"Morning," Levi greeted warmly as Shonn came downstairs, his footsteps soft on the carpeted stairs.
"Morning," Shonn replied, his voice groggy from sleep but a smile creeping onto his face.
"I made some breakfast for you," Levi said, gesturing towards the kitchen. "Have it while it's hot. I'll be heading out soon," he added, stuffing some papers into his bag hurriedly.
"Are you leaving today too?" Shonn asked, his brow furrowing with concern.
"Yes," Levi replied with a smile. "The weekend is my relaxing time."
"You don't seem like you're relaxing at all," Shonn pointed out, his tone a mix of worry and teasing. Levi still had a smile on his face but didn't bother responding to Shonn's comment.
"It's Maya, right? The one you like," Shonn ventured, making Levi stop what he was doing and turn to face him.
"Wait-" Levi said, taken aback.
"I heard you two talking," Shonn explained, his eyes not meeting Levi's. "I just kinda realized. Steven likes her too, doesn't he?" Shonn said, looking down, the weight of his realization evident.
"How did you…?" Levi began, but Shonn interrupted.
"It was easy to guess. He's the reason you can't... whatever. Don't be so good, you always end up hurting yourself," Shonn said, his voice filled with concern and frustration.
"Who are you? Are you really the Shonn I know?" Levi tried to laugh it off, but it sounded forced.
"Why are you trying so hard? You don't have to pretend to be strong always, at least not in front of me… I'm sorry," Shonn said, his voice softening.
"Why are you sorry?" Levi asked, his worry evident in his eyes.
"I'm with Sara. I know it must be hard for you. I'm sorry- bro." Shonn hesitated on the last word, unsure if it was the right thing to say.
Levi walked towards his brother and pulled him into a tight embrace, Shonn freezing in place.
"Thank you, Shonn. Thank you for staying by my side. I don't need anything else. Don't let go of Sara. I'm rooting for you," Levi said, patting his brother's head affectionately.
"You're choking me. Just go wherever you want," Shonn said, trying to sound annoyed but failing miserably as a smile tugged at his lips.
As Levi left, Shonn went to the kitchen to get his breakfast from the pot. His expression brightened as he smelled the delicious aroma of the soup. He poured it into a bowl and took it to the table. As he was sipping, he found an envelope in front of him. A hospital name was written on it. Shonn tilted his head in confusion and opened it. His expression went blank as he saw the name of the patient and the guardian.
What in the world!
. . .
Maya woke up at noon, much later than usual since she had gone to bed nearly at dawn. She came downstairs and found Steven having his lunch with the leftovers from yesterday. She blushed as she saw him, the memory of last night flooding back.
"Morning," Steven greeted her casually, his eyes meeting hers briefly.
"A...h... yeah... morning," she stammered, feeling a bit awkward. She made her way to the kitchen and opened the fridge to find some food.
"I have heated up some for you. They're in the pot, on your left," Steven said, not looking up from his plate.
"Ah, thanks," Maya replied, her voice a bit shaky.
She hesitated for a second, wondering where to sit. Steven was sitting at the kitchen table, and she didn't really want to face him just then. She was about to head for the dining table.
"You can eat here. I'm done," Steven said, standing up and taking his plate to the sink. Maya just nodded and took a seat, feeling more awkward than ever. Steven washed his plate and glanced at her, noticing her unusual silence.
"If you're acting weird because of what I said last night, then you should shake it off," Steven said, making his way back to the table. Maya choked on her food as his words caught her off guard.
"Here," Steven said, pouring a glass of water and handing it to her.
"Thanks," she said, taking the glass and sipping slowly. He pulled out a chair and sat across from her, his eyes fixed on her.
"How... am... I... gonna eat... if you are staring... at me... like that?" she stuttered, her face turning red.
"You're being stupidly awkward when I am the one who's supposed to be," Steven said in a low voice, his expression softening.
"Huh?" Maya said, genuinely confused.
"Jeez! I'm the one who confessed, Maya. Not you! So why are you acting like you confessed and got rejected?" Steven asked, his tone gentle but firm. Maya choked on her food for the second time, her cheeks burning.
"Sorry. I better not speak now. Eat up. I'll go for a walk," Steven said, standing up, patting her head, and leaving her sight completely.
Oh God! What's wrong with me? How is he acting like nothing happened? Maya thought, feeling frustrated and embarrassed.
. . .
Levi sat beside his mom's bed, helping her lean against the wall. He was gently stroking her hair and smiling.
"Are you feeling well now?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.
"Yes, Levi. Thanks to you," she said, holding her son's hand tightly.
