Azora remained on the terrace of their hotel room. Lamech stood silently beside her, gazing at the distant ocean. Time quickly passed between them, but neither spoke a word. The salty breeze blew gently in their direction.
There was a knock on the door. Room service. It was already noon. Lamech stood up and opened the door, allowing the man with the food tray to enter. The man quickly left after placing the tray on the tea table at the foot of the bed.
Lamech returned to the terrace. “The food is here,” he said.
Azora put down Lamech’s phone and entered the room. They ate lunch in silence. In the afternoon, Lamech suggested they go out for a walk.
The sun was level with the treetops as they strolled along the shoreline. The waves gently lapped against the rocky sand. The wind played with Azora’s loose, long hair, and a few strands brushed against Lamech’s arm, making him glance at her.
A soft smile appeared on the corner of her lips. The gentle sunlight kissed half of Azora’s face. Lamech couldn’t resist reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
Azora looked at him and smiled gently. “You seem silent all of a sudden.”
“Do I?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Azora stared at him for a moment before laughing softly. “Whatever,” she said, then turned and continued walking.
Lamech caught up with her and took her hand. He intertwined their fingers, and they continued walking in silence. Occasionally, Lamech glanced at Azora, and sometimes she glanced back at him. They smiled at each other.
“Have you ever had a girlfriend?” Azora suddenly asked.
“Yes,” he replied, looking ahead. “A girl in my junior year. But we broke up before graduation.”
“And after schooling?”
“No. I never had a girlfriend.”
“Really?”
Lamech chuckled softly. “You don’t believe me?”
“With your looks?” Azora teased, playfully slapping Lamech’s hand that held hers. But Lamech didn’t let go. Azora laughed. “Nah. I doubt it.”
Lamech grinned. “I worked hard to give my future wife the life she deserves.”
Azora raised an eyebrow. “And who would that unfortunate woman be?”
“Don’t call yourself unfortunate,” he said.
Azora’s lips twitched. She wanted to argue but fell silent when Lamech put his arm around her and pulled her close. Azora’s lips formed a thin line before she pouted. She didn’t say anything.
Before long, they reached the lone gazebo by the beach. Lamech let Azora enter first before he climbed up. They watched the sun slowly set in the west.
“How’s my father?” Azora suddenly asked.
Lamech looked down and then glanced at Azora, who was just staring ahead. “I lost communication with him when we traveled south.”
“We can check the news now that we are here,” she said.
Lamech was taken aback by her suggestion. He hadn’t prepared for that. He hadn’t considered that Azora would use this opportunity to connect with the city. He cleared his throat. “You shouldn’t worry about these things.”
“I’m not worried. I’m just curious,” she defended.
“He can handle it. Trust him. He’s been cleaning up messes for years now, so rest assured he is okay.”
Azora turned to look at him. “Cleaning up messes for years?” Her eyebrow raised. “Have you known about his deeds over the past years?”
“What?” Lamech frowned at her question. “No,” he firmly denied. He saw the doubt in her eyes and feared losing her trust. Regaining trust would be difficult, especially since Azora didn’t trust easily.
Lamech realized that Azora’s mind wasn’t completely broken. She was still aware and could deduce things just like she always did. This gave him hope that she would recover. Lamech felt more optimistic.
“Don’t let me catch you between the lines,” Azora warned.
He smiled. “There’s nothing to catch,” he said. When he noticed her suspicious look hadn’t faded, he laughed awkwardly. “Come on.”
Azora rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, looking ahead.
As the sun set and darkness began to take over, Lamech suggested they return to the hotel. Azora didn’t protest and followed him away from the gazebo.
“You should sleep early today. Tomorrow, we’ll stroll along this shore,” he said.
The cool wind blew gently. Azora tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at Lamech. “Are we staying here for days?”
“If you like it here, we’ll stay as long as you want.”
Azora raised an eyebrow. She thought Lamech had only asked Hana for permission to take her out for the day. He hadn’t mentioned they wouldn’t return to the institution for several days.
“Well… let’s see then,” she said and fell silent.
When they reached the hotel, a dinner date setup arranged by Lamech greeted them. Azora raised an eyebrow in surprise and looked at him questioningly. He laughed and gestured to the small round table for two.
