THE ONLY MAN

Michael sat at the extreme end of the bed with a sleeping Daniella while Mandy sat on a chair with her head resting on the space beside Daniella, holding her hand.

She had long fallen asleep after Michael’s solacing words.  

Michael sat there, watching the two sleeping friends with pure affection plastered on his face.

Shortly, he noticed that Daniella was starting to move slowly. Her long, thin eyelashes trembled for some time before she was able to slowly open them.

“Ella,” Michael called out softly, rising to his feet, “You’re awake,”

Daniella was gazing at the unfamiliar ceiling in a daze and her-sleep dazed eyes cleared when she heard Michael’s voice.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in an extremely low voice and Michael wouldn't have heard her question if he'd not read her lips.

Giggling, Micheal scratched the skin behind his neck, unsure of how to respond to her question.  

Daniella then tried to retract but she discovered that her hand was being held. She tilted her head to the side and saw her only friend, sleeping and clasping her hand as if her life depended on it.

Daniella would have smiled at the beautiful sleeping sight of her friend right now but it was a tough task to do at her current condition.

She gradually attempted to prop herself but Michael had moved swiftly to her side.

“Careful,” he intoned while helping her straighten.

Daniella paid him no attention as she felt numb. She was staring ahead but she couldn’t see anything. Her ears were open but she couldn’t hear anything.

She just sat there, like porcelain while her father’s confession recapped in her mind. Liam’s words kept replaying over and over and over again.

At that time, Mandy stirred and immediately identified her environment. She flung up her head and saw that Daniella was already awake.

Relief washed over her as she sprang up and went to push Daniella into her body, wrapping her hands around her.

“You scared me, Ella,” her tears were back again and it got more intense when she pulled back to stare at Daniella’s pale face.

“I'm fine now, Mandy,” Daniella spoke softly and tried to twist her lips into a smile but failed woefully.

“Yeah, I know you're fine now, bestie,” Mandy did the smiling, rubbing Daniella’s arms against the white hospital fabric she was wearing.

“But I've got bad news, Ella, and I don't even know how to put them in words,” Mandy lamented, her shoulders swaying uncontrollably.

Daniella’s chest fucking ache all of a sudden and she fought the urge to rub the uncomfortable spot between her boobs.

She shifted in discomfort when she thought of the bad news. But she discreetly shook her head, burying the thoughts deep down where they belong.

“Ella, your Dad…” Mandy whimpered, sticking her knuckles in her mouth without completing her words.

“What happened to my Dad, Mandy? He didn't get into an accident while trying to save me, right?” Daniella lashed out at Mandy, her eyes widening to an unbearable degree with her chest heaving rapidly.

“It's nothing like an accident, Ella,” Michael cut in, shaking his head vigorously.

“Then what? Where the fuck is my Dad?!” Daniella raised her voice, her eyes bulging outwards.

“Aunt Jessica got him arrested, Ella. They’ve taken him away while you were unconscious,” Mandy’s voice was soaked with despair when talking.

“What?” Daniella whispered, her eyes half-narrowed in a dim.

Mandy gave a tight nod, swiping the liquid on her face.

Right then, the door opened and Jessica walked in with a bright smile as soon as she saw her daughter awake.

“How are you feeling, baby?” she asked, walking over to the bed.

Daniella frowned unpleasantly at her mother, “What do you think you're doing, mom?” she hurled the question at her.

Jessica’s smile lessened after stealing a glance at a sobbing Mandy. She needed nobody to tell her that Mandy had told Daniella about everything.

“He got what he deserved, my dear. Let's not press anything further,” Jessica said calmly, pasting a small smile on her face again.

Daniella then huffed a muted disbelieving laugh, “Did you just say he got what he deserved? By getting him arrested? Then what do you deserve too, mom?” she inquired, her tone firm.

“For making me believe someone else is my father over these years and not just anybody, mom. The only man that I, Daniella, your only child ever sees as a man.

 The only man that I love crazily and insanely. The only man I can protect with my life. The only man I can kill for. The only man I can die for. The only man I can take a bullet for. The only man I'll lay down my life for. The only man I want to live for. The only man I want to spend the REST OF MY LIFE WITH!”

She screamed her last words, tears slipping down her face one after the other.