"I'm sorry that I cannot come here every day," Levi said, guilt evident in his eyes.
"It's okay. How long are you planning to say the same thing? I'm happy that you're with me. That's enough for me," she replied, her voice soft and reassuring.
"Mama, Shonn acknowledged me as his brother now," Levi exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with joy.
"Really? You must be really happy then. I wish I could see him one day," she smiled, her eyes filled with hope.
"Maybe one day. I haven't told him about you till now. I don't know how he would react," Levi said, sadness creeping into his voice.
The doctor and nurse came in, "Are you doing well, Levi?" the doctor asked, his tone professional but kind. "Yes, doctor," Levi replied, standing up.
"Did you bring all the reports?" the doctor asked, flipping through his notes.
"Yes. Wait a sec," Levi said, unzipping his bag and rummaging through it.
"Here, doctor," Levi said, handing over the file.
The doctor sat on a chair and checked through everything for a few minutes. He looked at Levi and said, "Pretty good. But Levi, I'm not seeing the CT scan report here, the last one. Did you forget to bring it?"
"I'm sure I put everything here. Let me search my bag," Levi said, his heart pounding.
"Are you looking for this?" a familiar voice reached to the room. Levi turned around to find Shonn standing at the door, a bag on his shoulder and holding a paper in his hand. Everyone turned to look, and Levi widened his eyes in surprise. Shonn walked in and handed the paper to the doctor.
"Here, doctor," Shonn said calmly.
"You are...?" the doctor began.
"Pardon me, I'm Shonn Turner, Levi's brother," he replied confidently.
"Turner?" The doctor furrowed his eyebrows.
"Stepbrother," Shonn clarified, turning to face Mrs. Morgan.
"Hello, you might have already recognized me. I'm Shonn. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, his voice polite. Mrs. Morgan was frozen for a moment, her eyes wide.
"Ah... ah... Shonn. I've heard a lot about you," she said, a smile slowly spreading across her face.
"Are you doing well?" Shonn asked, his tone gentle.
"I am. Shonn, you look even more handsome in real life," she said, making Shonn blush slightly. He glanced at Levi, who was standing there like a statue, unable to grasp what had just happened.
"I guess someone already talked a lot about me. Thanks, Mrs. Morgan," Shonn said, his voice soft.
"Shonn, how did... you...?" Levi stuttered, trying to find the words.
"Obviously because you left the paper," Shonn said, avoiding eye contact. He sat beside Mrs. Morgan, his demeanor relaxed and friendly. Levi was shocked to see Shonn so comfortable around his mom. Levi talked with the doctor about the report and any additional medicine she might need. Shonn kept his little chit-chat going, making Mrs. Morgan laugh.
Strange! He's not mad at me? What's going on? Levi thought, feeling a mix of confusion and relief.
At lunchtime, the two brothers went out to eat at a nearby restaurant. The walk there was silent, both of them lost in their thoughts. Levi wanted to start a conversation, but he was scared that Shonn would get angry.
Levi doesn't really know what Shonn is thinking because he has the same expression on his face all the time, Levi thought, stealing glances at his brother.
When the waitress came to take their order, Shonn was staring out the window, lost in thought.
"Shonn? Shonn?" Levi called softly.
"Huh?" Shonn snapped out of his thoughts.
"What do you wanna eat?" Levi asked, his tone gentle.
"Oh, sorry." Shonn bowed as an apology to the waitress. "Do you have Japanese dishes?" he asked, scanning the menu quickly.
"Yes sir, it is mentioned in the menu," the waitress replied with a polite smile.
"Sorry, didn't see that. One Beef Udon, please," Shonn ordered, handing back the menu.
As they ate their lunch quietly, Shonn broke the silence, saying, "The cap, would you mind taking it off?"
Levi looked up, a bit scared as Shonn spoke in a low voice. "Ah, yes," Levi replied, taking off his cap.
"Thanks. I couldn't see your eyes. It was bothering me somehow," Shonn said, his tone softer.
There was silence once again until they both spoke at the same time, and Levi was stopped by Shonn. "Look, Shonn, I'm sor—" Levi began.
"I'm sorry," Shonn said, cutting him off.
"Huh? Why are you?" Levi asked, genuinely confused.
"For not being someone you can talk about your mom to." Shonn said, his head down, his voice filled with regret.
"Shonn, what are you saying?" Levi asked, his heart aching.
"I'm sorry. I'll be a good brother to you, I promise. So don't put everything on yourself," Shonn said, his voice shaking with emotion.
Levi's heart was put at ease as Shonn spoke. He smiled softly and patted Shonn's head. "You already are," he said, his voice filled with warmth and relief.