Sunshine over My Sunset
Sunshine over My Sunset
"How are you doing, brother?" Ginny came into the room, holding a huge bag with Evan trailing after her. Evan carried another vase of flowers for Ririna from his mother, setting it on the bedside table near Skyler.
Ginny opened the blinds on the window, letting the sunlight in. Eli squinted his eyes for a moment to adjust to the unwanted brightness that filled Ririna's room. He had tried to keep her room devoid of light, wanting his wife to rest as much as possible so she could recover soon.
"Good," was his only reply, barely giving his brother and his new sister-in-law a look. Since their wedding had been canceled twice, the two of them decided to register their marriage first and set their wedding ceremony for another time.
"Have you eaten and slept properly? Ririna and Sky need you. You should also look out for yourself." Ginny cast him a worried look, something that he shamelessly ignored. He didn't need her pity. The last thing he wanted was to see someone pitying him as he looked after his injured wife and worried son. He also didn't want anyone fawning adoration over him if it wasn't Ririna. Eli dearly missed his wife.
When the silence filled the room, Evan rolled his eyes before seating himself on the windowsill, watching his wife take out the prepared food from her large bag.
"Don't waste your time and words with him, Gin. He is an ungrateful bastard who wouldn't even thank you for helping him take care of Ririna for the previous weeks," Evan said before glaring at his older brother.
Ginny huffed before giving a quick glare at her husband.
"I didn't help Ririna because of him, Evan. Ririna is my longtime best friend. It hurts to see her in this condition, and I promised I will do my best to help her when she needs it. You know Ririna never asks for a favor. She prefers to do or deal with everything by herself. This is the only thing I can do to help her and Sky." Ginny explained solemnly.
"Then, let me thank you for helping her. Ririna knew that you care for her, but she just didn't want you to waste your time when she could deal with it alone. Thank you for keeping her alive. If it isn't for you and Evan, I don't know if Skyler and I could stay calm while she's like this." Eli's words were spoken aloud in the silent room.
His words made the couple's jaws drop in surprise. Never. Never did Eli say thanks to any of them even during their missions. Evan coughed on his hand as he tried to wipe away the awkward atmosphere within the room. Ginny's eyes were stinging with unshed tears as she accepted Eli's thanks. Ririna was her best friend, and she also considered her as another sister.
She wiped away her tears and cleared her throat. Ginny grabbed another bag and reached inside for some contents.
"I brought some stuff that I thought might trigger Ririna to wake up. You know there's a belief that people in a coma can hear what's going on around them. Hopefully, it's the same with her so I thought she may like hearing the recording we have done when we're younger." Ginny pulled out an old voice recorder pen and played it.
Soft notes of the piano could be heard from the recording as well as the laughter between Ginny, Erica, and Ririna.
'What are we going to play?' Erica asked.
'Oh, Ririna made a new song earlier. Please, can you play it for us?' Ginny's voice could be heard from the recorder.
A soft chuckle followed her voice. It was Ririna's.
'Sure, I haven't finalized the chords and tunes though,' Ririna's voice replied.
'Sure, sure. No problem,' Both Erica and Ginny exclaimed.
Sensing that Eli wanted to be left alone with his family, Evan and Ginny left the room and proceeded to the kitchen downstairs to help the maids prepare the meals for Eli and Skyler. Eli remained silent as he looked up at the ceiling while the tune of the piano playing followed by Ririna's voice from the recorder began playing softly from its speakers.
In a dark place
You were the light who set up my pace
Like a cool breeze that collides
Then became this feeling I could not hide.
Even if you were not here
I know you're a half of my heart's tear
Sunshine over my sunset
We meet in love
Sunshine over my sunset
We are all that we have
Eli turned his gaze to his sleeping wife, his hand resting comfortably in the embrace of Ririna's own hand. Her limp hand saddened him as he wished that she would respond to him soon. It had been almost a month without hearing her voice and seeing her smile. He felt that he's going to go insane if she wouldn't wake up soon.
His mother and the specialist doctor they hired informed him that she should wake up anytime soon, and her wounds are healing properly now—compared to her first few days in the hospital. No matter how long he had to wait for her, he would. He would make sure that he was the first one she would see the moment she opened her eyes. He would be patient. He would wait for her.
A scenery of sweetness
With you everything I couldn't care less
My skies are yours
You and I are each other's favors
When I see you from afar
You're like a shining bright star
Everything is so soft and cuddly
I keep your feelings humbly
Her voice echoed within the room but was soft enough not to wake Skyler up. Eli wondered then if the song she was singing was the one she had written for him. His lovely wife has loved him for so long that he had hurt her poor heart unknowingly.
Sharing this same scene
Every night with you I've been
A world with you can't imagine
Every day with you is happy I mean
Sunshine over my sunset
We greet love
Sunshine over my sunset
We give love
The beat slowly dissipated, but it almost had shaken Eli down to his core. Her love for him was unconditional and undeniable. It almost made him want to shake her up and tell her to wake up so he could promise her forever started today. As the song ended, it left him empty inside. He was startled when he felt Ririna's hand grip his own for a second before going lax once again.
It was enough for Eli to calm down. She would wake up soon, and he would promise that he would protect her with everything that he had. Because if she died, he knew that he couldn't live his life again without her.