“Meet me in the gentle after light where your world falls apart; where do lovers go when they are tired?”

https://open.spotify.com/track/4V3obpHeMAdNMvixRmXKRk?si=1a88d22fe8e746be

November, 2024.

Kai’s wedding took place in mid November.

Alexa knew that despite the calmness Atlas showed on the outside, he barely held himself together inside. He insisted to keep accompanying Puspa to do her treatment, now that it was doubled with the immunotherapy as well. The medication took a toll on her spirit; instead of lifting her, it seemed more like it was dimming the fire inside her. Atlas, who knew that she was willing to do it just for him and Kai, was started to be dimmed in spirit, too. His positive demeanor was thinning more and more each day, especially with Kai’s wedding getting closer and closer.

One night, he crashed at Alexa’s place and she knew something happened the moment he downed the remaining of Alexa’s stashed liquor. Turned out, Kai arrived from New York, and he was already inside Puspa’s apartment when she and Atlas just got back from the hospital.

Rashi was with him as well.

“It wasn’t the reunion that broke me,” Atlas told his story quietly. “It was the look Mama gave me when I hugged Kai. Honestly, I can take breakup, rejection, or separation, even. It’s pity that I cannot handle well.”

Alexa brushed Atlas’ back softly, wishing that it could help ease his pain even just slightly. “What if it’s not pity?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… Puspa loves you, she regards you as her own child. When you break your heart, I believe hers breaks too. Pity belongs on the surface, I believe she has a lof of compassion for you.”

“I bet compassion is not enough to give us her blessings, isn’t it?”

Alexa sensed the bitterness in his question, and despite his sincere love for Puspa, she kind of understood where his disappointment came from. “Has she said anything about not giving you a blessing?”

“Kai’s father divorced Puspa because he fell in love with another man. Instead of counting the betrayal as personal, she blamed the sexuality as a reason for the crumbling marriage. It was what scared Kai the most.” Atlas took a heavy breath. “We didn’t even try,” he whispered.

“I’m really sorry,” she whispered back.

“Things could’ve been worse,” he looked up and found compassion in her eyes. She was right after all, pity belonged on the surface. “At least I wasn’t alone like I used to. And I want to apologize… I sometimes forgot that you’re hurting too.”

“It’s okay,” she swiped aside the hair on Atlas forehead where she then placed a chaste kiss. “At least in my case, I don’t have to cross path with Ash anymore. The goodbye was somewhat final. As long as I don’t let my mind wander into places I should not visit, I’ll be okay. Meanwhile, I know the bond between you, Kai and Puspa is not something that you can just cut off, they are your found family, the ones who were there at times of need. I can’t imagine it, to be honest.”

“Distraction works,” Atlas reached out for the book notes above the coffee table which contained the details of their Europe trip. “The good news is… our visa is granted.”

Alexa immediately sat straight at the news. “For real?”