Solace Ep. 56

Faye: I arrived in Manila, dropping off my things in my apartment and taking a quick breath, and then took that two-hour bus trip to my province to find my sister. She will owe me for the rest of her life for making me miss what was going to be a very wonderful vacation in New York with Gabe.

And I really wonder if my mom was trying hard enough to look for her, for I found my sister at the first house I went to: Ron’s.

Selena was the one who opened the door, the wide smile that was pasted on her face fading the second she saw me. “F-Faye? I thought you were in New York?” she stammered, her hand suddenly reaching for her tummy, and I closed my eyes, feeling all the reason leave my body.

“You better give me a sane enough reason why you left the house without even telling anyone, why you are here at Ron’s and why his parents told Ma that you are not here. There better be a good enough reason,” I said, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the house. She looked back and I saw Ron standing up from the living room where they probably were before I knocked, and I shook my head vehemently at him, shooting him a glare. “Don’t,” I growled, and he stepped back, a worried look on his face.

“So what gives, Selena? You made me fly back here—in the middle of my vacation which I haven’t had in a very long time, I tell you, and in the middle of what was turning out to be a very happy one with my boyfriend,” I told her angrily.

“I didn’t tell you to come back,” she shot back, and I tightened my grip around her wrist. I am normally not a violent person, but considering how I am sleep-deprived and how I left my fiancé high and dry isn’t helping Selena’s case.

“You didn’t? How? I don’t recall receiving a message saying that. But why is that? Right. Because you weren’t answering your. Fricking. Phone,” I said, emphasizing the last three words and I saw Selena cringe. “I’m s-sorry,” she said, and when she looked up at me, her eyes were filled with tears. “It’s just that Ma and I had a fight and I couldn’t stay at Lolo’s because he told me to fix whatever Ma and I were fighting about, and he does not want me to just run to him every single time, and…” Her voice faltered.

I released her wrist, and she placed her face in her hands. Ron stepped in and placed an arm over her shoulder, comforting her in hushed tones.

“Where—in that explanation—is the fact that when Mom called Ron, his parents said he’s not here?” I said, not budging a bit even though my sister’s already breaking down. She looked at Ron, shook her head, said, “No, please don’t.”

Ron whispered something to her ear, and then he looked up at me, his eyes pleading with understanding. “Faye, she’s—”

I shook my head. “No,” I said, shaking my head, a big realization plopping down in front of me. He nodded. Selena’s shoulders were shaking already because she was crying so hard, and I took two steps back.

“Please, don’t tell me what I think you’re about to tell me,” I said, and Ron breathed deeply.

“She’s pregnant,” he said softly, and I turned and walked away.