It was New Years Eve, and Kim just closed down the store early. She locked the door and spun around, only to be ambushed by a strong body in front of her.

"You scared me," she clutched her chest, trying to calm her erratic heart.

"Sorry," Gerald said. "You going to the hospital?" He could see she was struggling with a few bags - seven to be exact - and relieved her of them.

"Thanks. And yeah, I'm going to the hospital. You know, you don't have to be there everyday."

"And let you have your father wasall to yourself? No way," his lips curved into a smirk, and she couldn't help but smile. "Now come on, I'll give you a lift."

Kim spotted her car just on the other side of the parking, and his just a couple feet away. "You do know I have my own car, right? Silver, complete with airbags and heated cushions and winter tires. I can drive myself."

His trunk was already opened with the bags lined up neatly. then shut and the passenger door opened.  Gerald rested his elbow on top of the window and waited. "Will you just get in? Listen, I'm a nice guy." Kim cracked a smile. "I offer rides to my friends, especially after knowing what a tough time they've been having. Just get in. Save the planet while you're at it."

She rolled her eyes. "Were you always this bossy?"

"Were you always this stubborn?" He shut the door when she got in.

Once inside, she relaxed in the already warmed seat. Kim closed her eyes, listening to the heater rumbling inside. The car smelled like him; she never realized it before. His scent filled her nostrils, and she breathed him in, missing everything about him. How his arms fit around her, the feel of his breath on her neck. Even the simple things, like thinking about him one moment and then knowing he was coming by in a few hours.

Her thoughts of him were interrupted by the man himself entering the car. "You ready?"

Kim smiled, "Yeah. Thanks, by the way, for everything. Dad loves seeing you, for some reason," she rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Says something about making him feel young."

"Well those magazines I share with him," he brought his finger to his lips as if it was a secet. "Makes him feel like a teenager again."

Kim hit his arm. "Shut up! But also because you've been there. For Brian and for me. I know you're busy and everything, but somehow you made it everyday without a complaint."

Gerald took his eyes off the road for a second just to give her a nod. "You know I'm always here. I'm not going anywhere."
 
The hospital was buzzing with people - doctors, nurses, janitors, patients and family. It was loud and surprisingly chaotically controlled. They squeezed into the elevator before arriving to her father's private room.

Her father startled her for a split second. He looked more pale than yesterday. His skin was undeniably wrinkled like he aged ten years in one night. His eyes drooped down and his hands were shaking. Despite the look of everything, had a smile on his face, which made her smile back. "Hi Daddy!" She walked on over and gave him a loud kiss on his cheek.

Kim moved onto the rest of her family, "You guys wanna take up more room?" She joked, hugging her brother in law.

"Hey, it was perfectly fine until you ambushed us with all these bags. Now there's less oxygen to breathe," he replied.

"Har Har. I'm going to talk to the doctors," Kim smiled.

"I think they're saving the bigger rooms for more important people. Kim Chiu - Florist - didn't make the cut."

She scowled at him and walked out of the room. The past couple of days, she spoke to the doctors about her father's condition. It didn't matter if there was no change, she needed to know everything. The doctor's door was open, and she knocked on the door.

Dr. Niles was on the phone, but waved for Kim to enter. "I'll call you as soon as I'm off here, baby. Okay, I'll see you tonight. Give Daddy a kiss for me. I love you, too. Bye bye, Mwah." Kim smiled. "My daughter. Can't wait for Mommy to come home and celebrate the New Year."

"I remember calling my Dad when he was late for something. He'd make the same promise." Kim dropped her head knowing it wouldn't be news she wanted to hear. "How is he? I hardly recognized him when I walked in the room."

There was a pause which was never good. "I promised I wouldn't lie to you. There's sugar coating it, sweetheart. He's reached the end."

Kim took a deep breath and blew it out hard. "You said weeks; it's hardly been two weeks."

Dr. Niles nodded. "I know. But I also told you that there's no way to predict. It's all about him and his body. The cancer's just spreading fast and the medications only take away pain, it doesn't stop. Kim, I'm so sorry."

"Does he know?"

"He knows. I think he's known it longer than we've known it.  You know, last week we doubled his dosage, ran more tests, put him on more morphine, but science can only go so far. It's hope that makes this bearable."

"Hope for what? Knowing nothing will work?" She bit her lips. "What do we do?"

"Make the most of tonight. Celebrate the New Year, have fun. That's what he wants. It's the only thing you can give him."

"You mean the last thing."

"This is the moment you've been all waiting for. Don't dwell on what could've been, or what you would've done differently. I know it's hard, but you need enjoy tonight."

Kim understood the words being said, but didn't UNDERSTAND. "How long?" Her voice broke.

"Wednesday is pushing it."

"It's Monday," Kim looked up to meet her eyes. "Barely, almost Tuesday."

