A/N:

"It wasn't only wickedness and scheming that made people unhappy, it was confusion and misunderstanding; above all, it was the failure to grasp the simple truth that other people are as real as you." ― Ian McEwan

***

I read countless articles about people who fall into a coma.

Some of them wake up.

Then there are those who don't.

***

When I called Angel to summon a nurse, they rushed to the room with lightning speed.

In their haste to check on Jade, they didn't even notice my presence.

Everything was a blur as I witnessed the flurry of activities in front of me.

As the doctor checked Jade's response, I stood on the side watching.

I wondered if they even noticed the half-empty bottle of Dom Perignon or asked themselves why someone else was in the room when Jade woke up.

I was invisible to them and that's okay.

***

After I saw Jade moving her fingers, she slowly opened her eyes and looked right at me.

"Jade," I held her face in between my hands.

"It's me Althea," I said to her.

She didn't respond and I thought she was going to relapse.

But she moved her head to acknowledge the sound of my voice.

A wave of mixed emotions took hold of me.

I was crying and laughing at the same time.

When the nurses came into the room, I stepped aside to let them do their job.

Jade, my Jade, has finally awoken.

I looked up and whispered thank you to whoever listened to my prayer.

It was the best birthday gift I could hope for.

***

Angel told me we should leave before Jade's family gets to the hospital but I told her I'd stay.

She gave me a puzzled look.

"I'm ready to face them," I told her.

She nodded her head in understanding.

Before she left, she told me how happy she was.

"I'm proud of you, Althea."

"I'm sure Jade will feel the same way once she learned what you've done."

She tipped her imaginary hat and turned around to leave.

"Angel," I called after her.

"What is it this time?" she feigned annoyance.

"Thank you," I said to her and the detective winked at me.

***

I sat in the waiting area and watched as the nurses went in and out of Jade's room.

I overheard one of them said it was a miracle Jade woke up.

"There is a God," was the reply of the other nurse.

My attention was caught by the arrival of Oscar and Amanda.

From afar, I saw Oscar's expression changed from joy to contempt.

Amanda was shocked to see me as well and she looked at her husband's face.

She whispered something to him and they ignored me when they passed by.

***

A few minutes later, Gab arrived with Angeline and Paul in tow.

Paul, although surprised to see me, stopped by and smiled.

"You woke her up didn't you?" he grinned once he got closer.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Maybe," was my reply.

"Whatever it was that you've done, I thanked you in behalf of my family."

I smiled at him and then he left to see Jade.

***

As I sat there, I questioned my reason for staying.

It's not like I'm family.

The doctor's are not going to talk to me or thank me for trespassing in the ICU the entire time Jade was in a coma.

I'd be lucky if they didn't slap me with a lawsuit.

Sometimes I wondered how nobody questioned my nightly visits to Jade.

They must have a gazillion cameras installed in the room.

"Angel," I smiled at the thought.

"Who else would it be?"

I closed my eyes as I felt the exhaustion and my body's desire for sleep.

I am no different from the people who worked at call centres.

The whole time Jade was in a coma, I'd be up before midnight to get ready and would be in bed around eight in the morning.

My schedule was upside down because I have to make a sacrifice for Jade.

It was the only way I can see her.

Oscar would have me arrested if he learned that I've been crashing the ICU to be with his daughter.

Speaking of the devil, I saw him walking towards me with a puzzled look on his face.

"Jade is asking for you," he told me.

I stayed where I was, wary of what he just said.

"Althea?" his voice sounded repentant and it was worse than a nightmare.

Could this be the same man whom a few minutes ago was willing to rip my throat out?

I stood up and began to walk in the direction of Jade's room.

As I passed by Oscar, he held me by the arm and I instantly raised one hand to fight back.

"I'm sorry," were the words that came out of his mouth.

I lowered my hand and he released his hold on me.

His chin quivered and I saw him trying to hold back his tears.

"It's okay Mr. Tanchingco" I replied as I proceeded to go to the room.

Once my back was turned, a smile escaped my lips.

***

Everyone in the room looked at me when I came in.

I closed the door and stayed where I was.

"Come closer, Althea." It was Amanda.

