Chapter 59: Manly.

"Will you listen to me and stop being a silly teenager?!" He yelled, venting out in frustration.

At that moment, Dua couldn't express her feelings. She felt shocked, disappointed and hurt. Seeing her expression, Steven calmed down, feeling bad for the words he just told her.

"Yeah, I am a silly teenager," she admitted. "Dua, I..." he tried to explain himself.

"And this silly teenager is sorry for bothering you...she promises never to bother you again." She added as she stood up and left the bedroom.

Steven sighed, facepalming himself. He sighed again as he ran his hand through his hair tiredly.

The following day, they all gathered at the table for breakfast. Not a word shared between them, every individual in his world of thoughts.

"Come on, guys, no one died." Desmond tried to lighten the mood, but got sighs in return.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine, right?" He said, convincing himself too.

"Yeah," Shane seconded, and slowly words and laughter filled the air. But Steven and Dua didn't contribute to it. They were both still in their realms of thoughts as they ate silently.

"Sis? Bro?" Desmond called Steven and Dua, noticing their silence.

"Wassup? You two have  been awfully quiet," he asked. Steven's silence was usual, but Dua's was very unusual.

"Nothing," they both chorused, earning everyone's narrowed gazes.

"Are you sure? You both don't look like it." Denise said.

"Yeah," Shane supported, giving Steven a questioning look.

"It's really nothing." Dua replied.

"Okay, if you say so." Denise shrugged.

Soon they finished their breakfast and began making their way to the hospital. As they walked out of the house, Steven watched Dua who was going ahead of him. She hadn't said a word to him all morning. He didn't mean to say those words to her, all he tried to do was explain things to her, but she just wasn't listening.

"I'll ride with my siblings." Dua announced as soon as they got to the cars.

They shared themselves into the cars bad they left for the hospital.

With Steven driving the car he was in with Shane, he tried focusing on the road, but Shane's piercing look wasn't helping it. "You got anything to say?" He asked.

"Are you gonna tell me what transpired between you and your wife or not? What did you do wrong this time?" Shane asked.

"Why do you always assume that I'm the one at fault?" Steven returned the question.

"Yeah, because I know the kind of younger brother I have." Shane replied and Steven rolled his eyes. "So what did you wrong?" He probed.

"Oh, please, bro. I'm a man, stop interfering into my stuffs. I can handle them myself." Steven said.

"Yeah, and I can see how MANLY you've become." Shane retorted.

They arrived at the hospital and as they stepped into Stella's ward, the sterile scent of antiseptic filled the air, mingling with the distant sounds of bustling hospital activity. Nurses moved efficiently, checking charts and adjusting machinery, all while maintaining their calm professionalism. Dua lingered near the doorway, feeling a swell of anxiety in her chest as she watched her mother prepare for surgery.

“Dua, come here!” Stella called weakly from her bed, her voice tinged with a mix of affection and concern. Dua hesitated for a moment before approaching. The sight of her mother, pale and fragile, tugged at her heartstrings. She took a seat beside the bed, forcing a smile.

“Hey, Mom. How are you feeling?” Dua asked, her tone bright but her heart heavy with worry.

“I’m okay, sweetheart. Just a bit nervous,” Stella admitted, managing a small grin. “But you’re all here, so I’ll be fine.”

As the nurses began to prep Stella with IVs and other medical equipment, Steven stood back, watching the interaction silently. He felt a pang of guilt wash over him; the argument from the previous evening still weighed heavily on his mind. Part of him longed to reach out to Dua and make amends, yet he felt the distance he had created was insurmountable.

“Still haven’t talked to her, have you?” Shane whispered, noticing Steven’s uneasy stance.

“No,” Steven admitted, his gaze locked on Dua, who was now holding her mother’s hand tightly. “I don’t want to add to her stress.”

Shane shrugged, a look of concern crossing his features. “You should just talk to her.”

Before Steven could respond, Denise cut through the stillness in the room with her dose of energy. “Mom, you look prettier than ever! Surgery can’t stop you from shining!” she exclaimed brightly.

“Thanks, sweetie,” Stella replied, chuckling softly. “I’m ready to get this over with so I can be home with all of you.”

“Everything will be okay,” Desmond reassured her, giving a thumbs up. “They’ll have you back on your feet in no time.”

"But just in case I go to be with your dad..." Stella couldn't complete her sentence as her children yelled, "mom!"

"Just kidding," she chuckled.

After a few more minutes of light conversation, a doctor entered the room with a clipboard, expertly scanning through the paperwork before looking up at Stella. “Good morning, Stella. Are you ready for your surgery today?”

“Yes, I am," Stella beamed.

The doctor offered a reassuring smile as he continued, “We’re going to take good care of you. I’ll be back shortly after the procedure. Just focus on resting and let us do the hard work, okay?”

Stella nodded, her gaze shifting from the doctor to her family gathered around her. Dua, still clutching her mother’s hand, could feel her heart racing, and she squeezed it lightly, trying to convey all her love and support through her touch. The atmosphere in the room was a mix of anxiety and hope.

“Just remember, we’re all waiting for you on the other side, Mom. You’ll be home before you know it,” Dua said, her voice steadying despite the turmoil inside her.

As the medical team prepared to wheel Stella out of the room, she looked at her family one last time, a flicker of unease crossing her features. But then, with a deep breath, she put on a brave face. “I love you all,” she murmured, her voice soft but resonant with affection.

“We love you too, Mom!” the family echoed, their voices intertwining to create a warm cocoon of encouragement. The nurses gently lifted the gurney and started to roll her out.

“Okay, everyone—let’s give Stella some space,” the doctor instructed, motioning for Dua and the others to step back. As they did, they felt the crushing weight of fear wrapping around them, making each breath feel like a challenge.

After what felt like an eternity, the waiting began. It was filled with a tense silence, punctured only by the sound of footsteps, distant conversations, and the intermittent beeping of machines echoing throughout the corridor.

Hours seemed to stretch into lifetimes, and finally, a surgeon emerged from the operating room. His expression was serious, and reddish surgical scrubs adorned his frame—signs that something significant had just transpired.

Dua’s heart sank as she registered the sight of him. The conversations that once buzzed around her fell silent as her whole family pivoted towards the doctor. The moment felt poignant and inevitable, a unique fusion of hope and dread crystallizing in the air.

“Is my mom okay?” Dua asked.

The surgeon’s gaze flickered over the anxious faces of Stella's family, lingering on their expectant eyes that brimmed with both hope and trepidation. It was a gaze that, for a moment, seemed to stretch time itself as the truth loomed heavy in the air.

“I’m sorry,” the doctor began, his voice measured yet shattered. “We did everything we could, but there were complications…” He trailed off, and the air filled with a silence that seemed to envelop everyone present, an uninvited shroud of despair that laid heavily across their shoulders.