Zinnia was pacing the hospital hallway when her phone buzzed in her hand. She glanced at the screen, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Samuel’s name. Without hesitation, she answered.
"Sam? How are you? What’s going on? Are you okay?" she asked in a rush, her voice filled with concern. She gripped the phone tightly, waiting for his response.
There was a pause on the other end, just a few seconds of silence, but it felt like an eternity to Zinnia. She could hear Samuel’s faint sigh before he finally spoke.
"I’m sorry, Zia," he began, his voice soft and strained. "I ended up making you worry." Another pause. "And I’m sorry... but we need to postpone our wedding."
Zinnia froze. Her breath caught in her throat as she processed his words. "Postpone?" she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.
She clenched her free hand into a fist, trying to push away the wave of emotions crashing over her. She knew the situation with Lucas Realty Group was dire. She had seen the news and could imagine the pressure Samuel was under. It made sense—of course, they couldn’t go through with the wedding now. It wasn’t the right time.
"I understand, Sam," she said softly, forcing a small smile even though he couldn’t see her. "With everything that’s going on, it’s probably for the best. And... with my dad still in the hospital, it’s not exactly an ideal time anyway."
"Thank you for understanding," Samuel said, his voice laced with guilt. "I hate to do this to you, Zia. I really do."
"It’s okay," she replied, though her chest felt tight. "I know you’re dealing with so much right now. We’ll figure it out later. Let’s just focus on getting through this."
But as she spoke, memories from three years ago surfaced unbidden in her mind. She could still recall the last time Samuel had told her they needed to postpone their wedding.
It had been right after they visited his father, Steven, in the hospital. Steven had collapsed during a meeting, and Samuel was distraught. She remembered how they had sat in the hospital lobby, Samuel holding her hand as he spoke with a heavy heart. "Zinnia, I think we need to wait. My father’s health is fragile, and I can’t focus on planning a wedding right now. Let’s postpone until he recovers."
At the time, Zinnia had understood. She had nodded and assured him that it was okay, that they could wait. But months passed, and they never revisited the topic of the wedding. It was as if Samuel had silently decided to keep postponing, and she didn’t push him, thinking he needed more time. One year turned into two, and then three.
Now, hearing those same words again—"we need to postpone the wedding"—made her chest ache in a way she hadn’t expected.
"Zia?" Samuel’s voice brought her back to the present. "Are you still there?"
"Yes, I’m here," she said quickly, blinking back the sting of tears. She didn’t want him to know how much his words had hurt her. It wasn’t fair to him. Not now.
"Thank you," he said again. "For understanding. I’ll make this up to you, I promise."
Zinnia smiled faintly, though her heart felt heavy. "You don’t need to make it up to me, Sam. Just take care of yourself, okay? And let me know if there’s anything I can do to help."
"I will," he said softly. "And, Zia... I’m sorry for everything. I’ll call you again soon."
After the call ended, Zinnia stared at her phone for a long moment. Her mind swirled with thoughts of the past and the present, of Samuel’s strained voice and the weight of his apology. She understood why they had to postpone, she really did. But that didn’t stop the ache in her chest or the lingering question in her mind: Will we ever actually get married?
She looked down the hallway toward her father’s room, her resolve hardening. For now, she had to focus on her father. Samuel had his own battles to fight, and she had hers. But Zinnia couldn’t shake the feeling that they were slowly drifting apart, just when they had finally started to grow closer.
She took a deep breath, the weight of her conversation with Samuel still lingering in her chest. She let out a long sigh, forcing herself to refocus. Her father needed her now more than ever, and she couldn’t afford to dwell on her own worries. Straightening her shoulders, she turned to head back to his room.
But just as she was about to take a step, a flurry of movement caught her attention. Nurses were rushing down the hallway, a doctor following closely behind, urgency etched on their faces.
Her heart dropped. Something was wrong.
Before she could process what was happening, they veered toward her father’s room. Panic surged through her as she hurried after them, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios.
"Dad?" she whispered, pushing the door open, her hand trembling.
The scene inside made her stomach twist. Her mother, Elena, was at Ricardo’s bedside, her voice high-pitched with desperation.
"Ricardo, please! Stay with us! Doctor, do something—please save my husband!" Elena cried, clutching Ricardo’s hand as though her grip alone could keep him tethered to life.
The machines around the bed were beeping frantically, the red emergency light flashing in sharp, jarring pulses. Ricardo was trembling violently, his body arching slightly before collapsing back against the bed.
"Dad!" Zinnia gasped, rushing to her mother’s side.
The doctor was already at the bedside, barking orders to the nurses. "Start CPR immediately! Prepare a dose of epinephrine! We need to stabilize him now!"
A nurse stepped in, gently but firmly guiding Elena away from the bed. "Mrs. Lopez, please step back and let us work."
"No! I won’t leave him!" Elena protested, her voice breaking. Tears streamed down her face as she reached out toward Ricardo. "He’s my husband! Please save him!"