"Are we there yet?" Ivan asked impatiently as they walked in the hall.
"No, we are not." Alejandra replied.
"How about now?" He asked again.
"No, we are not. You've asked me that question the twentieth time already. When we get there, I'll let you know." She said  good-humouredly.
Her phone bleeped in the pocket of her trousers. She took it out and looked at it. It was a text message.
"My regards to Brother-in-law :-)!"
Judy had sent it to her. They talked over the phone while they were at the arcade. Ivan looked through the windows of the rooms they walked pass them. He looked through the next they were close to. He smiled and let go of Alejandra's hand.
"Ivan, where-?" She asked as he opened the door of the room.
Alejandra turned to her side and saw Camilo in Nicolas' room. She walked in through the open door.
"I've missed so much, Daddy!" Ivan said, hugging his father.
Nicolas grimaced in pain during the hug. Ivan had pounced on him, lying on his broke arm.
"I've missed you too. But you're lying on my arm." Nicolas said coldly.
Ivan heard him and broke the hug. He looked at the sling and then, his father.
"Sorry, Daddy!" Ivan apologized remorsefully.
Nicolas hummed. He looked at his son's face and noticed that it was different.
"What happened to your face? Were you splashed by paint?" Nicolas asked.
"No. I had my face painted at the arcade." Ivan said cheerily.
"And what are you supposed to be?" Nicolas asked plainly, seeing familiar coloured spot on his face.
"I'm a cheetah. Daddy, do you know that it is the fastest animal in the animal in the world?" Ivan enlightened him.
"Yes, I do." Nicolas replied.
"Looks like you had a lot of fun today?" Camilo said jovially.
"Uh-huh! We rode the rollercoaster, merry-go-round, walked through the halls of mirrors and drove motorcycles at the arcade. I even beat Mummy in a dancing game." Ivan mentioned enthusiastically.
"Wow! You did all that? I guess Alejandra is exhausted. Aren't you?" Camilo asked her jokingly.
"I am, little. Plus his birthday was this week." She said gladly.
"Oh! I completely forgot about your birthday, kiddo! Is it too late to give you your birthday gift?" Camilo asked Ivan.
"No, it isn't." Ivan said cheerily, maintaining his enthusiasm.
Ivan turned to his father and smiled at him.
"I completely forgot about his birthday and he is concerned about me. I've been a terrible father to my son." Nicolas said inwardly, angry with himself.
"I'll be outside if you need me." Alejandra said flatly.
"You're not leaving me, are you?" Ivan asked ruefully, looking at her.
"No. I'm in the hall. I want to ring someone." She answered with a faint smile on her.
"Okay." Ivan replied and turned to his father.
Alejandra flashed a glance at Nicolas and left the room. She walked away from the room and stayed in the hall. She took out her phone and sent Camilo a text message.
Camilo was listening to Ivan's stories when he felt his phone vibrate. He took it out of the pocket his jacket. He read the text message from the notification bar.
"We need to talk. It's urgent!"
"Um, I'll be right back. I've to use the gents." Camilo excused himself and left the room.
Camilo walked further into the hall and saw Alejandra. He walked to her.
"I'm here. What is so urgent that you wanted to see me?" He asked her.
"Camilo, you've known Nicolas longer than I have. I have some questions which you might have the answers to. All I need is for you to be honest with me." Alejandra said candidly.
"Sure. You can ask me anything." He said.
"The day Nicolas was admitted; I had a one-on-one conversation with the doctor. He had told me that Nicolas had taken an overdose which could've killed him." She informed him.
"I should've known something like this would happen." He blurted out.
"I went through his room yesterday and found this." She said, giving him the receipt from the pharmacy.
Camilo collected it from her.
"You are aware of those medicines he takes. Aren't you?" She said.
Camilo let out a sigh and nodded.
"I do know about the medicines." He admitted.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She queried him.
"I didn't feel it was necessary. I thought Nicolas had stopped since I learnt about the engagement." He said frankly.
"But I could have lost my fiancé. He could've died." She scolded him.
"I'm sorry, Alejandra. This is my fault. I should've told about the medication." He apologized.
"What is the medication for?" She asked him.
"I have no idea what it is for. Those medicines were prescribed to him by his psychiatrist." He revealed.
"A psychiatrist? Is Nicolas suffering from a mental illness?" She asked worriedly.
"He isn't. Really! When Agnes died, Nicolas was completely broken and hurt by her death. He starved himself and visited her gravestone daily. He was a different person. He was traumatized by her death and wouldn't stop punishing himself for it. I was fed up with his sadness and took him to a psychiatrist." He narrated,
"After a few sessions with her, he managed to pull himself together. Then, at some point, he stopped attending his sessions and relied on the medication."
