CHAPTER 52

CARMEN

Kate stared at me like a deer caught in the brightness of headlights, but she was quick and smart to smooth it out with a bright smile.

“Carmen! What a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?” She hugged me as tight as possible, only pulling away when I made the first move to get out of her arms.

“I came here to get something tested. You know, regular checkups and all of that.” I waved off with feigned nonchalance. “And you? You used to be scared of hospitals, remember? What are you doing here all of a sudden?”

“I used to be scared of hospitals when I was still a child. Now, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I have to come here once in a while. I came to get some test results for my parents while they’re away.” I could see her trying to smoothen the skirt of her dress, which was not even ruffled, but I didn’t want to point out how nervous she was. In fact, I was eager to leave.

“I’ll see you around, yeah? With the whole honeymoon coming and everything else,” I reminded