Carefully fixing her expression, Aira rehearsed a calm smile in her head before finally pushing the door open.
Only to find everyone inside staring directly at the two them.
A question was practically written across every face.
As if something had already been exposed.
Her father carefully studied her expression before speaking.
"We didn't order online because it would've taken too long. That's why we sent you both."
He paused deliberately.
"But somehow, you two took even longer than online delivery."
His face remained so serious that even Aira failed to catch the sarcasm immediately.
Maybe because her mind was already too crowded.
For a second, she panicked.
But then she realized...
They weren't exposed.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips.
"Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet, Dad," Aira replied awkwardly, trying to sound composed.
Just then Ian stepped in smoothly.
"Actually, it's still very early morning," he said calmly.
Aira turned toward him, confused about what he was trying to do.
"The shop had just opened, and they were short-staffed. That's why it took a little longer than usual."
His explanation sounded so natural that no one could tell he was lying.
Aira almost stared at him in disbelief.
She never knew this side of him existed.
He could lie without even blinking twice.
At this rate, he could probably make the bakery staff doubt themselves too.
Maybe handling criminal cases had trained him well.
Watching the two of them desperately trying to explain themselves, the elders finally burst into laughter.
"It's fine. Brother-in-law is just teasing you both," her aunt said between laughs.
Another sigh of relief escaped them.
The atmosphere lightened instantly.
The room slowly filled with warmth again.
For a while, everyone forgot everything.
Their stress.
Their worries.
Their exhaustion.
Maybe whoever said laughter was the best medicine wasn't entirely wrong.
For a moment, no sorrow felt strong enough to survive inside that room.
Aira quietly looked around.
Her mother was smiling.
Laughing.
Talking happily again.
And somehow, that alone brought a faint smile to her face.
She stayed silent, almost as if she wanted to freeze the moment and preserve it forever.
When I was younger, I used to watch a group of elders exercising in the park every morning from my balcony.
At the end of their routine, they'd stand in a circle, raise their hands, and suddenly start laughing together for no reason at all.
At first, the laughter felt strange.
Almost fake.
But slowly, as they continued, the laughter became real.
And before I even realized it...
I would start smiling too.
Sometimes even laughing along with them.
I only watched them out of curiosity at first.
But somehow, their happiness became contagious.
Even now, I still catch myself watching them sometimes.
Her gaze slowly shifted.
Toward Ian.
Maybe this is how life works.
Happiness matters.
And maybe...
your happiness should never depend entirely on another person.
Let's move on.
For real this time.
Time passed.
Her mother was discharged with medications and brought back home.
Aira decided to stay a little longer.
Partly for her mother.
Partly for her cousin's engagement.
But happiness was strange.
It only distracted pain for a while.
It never erased it completely.
The thoughts she had been avoiding eventually returned.
It was finally time to think about herself.
Every passing night filled her with more fear.
More pressure.
More urgency.
Fear of losing the right time.
Sometimes, dangerous thoughts still slipped into her mind.
What if things had been different?
What if he had stayed beside me?
What if the baby had gotten a chance to see the world?
What would've life looked like with him...
and our child?
But the decision had already been made.
Still, somewhere deep inside her heart sat another fear.
The fear of going through everything alone.
She couldn't gather the courage to visit the hospital.
The city felt too familiar.
Too small.
Too dangerous for a secret like this.
She searched endlessly instead.
Every possibility.
Every answer.
Every reassurance.
Her search history looked exactly like her state of mind these days.
Messy.
Confused.
Restless.
Eventually, she booked an online appointment with a gynecologist.
The night before the appointment felt unbearably long.
Unable to sleep, she picked up her phone and started searching again.
Question after question.
What would happen afterward?
Would it affect her health?
Would she recover properly?
Then suddenly, one suggestion caught her attention.
And left a terrifying question behind.
What if I can never become a mother again?
Before the thought could fully settle inside her mind, the feed slowly shifted.
Motherhood articles.
Parenting blogs.
Baby-related recommendations.
She kept scrolling absentmindedly until her fingers stopped at Ian's pictures.
The ones she had secretly saved long ago.
Her thumb hovered over the screen.
One by one, she kept scrolling through the pictures.
Her fingers hesitated at one picture longer than the others.
A candid one.
He was smiling at something outside the frame.
Slowly, she deleted that one last.
And,
all of them.
Afterward, she placed her phone beside her and lay down quietly.
As if trying to unburden herself.
Her eyes remained fixed on the empty ceiling until exhaustion finally pulled her into sleep.
Morning arrived too quickly.
"Mom, I'm going out to meet a friend!" Aira shouted while rushing toward the door.
"So early? At least eat something first. Don't leave on an empty stomach," her mother called out worriedly.
Aira wasn't sure what tests the hospital might ask her to undergo, so she had intentionally avoided eating anything.
"Mom, they're already waiting for me. I'm late. I'll eat with them," she replied quickly.
Then she slipped out before another question could stop her.
"Take care..." her mother said softly from behind.
Outside, Aira checked the hospital address on her phone once again.
The hospital she had chosen was intentionally far from home.
Far enough to avoid running into anyone familiar.
After reaching the hospital, she stood outside the entrance for a few seconds.
Trying to prepare herself.
Trying to gather enough courage for the step she was about to take.
She checked her appointment details once again before finally walking toward the gynecology department.
"Ma'am, sorry for the delay. The doctor had to attend an emergency and hasn't returned yet. Just five more minutes," the nurse apologized politely.
"...Sure," Aira replied quietly.
She sat down on a nearby bench and looked at her phone casually.
Then suddenly—
"Aira..."
The familiar voice instantly made her body tense.
Her head snapped upward.
It was Ian.
"Why are you here?"
Their voices overlapped.
And so did the panic in their eyes.
"The gynecology department...?" Ian asked faintly.