"This might not mean anything to you, but he loves you. He's been so strong through everything and do you want to know what he said through this entire time? It was his kids that made him accept it. Kim accepted his fate, he came to peace with it because of you and your sisters and brothers. Don't think of him dying as a negative thing. He had a good life, he had you. You know, my kids are always telling their parents that we're their hero but their wrong. You're his hero, Kim. If it wasn't for you....you saved his life. Remember that."

A nurse appeared in the doorway and asked for Dr. Niles assistance. "Thank you," Kim took her hand in a grand gesture or sincerity. "Thank you so much."

Dr. Niles nodded and disappeared.

Kim barely made it to the room before breaking down all over again, grabbing onto the walls, struggling to hold herself up. Her sobs were eating their way out, escaping in short, loud gasps. It was the first time she knew what it felt like to have her heart breaking. The tearing, the ripping, the feeling of it never stopping. Her fingers slid down the wall, bringing her body down with them. Her mind was like a blackhole, the life out of her. She felt alone and scared and surprised how fast these emotions struck here like lightening. They say lighteneing doesn't strike the same place twice, but this bolt had no mercy.

Just as her body almost touched the ground, hitting rock bottom, she was caught. Arms pulling her up, holding her up, supporting her weight. She opened her eyes and saw the only face that she wanted, needed. Gerald brushed her moist eyes, but the tears didn't stop. He pulled her against him, wrapping himself around her. Kim buried her face in the crook of his neck, letting it out. The cries, the sobs, the desperation, the vulnerability; what her voice couldn't say.

Gerald opened a closet door, and saw it was empty. He pulled her in, closing themselves in the darkness, and slowly sat down, bringing her with him. She didn't move from the first position, still against him. Gerald gently rocked her, her back, not saying a word. He's never lost anyone close to him. Both his parents were in the Philippines, but they called almost everyday. Both his grandparents were alive and healthy. And his siblings visited at least every month. His life experience would never be able to help her.

It was a couple of minutes before her cries subsided. Sobs turned into a minor case of the sniffles and hiccups.  She took a breath and looked up at Gerald. "I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I just embarassed myself in front of you."

"That's impossible," he pushed her hair behind her ear.

"And ruined your suit."

Gerald shrugged, "Nothing laundry can't fix. It's not good, is it?"

"We're approaching the finished line. I just didn't want them to see me cry. I didn't want you to see me cry," she said. "But here you are."

He removed his arm from around her, and sat back relaxing. Maybe they wouldn't leave just yet. Maybe this was his chance to show that his feelings still didn't change. "You were gone for while." His tone was patient, soft, reliable. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Kim dropped her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath, looping her arm through his. "You're always there watching over me."

Her eyes met his, and there was that split second where everything just clicked. It was the moment that most married couples talk about when they talk how they knew their significant other was the one.

The infamous one, she thought cynically, romantically. His eyes were inviting, and she wanted to take that invitation.

It wasn't that much of a shock to her. She knew he was special, could even be that special. But it was the first time that her gut agreed without any hesitaiton, any doubts.

Kim pushed herself up that last inch which was separating and closed that gap. It wasn't just by instinct, which he must've thought. It wasn't because there was that unsaid desire trembling deep within - though there was. And it wasn't because her father was in the hospital, probably spending his last night. It was because she needed to. She needed to kiss him, she needed to feel their lips touching, moving together. She needed to have that intimate contact between the two of them.

She deepened the kiss, but separting her lips and letting him in, but instead of enticing her senses, he pushed her away.

"We shouldn't be doing this," his hands pulled hers away from his neck. "Trust me, as hard as it is do that right now, we can't do this."

Knowing he was right didn't make the feeling go away. "I miss you," she whispered.

"I didn't go anywhere." He kissed the side of her face, just about the cheekbone, right below her left eye. His hands covered hers, making sure she believed him.

"We should probably go back." After reality setting in and realizing they two of them were sitting in a closet on the sixth floor of the hospital where they stored gauze.

Gerald let go of her hand, set the palm down on the cold floor and pushed himself up. He reached out for Kim's hand and pulled her up. She gave her eyes one last swipe and took a long, deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready." As ready as she needed to be to spend the last day with her father.

They entered the room with big smiles on their faces. "Hey!!!" She laughed, hugging the group of friends she calls her second family. "What are you guys doing here." Kim even picked up one of her nieces, and gave a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

Erich gave the maternal look she always gave. "New years is what you spend with family, so we're spending it with family. And Gerald called us. Said the more the merrier and you father didn't mind especially since we got him an entire buffet and gifts!"

"Christmas didn't go exactly as planned," Lillian said handing out wrapped boxes. "Some more gifts under the tree."

The rest of the night was spent smiling and with laughter. The night swept through the hospital and as time went on, the noise died down decibel by decibel. Brian laid on the bed, resting against William, and everyone bunched up on the bed, around the bed, keeping close.

