Jackson exhaled sharply and rubbed his face with both hands, trying to push the thoughts away. The park felt unusually quiet that morning. Children's laughter echoed faintly from a distance, but to him, everything sounded muffled, like he was underwater.
He checked his phone again.
No missed calls. No messages.
"Seriously, Jonathan…" he muttered under his breath.
Just as he was about to stand up and leave, his phone vibrated. Jackson's heart skipped.
Jonathan calling.
He answered immediately.
"Jonathan, where are you?" Jackson asked, unable to hide the frustration in his voice.
"Bro, I'm so sorry," Jonathan replied quickly. "Something came up on my way. I'm almost there, I swear."
Jackson closed his eyes for a second. "You've kept me waiting for over an hour."
"I know, I know. Please don't leave. I really want to see you."
Jackson hesitated, then sighed. "Alright. I'll wait."
A few minutes later, Jonathan came jogging into the park, slightly out of breath. He stopped when he saw Jackson sitting alone on the bench, head lowered.
"Hey," Jonathan said softly. "I'm really sorry."
Jackson looked up at him. "You better have a good reason."
Jonathan sat beside him. "I do. But first… you don't look okay."
Jackson forced a weak smile. "I'm fine."
Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "That's a lie. You don't call someone urgently just to say you're fine."
Silence stretched between them. Jackson stared at the ground, his fingers trembling slightly.
"It's Pearl," Jackson finally said.
Jonathan's expression changed instantly. "What about her?"
Jackson swallowed hard. "There's a chance… she might be my biological sister."
Jonathan froze. "What?"
"The doctor mentioned something about blood type compatibility. Then Lyrita told me things I never knew about my past." He shook his head. "Nothing makes sense anymore."
Jonathan leaned back slowly, processing everything. "And she's still in a coma?"
Jackson nodded. "Yes. Every day I wake up hoping she'll open her eyes." His voice cracked. "If she wakes up and this is true… I don't even know how to face her."
Jonathan placed a hand on Jackson's shoulder. "Listen to me. Whatever the truth is, blaming yourself won't help her."
Jackson laughed bitterly. "Easy for you to say."
"Maybe," Jonathan replied calmly. "But you didn't put her in that bed on purpose. And you're still here, worried, hurting. That counts for something."
Jackson remained quiet, but for the first time that day, the tightness in his chest eased a little.
The wind rustled through the trees, and Jonathan added, "Let's take this one step at a time. First, she wakes up. Then you face the truth—together."
Jackson nodded slowly.
"Thank you," he said. "I really needed this."
Jonathan smiled faintly. "That's what friends are for."
As they sat there, neither of them knew what the truth would bring—but for now, Jackson wasn't alone anymore.....