CHAPTER 33: LOSSES

She left quietly.

Jasmine Alejandro. Matriarch. Lola.

It’s not that we did not expect her to leave, it’s just that, despite knowing that she will pass away soon, no amount of preparation can make it any less painful. One can never be ready losing a person they love.

Rodney quietly accepted being an orphan all over again. He did not talk much. I did not see him going wild in pain. He let Lola go peacefully, because he knew she left while happy.

But in the darkness of our room, I sometimes see him looking so dejected, staying late at night. During those nights after Lola’s burial, I just became his silent companion. I knew he did not need words of comfort, and I didn’t offer empty words. I know how it feels when the last of your family left you on your own.

When my Dad died, I held onto Dave’s presence to lend me strength. And that’s what I want to give Rodney, too. This presence that he can feel he can rely on.