctor just made a mistake, he can remember me." I insist on what I want to happen.
"H-hija, he remembers us but you.. he doesn't." She shuddered in response.
"Mommy! Why are you hugging that one?! She's a stranger! Kick her out of this room!" Stewart shouted behind me. I cried quietly, I can't accept it. Hard, very hard to accept.
I let go of Aunt's hug and faced Stewart. "Baby, you know me, don't you? You can't forget me, I'm the only one you love, and we were together before you had an accident." My voice was full of sympathy. I knelt in front of him as he lay on the bed, I tried to take his hand and held it tightly as if that was all I could do to make him remember me.
"I don't remember anything in my life with you! Let me go! I don't know you so you stop touching me! My girlfriend will be jealous!" He shot me a bad look as he tried to take his hand away from my grasp.
"You gave me flowers, you hugged me that day. Baby, please don't do this to me. I c-can't accept this, please stop joking like this. I can't take it anymore."
"Mommy, Daddy! Take her away from me! This woman is going crazy! She can't seem to understand the words 'I have a girlfriend and it's not you so go away! Get out of here! I don't need you! You're just crying, you're so noisy! What else are you saying, you'll just look stupid!" when I weakened he managed to take his hand from my grasp.
"Don't force him to remember everything, hija. It'll be hard for him, you'd better just go to your Mama." Aunt whispered again in the conversation. None of my own nodded and I stood up. Uncle opened the door for me, I just walked straight to Mama's room.
I didn't find anyone there. I sat on the sofa next to the bed where Mama was lying. She still hasn't woken up today, I watched her breathe.
I was just staring at her tummy to see if she's still breathing or not. I'm holding her hand. He had many scars on his arms and thighs. There is also very little on the face.
She's now safe. I might not be able to cope even more if she also has amnesia. It's hard to accept all this but I have to try because the wound they have inflicted will heal and heal as well. But the wound in my heart will never heal because he is still the one I love.