A/N: If you wish to succeed in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius.

Joseph Addison

***

6:12 am

I woke up after less than four hours of sleep.

I rolled over and stared at Althea and my heart leaped at the sight of her sleeping figure.

We have been living together for a few months now and I love waking up beside her.

The soft sound of her breathing and the way she looks like she's smiling even though she's not, tugged at my heartstrings.

I peered at the window and saw the early morning light streaming from the curtains.

A part of me wanted to stay in bed and cuddle with my sleeping girlfriend but my mind was awake.

There are countless thoughts running in my head and I feel overwhelmed.

To me, it seems like everything is a priority but the truth is, it's not.

Early morning, before I returned to the condo, I made a decision.

My choice wasn't the most favorable but it's the right one.....at least for me.

I slowly got up and walked towards the bathroom, taking extra care not to wake up Althea.

Once inside, I washed my face and the cold water shocked my system.

I quickly brushed my teeth and when I was done, I went downstairs to the kitchen.

***

7:11 am

When I used to live in the mansion, I didn't even know how to boil water.

Everything was prepared for us.

The luxurious lifestyle my brothers and I enjoyed were something I appreciated when I moved in with

Althea.

Growing up with everything handed to us was a privilege.

Learning to do things on my own, and knowing that I am actually capable of surviving without the

presence of the help, was fulfilling.

I listened to the crackle of the olive oil in the pan as I fried two eggs, well done, just as Althea liked it.

I added two strips of bacon and the aroma that used to make me feel happy, now made me nostalgic,

almost teary-eyed.

My mind consciously tried to remember every detail of the kitchen--the granite counter top, the

magnetic knife holder in between the aluminum sink and the stove.

The black two-door refrigerator, with a colored picture of us posted on the door, taken while we were

waiting for Papa at the hospital.

In the photograph, Althea was standing behind me.

She was holding her acoustic guitar with her right hand while her left arm was tightly clutching my waist.

The picture was taken by Batchi and she was able to capture the happiness we felt at that moment.

I looked away and removed the eggs and bacon from the pan.

The coffee was starting to brew and it filled the room with its bitter aroma.

Once I set the food on the table, I clutched the edge of the wood to steady myself.

The tears are demanding release.

I kept fighting it.

***

7:29 am

I went upstairs to wake up Althea but she was already sitting on the bed.

She looked captivating even with her tousled hair.

Althea smiled at me and I did the same thing.

"I missed you," she said softly.

I swallowed hard to fight the emotions I was battling since last night.

"I missed you too," was my reply.

***

7:40 am

We were seated with Althea at the head of the table while I took my spot on her right side.

She asked about my visit to the mansion.

The plate of bacon and egg I was holding stayed suspended in the air.

My stomach churned not from hunger but from dread.

I knew she was going to ask me this question but I was still unprepared to deal with it.

"Jade?" Althea's was concerned.

I put the plate down and cleared my throat.

"Althea, my father can't and won't accept me........us."

The silence that followed was deafening.

When she spoke again, she told me it's going to be okay.

"We can't force him or anyone to accept who we are." Her voice was soothing and somehow, the tension I felt started to ease up.

I told her about my father's confinement due to anxiety.

When I got to the mansion, yaya told me they were at the hospital and one of the security gave me the key to the Mercedes so I can drive there.

When I reached the hospital, my mom and my brothers were surprised to see me.

Dada just woke up and we waited for Gab to tell him that I was there.

Also, I have to know if he wanted to see me.

When he said yes, I saw the excitement in his eyes but it was short-lived.

"What did he say?" Althea drank her coffee, never taking her gaze off of me.

"He told me to come home," I replied, the words barely making it out of my lips.

"And?"

"We had a discussion." I answered.

I told Althea about my father's refusal to accept us.

"He wanted me to break up with you but I stood my ground,"

"I told him I love you and I love him too," the tears fell, one by one.

Althea took my hand.

"In the beginning, he fought for what he wanted." I kept talking.

"He told me of the embarrassment I brought to our clan and how he was the laughingstock not only in our family but among his colleagues as well."

"I learned that he had been treated for high blood pressure and when he said I'd be the death of him, I was hurt."

My shoulders shook as I remembered the tense conversation I had with my father.

Despite his condition, his tongue was as sharp as ever, throwing spiteful words at me to break my spirit.

"I begged for his forgiveness Althea but he won't give it." I confessed.

"He told me bluntly that the only way for him to pardon me for my indiscretions was for me to leave you and go back to the mansion,"

Althea stood up from her chair and embraced me.

I stopped talking because I choked on the words I wanted to say.

The mere recollection of what happened in the hospital was devastating not only to me but to my mother and brothers as well.

They also pleaded with my father to reconsider but it made him angrier.

He yelled at us to get out of the room before he had a heart attack.

I remembered my mother telling him that he won't die from a heart attack but from pride and stubbornness.

"It hurts, Althea." The acknowledgment was devastating.

"I thought he loved me but I was wrong," I stammered as I spoke.

Althea gently stroked my back to calm me down.

"Jade, you're father is hurting just like you." She spoke slowly.

"We'll try again, love."

I looked up to check if she's serious with what she said.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, my tone a little annoyed.

She let go of me and returned to her chair.

"Love, if we have to earn his forgiveness, then we will."

I was still confused.

In my mind, I am ready to give up partly because it's frustrating trying to break the walls that my father built around him.

"Let's give him time, Jade." Althea explained.

"You also need to give yourself time to deal with the pain,"

"Besides, love conquers all no matter how cliché it may seem."

I studied my girlfriend for a moment.

My admiration for her doubled because she is steady as a rock.

Last night, on my way back from the mansion, a small but dark voice told me that my life was worthless without my family.

That my relationship with Althea won't succeed because it was doomed without the blessing of my father.

The small voice was devilish.

It kept nagging me that I was living a sinful life because I loved a woman and gave in to the demands of my flesh.

The more I listened to the jarring tone in my head, I was tempted to step on the gas and just let the car careened into the highway.

But then, my phone beeped and I saw Althea's message.

Her words drowned the self-defeating thoughts and I gripped the steering wheel tighter and slowly release the pressure on the accelerator.

I was so close to giving up.

If it weren't for her text message, I wouldn't be here listening to her comforting words.

"This too shall pass, Jade." She squeezed my hand.

"I will always be here for you.""Don't ever forget that."

Althea gave me the sweetest smile.

Whatever doubt or confusion I've had were slowly overpowered by her faith in me.

***