Inside the youth room at church, the mood was electric. Balloons bounced from hand to hand. Laughter echoed off the walls as voices mingled, jokes, teasing, and celebration.
Everyone had gathered for the victory celebration that everyone had worked hard for in Khare village.
But in the far corner, sitting quietly with his guitar resting on his lap, was Rowan.
He wasn't strumming. He wasn't talking.
His eyes kept drifting toward the door.
He was waiting.
Waiting for Lynette.
Everyone else had arrived, but not her.
He strummed a few notes, but they didn't form anything.
Moments later, Ella entered the room, slightly out of breath.
"Hey, um... Lynette's not coming," she said.
Everyone turned toward her.
"Why not? She is the star of today's celebration." Aron asked, already frowning.
"She had a small accident… outside the school. Nothing major," Ella added quickly. "She's okay. Just getting checked at Nero Hospital across the school."
"Wait…what?!" Aron stepped forward, panic rising. "What kind of accident? Is she hurt? We should go check on her…"
"Aron, it's not that serious," Ella cut in gently. "Just a few bruises. She sprained her leg. The doctor said she will need bed rest for a week, and that's all."
There was a pause.
Then Rowan stood up without saying a word.
He walked straight out of the room.
"Rowan, wait! Where are you going?" Aron called out after him.
But Rowan didn't answer.
He was already outside, starting his scooter.
At the hospital, Lynette was lying in bed, her leg wrapped, bruises on her arm and shoulder. Beside her were her mom and Meira, who clutched her hand tightly, teary-eyed but trying to be brave.
Also in the room was the young girl's family, the child Lynette had saved.
The girl's mother leaned over, tears in her eyes, and held Lynette's hand tightly.
"Thank you… Thank you so much for saving my daughter's life. If it weren't for you…" She brought a lot of gifts for Lynette. "I cannot express how blessed I feel today." Said the girl's mother as she handed her gift bags.
Lynette just gave a smile. Then, she added while looking straight into her eyes, "I'm just… glad she's okay. That's all that matters." Said Lynette in a soft voice. "I didn't save your daughter to receive all this… even if she wasn't your daughter, I would have done the same, and it's too expensive for me to accept all this. You already said thank you, and that's enough for me."
Her mom looked at her, eyes shining with quiet pride.
If pride had a face, it would be hers.
The little girl peeked from behind her mother's legs, holding a flower she had picked outside.
"Here…Thank you," she whispered, offering it.
Lynette took it, heart full, and smiled gently. "Thank you…this is what I wanted."
Just outside the hospital room, Rowan stood silently, without moving.
He didn't knock.
He didn't go in.
He simply stood, one hand pressed against the cool white wall, the other tucked inside his jacket pocket.
Through the narrow glass pane in the door, he watched her.
She looked tired, hurt, but she was smiling. Comforting others even now.
His chest tightened.
Why can't I just go in?
He clenched his jaw.
He didn't want to interrupt. Didn't know what to say. Didn't know what his place was. So he stayed outside.
The celebration was long over, but Rowan stood there in the quiet hospital hallway...just watching her from the other side of the door.
After a while, the hospital room fell into a soft stillness.
The little girl and her mother had just left, their voices trailing down the hall.
Lynette's mom and Meira followed them out to say goodbye, leaving the room quietly empty.
The door creaked open. Someone stepped in, gently and without a sound.
It was Rowan.
Lynette was asleep, her breathing slow and steady, the soft hospital light washing over her.
Rowan walked to her bedside, eyes full of quiet worry.
He said nothing, just stood there, taking in the sight of her.
Carefully, he raised a hand, reaching toward her face to brush away a loose strand of hair that had fallen over her cheek. But as his fingers hovered inches away, he stopped.
His gaze landed on a small bruise on her cheek.
That must hurt… he thought.
He swallowed hard.
How does she still look so beautiful… even with a bruise? Her face is so small that my hand could cover it.
His heart began to pound fast.
His ears flushed red.
