A few days passed and today Liliana was finally able to come home. Jikyo had been taking care of her all this time, and now he was holding his beloved's hand and slowly leading her to their small living room and helping her to sit up.

"I'll make you some tea, hm? " Man said. "Or I'll do a little rearranging first to make it... Um... Easier to move around." He added hesitantly and glanced at his blind wife. "Okay? "

"Jikyo. " Woman paused, then slowly got to her feet. Park immediately grabbed her hands to keep her from falling. "Don't change anything, don't move anything. It's fine. " She said.

"Why? Darling, it will be... "

"It will be easier for me if everything stays in place. " She interjected. "This is our home, I know it by heart. I know where what is. When we change something, it will be harder for me, because I won't know exactly where what is. " She placed one hand on her husband's shoulder. "Don't bother with it."

"All right. Maybe you're right. " He replied a bit embarrassed, then looked at the blonde with concern.

Jikyo knew they had a hard time ahead of them again. Not only have they lost friends, but now Liliana has lost her sight. Man talked to the doctors and was ready to do anything to help his beloved.

Lily tried not to show it, especially around Jikyo, but the loss of sight was killing her anyway. She couldn't get used to it. She tried to avoid the subject and told her husband that it would be fine, that she would manage, but at the same time, all the emotions she felt exploded in her heart. Wilkinson dreaded it. She was scared she wouldn't be able to handle it, she didn't know what was coming or if she would ever regain her sight.

"I'll ask Andre for extra days off. " Park said.

"No. " Lily interjected again. "You can't miss work because of me. Besides, I don't know when or if I'll ever regain my sight. " She said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I have to learn to live with it."

"Lily. " The dark-haired man took her face in his hands and looked at his beloved. "It won't end this way. You'll regain your sight. " He assured her. "I have an appointment with another doctor tonight, so don't lose hope, darling. " He stroked her cheeks soothingly. "If it doesn't work here, we'll try somewhere else."

"Even if we do, we won't be able to afford it. " She placed her hands on her husband's. "We can't get in debt. "

"Don't worry, I'll think of something. " Jikyo interrupted her. "Just don't give up. Okay? "

"Mm..." She nodded.

Man smiled faintly and then tenderly kissed his beloved's forehead.

"Jikyo? " Blonde whispered. "Will you take me to one place?" She asked uncertainly.

Park, of course, agreed. His wife wanted to visit their friends' graves. Woman couldn't attend the funeral because she was unconscious in the hospital. She didn't have time to say goodbye, so at least she wanted to go to them now.

Jikyo drove Wilkinson to the place and then, leading her by the hand, led her to the right place. Liliana slowly knelt in front of the grave and gently touched the names engraved on the tombstone with her hand.

Both of them broke their hearts at the thought of what had happened. When everyone hoped that Bradley won the fight against the disease, it turned out that it was a false hope. The fact that Sally couldn't get up after that was just as depressing. The woman gave up. When the news of her husband's death reached her, she broke down. She no longer thought about the children, about her mother, or about her friends. All other thoughts were clouded by the sight of Bradley's dead body. For her, it was the end of the world, as if the whole world had collapsed. For as long as she could remember, she had always had a loving husband by her side until suddenly, in an instant, she lost him. Her heart broke and everything else made no sense to her. She may have been selfish when she took her own life, but Sally didn't think about it, and she didn't care what others thought. She died the moment she lost Bradley. It was the end for her, the end of everything.

Lily sat silently, tears streaming down her cheeks. Many times she wondered why her friend did it. Why was she perhaps too hasty? But it was her life, her decision. Wilkinson blamed herself a bit for not being there when she needed her so badly. Perhaps she could've stopped Sally from making a mistake. She didn't know what would happen, she could only guess. In her opinion, Sally made a mistake, acted too hastily. She thought so, but when she thought about it more deeply, she didn't know exactly what she would do in her place. How would she react, how would she act?

The woman had thought about it many times. What would she do in Sally's place?

The very thought terrified her. Liliana could only guess how her friend felt when the terrible news reached her. Bradley was as important to Sally as Jikyo is to Lily. The thought of losing her beloved terrified her. She'd probably collapse, and so would Sally. Jikyo was everything to her, so what would she do if she suddenly lost him? Go on living without him? That's probably what her husband would want. Despite all the difficulties and pain in his heart, he certainly wouldn't want her not to give up. And they're expecting a baby now.

Sally and Bradley had three children who were now orphans in that short time. They'll be taken care of by their broken grandmother, Sally's mother. The woman was and still is distraught after the loss of her daughter and son. She herself is already old, and she must be strong to properly take care of her grandchildren. Now they only have each other. They can count on the help of friends, but it's not the same as the real parents of three little ones.

