One of the hardest decisions made in life is to choose which bridge to burn and which bridge to cross –unknown.***
She happily exited the room and took the elevator going to the parking lot. She told her mom that she made her a flower made of gla.s.s and she was excited to show it to her. As soon as Sahaya exited the room, Elise gazed at Tommy seriously.
"Tommy, as you know I only have a few months to live and I don"t want to burden you with Sahaya. With that I would like to asked a favor from you, would that be okay?"
"Elise, I have never considered you a burden in my life, ever. In fact, you and Sahaya were two great blessings in my life." Tommy answered.
"I know, I know. But Tommy, I hope you"ll consider my last wish. I want you to be happy. If possible I would like you to find someone whom you can marry. Someone who will love you more than you love her because you deserve to be loved. And I"m sorry that I couldn"t be that person Tom." She lowered her head.
"Elise…"
"Also, I would like to ask one last favor from you Tom." She lifted her head to meet his eyes. "Can you find Caleb"s family for me? maybe his parents or any of his siblings perhaps?"
"Elise, are you planning to hand Sahaya to them?" He was surprised.
"Tom, Although I know that you"ll want to keep her but I want Caleb"s family to know about Sahaya"s existence too." She uttered.
"But Elise…"
"Please Tom. I could only trust you to do it since I can"t do it on my own. Please." She was begging.
Tommy sighed. "Fine. I"ll try to find them." he a.s.sured her.
"Thank you Tom!" She shed a tear. After a few minutes, they heard some footprints das.h.i.+ng to the room. It"s Sahaya that"s for sure. they have the same thoughts.
"Mom! Mom! You won"t believe what I just found!" Her eyes were glimmering with joy as she enters the room and hops on the bed.
"Sahaya, careful." Elise prompt her. "What is it that you want to tell mom?"
"Mom, you won"t believe it! I saw daddy! I found him!" Elise and Tommy can see the confidence of the young lad.
"Sahaya sweetheart, you know where your dad is right?" Elise looked at her in the eyes intently.
"Mom! Uncle! Daddy is here! His not in heaven!" she was trying to convince them.
"Sahaya! That"s not a good joke, you know that right?!" Elise grounded her daughter. Sahaya was saddened at the thought that no one believes her so she run outside the door. Elise and Tommy thought that she was just upset but to their surprise, she came back shoving a familiar man inside the room. suddenly, Elise" eyes widened in horror when she was able to see who just came in.
She can"t believe her eyes. is she seeing a ghost right now? even Tommy was rooted to where he was standing.
Caleb slowly stared at Elise who was sitting on the hospital bed. She was so thin and frail that one lift might break her bones. What happened to her? he thought. he inspected her from head to toe and he can see the shock all over her face. She"s obviously holding back her tears.
"C-Caleb?" she rattled. Young Sahaya was standing beside her father holding his big hand with a wide smile.
"I told you, daddy is here." She giggled.
"Caleb? is that really you?" Tommy was dumbfounded too but as soon as he felt the situation, he excused himself and took Sahaya outside for a while.
"Sahaya, let mom and dad talk for a while, okay?" Tommy encouraged Sahaya then they both went out the room.
As soon as the door closes, Elise finally released the tears that she"s been holding back as she covered her face with her palms. Her crying was filled with devastation and it pained Caleb to see her in a wretched guise so he went near her and embraced her tight.
After thirty minutes of crying time, Elise tried to calm herself.
"I-I thought you were dead! They said you didn"t survive. Where have you been all these years?" she was breaking, sobbing nonstop. "Don"t you know how hard it is to raise Sahaya without a father?"
Caleb jerked at what he heard. "I-I Thought you married Tommy." He mumbles.
"Why didn"t you asked me personally?" Elise started to tear up once again. "Is that the reason why you didn"t try to find us? Not to come back for us? For your daughter?" that thought itself grieves Elise. Then she started to hit Caleb"s chest weakly.
"Why? why?! why do you have to show up just now?" Caleb himself was astonished at her revelation. So all these time, Elise had been living as a single mom? Oh, how foolish it is for him not to show up before? how he wants to punish himself right now.
"I"m sorry, Elise. I"m sorry." It"s the only words he could say at the moment cause he himself doesn"t know what to say.
Elise was able to stop her tears after. though her eyes were both swollen from her weeping. However, she doesn"t even want to look at Caleb right now. she"s mad, disappointed, hurt, upset but she"s also happy to know that his alive. It was a mix emotion she can"t barely manage for the moment.
"How did you meet Sahaya?" Elise calmly asked not looking at him.
"I accidentally met her at the parking lot. She called me dad." Caleb told her the story on how they met.
"How ironic. It seemed G.o.d has answered one of her birthday wish instantly." She leered sarcastically. "At least I can rest in peace now." a single tear trickled from her eye but she wiped it immediately.
"Elise, don"t say such thing!"
"Caleb, I"m not just blabbering nonsense things here. It"s the truth. I only have a few months to live." Elise exposed. "And now that I know you"re alive, I am more than ready to leave the world anytime soon." Then once again, tears take up again. Caleb didn"t know what to say. He himself can"t believe what he heard. Just a few months to live? No!