With his hand still suspended in the air, he hesitated. Then, gently pulled it back, just as Lynette stirred.
She blinked and slowly opened her eyes, disoriented.
Her mom was nowhere to be seen.
Looking around the room, she mumbled, "...I swear, I felt someone standing here."
Confused, she rubbed her eyes.
Was I dreaming? she wondered, brushing her hair behind her ear.
As she turned, her fingers brushed against something lying on her bed.
She looked down.
A red strawberry lollipop sat there, resting beside her hand.
She picked it up, puzzled.
"Who left this...?"
Despite the ache in her limbs and the stiffness in her body, the unexpected little gift brought a smile to her face.
"Even smiling hurts," she winced softly. "Ouch."
Just beyond the door, Rowan stood quietly, lips curled into a faint smile.
A little later, Lynette's mom and Meira returned, arms full of a plastic bag of medicines.
"Lynette," her mom said, "the doctor says we can go home now."
Lynette looked at the bag with horror.
"Wait…don't tell me I have to take all of that for a whole week...?"
She groaned dramatically, her forehead wrinkling. "You know medicine is my mortal enemy."
Her mom burst out laughing, and Meira giggled beside her.
"Don't be a crybaby," Meira teased, sticking out her tongue.
Outside, Rowan lingered in the hallway, still smiling to himself.
Later, as Lynette was discharged and helped into the car, Rowan quietly followed behind on his scooter, keeping a gentle distance, just to make sure she got home safely.
The next day, Lynette's home was unusually quiet except for the rustling of the wind through the curtains and the soft ticking of a wall clock.
She curled up on the couch with a pillow hugged to her chest, her sprained leg propped on a small cushion. Her face with bruised, but her smile, though faint, had returned. Her grandparents were hovering nearby, bringing tea, telling her stories, brushing her hair gently with old hands that had raised her once before.
Her grandmother hummed softly while pressing a warm cloth to her forehead.
"You've always been strong, Lynette," she whispered. "Just like your mom and aunt. Your aunt used to climb trees, come home with cuts and bruises, and say she was fighting monsters. Maybe you did too."
Lynette smiled through tears and hugged her grandma tightly. " I fought too…grandma"
In the afternoon, Seena came with Yelena and Divitia, with snacks and a pile of silly magazines.
"I brought you your homework too," Divitia said, placing it down dramatically. "Because I love you."
Yelena chuckled. "We told the class you fell while saving a kid. Now half of them think you're a secret superhero."
"Yeah," Seena added, "though I told them the real story involves an alien invasion and you fought it off with your math book."
They all laughed until Lynette's ribs hurt.
Laughter echoed in Lynette's house. But…
Outside the house, Rowan stood at the gate with a paper bag in hand.
He didn't ring the bell. He just waited.
After some time, Lynette's mom came out and blinked in surprise. "Rowan?"
"Hello mami," he said quietly, holding out the bag. "It's nothing big. Just some soup and porridge. My mom wanted…me to give it to Lynette."
Her mother's eyes softened. "She'd be touched, thank you, why don't you come upstairs and give it to her yourself?"
"I'm sorry, but I need to go…Mami, please don't tell her that I brought this," Rowan added quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just... wanted to help my mom."
Lynette's mom nodded. "You're a kind boy."
He gave a small smile, nodded back, and turned to leave. As he walked away, the wind caught the edge of his hoodie, and he pulled it up as if shielding his feelings from the world.
From the window upstairs, Lynette saw a figure moving away in the distance.
For a second, she felt something, an unexplainable warmth in her chest.
The house finally settled into silence after Lynette's friends left. Meira stayed behind, glued to her phone, playing a game beside Lynette's bed.
Lynette glanced at her with a teasing grin. "If you're just going to sit there and play games, you might as well go to your room, Meira."
Meira sighed dramatically. "Well, what do you want me to do? Mom said I have to keep an eye on my helpless, injured sister who can't even walk properly," she said, raising her eyebrows.
