The One Who's Crying

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

For upon entry to the cave he noticed that there are water formations in it.

"I think I'll manage, let's just check it out. I was curious about it but because I was busy with something else, I decided to not venture. But since you are here anyway, why don't we check it out?" she asked.

In reality, she too was a bit nervous. Not just pools would make her feel the fear of the water but even the Burnham lake did and she could feel a bit of it in here.

Though she was fighting over her fear that she could only brave it out.

Slate shook his head, it was fun touring around but if it gets too much for her to handle, he can go on without touring.

But since she had insisted that she wants to do it, then he wouldn't stop her. Especially since she was trying her best to overcome her own trauma, something doctors would want their patients to do.

"Be careful," the tour guide told them as they started the journey inside the cave.

She was still doing great at the beginning and she found the place truly beautiful but as they go deeper in the cave. And the water seemed to become deeper as well, she started feeling her breath becoming constraint.

Slate was watching her closely from behind, he can see that she started walking differently than when they just entered.

But as long as she didn't want to stop, then he will just watch from the side.

At the same time, he will also stop her the moment he could see that it was no longer fruitful but instead was just of her being stubborn and would harm her instead.

She took deep breaths, pausing from her walk from time to time.

Watching her, Slate couldn't help but to nod in approval, she wasn't being rash or anything, instead she knew when she should take breaks.

But despite the effort, an enclosed cave filled with water is still too high of a hurdle for her.

Due to the weakening of her knees she ended up slipping, especially since the floor was truly slippery.

Slate was able to hold her in her waist before grabbing at the nearest stone formation he could hold on to before he too would slip and the two of them would end up falling to the water instead. The water that they have no idea if it were shallow or deep.

"I think that is enough," he breathed a sigh of relief before saying.

Amethyst nodded her head in agreement, she had seen enough and wouldn't be too stubborn to actually push through when she could put the two of them in danger.

They were helped by another guide to get out of that place.

Glancing down, Amethyst felt guilt.

"We should probably rest in a restaurant for now," Slate commented.

She agreed but excused herself for a bit to go to a convenience store.

After doing so they went to rest at a nearby restaurant.

"Give me your hand," she said after they took their order.

He furrowed his brows before remembering that he was indeed wounded by the rock formation he had hold on to.

He handed it to her seeing that she was bringing out some medicine kits on the plastic bag she had bought from the convenience store.

"I'm really sorry about this, you are a doctor yet what I caused you is an injury in your hand," she apologized as she started treating his wounds.

"They are all small ones, what are you apologizing for?" he asked in return pushing her forehead using his fore finger.

She could only touch her forehead before nodding her head.

Their food arrived in time when she just finished treating his wounds.

"It is really homey, the food," he commented.

He had noticed this since he first tasted the dishes in this place yesterday.

The vegetables are fresh and the food itself was cooked for the purpose of cooking a home made one.

"Yes, I fell in love with it the first time I tried as well," she replied with a smile.

The two of them chatted more before going back home just as the sun had set.

"Here you go," she handed him a mug.

As they have decided to have a coffee outside where they could watch the stars.

"The stars feel closer up here, and there are more of them than back in the city," he commented.

"Hmmm, maybe because the lights are very little as compared to the city. At the same time, this place is higher than Baguio. The wind was fresher as well," she took a deep breath before sipping her coffee.

A slight smile appeared on his face as he remained looking up at the stars.

Both of them are sitting on the weaved chairs while holding their own mugs. They were silently watching the starry sky, each having their own thoughts.

A few minutes later, Amethyst looked at him, who was now looking at the night view of the trees and houses.

It was a silent night as compared to the city where there was a night life as well.

"Why… do you stop yourself from crying?"

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard her sudden question.

"Cry for what?" he asked.

"Crying for the fact that you are about to lose a very important person," she answered with sincerity in her eyes.

He shook his head, "We have already accepted that fact."

"Your mind, yes. But there is no way that your heart would accept death no matter how far it is or how near."

He looked at her, ready to hear what she wants to say.

She took a deep breath, "We are all saying we have accepted it. But our hearts will always be in pain. A lover could die and we would have that chance in the future to say, I am letting you go now. I found someone to love again."

Her eyes stared straight in his.

"But we can never say to our family, that we are letting them go. Because no one would be able to replace them no matter how long they are gone. Scarlet was your only family, she was the one who raised you and comfort you. She had done so much for you that you just saying you have accepted the fact that she will die is something I won't believe."

"What do you want me to do then? Curse? Curse at the fact that there are more people who could have gotten her sickness yet in the end it was her who had it? Curse at the fact that she was still young, still have a lot of things that she could have done, but will be cut short? Is that what you want me to do?" he asked.

"If that is what will help you bring out all those emotions, then do so. No one would stop you. A lot was even cursing God for bringing pain in their lives, bringing sadness, bringing hardships. But I am not telling you to do the same. What I am telling you is to bring out the pain," she replied.

"How would that help me?"

"It will help lessen the heaviness of what you are feeling. You smoke from time to time and she was aware of it. She knew that you are still suppressing yourself from being sad. From crying over her. And she didn't want that, she wants you to have a lesser burden."

"She's not a burden," he rebuked.

"She is not but that emotion you are bottling up is the burden she wants you to release. Do you think she would just throw you out here just because she was worried about me? She heard that I came here to look for myself and that is why she knew this place is a good one to help you feel at peace."

She was teary eyed but this was not the time for her to be the one who's crying.

"She wants you to release everything because she knew it would be very painful for you, to one day bury her and bid her goodbye knowing she haven't done everything she had wanted."

She took a deep breath before continuing, "You two watched each other grow up and find what you wanted to do. You became each other's pillar whenever life gets hard. So don't stop yourself from mourning or just simply saying you have accepted it because no one would be able to fully accept the death of that person."

He placed down the cup on the floor before placing his head on top of his intertwined fingers.

"This place is silent, no one will judge you if you were to cry. No one will blame you for crying despite being a grown up man. Bring it out Slate, because as you struggle to keep it in. The more she will suffer from knowing she couldn't do anything to help you."