CHAPTER 33

I heard that Hector's surgery was successful. They put him in a private suite, and I tried to visit him whenever I had free time. As I arrived at his suite, I saw Dr. Jeric talking to Mommy Gloria and Maya.

"How is my son's condition?" Mommy Gloria asked. Maya noticed me at the door and smiled at me. I responded with a warm smile of my own.

"He will be fine," Dr. Jeric said, glancing toward me as he noticed my presence. "It may take some time for him to recover fully. My advice is for him to stay here for a week."

Maya interjected, "Doctor, about the expense..."

"Don't worry, hija! I already paid the installment. His dad and I will cover all of his expenses," Mommy Gloria assured her.

"I have to go now. Please do not talk to Mr. De Leon too often when he wakes up. He cannot be stressed. A nurse will come here every hour," Dr. Jeric instructed before turning to me. "Good morning, Dr. Ara." I smiled at him before he walked out the door.

After Dr. Jeric left, Mommy Gloria approached me but suddenly paused. Maybe she was planning to hug me.

"Mrs. Villanueva, how is your son?" I asked formally. We had previously agreed to act like strangers when Maya was around, and thankfully, she followed our agreement.

"He's fine now, Doctor," Mommy Gloria replied, taking a deep breath. Her face still showed traces of sadness. She turned to look at Hector. "I didn't notice any abnormalities in his body, for now."

Maya suddenly grabbed both of my hands. "Thank you so much for helping us, Doc Ara." I looked at Maya and grew fond of her, all for Hector's sake.

"Seven years," Mommy Gloria said. Maya and I turned to look at her. She was gazing at Hector with a mother's longing eyes. "Thank you, Lord! This is such a wonderful blessing."

Maya walked beside her and caressed her back. She then sat beside Hector, who was sleeping. "Do you know that Papa has already forgiven you?" Maya said, "You will always be his parent, no matter what happens."

I stood there, silently observing them. Creating drama was the furthest thing from my mind; I didn't treat this situation as a competition. I had come to terms with my reality and embraced the loss. All I carried in my heart now was the desire to do something good for Hector, even in this final moment with him.

Hector's eyes suddenly flew open, startling us as if he had escaped a bad dream. The three of us quickly gathered around his bed, our hearts pounding with worry.

"Hector! What happened?" Mommy Gloria asked, gently touching his face. "How are you feeling now?"

Maya held his left hand. "Dad, why?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Hector's forehead furrowed, and his eyes looked lost in thought. He glanced around the room; the tension in his eyebrows was evident. We eagerly waited for him to speak.

"Who are you?" Hector uttered.

We fell silent, my heart starting to beat faster.

"Papa! I am Maya, your wife," Maya said, bewildered. She struggled to breathe.

"And I'm your mom, Hector," Mommy Gloria added.

Hector couldn't respond. His eyes wandered around the room like a confused child. The three of us exchanged worried glances. He then sat up in bed and held his forehead.

Mommy Gloria raised her hands, panicking. She placed one hand on his shoulder. "Hector, don't get up yet," she said.

"I'm sorry; I don't know you," Hector said firmly. Despite his confusion, he remained calm, as if he had drained his strength.

I noticed Maya's breathing was labored. She turned to me, her hands trembling. "Dr. Ara, what's happening to Marco? Why doesn't he recognize us? It seems like his amnesia has worsened."

"He's experiencing post-surgery side effects, especially since the operation was on his brain," I explained. "Don't worry, Maya; his memory will return once he fully recovers."

I approached Hector. "How do you feel right now, Hector?"

He looked at me blankly. "What am I doing here?"

"Pa! You underwent an operation for your brain injury," Maya said, her voice breaking.

Hector covered his face with his hands, the furrow on his forehead deepening. "Surgery?" His eyes were still red from his sudden awakening.

"Doctor, please! What is happening to my husband?" Maya exclaimed, her movements frantic. She waved her hands, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"Maya—Maya, just calm down," I said, trying to soothe her even though I struggled to think clearly. "I told you his condition would improve once he fully recovered."

Mommy Gloria intervened. "Stop asking my son too much. The doctor reminded us earlier not to stress him out."

Maya fell silent while Mommy Gloria remained the only calm presence among us.

I noticed Hector staring at me. I approached him again and asked, "Do you remember anything? Yesterday or the day before?"

"I don't know," he replied, his gaze on me, making me uneasy.

"You seem familiar to me," Hector said, surprising me. I chose not to respond. "I think I've seen you before," he added.

His recognition caught me off guard, and I felt lost for words.

"He knows you, doctor, but not us?" Maya exclaimed, grabbing my arms again and snapping me back to reality. "What is happening to my husband? Can we talk to Dr. Veloso again?"

I glanced at Mommy Gloria, and we exchanged worried looks.

Mommy Gloria put her hand on Maya's shoulder. "Maya, I am also worried about my son's condition; just stay calm."

Thoughts raced through my mind. It seemed impossible for Hector to regain his memory of me. I had prepared for this possibility, but it felt too soon. Mommy Gloria tapped my shoulder, snapping me out of my reverie. "I'll leave you here for now. I'll go and see Dr. Veloso," I blurted out.

As I turned to leave, Hector suddenly grabbed my hand. My eyes widened at his gesture, but I gently pulled my hand away and quickly exited the room.

Running down the hall, I heard Hector say, "Just a moment."

I took a deep breath and didn't look back. My mind and heart were in turmoil. I wandered around the hospital and ended up in the private garden, the first place that came to mind. I collapsed onto a wooden bench, lost in thought. "Not now, Hector," I muttered.

It's still too early for my plans. Hector's recognition felt like a bittersweet revelation. Accepting it as good news would mean others would suffer. I bent my head down and covered my face with my hands, and for an unknown reason, I suddenly burst into tears.

"Ara," a voice called, making me pause and lift my head. I wiped away my tears and saw a man approaching me.

"Kuya Drei, hi," I said, still sobbing.

He sat beside me, his confusion evident. "Hey! Are you alright? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Nothing—nothing, Kuya," I tried to hide my emotions but struggled.

I tried to control it before Kuya Drei, but the feelings were too complex to restrain. The pain was consuming me, and with no one left to lean on, I curled my arms around him tightly, the hurt reaching a breaking point. And then I cry on his shoulder.