“Have a seat?” Lamech asked Azora.
With a puzzled frown, Azora sat down across from Lamech. A few seconds later, a waiter entered and served the food Lamech had ordered earlier. Azora watched the waiter intently as he served their table.
After the food was served, classic jazz music started playing. Azora raised her eyebrows even higher, staring at Lamech with a look that asked what he was up to.
Smiling, Lamech picked up his wine glass and raised it. “Let’s have a toast,” he said.
Though confused, Azora picked up her wine glass and raised it as well. They toasted. Azora sipped the wine while keeping her eyes on him. Lamech did the same, not taking his eyes off her.
Azora lowered her wine glass. “What’s this?” she asked in a quiet voice.
Lamech shrugged. “Is this your first time being treated to a dinner date?” he asked.
Azora’s frown eased until her expression became blank. Lamech was alarmed. He hoped she wouldn’t zone out in front of the food, especially since the crew occasionally stole glances at them, waiting for orders.
He breathed a sigh of relief when Azora asked, “Is it your first time treating a girl to dinner?”
He was the one who now had a blank expression. After a moment, he cleared his throat. “Officially? Yes.”
“I see,” Azora said. She picked up her wine glass and played with it while staring at him. “Do you know how rude it is to ask a girl if it’s her first time with those words and that tone?”
Lamech raised an eyebrow. “Is that offensive?”
“Yes,” Azora said flatly. “It’s insulting to the girl.”
“Really?” Lamech said. “But I was just asking nicely. How could it be rude?”
“You chose inappropriate words.”
“So I should be punished for asking nicely?” he asked, his tone provoking her.
It seemed to work because Azora’s eyebrows furrowed quickly. “I’m talking some sense here, Mr. Lepanto. Don’t play with me,” Azora warned.
Lamech shrugged and put the wine glass down on the table. “Will I go to jail for that attitude, Ms. Briones?”
“If you continue being rude, then yes.”
Lamech’s lips curled into a smile. “Interesting,” he said.
They stared at each other for a few seconds before they both laughed at their antics. Lamech shook his head.
In truth, he wanted to see Azora’s reasoning, so he played along and didn’t back down. He knew she was joking, so he didn’t press her too hard. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that the hotel crew quickly looked away.
Lamech frowned and turned to them. “Excuse me,” he said.
The crew looked at him, unable to meet his gaze. “Yes, sir? Is there anything you need?”
“Have you heard any news on TV lately?” he asked. The crew had a complicated expression before slowly nodding. Lamech smiled. “Don’t be silly. Don’t believe all the news you hear on the broadcast.”
The crew forced a smile and excused themselves. During this time, Azora’s gaze shifted between Lamech and the crew. When the crew left, she asked him, “What news?”
“That’s nothing. Continue eating,” Lamech ordered.
Azora’s eyebrows furrowed, and she put down her fork and spoon. “Tell me now. What news is it?”
Lamech stopped eating and looked seriously at Azora. “Azora…”
“Tell me, or I will not eat,” she insisted.
Lamech exhaled. He also put down his fork and spoon and stared straight at her. “You want to know?”
A few seconds passed before Azora nodded. “I want the whole truth.”
Lamech sighed. “After I dropped the charge against you, it went viral nationwide. People on the internet are mocking me for dropping a criminal case, and they want to file a petition to overthrow my office.”
Azora blinked. “That bad?” she asked. He nodded in response. Azora gasped. “Have you gone mad? You should not have dropped the charge against me!”
“What do you want me to do, Azora? Continue the charge against my wife? No, I can’t do it.”
Azora frowned. “I am not your wife. If the consequence of this action is this great
, then we should return to the city and continue the trial!” she shouted, standing up and quickly heading for the door.
Lamech stood up and chased after her. Before she could open the door and leave, he grabbed her arm and stopped her from leaving the room.
The remaining crew had already left since the first crew member recognized Lamech, so it was just the two of them in the room.
Azora took a deep breath and faced him boldly. She squinted her eyes at him. “I am not the law, and you are not the law, Lamech! What you are doing is against your oath of office! You should do the right thing! Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment!” She struggled to free herself from his grip.