"I won't judge your actions, Sally..." Wilkinson whispered and wiped away her tears. "All I'm going to tell you right now is... I miss you so much." She said. "I still can't get over the fact that you're gone..." She cried. "You both..." She wiped her tears again, and a moment later Jikyo approached her and put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "I'm not giving up, Sally. I'll fight no matter what. Because I have someone to fight for. And you..." Her voice broke.

Liliana wanted to scream and give her friend a good scolding for what she had done. How could she? Why did she leave her? Why did she leave her children? She just gave up? How long had she been thinking about suicide? Did she plan it all, or did she make a choice at the time?

She had so many questions, and she could never know the answers to them.

Later, the young couple visited Sally's mother. The older one lived with her grandchildren in her daughter's apartment. While the children slept, the adults had time to talk.

"I still don't get it. "The woman said, serving hot tea to her guests. "Maybe I was a bad mother..." She sat across from them.

"No, please don't say that. " Jikyo interjected immediately. "It's not your fault. "

Paige sighed, then got up, looked into one of the rooms and returned after a while with some documents in her hands.

"I think it's mine though. " The older one said and handed them the things she had brought.

"What is it? " Liliana asked and took her husband's hand.

"Sally documentation. " Sally's mom interjected. "My daughter had been struggling with severe depression for many years, and I had no idea about it. " She shook her head. "When she said it was just regular check-ups, I believed her. It never even crossed my mind that... " She wiped her tears. "Apparently I didn't know my own daughter at all. " Cried. "Who knows what she's been through. How many times did she cry alone at night, asking for help, and I, her own mother, did not notice. " She wiped her face with a handkerchief. "What kind of mother am I? I should've noticed... Maybe then I wouldn't have lost my daughter. " She cried.

Liliana slowly got up and, holding on to the chair, approached the crying woman and hugged her.

"I lost my daughter, and those poor children, both parents..." Paige said, heartbroken. "What happens now? " She still couldn't calm down.

~*~

Later in the day, Jikyo and Lily were already at home. This day was one of the hardest for them. They didn't understand everything themselves. Why was this happening? Could something have been done?

But they knew that no matter how much they thought about it, it wouldn't bring their friends back.

"I thought... " Liliana started which caught her husband's attention. They were both in the bathroom. Wilkinson sat in the tub filled with warm water while Jikyo helped her into the bath and was now gently washing her back. "I thought I knew Sally." She said in a sad voice. "But after all that... I realize I called Sally a friend when I really didn't know her at all." She turned her head slightly to the side, towards Jikyo. "She smiled the whole time and brushed off my questions when I was worried about her. I believed her words and I didn't see what was behind them... "

"It's not your fault, darling. " Park said and gently rinsed her back. "Sally didn't want to worry anyone. Who knows, maybe..." He thought for a moment. "Maybe she was ashamed of it. " He glanced at the blonde listening to his words. "She wanted to fight it on her own, and she was doing fine until..." He trailed off, then sighed heavily. "Bradley's death was too much for her. "

"I know..." Liliana whispered. "But they had children, didn't she think of them? Or did she think it would be better for them? That if grandma will be with them, everything will be fine... " Woman said thoughtfuly. "It's easy to say..." She sighed. "I don't know how I would've behaved in her place." She added in a half-whisper which caught Jikyo's attention. "What would I do without you?" She turned her head towards him again. Even though she couldn't see him, she felt his presence.

"What do you mean? " He asked and looked at her. "What would you do without me?" He repeated. "Lily..." He put his hand on her shoulder and brushed a wet strand of her hair out of her face. "You would still have to live, be happy, learn new things... Raise our baby. " He said, then became very serious. "Promise me. " He stroked her cheek. "Whatever happens... You'll live. Lily? Okay? Promise me. "

Blonde didn't say anything for a moment, then sighed softly and took her husband's hand.

"You won't leave me, you told me so yourself." She stroked his hand.

"I will never leave you. " He assured her. "But you must remember that no matter what happens... You must go on living. If not for yourself, then for me. Agreed? " He glanced at her. "Lily? "

"Mm..." She nodded uncertainly.

There was silence after that. Jikyo helped his wife bathe, dress, and led her to the bedroom. When he was sure that Wilkinson was asleep, he made the call to the doctor he was supposed to see today.

"This is Park Jikyo. " He introduced himself and closed the door to their bedroom, then quietly went to the kitchen. "Have you got something new for me?"