Array
(
[text] =>

Chapter 43 Part 2

Daniel's P.O.V

I thought I was just dreaming again because I was hearing soft sobs of people. I automatically thought 'whose life is in danger now?' Ever since the incident that changed my entire life, my initial response to every cry that I may see or hear is sorrow.

I tried to erase the thought of someone's life was in danger. But the soft sobs kept going and I couldn't bear to hear it anymore. 'Please, stop it.' I thought.

I forced myself to wake up. Slowly, I opened my eyes and adjusted it to see through the bright light. As I started to fully wake up, I realized that the sobs that I was hearing was not a dream at all.

It was real.

And then, reality hit me. I wasn't in my own room at home. I felt someone moved in my arms, when I looked down to see who it was, I was surprised to see Jared sleeping peacefully with a smile painted on his face.

I rubbed my eyes just to check if I was still dreaming. In an instant, my memory came flooded myself, 'Angelo is awake. Jared is okay now. Everything is back to normal.' I thought to myself. A sudden feeling of butterflies erupted inside my stomach.

I scanned the room to find Maria standing at the living area near the door, her back was turned on me. On her left was Nicholas, the evil father of the century. I recognized his broad posture even if his back was facing me as well. He seemed to be embracing someone and wait... he was sobbing. The sobs I heard in my dream was coming from him.

'This is new.' I thought. 'But where's Angelo?'

As if on cue, Nicholas broke the embrace from the person in front of him, revealing the no other than angel and love of my life, Angelo.

A smile slowly crept on my face as the butterflies on my stomach started to lift my feet up, ready to envelop the beautiful man into a crashing hug.

I slowly tipped my toe on the floor when I heard the unexpected words from Angelo that almost broke me into pieces once again.

"I'm coming home with you, to Sydney." Angelo said, looking at his parents.

The smile on my face was gone in an instant. The butterflies that was tickling my stomach was replaced by a bitter taste in my mouth. 'Angelo is leaving us? Again? How can I handle the second time he will be gone from me? From us?'

Tears started to blur my vision. I tried to fight the urge to cry like a baby, but the pain of losing someone for a second time is unbearable.

Perhaps I heard it wrong. "What? Are you leaving me? Are you leaving us?" I asked the unsuspected people on the living area.

They all turned their attention towards me, obviously surprised by my sudden presence. Awkward silence filled the air as I was waiting for an answer from Angelo.

The silence was broken when Nicholas coughed. "I think we should leave you two alone to talk." He said. He looked towards Angelo and then towards Maria.

Maria was surprised but said, "Uhm, yes. I think we should. We'll get some foods downstairs to bring up here." She stirred herself to the door, ignoring Nicholas at all. Nicholas followed suit but before throwing a warm smile to Angelo.

When the parents were clear of sight, Angelo patted the space next to him. "I can't walk just yet. My feet are still numb from not walking for two years. Would you sit beside me, please?" he asked.

My confused emotion suddenly softened as soon as Angelo asked me a favour. Of course, I would never say no to him. I stood up from the bed and gradually walked towards him.

He was watching me walking my way to his position and somehow, I felt insecure about myself. 'How did I manage to capture the heart of this angel? Am I worthy enough?' I thought.

I seated beside Angelo, careful not to hurt him unintentionally. "I'm sorry about my sudden reaction." I started. "I just... I just couldn't bear to lose you once again. I can't. I can't bear to be away from you anymore." I took both his hand and planted a soft kisses on it. His hands were cold but the softness of it compromised the loss of warm.

"Hush now Mr. Bradley." He smiled. "I will never leave you alone. I will never leave Jared alone again. You will never lose me once again." He said, his gripped on my hand was telling me that every word he said was not to be broken.

"But I heard that you are coming with your parents to Sydney." I asked.

"Hear me out, please?"

I nodded and waited for him to tell me what was on his mind.