I walked slowly towards the direction of Jade.

She was sitting on the bed, wearing the happiest smile I've ever seen.

"Althea....." she whispered my name and it never sounded so sweet in someone's else's lips.

"We should leave them alone," Gab told them and they made their way to the exit.

The air was cold and I zipped the black hoodie I was wearing.

Once I was close to Jade, she embraced me tightly and started crying.

"It's okay lablab," I smiled as I remembered our endearment when we were younger.

She let go and playfully hit me in the arm.

"How can you manage to tease me through all this?" she asked.

"Jade, this moment is nothing compared to all the things we've been through."

I stopped talking when a thought hit my mind.

"Wait a minute," I held her face in my hands.

"You remember me now?" I asked, unable to hide the happiness in my heart.

"You're my lablab, right?" she beamed.

This time, it was my turn to embrace her.

I sobbed as Jade whispered sweet nothings in my ear to comfort me.

She stroked my hair and when I let go, she was crying too.

"How are you stranger?" she teased.

I didn't answer her question.

Instead, I leaned in for a kiss.

Jade responded with the same eagerness and hunger for me.

I closed my eyes and at that moment, I saw all the stars in the skies shining brightly for us.

The years of being apart faded in the background as I felt her hand pull me closer to her.

My heart beat like a million drums and the sound drowned all the lonely nights I spent alone in my bed, waiting and wondering where the other half of my heart could be.

I felt Jade slowly pull away to catch her breath.

She bit her lower lip.

Her face was flushed from the kiss.

"I'd recognize that kiss with or without amnesia," she remarked.

We both smiled at what she said.

Jade looked down and saw the ring on her middle finger.

"Did you......?" she didn't finish her sentence.

I nodded my head.

"Did I say yes?" she had a mischievous look on her face.

"You moved your fingers." I replied.

"Does it count?" I chuckled.

She didn't answer.

There was a sad look on her face and I recognized it.

I took her hand in mine.

"Jade," I softly said to her.

"I waited my whole life for you," I began.

"If I had to do it again, I would."

She pulled me close and whispered I love you in my ear.

"I've always loved you, Althea Guevarra."

***

A knock on the door interrupted us.

The nurse came in and told Jade she'd check her vitals and help her clean up.

I decided to leave them alone but before I left the room, Jade took my hand.

"Promise me you'll come back?" she had a pleading look in her eyes.

I kissed her on the forehead and told her I would.

On my way out, another nurse told me the doctor wanted to see me.

I frowned and asked why.

The woman told me she didn't know.

She gave me instructions on which room to go.

***

Jade's family was looking at me while I was talking to the nurse.

"Is everything alright?" Gab asked and I said yes.

I excused myself and went to the elevator.

Once I was inside, I had a strange feeling that this had something to do with my nightly visits to Jade.

I wasn't wrong.

When I reached the doctor's office, he told me directly about the videos in their surveillance camera.

"This is a serious offense," the elderly man's face was hard, unsmiling.

I sighed.

"I'm not going to deny what I did and I apologized," I replied.

"You do what I had to do and I will face the charges...." I didn't get to finish what I was saying because there was a knock on the door.

The doctor was annoyed at the interruption but told whomever it was to come in.

When the door opened, it was Oscar Tanchingco.

***

The doctor and Oscar shook hands.

"How can I help you, Mr. Tanchingco?" the doctor asked Oscar who sat across from me.

"I am here to explain about Miss Guevarra's visit to my daughter,"

The lines on the forehead of the doctor got deeper as he listened to Oscar explained why I was there every night.

I couldn't believe my ears but I didn't object to what he was saying.

When he was finished, the doctor seemed convince and willing to drop the charges he may originally planned before Oscar got there.

"Well, since you consented to her visits, it would have been nice if I was informed of it so I could have avoided this inconvenience to Miss Guevarra." The doctor looked embarrassed.

"I apologized for not letting you know beforehand," Oscar stood up and I did the same thing.

He extended his hand and the doctor shook it.

"Alright then Mr. Tanchingco." The man smiled for real this time.

"Miss Guevarra," he nodded towards my direction.

