𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧

𝐴𝑙𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑠𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒'𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑡 𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑡. 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑜, 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟'𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑤𝑒 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑘𝑦𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑖. 𝐼'𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑑𝑘𝑤 𝐼 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠. 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑖𝑡.

Two weeks before his engagement, Nani had been buzzing around the house like it was the wedding already. His iPad was open, pages of elegant cakes filling the screen-towering white fondants, pastel tiers with sugar flowers, a sleek black-and-gold design that he thought Sky might actually like. He tapped it with his finger, grinning to himself. Yes, this one. It screams mafia prince wedding, doesn't it? He was already imagining Sky's face when he showed him.

The door creaked open.

"Est?" Nani blinked, lowering the iPad when his brother stepped in. His usual sunshine glow was gone; he looked pale, restless, like he'd swallowed a secret too big for him to carry.

Nani immediately set the tablet aside and tugged him toward the bed. "Phi, what happened? You look like you've seen a ghost.Sit down, breathe. Talk to me."

Est fidgeted, eyes darting to the floor, hands twisting in his lap. His lips parted once, twice, but no words came. Finally, with a trembling breath, he blurted-

"I'm pregnant."

The world stilled for a moment. Nani's jaw dropped, his perfectly arched brows shooting up. He stared at Est, waiting for the punchline, for the laughter, for anything that said just kidding. But Est's watery eyes and trembling hands told him this wasn't a joke.

Nani blinked, processing, then leaned closer, voice softer than usual. "Phi... who's the father?"

Est's cheeks flushed as he whispered, "It's... William. But I haven't told him yet."

For a heartbeat, Nani was silent. Then his eyes widened so much Est thought they might pop out of his head. "William?! Phi-are you serious? I thought you two were still in the flirting stage! And now you're-pregnant?!" His hand flew to his own chest as if the scandal personally attacked him. "This is insane. I'm not even married yet and you guys already went all the way? How dare you skip steps on me?!"

Est winced, biting his lip, but Nani wasn't done. He stood, throwing his hands in the air. "No. This won't do. I need to talk to Sky right now. We can't be left behind! Phi, you're going to be a mom before I even get my wedding-this is a disaster. We need to speed up our timeline. I'll demand the wedding by next month!"

"Nani!" Est finally snapped, his voice cracking. "This isn't about you!" He gripped the hem of his shirt so tightly his knuckles turned white.

His eyes filled with tears, fear pouring out. "I'm scared. Yes, I'm older than you, but I'm still young. I still have my swimming career-I can't just throw it away! What if William doesn't want this? What if he thinks I ruined everything?!"

Nani's dramatic energy froze mid-pose.Slowly, he walked back and sat beside Est, sliding his hand into his cousin's trembling one. His eyes softened. "Phi... then we'll figure this out together, okay? You're not alone."

Nani exhaled, pressing his fingers against his temple. "Phi, listen to me-William has the right to know. Before you make any decision, before you carry this weight alone, he deserves to hear it from you."

"I know," Est whispered, his voice small. He twisted the fabric of his jeans, gaze fixed on the floor. "I'll tell him. But not now. My competition is next week... all the rounds are packed in one day. I can't risk throwing him off balance. I'll tell him after it's done."

"Est," Nani said firmly, his eyes narrowing. "At least consult a doctor first. It's early stage-anything can happen. Don't be reckless."

But Est shook his head stubbornly, lips pressing into a thin line. "No. I'll be fine. I don't need that. Besides... I'm only two and a half weeks pregnant. It's too early."

"That's exactly why you should go!" Nani snapped, but when Est's jaw tightened and his shoulders squared, Nani knew he wouldn't win this battle. His cousin's stubbornness was legendary.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone," Est said quietly, almost pleading. "Not our parents. Not Sky. No one. Please, Nani."

Nani hesitated, heart clenching at the desperation in Est's eyes. Finally, he sighed and nodded. "Fine. I won't say a word. But... good luck, phi. For you competition. And for everything else."

Est managed a shaky smile. "Thanks." He gave Nani's hand a brief squeeze before leaving the room.

When the door shut behind him, Nani slumped back against his chair, chewing on his lip. He tried to shake it off, but the gnawing feeling in his chest wouldn't leave. Something told him this wouldn't end well. Est was too stubborn, too set on handling it alone-and that rarely ever turned out good.

The long table was scattered with fabric samples, menu cards, and flower catalogs.

Nani sat cross-legged on the plush chair, twirling a pen between his fingers as he went back and forth with the planner about seating arrangements. His mind, though, kept drifting -Phi must have finished by now... he probably won, he always wins. The thought made him smile to himself, imagining Est's proud face, imagining the dinner celebration they had promised afterward.

His phone buzzed against the table. Without looking, he snatched it up, eyes still on the sketch of the ballroom layout. "Dad," he greeted, his tone light, expecting cheerful news. "Competition's over, right? Did Phi win?Should I head over now so we can-"

The voice that came through the line was tight, restrained, trembling under the weight of something unsaid.

"Nani." A pause. Then, lower. "Come to the hospital. Now."

