A Kiss to Life

Chapter 6: Dad

I had forgotten about him until he was mentioned today. I know their intention was genuine, they are right, we were best friends–we used to be best friends–and it has been years since that happened. And I have moved on. I am already healed from the pain he caused me, but telling me news about him was already irrelevant. I find it nonsense because I am no longer interested in knowing things about him.

I just stopped thinking about him and our past.

“Umm… Kai wanted to ask if you can be one of their maid of honor,” Orrin continued.

I arched my brow. “What made him think that I will accept it?” I asked.

Orrin nodded. “I thought of that, too, so, I also told him to have some decency and leave you alone. I mean, he’s too stupid to think you’ll accept his s**t after what he did.” He said. “Then he said, he’s sorry and it has been years. I answered him, ‘You wasted most of Mari’s life leading her on. Now, you have the face to tell me that?’ He got mad. I think I won’t be invited to his wedding anymore,” he narrated with a shrug and I can’t help but laugh about it.

“That was an asshole of a move, Orrin,” I said.

“He’s an asshole himself, so I don’t think that counts,” he answered.

“But surely, his parents will come to you for that,” Kenzie butted in.

“I will decline,” I just said, shrugging. “I no longer want to be associated with him anymore and I hope they will learn to respect that like how I chose to respect his choices.”

Kenzie and Orrin both nodded. “Want us to tell that to him?” Orrin asked.

I shook my head and said, “I will tell him that myself when he comes to me.”

Orrin smirked and replied, “Okay.”

That ended our conversation about that topic. We talked more about their wedding until we decided to end the night. That was around 9pm and I have to be home to prepare for my clinical the next day.

“What?” I asked when Noad kept on stealing glances on me from the driver’s seat. We are on our way home now.

“May gusto sana akong itanong,” ani niya.

“Hmm?”

“Okay lang ba?”

“Depends on your question,” I said.

He shrugged and said, “Tatanungin sana kita tungkol dun sa Kairus, kung okay lang sa’yo. Matagal ko na kasi siyang naririnig, ayaw ko naman mag tanong sa iba.”

“What do you want to know about him?”

“Sino siya at anong ginawa niya sa’yo,” he asked, eyes looking straight on the road.

“He is an ex-friend.”

“Tapos? Sinaktan ka niya?”

I nodded. “ We grew up together. We used to be best friends and… he promised to love me, but as you heard from Orrin and Kenzie, he’s engaged and getting married to someone else,” I answered.

“He cheated on you?”

I shrugged. “He fell in love with someone else.”

“He cheated,” he said, nodding.

I laughed. “We were never a couple,” I said. “We just promised to love each other. And there were different kinds of love, maybe he meant he will love me as his best friend.”

“You’re gaslighting yourself now?” he said and I couldn't help but laughed more.

“I’m not. I just learned to understand and respect his choices. He fell in love with her and the last time I saw them together, he looked so happy and content. Seeing him with that glow in his eyes made me realize that I should just move on because there’s nothing I could do about it anymore,” I said.

“Do you know the girl?”

“Isla?” I confirmed and he nodded. “Yeah. She was a friend from nursing school.”

“Tangina,” I heard him curse. Mahina lang iyon pero narinig ko parin.

“Don’t bother yourself about them. At least I learned from that situation and I have moved on. I’m happy now,” I said.

He glances at me again through that rear view mirror and I can see the concern in his eyes. It was glistening with the lights from the cars beside ours. “You deserved better,” he said.

I nodded. “I know. But I want to be better myself, before I think about some guy.”

Noah smirked and said, “You’re already at your best self, how can you get even better?”

I bit my lower lip and shook my head. “You’ve been complimenting me a lot today, Noah. You should stop now…”

“I’m not,” he said and I frowned immediately. He glanced at me again and arched his brow. “I was just trying to describe you.”

“Jesus!” I blurted before I burst in laughter, he laughed, too. “You never failed to lift up my mood, Noah. You’re becoming my daily dose of good vibes,” I said.

Noah smiled, showing off his dimples. “My pleasure, mismam.”

“Are you ready?” Dra. Delos Santos asked us.

“Ready, Dra!” we answered in chorus.