Alejandra was moved. She never knew the kind of pain Nicolas was going through.
"His parents have no idea of the medication. I'm the only one who does. Alejandra," He said softly,
"Nicolas needs your help. I've tried talking him out of it but he wouldn't. You're the only one who, I believe, can get him through this."
"It's my fault. If it wasn't for the argument we had days ago, he wouldn't have been hospitalized. And I probably wouldn't have found out about the medication either." She blamed herself.
"Does your argument, by chance, having anything to do with Ivan getting in trouble in school?" He asked as he scratched his head.
"You were the one who told him about it, weren't you?" She asked firmly, raising her voice at him a little.
"It was a slip of tongue. He pushed me to the wall. Not physically tho'." He said.
Alejandra let out a sigh and had her arms in akimbo. She ran her fingers through her hair. She closed her eyes and moaned frustratingly. She opened them.
"This is going to be harder than I thought. Nicolas is too stubborn." She said frankly.
"We have to help him get through this once and for all. This might be our last chance." He emphasized.
"Send me the psychiatrist's number and I'll book an appointment for him." She suggested.
"Okay. But we have to make sure he doesn't find out he is going to meet her." He advised her.
"Why is that?" She asked, a little curious.
"Nicolas won't agree. He is too stubborn and thinks he can solve his problems on his own." He pointed out.
"I'll come up with a way to convince him to go without realizing it." She said.
"Mm!" He hummed with a nod.
Alejandra looked at the nurse, who wheeled a trolley past them.
"I've to get going now. It will be dark soon and I'll to take Ivan home." She said.
"Okay. Take care of yourself." He said and she replied in a nod.
Alejandra walked back to the room. The door was left open. She was about to enter but stopped. She overheard father and son talking and didn't want to interrupt them. She leant against the door frame and eavesdropped on their conversation.
"When you miss me, you can read the letter I wrote you." Ivan said cheerily, giving him the folded paper.
"Thanks!" Nicolas said, collecting the paper.
Ivan smiled at him.
"I'm sorry I didn't wish you happy birthday on your birthday. I would've called if I knew where my phone is. I hope you aren't angry with me." Nicolas said softly.
"I'm not, Daddy. I was scared when I saw you lying on the bathroom floor. I thought you had died. Luckily, Mummy was there and she brought you here. She explained everything and made me feel calm. I really enjoy being her. If my real mummy was alive, she would've done the same thing for me. But she is not. That's why we have Alejandra." Ivan said happily.
"Tell me, why do like her so much? I thought you hated Alejandra." Nicolas asked curiously.
"I did but Alejandra is a nice person. She reads to me bedtime stories, bathes me, loves me and takes care of me. She also corrects when I do wrong and doesn't yell at me like me you do." Ivan said frankly,
"And we do fun stuffs together."
"She is doing more than she handle." Nicolas gabbled.
"Daddy, can I ask for a favour? It's a very tiny little favour." Ivan asked coaxingly.
"If it's about the baby or the puppy, I'm sorry but I can't give you those." Nicolas said sternly.
"No, it's not that. I want you to beg Mummy not to leave the house. I don't want to be alone again. If she leaves, the house will be boring. Please Daddy, convince her to stay. Please!" Ivan pleaded.
"I'll try to convince her to stay." Nicolas said drily.
Alejandra couldn't hide her happiness and shed a tear. She smiled without looking at them.
"Um, Miss? Are you okay?" A nurse, who was on her way to the room, asked her.
"Yes. I just had something in my eye. That's all." Alejandra said convincingly.
Their conversation got the others attention. The nurse and entered first and Alejandra followed suit.
"Come on, Ivan! It's time to go home." Alejandra said to him.
"But I want to stay a little longer." Ivan replied.
"It's almost dark and we have to go home." She pointed out.
"She is right. You've to go home. I don't want anything to happen to you." Nicolas said sternly.
"Oh, okay!" Ivan replied ruefully. He kissed his father's cheek and got out of the bed.
"Come. Gustavo would be waiting for us." Alejandra said, walking to the door.
"Wait! You haven't given Daddy his goodbye kiss yet!" Ivan said, looking at her.
"Um," Alejandra stuttered, flashing a glance at Nicolas,
"That won't be necessary. Besides, you've given him one. That should be enough."
"But-." Ivan said but was interrupted.
"We will talk about this in the car. Right now, we have to leave." Alejandra replied timidly, cutting him off.
Ivan looked at his father. The nurse was done changing his drip bag.
"Bye, Daddy!" He said happily, waving at him.
Alejandra flashed Nicolas a glance. Surprisingly, her eyes met his. She looked away and held and Ivan's hand.
"Bye!" She said feebly, leaving the room with Ivan.