Chapter Text
It’s funny how life works. A little ironic, a little sadistic, but a little right in every way possible altogether.
They meet again in a very unfortunate situation.
Marco is admitted to the Emergency room due to a perforated gastric ulcer. And Jean is dragging himself out of the front of the hospital with an andrology medical note in a grimace.
They see each other in the hallway, and without hesitation, Jean follows the gurney to the waiting room for the operation.
A few more years have passed; the mightiest frown back then at the bedside is now replaced by a lopsided smile.
“How can you just live alone like this, Marco? What if things went wrong? Who would be there with you?”
“I don’t know, Jean. But you are here now, aren’t you?”
Another lopsided smile.
Broken tears.
Jean and Mina are getting divorced this month. Her family has threatened unwaveringly about how he can't give her a child so he is better off letting her live a better life without holding her back for longer than 3 years.
Marco, after leaving the too-good-to-be-true job in Australia, came back here and lives alone, because “I would rather try hard in a not-so-perfect reality, than slowly dying a predictable ever-soft dream.”
Jean spends most of his time at the hospital since he has left the house Mina’s parents bought for the couple after parting ways. He feels freer than he ever felt in a long time.
Marco, although in post-operative pain, smiles more than ever in a long time.
Something changes; some don’t.
Something can be unfortunate and fortunate at the same time.
Sometimes, things must go wrong before they go right.
Sometimes, things just happen when they should.
◊∞◊
“You know, baby, I wrote something at the back of the portrait…”
“Yeah, I know, my love…”
“Really? When did you find out?”
“The night of your wedding day, I cried to sleep that night, I thought it was over.”
“I am sorry, baby, I didn’t have the guts to say it then.”
“No, I should be the one who says that… I am sorry for not showing you my heart enough to make you believe in me.”
“No, I am sorry for not trusting in you.”
“No, I am sorry for not being there for you when you are in need.”
“But you are here anyway…”
“And it’s you who make the wish on the portrait come true anyway…”
“Yeah, I love you, Marco.”
“I love you too, Jean.”
.END.