Chapter 23

PAT’s POV:

The first week of living together passed faster than I expected.

Kat quickly settled into her routine at St. Aurelia.

Wake up early.

Duty.

Study.

Sleep.

Repeat.

Meanwhile, my life wasn’t much different.

Classes.

Training.

Games.

Assignments.

Sleep.

Repeat.

The only difference now was that whenever I came home, someone was there.

Someone who would leave cups in the sink.

Someone who would steal my snacks.

Someone who would somehow occupy half the condo despite only bringing two luggage and a backpack.

Not that I was complaining.

—

One evening after training, I checked my phone.

10:07 PM.

A message from Kat.

**Kat: Tapos na training?**

I smiled.

**Pat: Oo. Ikaw?**

A few seconds later:

**Kat: Nasa charting pa.**

I frowned.

**Pat: Anong oras ka matatapos?**

**Kat: Mga 11 pa siguro.**

I stared at the message.

Then looked around campus.

Then toward the direction of St. Aurelia.

Without thinking much, I typed:

**Pat: Hintayin na kita.**

Three dots immediately appeared.

Then disappeared.

Then appeared again.

**Kat: Huwag na. Umuwi ka na.**

**Pat: Nandito na ako.**

**Kat: Pat.**

**Pat: Kat.**

A minute later:

**Kat: Bahala ka.**

I grinned.

Victory.

—

Twenty minutes later, I was sitting outside St. Aurelia Medical Center.

The night air was cool.

The streets quieter than usual.

And I was probably the only basketball player spending her free time waiting outside a hospital.

—

“Pat?”

I looked up.

One of Kat’s co-interns was standing nearby.

“Oh.”

She smiled.

“So ikaw pala si Pat.”

My stomach immediately dropped.

That tone.

I knew that tone.

“Anong ibig sabihin ng tone na ‘yan?”

The girl laughed.

“Wala.”

Dangerous answer.

Absolutely dangerous answer.

—

Before I could ask further, another intern appeared.

Then another.

And somehow, all of them looked amused.

—

“Siya nga.”

—

“Ang tagal na naming naririnig.”

—

“Finally.”

—

I narrowed my eyes.

“What exactly has Kat been saying?”

The three immediately exchanged looks.

Then laughed.

Which somehow felt worse.

—

Before I could interrogate them further, the hospital doors opened.

And there she was.

Kat.

Still wearing her duty uniform.

Hair slightly messy.

Looking exhausted.

—

The moment she saw me, she froze.

—

Then sighed dramatically.

—

“Naghintay ka talaga.”

—

I stood up.

—

“Sabi ko naman.”

—

“Pat.”

—

“What?”

—

“You just finished training.”

—

“And?”

—

“You should’ve gone home.”

—

I shrugged.

—

“I’ll go home.”

—

She crossed her arms.

—

“Patricia.”

—

“Katherine.”

—

The interns behind her were already trying—and failing—not to laugh.

—

Kat noticed.

—

Then immediately looked embarrassed.

—

“Uwi na tayo.”

—

“Okay.”

—

As we started walking away, I heard one of her co-interns whisper:

—

“Sana all.”

—

Kat nearly tripped.

—

I laughed all the way to the jeepney stop.

—

The ride home was quiet.

Not because we had nothing to say.

Mostly because Kat looked like she was seconds away from passing out.

—

“Tired?”

I asked.

—

“A little.”

—

“A little?”

—

“Okay. Very.”

—

I smiled.

—

The streetlights passed by outside the window.

The city slowly settling down for the night.

—

After a few minutes, Kat leaned her head against the side of the jeep.

—

Then against my shoulder.

—

Again.

—

At this point, it was becoming a habit.

—

“You know.”

I said.

—

“Hm?”

—

“You keep falling asleep on me.”

—

Her eyes remained closed.

—

“Comfortable.”

—

I immediately looked away.

—

Dangerous answer.

Very dangerous answer.

—

“Go to sleep.”

I muttered.

—

“Okay.”

—

Five seconds later, she was asleep.

—

I couldn’t help smiling.

—

Because despite how exhausting our schedules were becoming…

These small moments made everything worth it.

—

And somehow, waiting an hour outside a hospital every night didn’t feel like a burden.

Not when it meant Kat wouldn’t have to go home alone.

—

The next night, I waited again.

—

And the next.

—

And the next.

—

Soon it became routine.

—

10 PM.

Training ends.

11 PM.

Kat finishes duty.

11:05 PM.

We go home together.

—

At first, Kat complained.

Every single day.

—

“You don’t have to wait.”

—

“Okay.”

—

Yet I still waited.

—

“Pat, seryoso.”

—

“Okay.”

—

Still waiting.

—

“Patricia Dela Cruz.”

—

“Present.”

—

Still waiting.

—

Eventually, she stopped arguing.

—

Which was probably for the best.

Because neither of us were winning that battle.

—

One Friday night, while we were walking home from the hospital, Kat suddenly looked at me.

—

“Thank you.”

—

I sighed dramatically.

—

“Again?”

—

“I’m serious.”

—

“So am I.”

—

She laughed.

—

Then shook her head.

—

“You know, normal people don’t wait an hour every night.”

—

I smiled.

—

“Good thing I’m not normal.”

—

Kat rolled her eyes.

—

But she was smiling too.

—

And for some reason…

That was enough.

—

Because every night, no matter how exhausting training became…

No matter how tired my legs felt…

No matter how busy life got…

There was always one thing I looked forward to.

—

11 PM.

Outside St. Aurelia.

Waiting for Kat.

And walking home together.