But Lamech didn’t let go. He pulled Azora into a hug to calm her down. It seemed to work because Azora gradually calmed down until Lamech could control her. He guided her back to her seat while he sat in the chair opposite hers.
They stared at each other for a few minutes before Lamech took Azora’s hand on the table and gently squeezed it. “Listen to me, okay?” he said softly. Azora nodded, so he smiled. “You are not the murderer of Anthony. All the evidence presented in the pre-trial pointed to your innocence, so I dropped the charge.”
“B-But –”
“I know, I know…” He smiled gently at Azora. “Even if the trial goes on, the prosecution can’t stay their ground for too long because the evidence against you was weak and genuinely countered by the defense’s evidence. I dropped the charge, not because I knew you were going to be my wife, but because I knew you would be acquitted as not guilty before the court.”
Azora frowned. “Did Dad –”
“Yes. He went to great lengths to find evidence that could prove your innocence. Besides, I did a favor for both sides by dropping the charge as early as possible. They saved a lot of resources because of that,” Lamech joked.
Azora thought for a few seconds about what he said. Then she looked down. “Then I must thank Dad.”
“No need for that. He knows you are grateful for his efforts.”
“But what about him and that Narciso? How are things between them after that? Will Dad be okay in the city?”
Lamech placed a hand on Azora’s shoulder and smiled at her. “He’ll be fine. He’s dealt with many battles due to his line of work, so he can surely find a solution to this mess.”
Azora didn’t ask any more questions after that. Lamech observed her and noticed no signs of zoning out. In the past few hours, Azora hadn’t zoned out. Lamech’s brow furrowed as he thought. He should inform Hana about this.
Azora took a sip of juice and suggested they return to the hotel room. Lamech nodded.
At Azora’s request, Lamech slept on the bed. When he woke up the next morning, he felt Azora’s warm, soft body hugging his arm. He looked down at her still sleeping face before turning his gaze to the terrace on the left side of the room.
The sun hadn’t fully risen yet. He guessed it was around five-thirty in the morning. It was slightly bright outside, but there were no sun rays yet.
He gently removed Azora’s arm from his and laid her on her back. He brushed a strand of hair from her face and kissed her forehead lightly.
She was sleeping soundly. Her mouth was slightly open, and he heard a faint snore. Lamech smiled before getting up. He adjusted his pajamas and grabbed his cellphone from the bedside table. He walked to the balcony and called Hana.
The line buzzed for a few minutes before someone answered. “Hello?” Hana’s voice.
“Hana,” he greeted, looking out into the distance. “She hasn’t been zoning out lately.”
There was a brief silence before Hana cleared her throat. “I’ve observed her for the past few days, and I have a hint of what might trigger Azora’s symptoms.”
“What is it?”
“Attention.”
Lamech frowned.
The doctor continued. “Azora’s symptoms only manifest when she’s not getting the attention she wants. According to her medical reports, her brain is normal. No signs of deterioration. Her symptoms are triggered by psychological stimuli such as anxiety and depression.”
“That means…”
“It means you need to make sure Azora gets the attention she wants. Talk to her and try to ask what she wants from you. It will help in her recovery if we can stop the frequent symptoms. Her body might adapt to constant zoning out.”
“Understood.” He was about to end the call when the doctor called him.
“One more thing, Lamech.”
“What is it?”
“Japen is looking for Azora.”
Lamech’s eyes narrowed as he looked into the distance. “Don’t let him come here.”
“I know. I just want to remind you that it will also help her recovery if Azora can be freed from her past trauma. Do you want Azora to undergo EMDR? I asked Alibata, but he insisted I ask you since you are Azora’s guardian now.”
Lamech sighed. He had read about EMDR but wasn’t sure if Azora could handle the procedure. He thought she wasn’t ready to revisit the bad memories. There were still memories she had forgotten, and he worried she might be overwhelmed if they returned.
“I’ll ask Azora if she wants to undergo it.”
“Alright. I’ll wait for you two to come back. Don’t forget what I told you earlier. Keep your eyes on Azora.”
“Yes,” he said and ended the call.
Just as he hung up, a warm hand touched his arm. It was Azora. He smiled at her. “Did I wake you up?” he asked.
She shook her head. “The bed is cold.”
He guided her back into the room. “Do you want to sleep again?”
She shook her head.