"Daniel, I would love to stay with you and Jared every day. There's no question about it. You are my family. But, I have been dreaming for my own family to be together as well. You know that I spent mostly of my childhood without a parent's presence. I have been dreaming to be with a mother who will always be there whenever I scraped my knees. I have been dreaming to be with a father who will lift me up in the air to make me feel good after crying from the pain of my wounded knee. I have been dreaming all of that ever since I was a kid, but I stopped dreaming about it when I realized that it will never come true." He paused, a stream of tears rolling down his cheeks.

I was surprised at how broken Angelo's childhood was. If I was broken when I learned that my dad won't be coming home anymore, Angelo was shattered into billion pieces knowing that a complete family is an impossible dream. What made it worst is that he was just a child who wants nothing but attention and care.

I wiped the rolling tears off him with my thumb. "I understand love, you don't have to explain. I mean, I didn't mean to react that way. Forgive me?" I pleaded. Every roll of tears from his eyes were a stabbed right into my chest. It hurts so much to see your love ones in pain.

He shook his head and continued. "I'm alright. I need to let this out anyways." He paused for a while as if he's gathering his strength to carry on. "So, while you're asleep, I had a talk with my parents. I've learned about what happened and my father confessed everything he did. He was remorseful from everything that happened and asked me for a second chance. I was really angry at first, but looking at him so defeated, I couldn't bear it. If giving him a second chance will make my dream to have a complete family come true, then I wouldn't waste this chance."

He looked at me waiting for my reaction. I just smiled at him and leaned closer to him to kiss his forehead. "You are an angel. I'm not sure why your father didn't see it before you got hurt. I support you with every decision you make. If it means your happiness, then I will gladly give it to you. Sydney is just a plane ride away. Or if airplane is too expensive, then I'll drive all the way there to see you. I promise." I sniggered and pinched his cute nose.

"I'll come visit you every week. I'll skype you, text you, and call you every day." He promised.

"Just promised me that we will be forever." I said, embracing him with my arms.

"I promised." He hummed on my chest.

We stayed like that for a while, sharing each other's warmth in silence. It felt like forever until Angelo's stomach decided to take us back into reality.

"Ooppss." He said, a little bit embarrassed.

I couldn't stopped my laughing that echoed in the entire room. It didn't surprise me that it woke up our little Jared.

Slowly, he got up from the bed while wiping the sleep off his eyes. "Daddy, you laugh so loud." He said. He has really grown much. The little cheeky boy before was replaced by a skinny boy he was now. I made a mental reminder that we have to continue the therapy for his full recovery.

"I'm sorry buddy. Papa's tummy was just too funny." I said, motioning him to come towards us.

"Hey!" Angelo complained and that earned a giggle from our little boy.

Jared made his way towards us. He first went to my arms and I gave him a peck on the cheek. After that, he went straight towards Angelo. "Papa." He said as he cuddled on Angelo's lap.

"Papa's tummy is hungry." I said. "I'll get you some food. What would you like?"

"Yes. I'm so starved." Angelo answered and thought something for a while. "Oh I know now. I want rice and kfc gravy. Gosh, I'm so craving for it now. Can you get me one, please?"

"Uhhh.. I don't think that's a good choice, love." I said.

Angelo pouted and gave me puppy eyes, to which he knew from the start that I cannot resist it. "Fine, I'll get you rice and kfc gravy." I stood up from my seat. "Jared, stay here with Papa, okay buddy?" I said.

"Yes daddy." Jared answered as Angelo began tickling him.

As soon as I opened the door, I was surprised by the three aunties fitting together in the door frame. They stumbled down the floor over each other. "Aunties. What are you doing?" I asked.

Angelo and Jared's attention snapped towards our direction. "Aunties? What are you doing?" Angelo asked.

"Oh gosh. You two are really perfect together. You ask the same question." That was Aunt Lisa who answered as she began to get up from the floor, since she was on the top of her two sibling.