Today’s the start of our clinical and we’re already in the lobby of Saint Lawrence. This place is very known to me. I grew up coming in and out as a patient as a visitor–a patient when I have an asthma attack and visitor when no one’s available over me and Mason so our parents had to bring us here. We usually stayed at dad’s office those times.

“Alright. This is Dr. Cris Martinez, fourth year resident doctor. He will assist you for today. He will tour you around the hospital and introduce you to some of our patients. So, o familiarize yourself around here because after that, your clinical practice will start,” Dra. said. “Understand?”

“Yes, Dra!” us.

“Very well. Good luck on your first day and do your best!” she said and motioned someone to come to us. “You may start now, Cris.”

Dr. Martinez nodded and signaled us to follow him. “What are your names?” He asked.

“Rebecca Isabela Ayala,” Ycca introduced herself.

“Dra. Ayala,” Dr. Martinez said. He then pointed at Marco.

“Marcus Arzadon, Doc.”

Mr. Martinez nodded. “Dr. Arzadon. You?”

“Anthony Legaspi, Doc.”

“Dr. Legaspi. And?” He pointed at me.

“Amaris Romana Claveria, Doc,” I answered.

“Claveria?” He asked.

Slowly, I nodded my head and glanced at my colleagues. “Yes, Doc.”

Dr. Martinez must have understood what I meant that he just nodded and turned to Aila.

“Maria Aila Santos, Doc,” Aila introduced herself.

Dr. Martinez nodded again and said, “Nice meeting you all. You can call me Dr. Martinez or Dr. Cris. Either of the two is fine for me.”

“Noted, doc.” We answered.

“Great! Now, let's start your tour,” he said and motioned us to follow him again.

Dr. Martinez toured us around; from the emergency room, ward, operating room, nurses station until the doctors quarters and office. He also brought us to the director’s office–which is dad’s office.

My heart skipped a beat.

“Good morning, Dr., Head Nurse, I’ll just introduce our new students,” he said.

Now, my heart isn’t just skipping beats, it is beating wildly now. This is the first time I will be facing my parents wearing my medical student uniform in a hospital setting.

“Let them in,” Dad said.

Dr. Martinez opened the door wide to let us in and as soon as I stood in front of my parents, their faces brightened up and they smiled so wide. I stepped backwards and subtly signal them to say nothing about me. Dad arched his brow and mom just nodded.

“This is Dr. Aydan, the hospital director and his wife, the head nurse, Nurse Amara,” Dr. Martinez introduced my parents and the relief I felt when he chose to introduce them by their names and not by our surname!

Jesus Christ!

“Nice meeting you, future M. Ds!” Dad greeted us.

“Nice meeting you, Dr., Head Nurse,” we greeted back.

“Have a seat, please,” Mom said, motioning us to sit.

We did. I sat between Ycca and Aila, while Marco and Anthony sat beside Ycca and Aila. I was in the middle of them.

“We’re glad to have you here in our hospital,” Mommy said. “May we know what made you choose to be here for your first rotation?”

“Uh… It has been a dream to work here for me, Head Nurse,” Marco said.

“I have the same reason, Head Nurse,” Anthony answered.

“I was born in this hospital and my dad had his operation here that extended his life,” Aila said and I saw how mom’s expression softened.

It was Ycca’s turn and she said, “My parents suggested that I have my first rotation here.”

“Your parents?” Dad asked.

Ycca nodded. “They are doctors, too, Dr.. They are Dr. Ruelio Ayala and Dra. Isidra Ayala.”

“Oh, I know your parents,” Dad answered. He said some compliments about Ycca’s parents before he turned to me. “How about you?”

“I met my dad here,” I answered, smiling. Dad and Mom’s face softened hearing that. “I met my dad in this hospital for the first time when I was four years old.”

“Really?” Dad asked softly. “Can… Can you tell us what happened then?”

I nodded and smiled more. “I was having an asthma attack that day and I was only with my grandparents. My mom was at her work–she works as a nurse, too.” I started narrating. “Mom came crying after she was informed that I was in the emergency room. She assured me that I will be fine but I’m still having a hard time breathing. That’s when my dad came in, he acted so fast that I was treated immediately.”

“You were just four that time, how can you remember that all in full detail?” Dad asked.