"Its snowing," Kim whispered, breaking the silence.

"Huh?" Everyone turned to face her.

She pointed out the window. "Its snowing outside." When she looked back to the floor, her dad was getting up. "What are you doing?" She lurched forward to stop him.

Gerald grabbed her arm, pulled her back. "He might as well enjoy it." His whisper tingled her, which made her obey his orders.

He draped her jacket over her shoulders and squeezed. "Let's go have some fun!"

Snow blanketed the entire grounds, which fit the scene of a playground. Just not one for Kim.

As everyone played with the snow, making angels, snowfights, even the beginning of a couple of forts, Kim stayed on the sidelines plastering a smile on her face, watching everyone she loved have fun.

"What's going on?" Erich stood beside her, re-wrapping her scarf. "You've been quiet most of the night, and when you walked in, you had that tear flush on your face."

"Wow, I didn't know I was that transparent."

"You're not, only to people who've known you all their life." There was a brief pause acknowledgine the difficulty. "It's not good, is it?"

"Wednesday is pushing it, which mean..."

"Tonight."

"Hopefully there's no expiration date at 12pm exactly," she chuckled, seeing her breath escape her body. "I told Gerald I missed him. I even kissed him, to add on my burden. In a closet."

Erich laughed, linking her arm through Kim and pulling her along. They were stopped not that far. "I'll give you guys a second."

"Dad, you should be in bed," Kim lectured.

He held on to Kim's arm with a firm grip. "And miss this? The answer would've been a hell no," he chuckled. "I can see you spoke to the doctor. Are you scared?"

"Aren't you?"

He shook his head smiling, "No."

"Dad, you aren't leaving for a business trip, you're gone."

"Listen, it's life. Life begins, life ends, life goes on. There's some things you can do, there's some things you can't."

"How can you be calm? Honestly, Dad. Because I'm freaking out." She admitted. "Back in that room - fake. All of it. The smiles, the laughs, the reminising? Fake, all because I know that by the end of tonight, you could be gone, just like that. I don't want you to be calm, I want you to be freaking out. I want you to not be happy to leaving me." She sobbed.

He framed her face. "I'm not leaving you, honey. And as for faking it, you are a very good actress." He smiled. "You are, you were always good at lying, sweetie. Now back to the subject. Look around you. I'm the snow in Brian's hand. I'm that smile on your mother's face. I'm that tint on your cheek. I'm everywhere. And it's not going to change."

"No one can love me like my Dad does," her vision blurred.

"They better not," he laughed, pulling her into an embrace. "He loves you, you know."

Kim nodded and laughed, "Yeah, I know. It doesn't replace what I'm going to lose."

"But it keeps you going. Life isn't going to stop because you lose someone. He came to me. Asked for permission to love my daughter." He laughed. "I think he is the first man to ever do that."

"He didn't do that."

"He did. He came to my room, sat down. Woke me up," he said seriously. "And said that one of my daughter captured his heart. It couldn't have been your sisters, they're married. Couldn't have been JP unless there's something I don't know about," Kim laughed. "Brian would make him a pedo. And so who does that leave? Kimmy. My Kim Sue."

"Dad, I know that it's your last final days, but what I said fifteen years ago still stands. You will never call me that."

"He told me that he knew he hurt you. And he promised that he'd do anything to make it up to you because if I let him, he could and will love you."

Kim her lips, "That's why he's been coming every single day. Because you asked him to."

William pointed to Gerald who was on the ground with the kids ambushing him with snow balls. "That's all him living up to his promise."

A coughing fit was on its way. He felt it rising up his chest. The truth was that he was terrified. He wasn't terrified of the actual dying part. It was the part that came after. Would his daughters be able to get over this? Would Kim be able to move on? Or would they move on easily? Would they remember him on every occasion? Would he be a passing memory? Would he even be a memory?

He grabbed onto Kim's shoulder and looked deep in her eyes. "We need to go inside."

The tone of his voice took her by surprise. Just a moment ago they were joking around, having a moment. She nodded. "Okay, Dad's tried! We need to go inside!" She yelled, helping him, keeping pace with him as they walked back into the full hospital.

The clock chimed at eleven o'clock when they were back and settled in the hospital room. It was silent, knowing that it was near.

The coughing fit subsided with more sedatives and an oxygen mask added. They crowded his bed, holding onto everyone.

"I remember when I was eight," Kim started. "Dad got sick and he was in his bed sleeping. Ate Lakam, and Ate Twinkle and I would just sneak in to sleep next to you. And Mom got mad because she already had one person and didn't want us to get sick too. We apologized to her, but I take it back." She looked at her mom. "I'm not sorry for wanting to be closer to Dad. I'm just sorry I didn't sneak in more," she chuckled. "Over the years. I would've popped in. Talk to you more. Told you how much I love you. I should've told a million times day, even more."

