"Drink this." Crystal handed me a cup of green tea. "It will make you feel better, at least."
I drank the tea. Henry advised us to stay in the mansion of Alfredo because this is the day when the attack will happen. And I feel like this is going to be my last day here, the pain in my chest is nonstop now. It hurts inside and out. I can't even touch it.
Henry promised that she will marry Sonia this day. He will do that to end my suffering in this time and save my life in my time.
"C-Cristel," I called her attention, she is currently knitting some clothes for her baby.
"Do you need something?" She looked at me.
"What are you planning to do with Sonia? You said that you will make her suffer, in want way?" I asked her.
She sighed. "I'm just thinking that I should make her suffer when she married Henry. I will tell him the truth you are my granddaughter, and..."
"You are planning to use me to get Henry's attention and neglect his own family? That's it?" I cut her off.
She blinked twice before nodding. "That's better, right? Rather than killing her parents too," she said.
I shook my head. "Do you know why I am really here? Do you know the reason?"
She bit her lip before shaking her head.
I let out a deep breath. "Because Sonia is not satisfied with her marriage with Henry. She felt unloved and unimportant even her child was neglected by his own father. She wants me to change it, she wants me to make Henry love her. That's why I am here."
"Aliyah, I'm sorry. I didn't about that. I just to get my revenge on her. I don't want her child to be involved in anything. Does it really happen?" she asked, her eyes are full of tears.
I nodded. "Even his grandchild felt that too, he was very focused on me, he watched me grew up that he forgot his own grandchild. Do you really want to ruin a family? Because if you do that, you are not different from Sonia anymore."
He lowered his eyes then wiped her tears. "I'm sorry, I'm just really mad at them."
"Anger can do things we don't to do. Don't let it eat you. It will just destroy you and other people. I know it is very painful for you and forgiveness takes time. You will learn to forgive someday, but don't anger stays in your heart." I held her hand.
"I'm so sorry, Aliyah. This is all my fault after all," she said.
"No, no one is at fault in anything. We will get through all of this. Everything will be alright," I said then tried to hug her.
"Be safe, Aliyah. When you come back, be happy. Grandma loves you so much." She hugged me tightly.
"I love you too, Grandma. Take care of grandma, he will be grumpy sometimes but still, he loves you and our family so much..."
After I said that, we heard gunshots coming somewhere. Alfredo's parents called us downstairs. They locked the doors and closed the windows.
"It is starting, let's stay low to prevent the bullets. Are you alright, Cristel?" Mrs. Arandia said.
Cristel nodded while lying on the ground.
"How about you, Aliyah?" Mrs. Arandia looked at me.
"I can manage," I answered. She nodded.
"Alfredo promised to be home by now. Why he is not here yet?" Mr. Arandia said.
"This what our son's responsibility. He can manage it; I believe in him. Besides, he has a family to protect." Mrs. Arandia said to her husband.
My great-grandparents on both sides are very lovely. I thanked them for raising their children very well, my father grew up with great people. I am very lucky.
That's when the pain in my chest became intense. As the surroundings filled with gunshots and screams of people seeking help, the pain in my chest is getting worst.
"Aliyah," Cristel said while crying.
"Why are you crying?" I asked her.
"You are near to go, I can feel it. I will miss you so much, I promise to be a good person, I will never get my revenge, I will never do that for and for the sake of the people around me. I promise to be a good wife and a good mother. And when I finally can touch you again, I promised to hold you tightly." She hugged me.
I smiled, that's it, grandma. A knock from the main door of the mansion. Mr. Arandia looked at the window first before opening the door.
"Alfredo," I heard Cristel said.
"What happened? You have blood on your uniform," Mrs. Arandia asked her son.
Instead of answering her mother's question, he went near me. "Aliyah, Sonia finally agreed on marrying Henry. They were already in the church. The bad thing is, they have no witness on their wedding," he said.
"What happened to their parents?" I asked.
He sighed. "Sonia's father was shot dead by Mr. Dizon."
We gasped in shock.
"While Henry tried to stop his father from killing more civilians, he had no choice but to shot him. Her mother saw that then, she killed herself." He lowered his eyes.
A tear flow from his eyes, his parents hugged her. "It's okay," his mother whispered.
He nodded. "I thought they were good people, I grew up with Henry, I considered them as my second parents. I never thought they were going to do this."
Cristel cried to then held Alfredo's hands. Did something change? Did I change something?
"What happened to Sonia's mother then?" I asked again.
Alfredo cleared her throat. "She was arrested by the police after saying that she killed the two Dela Fuente. She doesn't want Sonia to be in jail, so she just sacrificed herself for her daughter. She agreed to marry Henry for peace of two families. All the part of a group of terrorists was all arrested. Everything is alright now." He looked at me. "Except on one thing." He carried me to bed.
"Go, be with Henry. He needs all of you. I am going to be fine here," I said, if I disappear all of a sudden, I don't want them to see that.
"Are you sure, Aliyah?" Cristel fixed my comforter.
I nodded. "Go now, you said they need witnesses. It must be you because you are his family."
"Alright, then. I will be his best man!" Alfredo said then smiled at me.
"I will be her maid of honor!" Cristel chuckled.
Mr. Arandia sighed. "We will their parents and the godparents too." He smiled at his wife.
Tears came out in my eyes. "Thank you for not leaving him alone. Tell him, I will be okay now. He doesn't need to worry. I love him so much."
Cristel hugged for the last time. We both knew that this will be the last. Alfredo hugged me too, while hugging him, I whispered the words, "take care of grandma, love her forever."
He looked confused after the hug, but I just smiled at him.
"Goodbye, Aliyah..." Cristel said before leaving me.
Goodbye to all of you...
I can't even think straight right now. I feel like I am floating.
I tried to get up and look for a paper and pen. Gladly, I found one at the near table. I wrote a letter for Henry stating all my desire and the words I still want to say to him. I know, we can never meet again. I just hope he can read this.
Henry, my love. I love you; you will be the only man who can truly capture my heart. I will always remember you for the rest of my life.
I lie down again in bed. The pain in my chest miraculously disappears. I closed my eyes, I tried to open it again, but it is so hard. Am I going to die?
A loud beeping noise filled my ears. People are talking and when I can finally open my eyes, a bright light welcomed me. And then I realized, I am back in 2020.