Chapter 264: Love That Never Dies

“Mi can't wait to see dem, Lei!” Rosie said, practically bouncing in her seat despite the seatbelt. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, Mr. Fluffy tucked beside her like a loyal bodyguard.

Leitana smiled from the middle seat and reached over to tuck a loose braid back into place.

“Yu will see dem soon, mi baby. Just a few more minutes.”

The black SUV glided along the coastal road, the warm breeze carrying the scent of salt and tropical flowers through the open windows. Ravial sat on Leitana's other side, one arm resting behind her while his hand remained on her thigh, his thumb moving in slow, comforting circles.

Rosie chattered nonstop about everything she wanted to tell her friends, her legs swinging eagerly.

When the orphanage finally came into view, her entire face lit up.

Fresh white buildings with colorful roofs stood inside the spacious compound. A large playground filled one side, while a small clinic occupied another. Children laughed as they raced across the yard beneath the afternoon sun.

The SUV had barely stopped before someone shouted.

“Rosie! Leitana!”

Dozens of children came running.

Rosie wrestled with her seatbelt until Leitana freed it for her. The little girl burst from the vehicle and threw herself into the waiting crowd, disappearing beneath a flurry of hugs and laughter.

Leitana climbed out more carefully, one hand cradling her belly as emotion welled in her chest. Ravial immediately moved beside her, slipping an arm around her waist to steady her.

The sisters watched with warm smiles as Leitana greeted each of them with tearful embraces.

After the excitement settled, Mother Superior invited Leitana to walk with her while Ravial remained behind, instantly surrounded by children tugging on his sleeves and begging him to lift them or perform his "magic tricks."

The contrast would have been amusing to anyone else. Towering, blindfolded, and intimidating, Ravial looked like the last person children should flock toward.

Yet they adored him.

He laughed quietly, lifting one child after another with effortless strength while never letting Leitana stray far from his awareness.

Leitana and Mother Superior wandered through the bright grounds. Fresh paint gleamed beneath the afternoon sun, frangipani scented the breeze, and children filled the orphanage with cheerful laughter. Older girls hung laundry and swept the walkways while younger ones recited lessons beneath a shaded pavilion.

Mother Superior's face glowed with satisfaction.

“God has been so good to us, Leitana. Thanks to your husband's generosity, every child has a proper bed. We serve three hot meals a day, the clinic receives a visiting doctor twice a week, and the girls are learning their catechism, English, and practical skills. We even have a vegetable garden to teach them responsibility and stewardship of God's creation.”

Leitana watched several little girls skipping rope.

“It looks like heaven compared to de old place. De children... dey look happy.”

“They are,” Mother Superior replied. “We still begin each day with Mass, pray before every meal, and end with the Rosary. The older girls help raise the younger ones as sisters should. Some dream of joining the convent. Others hope to become nurses or teachers. Your husband gave them the chance to dream beyond survival.”

A few moments later, Mother Superior rested a gentle hand on Leitana's arm.

“Come, my child.”

They sat together beneath the broad branches of a banyan tree.

“How are you? And how is the little one?”

Her eyes settled on Leitana's rounded belly.

“We are fine, Mother. The baby is strong and kicking plenty these days.”

Mother Superior regarded her silently. Years spent comforting the suffering had taught her to see beyond smiles.

“The joy is still there,” she said quietly, “but something is weighing on your heart.”

Leitana lowered her eyes, her lip trembling.

“Mi close to death, Mother,” she whispered. “The doctors say any day now... mi body is too weak for dis pregnancy. Mi pray every day dat Papa God lets mi hold my baby just once. But... mi know mi might never wake up one morning.”

Tears rolled freely down her cheeks.

“Months ago, mi accepted dying. It felt like going home but now...” She swallowed hard. “Now mi have Ravial and dis little one. I don't want to leave them anymore... but mi feel it coming.”

Without hesitation, Mother Superior gathered her into a gentle embrace.

“Oh, my sweet child,” she murmured. “The Lord does not always lead us where we wish to go, but He never leaves us to walk alone. You have poured so much love into this world—to Rosie, to these children, and to the man who looks upon you as though you are God's greatest gift.”

She smoothed Leitana's hair.

“If the Lord calls you home, trust that He will remain with those you love. He will carry them when you no longer can. Love freely given never dies. It lives on in every heart it has touched.”

She drew back just enough to wipe away Leitana's tears.

“So keep praying—not only for healing, but also for courage, peace, and the grace to accept whatever He asks of you. A mother's love reflects God's love more closely than almost anything else on earth. Whether you remain with your family for many years or are called home sooner, that love will never leave them.”

Leitana rested her forehead against the older woman's shoulder and wept quietly, finding comfort not in promises of a miracle, but in unwavering faith.

Hours later, as the children were called inside for evening prayers and dinner, Leitana slipped away for a quiet walk near the vegetable garden. The open stretch between the garden beds and the playground offered a moment of peace. Her steps were slower now, exhaustion settling deep into her bones after the emotional day.

A sudden wave of nausea struck.

She lurched toward a cluster of young banana plants, one hand catching herself against a wooden post as her stomach convulsed.

She vomited hard.

Thin, bitter bile splashed onto the earth, followed by streaks of bright red blood and pieces of the light lunch she'd eaten earlier.

The sight made her stomach twist again.

Another painful heave tore through her body before it finally eased, leaving her trembling and breathless.

"Papa God..." she whispered hoarsely, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Then...

Every muscle in her body went rigid.

Someone was watching her.

The certainty hit without warning, crawling over her skin until the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

Leitana slowly lifted her head.

The garden lay quiet.

Rows of vegetables stretched before her. The breeze stirred the banana leaves overhead. Beyond them, the last echoes of children's laughter drifted from the orphanage.

No one.

Yet the feeling refused to leave.

It was close.

Close enough that her pulse thundered in her ears.

Her hand instinctively covered her belly.

"Ravial..." she breathed.

Silence.

Not a single branch snapped.

Not a leaf moved out of rhythm with the wind.

But she knew…

Someone was there.