Before Lynette could reply, their mom called out from the kitchen, "Enough, you two. Lunch is ready. Meira, get yours from the kitchen. Lynette, here's yours."
Lynette stuck her tongue out at her sister as their mom walked in, handing her a tray. "Oh, and this is from Rowan's mom," she added casually.
The tray held a warm bowl of chicken stew and a colourful vegetable porridge. The porridge looked oddly familiar. Lynette blinked.
"This porridge…" she murmured.
"I didn't know porridge could be made this way," her mother chuckled.
Meira gasped dramatically. "Wait, is this the famous porridge everyone had in Khare village?" she asked, already taking a spoonful. But one bite in, her expression twisted.
"Ugh! Mom, I don't think this is even meant for humans," she exclaimed, wiping her mouth quickly.
"Meira, stop that," their mom scolded gently. "Even if this doesn't taste good, it's the thought that counts. She wanted to help Lynette recover."
Lynette looked down at the bowl. This was my secret recipe… the lazy version that no one else knew. How did…?
Her eyes softened as she understood. "So it was him," she whispered to herself.
Without a word, Lynette picked up her spoon and finished the entire bowl, one bite at a time.
Meira watched her, stunned. "You actually ate that?!"
"It was a little salty," Lynette admitted in her mind, "but it got potential."
Over the next few days, friends continued to visit Lynette. Laughter and conversation filled the house. Seena, Divitia, and Yelena brought stories and silly gossip, and Aron and the youth group dropped by with baskets of fruit. The living room was soon overflowing with fruit baskets and get-well notes.
Rowan, however, never showed up.
But every afternoon, a homemade meal would arrive at Lynette's house, delivered quietly by Rowan's mom. Chicken soup, herbal teas, and freshly baked bread. Lynette noticed the pattern.
He brings food every day but won't even come inside? she wondered, both puzzled and strangely touched.
By the end of the week, Lynette's leg had healed enough for her to walk on her own, though with a slight limp. Tired of being indoors, she decided to take a short stroll to the nearby park. The sun was setting in warm shades of orange and pink when she sat down on a bench, resting and enjoying the peaceful air.
Suddenly, something cold touched her cheek. She turned, startled.
Rowan stood beside her, holding a mango juice. He handed it to her with a small smile and sat down beside her.
"What are you doing here alone?" he asked softly.
"I was bored. Took myself on a little adventure," Lynette replied, sipping the juice with a smile.
Her smile made his heart skip a bit. Rowan turned away quickly, coughing awkwardly to cover his reaction.
A moment passed between them in silence, then Lynette leaned forward with a smirk. "If you say please, I'll teach you how to make my porridge properly."
Rowan's eyes widened. "So… you knew?"
"Of course," she grinned. "Mrs. Navarro would never make something that tasted that bad."
Rowan looked down. "Did you… throw it away?"
"Oh, definitely. It was horrible," she teased.
Rowan laughed quietly. Before he could say anything more, Lynette stood, wobbling slightly on her recovering leg. She caught herself by grabbing his shoulder.
"Thanks for trying," she said gently. "Next time, just give it to me yourself, okay?"
Rowan nodded, caught off guard by the way her eyes sparkled, full of hope, warmth, and a bright smile.
Where were you hiding your bright smile all these years, Lynette? he wondered silently. And… I don't want that smile to ever disappear again.
Suddenly, Lynette winced and sat back down. "Ouch, my leg!"
"Does it hurt again?" Rowan panicked, crouching down.
"No, just a cramp. Ahh… do something!"
Flustered, Rowan began to blow on her leg.
"What… are you doing?" Lynette laughed.
"You said do something!" he defended.
They both burst into laughter, the sound mixing with the breeze and fading light of dusk.
As their laughter faded, the breeze brushed against Lynette's hair, and the sound of rustling leaves filled the quiet space between them. Rowan's gaze was fixed ahead, but his thoughts were anything but still.