Gerald took her hand into his for comfort.

"I knew," he removed his mask for a couple of seconds. "None of you needed to tell me. When you screamed, when you told me you hated me - I knew. And I want you to know that I love you more than everyone in this room." Everyone chuckled silently.

His eyes were fluttering softly, and the machine were moving erratically. The silence continued on for a couple of minutes, with only sniffling to be heard.

William's breaths were long and heavy, just as if he was falling asleep. Only it wasn't sleep, he knew. She held Brian close to her, wrapping her arms around him, trying to calm the trembling she felt coming from his body.

Again, William removed the oxygen mask. His eyes were closing, and everyone knew he struggled to stay awake even now. "Come." It was inaudible whisper. An incoherent whisper.

They all moved closer just to hear what he said, an indirect notion to obeying his final words.

"I need you to stay by each other." It was broken english. "Help each other, and never leave each other. Don't fight; life is too short to hold grudges. And don't give up."

Gerald squeezed the hand he was holding, causing Kim to look at him. Her eyes were red. But all she could see in his were understanding.

"Don't give up on each other. Don't..." His eyes opened wide mid-sentence. A visible smile curved his lips.

"Dad?" Kim called out. "Dad?" She let go of Gerald and her baby brother and kneels by the bedside, grabbing his hand, bringing him back; keeping him here for as long a possible.

William returned with the same smile he generously gave out for all those years. "Your Lola is calling me." He whispered.

Kim took his hand to her lips. "Dad," she cried, just as everyone else. "I love you. I love you so much."

Kim's siblings took a step forward and did the same as Kim, kneeling next to him, laying a hand anywhere they could touch, sobbing, crying, telling him how much they loved him.

"She's telling me to come to her." Now tear welled up in her father's eyes. It was the first time in a really long time since everyone saw him cry. "She's so happy to see me."

"Dad, I know I said I wasn't going to be okay," Kim sobbed. "But I want you to be happy." Brian went behind her and wrapped his arms around her, the total opposite of their positions just a moment ago. "I want you to be happy with Lola, please Dad, no matter how sad I'm going to be. It's okay."

"You're going to be okay, babies." He whispered to each and everyone one of them.

"Just rest, please, Dad." Ate Lakam said.

"Lola is so proud of each of you," his voice was more shallow with breaths.

Ate Twinkle went by his head, and kissed his forehead. "Is Lola calling you?" He nodded smiling, his eyes looking into the far distance. They all could tell he was already drifting. "Then go, Dad. We love you, Dad."

Ate Lakam did the same, kissing his forehead. "Take Lola's hand and go with Lola, Dad. I love you so much."

JP stepped forward, and kissed his forehead.

"You're the man of the family now," he insisted.

JP nodded and wiped his eyes dry. "We'll see you soon, Dad."

Kim stood up, bringing Brian with her. "You're always in our hearts, Dad. I love you, Dad." She whispered, kissing his cheek.

Brian took a step forward, his cheeks flushed, his eyes blood-shot and his body still shaking. "Daddy, I love you." It took him a moment to say those four words. He probably didn't understand what was going on, but he knew it was bad and that his Dad wouldn't be there tonight to tuck him in.

William took each of their hands and placed them on top of each other. "I love you."

With one last soft breath, the machine flat-lined. It was a quiet sound compared to the silence in the room. Brian threw himself over his father's body crying, "Dad!"

Gerald stepped in after the doctors arrived. Kim carried Brian off, carrying him in her arms and rocking him back and forth. "Shhh..."

"Time of death - 23:36" Dr. Niles announced. "I'm so sorry," she acknowledged. "I'll give you a few moments, but then we're going to have to ask you to step out. We need to process the body." Dr. Niles stepped out.

Lillian waved her hand, and Kim brought Brian to her. Kim turned around and found Gerald standing in front of her.

Kim didn't care. She didn't care what happened between them. She didn't care he didn't tell her te truth sooner, she didn't care she pretty much broke everything off between the two of them. She didn't care how much she hated people watch her break down. She didn't revealing the weak side of her. She didn't care.

All she cared about was having Gerald there with her. All she cared about was not being alone in the worst time of need. Kim threw her arms around his waist, as he pulled her head against his chest. He could feel her tears soak through his shirt, but it didn't matter. All he wanted to be was the person she could go to, she could trust with her utmost deep desires and feelings. This little gesture between the two of them was all that was left of showing he'd never hurt her again. That instead of hurting her, he'd be the one who'd be there when she was hurt. That he would be there to take away that pain.

They stayed like that until the very last moment. They all drove back to Lillian's house after, and sat in a circle in the living room. Kim stayed by Gerald the entire night, not wanting to be too far from for too long. One life did end that night, but with a new year, came a new life beginnning.