Imperfect Desires

Both Darren and Xiu got to finish their breakfast in silence after everyone left. Well, actually it wasn't that silent. Even food wasn't able to stop Xiu from talking as before. She still had a lot to say. In fact, her words were endless. And her thoughts were as scattered as always. She was still very random. 

"I was thinking that you said we can go on a honeymoon since you took a break from work. But now that I have thought about it, it can't be considered a honeymoon." She spoke in a thoughtful manner as if she had been thinking about this for a long time now and only now came to a conclusion.

"Why not?" He asked in a very soft voice.

"Because we are having a baby already. That means it'd be a babymoon! Hahaha!" She was laughing at her own joke to the point that her tears hung at the corner of her eyes now.

Darren stared at her face and said, "Sweets, aren't you tired?"

Xiu pouted at him, "Why? You already got tired of listening to my voice? You said you'll never get tired of it. How can you go back on your words so soon? Just last night you said you wanted to hear my voice."

"I'm not tired of listening to your voice," replied Darren. "I just really think you need to rest now. Give some break to your throat."

"I'm totally fine though," she retorted.

His lips had just parted a little to say something when the door opened and Nora's head peered inside. Seeing both the patients awake and well, she ran inside. Xiu opened her arm since the other one was not moving as she said, "Best friend, I missed you!"

However, Nora had actually run to Darren's side and started, "You! Do you even know how scared I was? I almost got a heart attack, damn it! It had to be the scariest moment of my life! I forgot to even breathe for a long time."

Darren pursed his lips and said, "Sorry for worrying you like that!"

"What? What am I supposed to do with that apology?" 

Xiu stared at Nora who was still not paying attention to her and put her arm down, "The world changed while I was asleep. No no. My best friend changed sides while I was asleep. What a tragedy. Why did I have to wake up to see this world that seems so unfamiliar now that my best friend isn't on my side?"

Nora's lips twitched and she looked at Xiu saying, "Drop it already! I haven't abandoned you yet!"

"Yet?" repeated Xiu. "That means you're definitely planning on doing so?" She narrowed her eyes at Nora, "Is this how you are supposed to treat your sick best friend?"

"Honestly, I wish to beat you both up! You both worried me to death in the past 3 days! I'm on the verge of collapsing now!" exclaimed Nora letting out her pent frustration, helplessness, and pain.

Xiu's eyes softened as she extended her to her, "Come here! I'll hold you. I'll never let you collapse. Have some faith in me." Xiu even patted her own chest as she spoke making Nora smile slightly before her tears fell down.

She went to Xiu's side and hugged her tightly saying, "I was so scared. I truly was."

Xiu continued to pat her shoulder soothingly, "I know. But it's okay now. Aren't we just fine now?" Nora didn't immediately pull away, she continued to hug her as if to reassure herself that Xiu was real and not just a fiction of her imagination. "Nora, my Sweet Dora, I'm really fine. How can you cry like this at this age? What if your daughter saw it?"

"Ava isn't here," Nora replied in between her sobs.

"Oh, but your nephew is here," said Xiu and Nora pulled away to look at her face in confusion.

"Nephew?"

Xiu rubbed her stomach, "This foodie inside of me! He can see you. The doctor said he can even hear you. Imagine what he'll feel seeing his aunt crying like this?"

Nora stared at Xiu's face for a while before laughing out, "Silly, the baby is so small. He can't hear you yet. And by the way, how do you know it's a boy?"

"Because I have an intuition," replied Xiu as if that was meant to explain everything. "It's definitely a boy!"

"What if it's a girl?" questioned Nora.

"But I'm saying it's a boy!" Xiu seemed determined about this. "How about this, let's have a bet? What do you say?"

"Okay. What are we betting?" Nora agreed pretty readily as she wiped her tears.

"If you win, I'll give you anything you want. But if I win, you better start calling me elder sister!"

Nora thought about it and nodded, "Okay. Deal!" As they shook their hands, Nora questioned, "However, why do you want it to be a boy?"

"Ava needs a brother, silly!" Nora was stunned to hear that reply from Xiu. "Although Jackie is there to protect her, he is her uncle. We need a brother as well."

Nora pinched Xiu's cheek saying, "Then let me start calling you elder sister from today. I don't even want to win this bet anymore."

"I didn't want to intrude," Darren suddenly interrupted them. "But I just couldn't help it. Why are you both betting on my kid? Is it really time for that? The poor kid hasn't even come to this world yet!"

"Future planning is a thing," said both Nora and Xiu simultaneously before sharing a look and laughing out.

Seeing Xiu laugh like that with Nora, he didn't add anything else. It was good enough that she was feeling happy. In fact, he knew the perfect cure for Xiu had been Nora. This girl whom she met the moment she opened her eyes into the same world, same time and yet, in a different life. 

This friendship had become more than just precious to both of them now.