WHILE SHE WAITS

"Mom, can you sleep here with me?"

Arianna asked as she clung to her mother's arm.

Dianna smiled awkwardly as she turned to look at Carl. When she saw Carl nod his head, her smile widened.

"Sure. I'll sleep here with you."

Arianna cried for such a long time in her arms. She didn't have the heart to reject her request. She didn't even know too, why her daughter cried so hard in her presence. She used to be a tough girl. Just what exactly happened to her during her absence?

"Come. Now that you've finally calmed down, let's chat for a while."

Carl immediately assisted Dianna and transferred her from the chair to Arianna's bed. When everything was settled, he left the room to give the women some alone time. He'll just come back later to bring them dinner. Although he wanted to spend some time with Dianna, too, he knew that right now, Arianna needs her mother more. It doesn't matter that he'll be sleeping alone again tonight. Since he and Dianna will be together for real, from now on.

Yago, that child... He couldn't blame Arianna for being this devastated. Since the day she was born, she only ever had two people in her family. One was her mother, the other one was Yago. The two of them made her whole. He as a father was absent most of her life. He alone would be useless to her in a time like this. Did the heavens brought Dianna back because they have to take Yago? He was so young. Why so soon?

"Well... aren't you going to tell me what you're lamenting about?" Dianna teased when she noticed Arianna's silence. She's clearly not herself right now.

Arianna sighed and thought for a while just how she's going to explain things to her mom. She, too, had loved Yago like her own son. What if she suddenly falls ill again?

"It's.... the guy I like passed away."

"Jayden is dead?" Dianna exclaimed.

"What a pity!"

Arianna hurriedly shook her head and gestured with her hands." No-no, mom! Jayden's alright. I wasn't talking about him."

"Oh... so you met someone else? But then he's gone? Then where's your brother? What was he doing letting you go through this alone! He used to dote on you so much. Did he find a wife and left?"

Arianna thought for a while. Then she nodded slowly. "His family found him and took him home." Arianna answered. She didn't want to lie to her mother, so she chose to tell her something that is close to the truth.

Dianna nodded, too.

"Well, that's good too. You must've been missing Yago very much. No wonder you're in such a state. You were all on your own. I'm sorry, my dear." she said, rubbing Arianna's back.

"It wasn't your fault." she replied as she hug her mother. "I'm glad that you're alive and well."

During the times that she thought her mom died, Yago helped her make it through the sadness. Now that Yago was gone, her mother came back to share her pain. Maybe she wasn't that unfortunate too. And, Yago said he'll come back. Maybe one day, he'll come knocking to take her with him. Who knows how long she's going to live? Maybe she'll be reunited with Yago soon. She'll just have to live her life for a while.....

while she waits....

***

Three months later...

Dianna was sitting on a bench while watching Arianna from a distance. She was a bit energetic now and she acts like a normal young lady now. She was holding her smartphone, taking pictures around the place.

Because of all the things that happened in the past, Carl decided to take them to places and today, they came to Pian country to visit a well known temple. Cal said he wanted to thank the heavens for Dianna's quick recovery. She on the other hand, wanted to pray for Arianna's piece of mind. She wished she could revert back to how she was before Dianna fell to a coma.

"Are you a local here?"

A middle aged woman asked Dianna while she was looking far away. She sat beside her and glanced at the many people in the temple's entrance.

"No, we're tourists. We came to pray." Dianna answered.

The woman nodded her head.

"I came to pray too. But there are so many people today. I think I came at a bad time."

Dianna stared at the woman. She has foreign features which reminded her of Yago. "There's a festival today. But I'm sure we could get in later. You must have come for something very important." otherwise why would a foreign lady like her who seemed to be from a different continent come here today for a temple visit alone?

The woman nodded while still looking far away. "Indeed. My son underwent a high risk surgery a few months ago and he hasn't woken up since. I'm here to pray for his recovery." after saying that, the woman glanced at Dianna and smiled. But her smile didn't reach her eyes. "By the way, I'm Coralina dela Vega." she said offering her right hand.

Dianna reached out and shook her hand. "Dianna Reid." she introduced herself with a smile. "I'll pray for your son, too. Don't lose hope. Do you know that I have been in an unconscious state for almost five years? If my husband gave up on me from the very start, I won't be here talking to you today."

Coralina's eyes brightened a bit, as if given a glimpse of hope.

" Really? Your husband must have loved you very much for hanging on this hope for five years. I know how painful it is to wait."

Dianna lowered her head. Carl? He loved her? That would be a dream come true.

"Mom, do you want to eat first?"

She didn't know when Arianna got close to them but Dianna suddenly heard that question from her daughter. She was standing near them, taking photos of the two women.

Dianna looked at the woman beside her and smiled. "Would you like to join us for lunch?"