"I used to be afraid of silence," he said softly, his voice steady but distant. "Thought it meant something was wrong. But now… I think sometimes silence says more than words can."
Lynette glanced at him, surprised. "You don't seem like the kind of person who's afraid of anything."
Rowan gave a small, dry laugh. "You would be surprised." He looked down at his hands. "I'm afraid of a lot of things, saying the wrong thing, losing people before I get the chance to tell them how much they mean, watching someone I care about…getting hurt, and not being able to stop it."
Lynette felt a lump rise in her throat. She looked down, playing with the edge of her sleeve.
"You're not the only one," she said quietly. "I used to be afraid that if people looked at me… they would see how weird I am."
Rowan turned to her, brows slightly furrowed. "You're not weird."
She smiled faintly.
There was a pause, the weight of their shared honesty settling gently between them.
"I've been watching you," Rowan admitted, "since you came back to the church. I kept wondering… what happened to the quiet girl I used to know? But now I think… she was always there. She just finally got tired of hiding."
Lynette blinked. "You always saw me, didn't you? Even back then."
He nodded. "I just didn't know how to reach you."
She looked at him for a long moment, then said, "You're reaching me now."
The silence that followed was warmer this time, filled with understanding. The sun had almost fully disappeared, painting the horizon in deep amber and violet.
Rowan leaned back against the bench, looking up at the sky. "Do you believe in second chances?"
Lynette tilted her head, thinking. "I didn't. But I do now."
Rowan smiled, and it wasn't the playful, teasing smile; it was gentler, more real.
"I'm glad you came back to church, Lynette."
She whispered, "Me too."
Their shoulders brushed lightly as they sat side by side, both changed, both healing, under a sky full of quiet stars.
As the stars peeked through the twilight sky, Lynette stood up carefully, stretching her arms with a quiet groan. "I think that's enough deep talk for one day," she said, brushing off her skirt.
Rowan stood too and reached out a steadying hand just in case she stumbled. "You sure you can walk?" he asked.
Lynette raised an eyebrow. "Are you offering to carry me, Rowan Navarro?"
Rowan blinked. "No…I mean, I could! If you need…I've done it before, like with my cousin, not that you're like my cousin…" He stumbled over his words while Lynette tried to hold in a laugh.
"I'm just teasing," she said, nudging him with her elbow. "But wow, I didn't know I could make the great Rowan stutter."
Rowan gave her a squinted look. "Okay, okay. Let's just get you home before you twist the other leg."
They began walking slowly down the path. For a while, it was quiet again. The orange glow of streetlights lit the road ahead.
Then, halfway home, Lynette suddenly stopped.
Rowan looked back, concerned. "What's wrong?"
"I think…" she said dramatically, "I just stepped on something squishy and I'm terrified to look."
He glanced down at her foot. "Please don't say it's a frog. Or worse, a snail. I've got a weak stomach."
She gripped his arm. "Can you check?"
Rowan knelt down, inspecting her shoe cautiously.
There was silence. Then he said, completely serious, "It's... It's a banana. Just a banana."
Lynette burst into laughter, nearly losing her balance. "A banana?!"
Rowan stood up, holding the banana. "Yep. And you reacted like you stepped on a small mythical creature."
She took it from him and placed it on his jacket. "Here, for bravery. The mighty Banana Knight."
He grinned. "I'll take it with honour."
As they reached her gate, Lynette leaned slightly against the post and looked at him. "Thanks for walking me home. And for the juice. And for the porridge… even if it tasted like regret."
Rowan chuckled. "You're welcome. I'll try again next time, with less… emotional damage."
Lynette smiled. "It wasn't that bad. The thought really mattered."
He nodded, his tone softening again. "Get some rest, Lynette."
As he turned to leave, she called after him, "Hey Rowan?"
He turned.
"You've changed, too."
Rowan gave her a smile that reached all the way to his eyes. "Only because someone reminded me what matters."
Then, with the banana still stuck proudly to his jacket, Rowan walked into the night.