 “You made me believe this only man is my father, mom, and you think you don't deserve to be thrown into jail?” she asked in a broken voice— not the least bit polite to her mother.

Both Mandy and Michael couldn't believe their ears. Mandy especially, a continual gasp had been running out of her lips since her friend’s outburst and she had no idea of how she found herself in Michael’s arms— her eyes widened like saucers.

Jessica, on the other hand, could only drown in tears as she listened to her daughter’s spiteful words but she thought in her heart that it's the bitter truth.

She has always acknowledged the extraordinary love Daniella had for Liam but it never occurred to her that it could reach far beyond father-daughter love.

“Ella, dear. Please listen to me_” she wanted to say something, her expression clouding with remorse.

“No, mom. Before I can listen to anything you have to say then you have to let him go first,” her tone was icy as the northwest wind in the winter and her jaw clenching sharper.

“Daniella…” Jessica's voice quivered as fresh waves of tears pooled in her eyes.

“If you refuse to let him go then you don't hold me accountable for any actions. You should know without him then there's no me, mom. A life without him in it is completely meaningless and like I’ve said just now, I LIVE FOR HIM,” Daniella admitted, more and more tears flowing freely from her eyes.

She often saw people talking about heartache in books and television before. She thought that it was just an adjective. However, she knew very well now that the heart could really ache. It felt so gloomy and numb that she could hardly breathe.

Sobs after sobs kept escaping Mandy’s throat before she covered the tiny distance between her and Michael and hugged him to her chest—she felt terribly sad for her best friend.

 Michael’s arms went around her, holding her as tightly as she held him. He couldn't help but feel so sorry for Daniella too.

 “Alright, dear. I'll get him released now,” Jessica was filled with a pang of guilt as she enunciated in a cracked voice.    

 A gut-wrenching pain flickered in her eyes as she rose from the bed, produced her cell phone from her handbag and then walked out to make the call.

“Oh, Daniella,” Mandy erupted in another round of tears as she scampered toward Daniella with her arms widely opened.

“Mandy,” Daniella also called out tearfully as she crushed into Mandy’s embrace.

“I’m so sorry, Ella. I really feel sorry for you. You don't deserve this kind of pain, baby. Believe me, It's too much,” Mandy blubbered, shaking her head miserably against Daniella’s shoulder.

Michael remained standing there, watching them with stark love in his eyes.

Knock! Knock!

He took his gaze toward the door and went to answer it.

Opening the door, he was slightly surprised to see a security guard standing there with a large colorful bouquet.

“Hello, sir. Someone wants me to give this to Miss. Daniella. I'm sure this is the right room. Can you please give it to her?” The man spoke politely.

Michael’s tongue swept across his lips as he twisted his head back to take a look at the ladies and saw that they were now helping each other to wipe their faces.

He looked back at the security man’s face and nodded twice before taking the flowers. “Thank you,”

On his return, he announced, “Someone came to give you this, Ella,”

The two girls shifted their attention toward Michael and saw him holding a big bouquet over his face.

Daniella gulped. For some reason, she felt uneasy and nervous.

“Who sent it? My Dad?” She quizzed in a low expectant voice.

Michael didn’t reply, instead he got closer to the bed and dropped the huge flower bouquets with Daniella.

Daniella scanned the beautiful flowers and soon saw a card hidden in it.

“Do you think Uncle Liam sent it?” asked Mandy.

Daniella strongly wants to believe Liam truly sent it. She unwrapped the note and read the content inwardly…

*May your body receive a new injection of fresh energy to function in a way proportional to your health. Please, get well soon, my dear daughter*

She read the short note over and over again and concluded that Liam wasn't the sender.

“Who is it, Ella?” Mandy asked curiously.

Daniella forced her jaw to unlock and wanted to say something when Jessica came inside. Her pale face lit up when she saw the flowers but she hid her smile.

“It has been taken care of now, Ella,” she let out warmly.

“Who sent you flowers?” she asked with keen interest and she was stunned when Daniella gave the note to her.

Jessica’s eyes suddenly popped out after reading the short note and her chest began heaving up and down wildly.

“Who brought this?” she directed the question to no one in particular.

A look passed between Daniella and Mandy while Michael described the guard who brought the flowers.

However, Jessica hadn't allowed Michael to finish talking before she took the flowers and rushed out of the room.