I looked out of the door to see Veronica, Dianne and Alex entertaining themselves with the aunties' silliness. "They were trying to listen to your conversation, but couldn't make out what you were talking about." Alex explained while shaking his head.

"Is Angelo alright?" Veronica asked.

I nodded in response. I stepped aside to give way to them inside the room. They marched in but not before giving me a light tapped on the shoulder with a smile.

I turned my back on the door and was about to marched downstairs when Sebastian spooked me from the hallway. "Sir, where are you going?"

"Oh gosh Sebastian! You're giving me a heart attack!" I complained. After gaining my composure, I continued, "I'm getting Angelo a meal."

"Let me guess, rice and kfc gravy?" he asked. I looked at him like he'd grown two heads.

"How did you..." I trailed out.

Sebastian snickered. "After being from sickness, master Angelo always crave for rice and gravy. It always cheer him up and somehow, it helps him recover faster." He explained. "Can I come with you?"

"Sure, I don't mind some company." I welcomed him and we walked out to find the amazing Kentucky fried chicken's gravy.

After 2 days....

The doctor gave us and Angelo the go signal  to go home. As much as I wanted to jump with joy because Angelo was finally coming home, I couldn't fully feel the happiness. Somehow, the definition of 'home' suddenly became dull to me because it isn't my home where Angelo was coming back. As selfish as it may sound, I was just being honest with myself. I know I told him that I will support his every decision if it means his happiness, but no one can't erase the fact that he is my happiness, our happiness.

After packing, we drove back to my place. Maria and Nicholas flew back to Sydney together with the three aunties and Veronica to prepare the mansion for Angelo's homecoming.

Angelo decided to spend one more day with us. I'm not going to complain anymore. Every chances I get to be with him is a great privilege and I wouldn't waste it.

Sebastian drove us back to my place. On our way, I filled Angelo every details about what happened to the incident, and answered every question he has.

He started asking about what happened to the people who kidnapped them. Sebastian was the one who answered himby letting him know that every single person with a gun were executed prior to his order.

Angelo was silent for a while, contemplating what just Sebastian told him. I was silent on my side, waiting for Angelo to speak up.

"If I didn't do it, I mean order Sebastian to kill everyone, they will kill Jared. I had to." He said to no one in particular.

I patted his back and smiled, "You did what you have to. Those people are criminal from the very start. Killers, murderers, and drug pushers. You did the world a favour." I said.

Angelo then asked, although hesitant, about what happened to Chloe. This time, I was the one who told him that she was gone forever. There was no reaction from him at all, not this time. I guess he despise Chloe to the bone.

He then changed the subject to Jared and me. He asked what happened to Jared. I told him about the trauma and how our little boy was not responding to anything for straight two years. I told him everything without sugar coating it because it was his request to know every single details.

After telling him the part about Jared, he promised that he will be on every step of Jared's recovery. He promised to hold on to us until the end. And if end comes, it will be forever.

Angelo looked me in the eye and lightly touched my sunken cheeks. "What happened to you?" his minty breathed brushed on my neck and it gave me shivers.

I sighed, "I was broken to pieces when you and Jared are both far away from me. I mean, you in a coma and Jared is in trauma had put a toll in me. I couldn't sleep, eat and almost couldn't function very well for the past two years. Thanks to our family and friends, I managed to get a grip on me and stay sane albeit what's happening around me. You and Jared are my weakness as well as my strength." I smiled.

"You remember." He said.

I nodded in response. "Yes. Your favorite quotation gave me the strength to hold on." It was a quotation from the Bible that he once found in my mother's bible. Since then, he kept reciting it whenever he feels down and lonely.

I looked at him in the eye, his black orbs staring at me as if he was looking deep in my soul. Smiling, I recited every word with conviction, " 2 Corinthians 12:10, 'That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.'" I paused.

We look into each other, and said together, "For when I am weak, then I am strong."

[text_hash] => 9e0ee7c1
)