Julie ran down the hall to her father's room, her heart racing. Her brother demanded at her to hurry because there were only a few hours left before their father left.
"Daddy, Daddy... "Please wait for me," she whispered as she got to the door. She turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. She was out of breath and could only hear her heart racing. Her throat was dry, so she had to swallow empty saliva.
"Julie, my child," her father's weak voice said. She stopped moving and stared at the person on the bed, who still had a faint smile on his lips.
"Dad," she said in a low voice as she ran up to him and hugged him. A soft, tired laugh was all that came back to her hug.
Julie saw the changes in his face—the pain that was written in every line. She had never seen anything like that in her family before. Tears flowed freely.
"Don't cry, child." He said softly, "I want to see your happy smile when I'm gone," and he wiped her tears away with his rough hand.
"How can I be happy when I see you like this, Dad?" She cried and held him tighter.
He tousled her hair and held her close, even though he was weak. "Stop crying." He said softly, "If you keep crying like this, no one will be there to wipe your tears later."
Julie shook her head, not wanting to believe what was happening. Her father didn't have much time, but denial wrapped around her like a cloak.
"Julie, look at me."
She looked him in the eye through her tears. He held her face in his hands.
"Okay, always be happy," he whispered. "Don't frown, don't throw fits, and don't fight with your brother Chris." Find someone who will love you completely. I know you're scared of getting hurt again, but I promise you'll find someone who really loves you.
He smiled a little. "And one more thing: when you get to ninth grade, go to your brother's school. Stay with him.
"I know you don't like private school because of what happened to you before, but I trust you to deal with the bullies." That's what I want: you and your brother together.
"Dad... I'll do it. I'll go to that school, but please don't leave us. Julie begged, shaking her head, "I need you there."
He was having a hard time breathing.
She asked, "D—Dad, are you okay?" in a panic, seeing her mother crying in the corner and her older brother watching silently.
"Mommy, Dad can't breathe!" She said, "I'll call the nurse," and wiped her eyes.
"Chris, when I'm gone, take care of your mother and sister," her father said weakly to his oldest son. Chris just nodded and stayed quiet as the nurses rushed in.
"Daddy..." Julie spoke with a shaky voice. Her brother held her arm gently. Their mother sat next to their father, crying without making a sound.
"Please take care of them." He told Chris, "It will be hard, but I know you can."
"Hey, Dad! Don't say that! You will fight! I know you'll fight! She cried.
He just smiled. The medical team worked hard to keep him stable, but his body slowly gave in.
"No… no," she said over and over. "Hey, I was still talking to you. That's not fair, Dad." She fell down next to him, and her mother's cries could be heard all around her. Someone hugged her and held her close.
The doctor said, "Time of death: 4:45 PM."
"D—Dad!" Julie screamed, her sadness spilling out.
Her brother pulled her away from the body, which was covered in a white sheet. Julie shook her head in disbelief. Their mother held them close and cried.
****
"It's Tito's last wake, isn't it?" Dave, Cielo's brother, asked in a low voice.
They nodded seriously as they got ready to go to the service that night. The Villanueva family, who were close to the Navares, also felt sad.
Cielo, who was in eighth grade, sat quietly in the car and looked at his phone. His mother spoke softly.
"Hope Jesca is doing well." She cried a lot when we saw her, and I didn't see her youngest. I bet she's sad too.
"Yes," his father said curtly, with a sigh. "Jesca will be okay." "She's strong."
His mother nodded and gave him a small smile. "Yes... a woman with a strong will."
When Cielo got to the Navares' house, she noticed how sad everyone was. The parking lot was full, and people inside were quietly mourning.
His parents said, "Come on, let's go." Dave went out first, and then Cielo followed, putting his phone away. A woman said hello to them.
"Hello, Aunt," his brother said politely.
Even though she was sad, she smiled a little. Chris, who was also grieving, got a nod.
"Sorry for your loss," he said, and then they sat down. Cielo saw some familiar faces in the crowd: classmates Jonathan and Jason and cousins Kenneth and Joel.
"Where's your little sister?" Cielo heard his brother ask Chris.
"She's been in her room for days," they said.
"She was close to Uncle." Dave whispered, "I hope she's okay."
Cielo, who didn't know her well, remembered that she had gone to a different school, a public one that her father spoiled her at. He had a hard time remembering if they had any memories in common.
He went to a small garden to get some air and saw a woman in mourning on a swing. She hummed softly, and it was clear that she was sad.
"Julie, Mom is looking for you. Uncle and Aunt are waiting," a voice she knew called out. It was Chris.
"Later, big brother," she said, still sitting there and lost in thought.
When he got to her, her hair was messy, and she nodded without saying anything. She stood up and whispered to the sky, "Dad..." Where do you fit in with the stars now?
Cielo watched her sadness without saying a word. As the service started, he went inside and ran into Kevin.
The woman Cielo saw said, "Sorry."
Kevin smiled and said, "No problem. You must be Julie." She nodded weakly, asking for forgiveness, and then went inside, where her mother hugged her. They looked at each other for a moment, and it was clear that she was sad.
"She really does look like her," Cielo thought with a frown.