“My mom told me,” I answered and glanced at my mom. “My parents are both in this field and growing up, I’ve seen them pour all their efforts into saving lives. At a young age, I have seen its importance for them. And seeing them love their profession made me want something I’ll love like how they love being a doctor and a nurse. I, then, fell in love with nursing. I followed my mom’s footsteps, but something happened that broke my heart,” I breathed. “I chose to run away to heal myself and as I try to heal my broken heart, I realized something. I realized I want to be a doctor and I pursued it,” I said.

“That’s a great story to tell,” Dad said, clearing his throat.

“Thank you, Dr.,” I said.

Dad smiled warmly and I know that if we weren’t here, mom and him would have jumped on me to hug me. And surely, they will do that at home later.

We were dismissed after that.

“I didn’t know your parents are in the field as well,” Ycca’s first words to me when we were told to have our break.

“I don’t disclose much about my personal life, Ycca,” I just answered as I read mom’s text message.

[I’m so touched with what you said earlier, sweetie. Your dad, too. He cried after you left with the others.]

[Why would he cry?] I replied.

[He just can’t believe you appreciate him that much.] - mom texted back.

Reading that, I immediately stood. “Noah’s outside. I’ll just meet him,” I told Ycca so she won’t ask questions.

“Do you want me to go with you?”

I shook my head. “I’m fine. I just need to get something from him. I’ll be back,” I said before leaving.

I ran towards the elevator and pressed the door open. Inside, I pressed dad’s floor and waited until I got there. I was half walking and half running until I reached his office door.

“Dad!” I called as soon as I got inside his office. “Why are you crying?”

Dad looked at mom and mom just shrugged. “It’s nothing, anak.”

“Come on,” I said, marching to their spot.

Dad stood and hugged me. “I love you so much, sweetie.”

He said and I hugged him back. “I love you so much, too, dad.”

He kissed the top of my head and said, “I can’t believe our baby girl is a grown woman now, Love,” he told mom.

Mom joined us, hugging both Dad and I. “Yeah. I can’t believe it, too. Our baby Mari is becoming a doctor now.”

“Mom, dad, I’m 26 now. I’m no longer a baby,” I told them.

“You will always be our baby girl,” Dad said.

I chuckled as an answer, I knew I cannot do anything about that, so instead, I said, “I have a favor to ask, mom? Dad?”

“What is it, sweetie?” Mom asked.

I smiled and said, “Please, do not tell everyone that I am your daughter. Like what we did before when I was doing my internship as a nurse.”

“We understand, sweetie,” mom said, nodding.

We’ve done this before, this was also the reason why I stopped attending events and gatherings that will be attended with the hospital staff when I started college. I don’t want anyone to know me or recognize me as my parents’ daughter. I don’t like biases and special treatments.

“They will eventually know, though,” Dad said.

“Not until I graduate, Dad,” I answered. “I want them to recognize me as me, not as your daughter–don’t get me wrong, please. I just want everyone that I am here because I studied and worked hard to be here, not because I’m some heir of someone,” I added.

Mom smiled. “You’re talented, sweetie. You can prove that to them.”

“But if something happens, do not hesitate to call us, okay?” Dad said and I couldn't help but rolled my eyes.

“Oh, please, dad, don’t manifest for me to fail,” I said.

Dad chuckled and said, “I do not manifest anything but good, sweetie. Just do your best and your mom and I are always here for you.”

“I know and thank you,” I said. “This journey will surely be hard but at least I have you two as my parents. I am blessed,” I added and dad cried again.

I stayed for at least twenty minutes in dad’s office before I decided to leave. I had my quick lunch there, too, because mom insisted. But when I went out, I bumped with Dr. Martinez.

What a coincidence, isn’t it?

“Dr. Martinez,” I greeted.

I nodded as acknowledgement. “Is your dad in there?” He asked that although I know he had an idea who I was, I was still shocked to hear it. “I know who you are, Dra. Claveria. You have a picture at your dad’s desk; in your mom’s, too. But you don’t have to worry. I know how to respect people’s choices,” he said and I felt relieved hearing that.

“Thank you, Dr.,” I said. “Dad’s inside with mom,” I answered his first question.

“Alright. I will see you later, okay? I’ll introduce your first proctor for this week,” he said before knocking at dad’s door and going inside.