The pen slid from Nani's fingers and clattered against the floor. His chest hollowed, the planner's voice blurred in the background. All he could hear was the echo of his father's words, sharp as glass, ringing in his ears.

The sharp, antiseptic air of the hospital hit Nani the moment he burst through the sliding doors. He spotted his parents instantly-Papa Book's usually bright face pale and crumpled, Dad Force pacing like a man possessed.

"Papa! Dad!" Nani ran over, breathless.

"Where's Phi Est? What happened?"

Papa Book caught his wrist, holding on like it was the only thing keeping him from falling apart. His eyes were red, rimmed with tears. "Nani... Est won, he won gold. He was so happy, he smiled so bright-" His voice cracked. "But then... right after, he clutched his stomach, he-he started bleeding. He fainted.They brought him here."

Dad Force's eyes narrowed, searching Nani's face with a raw, almost desperate edge. "What are you hiding from us? What had you and Est kept secret?"

Nani froze, blood draining from his face. His lips parted but no sound came out at first. His parents' gazes bore into him, demanding an answer.

"I... I didn't want to say anything until he was ready," Nani whispered, trembling. "Phi Est... he's pregnant. William is the father."

Papa Book gasped, covering his mouth with shaking hands, while Dad Force staggered back a step as though the weight of it had struck him physically.

Before they could press further, the doors to the emergency ward swung open and a door stepped out, pulling his mask down"The patient is stable now," he said, calm but firm. "But... I'm sorry. He had a miscarriage."

Papa Book broke into sobs, leaning into Dad Force, while Nani's world tilted and cracked around him. His knees almost buckled under the weight of it all-Est's secret, his stubbornness, and now this.

The steady beeping of the heart monitor filled the sterile silence of the hospital room. Est stirred, eyelids fluttering, his body weak and heavy. The first thing he saw was the soft light filtering through the curtains; the second was Nani's face, swollen from crying, hovering by his bedside.

"Phi..." Nani whispered, clutching his hand tightly. "You're awake."

Est blinked, confusion clouding his eyes before the memory of what happened hit him like a tidal wave-the medal, the cheers, the stabbing pain, the rush of blood. His throat tightened, and his hand instinctively went to his stomach. Empty. Gone.

"No..." His voice crack barely audible. "My baby..."

Nani's eyes brimmed again, and he squeezed Est's hand. "Phi, the doctors said you're stable now. You're going to be okay."

Est let out a bitter laugh, shaky and broken.

"Okay? How... how am I supposed to be okay, Ni? I-" His voice broke as tears streamed down his face. "I lost my child before I even got to hold him. Before I even got to tell him-tell William."

Nani bit his lip hard, trying not to cry again. "That's why I called Sky already. He's bringing William here."

Est's eyes widened in panic, shaking his head."No! Ni, no... what am I supposed to say to him now? That he almost became a father, but I ruined it? That I was too stubborn to listen, too focused on winning a medal to protect our baby?" His voice trembled with guilt. "He'll hate me, Ni. He'll hate me."

Nani's grip tightened, his tone firm despite the tears. "Phi, listen to me. William could never hate you. He deserves to know the truth, even if it hurts. He has the right."

Est turned his face away, tears wetting the pillow. His voice was barely a whisper. "I don't know if I can face him..."

The corridor smelled faintly of antiseptic, the kind of sterile scent that never quite faded no matter how much one got used to it. William's footsteps echoed sharply as he and Sky approached. Papa Book and Dad Force were waiting, both visibly shaken, eyes red from crying.

William slowed, confusion already tightening in his chest. But nothing-nothing-could have prepared him for the words that came next.

"William," Papa Book's voice trembled, though he tried to stay composed. "Est... he was pregnant. With your child."

The world around him stopped. The corridor blurred, the fluorescent lights above hummed into silence. Pregnant? His Est? His beautiful boy who had blushed just last night when William teased him about winning gold? William's lips parted, but no sound came out. His heart was pounding in his ears, each beat a painful hammer.

"And today..." Dad Force continued quietly, voice hoarse, "...he miscarried. The doctors say he's stable now, but-" He broke off, swallowing hard. "He knew for almost three weeks. He didn't tell anyone apart from nani."

William's eyes widened, shock and betrayal twisting into a gut-wrenching ache. Three weeks... he knew. His mind flashed back to last night, Est's soft laughter, the way he had wished him luck, the pride in his eyes. And not once did he mention it.

His gaze dropped when something glinted in Dad Force's hand. The gold medal. Est's victory, hard-won, now tainted by loss. William silently extended his hand. Without a word, Dad Force placed the medal in his palm.

The cool weight of it pressed into his skin, and he closed his fist tightly around it, knuckles white. His chest burned-anger, grief, love, and devastation all crashing together.

Without a word, William turned toward the cabin door. His strides were sharp, almost mechanical. Sky followed a step behind, silent, watchful-he too hadn't expected this.

When William pushed open the door, the sight of Est-pale, fragile, tears staining his cheeks -almost broke him in half.

Almost.