"I should tell you how happy I am that Jade finally woke up,"

"Thank you," Oscar smiled at him and then at me.

"We should get going, Althea." It was the first time I heard him address me by my first name and it made me even more skeptical.

The doctor led us out of the door.

Once we were outside, Oscar walked ahead of me.

"Why did you do it?" I asked him and he turned around to answer my question.

"Why don't we go somewhere so we can talk?" he replied.

***

The cafeteria was empty except for the cashier and the cook.

"Would you like something to drink?" Oscar offered and I asked for coffee, black.

He nodded and walked to the counter to order.

I felt uneasy.

I couldn't tell whether this was a dream or a nightmare.

Did Oscar Tanchingco just save me from being charge with trespassing?

Why? That's the million-dollar-question.

A few minutes later, he was walking back in my direction carrying two coffee mugs.

Once he reached the table, he placed the coffee in front of me and took a seat across from where I was.

I inhaled the bitter smell of coffee and it awakened me.

"What was that about Mr. Tanchingco?" I went straight for the jugular.

I checked the clock on the wall and saw that it was almost five in the morning.

I don't have time for any bullshit at this hour.

"You saved my daughter," was the answer.

"It doesn't mean you have to return the favor," I replied sternly.

Oscar inhaled.

I looked for signs of retaliation or whether he would hurt me with spiteful words like he always does when he saw me with Jade.

But there was nothing.

"I know it's hard to believe, Althea." He looked me in the eye.

"But I want to thank you for what you've done."

I drank my coffee.

The bitter taste tingled in my tongue and gave my brain a jolt.

"Mr. Tanchinco, you don't have to do anything grand."

"Honestly, I am not expecting you to do anything." I said harshly.

It was difficult enough for me that I am face to face with the man who made my life a living hell.

I studied his face.

The once proud countenance was replaced by something foreign.

Regret?

"Althea, believe me when I say that this is hard for me to do," he confessed.

"Swallowing your pride?" I said to him.

He ignored my comment.

"For years, I made you and Jade suffer because I don't agree with your relationship." He paused.

"No parent would want his or her children to suffer," he reasoned.

"Didn't you do the same thing for them?" I counteract.

"For years, you denied Jade and I the chance to be together."

"You imprisoned Paul in your house because you couldn't stand the truth that he is a gay man,"

"How's that for not wanting your children to suffer?" I was indignant.

I could feel the warmth rising from the back of my neck to my cheeks.

The cashier looked at us and then walked inside the kitchen.

Oscar took a long deep breath.

"Althea, I couldn't blame you if you feel that way about me because I've been a monster,"

"I was overpowered by pride and hate,"

"That's why I am here, asking for your forgiveness."

I set aside my coffee and waited for him to go on.

I couldn't believe what I heard.

Did he just say the F-word?

"When I saw Jade this morning, alive and calling your name, something in me stirred."

"Could it be that you've finally grown a heart....or a conscience?" I told him sarcastically.

He scoffed.

"Maybe both?" he replied.

"Whatever it was, I realized that I could never forgive myself if Jade didn't wake up,"

"I was guilty of what happened to her,"

"If only I admitted my indiscretions, then she wouldn't have ended in a coma for the second time." He stared at a distance as if seeing the day the accident happened.

"Mr. Tanchingco," I said to him. "Look at it this way."

"If the accident didn't happen, then Jade would still have the amnesia."

"You wouldn't be talking to me, penitent, if she was still living in the bubble of forgetfulness.

"Or was it something you want?" I posed the question and braced myself for the answer.

"For her to remain forgetful so she can continue to live her life as a hoax?"

"I thought of that," he admitted.

"But a part of me knew that no matter how I tried to build walls between you, something will always happen."

"There would be a crack or the wall would collapse."
"Somehow the two of you always find each other and it scared me."

Oscar vowed his head.

"You shouldn't be afraid, Mr. Tanchingco."

"I love your daughter,"
"I will not do anything to hurt her,"

When he looked up, his face was bright, hopeful.

He genuinely smiled at me and I couldn't help but return the gesture.

Oscar held out his hand and I took it.

It was more than a gesture of reconciliation.

It was an act of forgiveness.