8. WHFL

Aurora laughed out loud at Rafael's panicked expression, his screams echoing through the trees of the park. The wheelchair sped down the slightly sloping path, making Rafael hug the back of the chair tightly, his eyes widened in panic and his face instantly pale.

"Stop it! Aurora!" he shouted again, but that only made Aurora even more amused.

The afternoon breeze blew through Rafael's hair, caressing his tense face. Several people in the park turned their heads toward them, some surprised, others stifling laughter at the unusual scene. While Aurora couldn't help but laugh, her shoulders shook with amusement, her hands covering her mouth as she followed along from a distance.

However, when the wheelchair finally reached a flat part of the path, Rafael managed to press the automatic brake button on the side of the wheelchair. The chair's tires stopped slowly with a soft scraping sound until they finally came to a complete stop. Rafael's breathing was ragged, his eyes staring ahead blankly for a few seconds, still trying to process what had just happened.

Aurora followed behind, still laughing, her face flushed from holding her breath. "Your face just now... looks like a cartoon character being hit by a storm," she teased as she lowered her head slightly, looking at Rafael from the side.

Rafael turned his head slowly. His eyes were sharp, but not as sharp as usual. This time, there was a glimmer of softer emotion there. Perhaps... he didn't want to admit that just a moment ago, he had also felt alive. "You're crazy," he muttered at last.

Aurora shrugged casually. "At least you're laughing... in your heart, maybe?" she said in a light tone, even though she knew the risk of her prank was considerable.

"Who could have laughed at that? You almost killed me with a heart attack!" Rafael exclaimed in annoyance.

Aurora, who was still laughing, immediately fell silent. "Push again!" Rafael ordered, making Aurora follow him without protest.

Now seated on a park bench, a tranquil afternoon atmosphere enveloped the surroundings. A gentle breeze blew, carrying the scent of leaves and damp earth. Birds occasionally chirped, completing the tranquility. Aurora looked more relaxed, although her face still bore the marks of irritation from the previous incident. She took a sip of the fizzy drink from the large bottle she had just bought at the automatic drink machine. Almost half of it was gone in a matter of minutes.

Rafael, who was sitting beside her, stared with slightly raised eyebrows, turning his head expectantly. His eyes glanced at the bottle in Aurora's hand, then he said, "You didn't think to buy me one too?"

Aurora stopped her gulping motion, looking over in surprise. "I bought it," she said as she took out a bottle of mineral water from the small plastic bag she had placed on her lap.

Rafael stared at the mineral water for a moment, then snorted softly. "It's plain water, Aurora. You're enjoying a refreshing soda while I'm getting... fresh water?" he protested flatly, but his annoyance was clear enough.

Aurora looked at him, then shrugged as if she didn't care. "The important thing is that I bought it. Don't protest," she said casually as she leaned back against the park bench.

Rafael rolled his eyes but did not reply. Several minutes passed in silence, only the sounds of nature accompanying them. Then suddenly, Rafael broke the silence. "Your father... didn't contact you again?"

Aurora was silent for a moment. Her gaze wandered far down the path that stretched before them. She slowly shook her head. "No," she replied softly. "Perhaps... he will never return. Maybe he really has chosen his own path and... sacrificed his daughter for it."

Her tone was softened but full of hurt. Rafael stared at her in silence. For a moment, his heart felt heavy. Aurora looked down, hiding her teary eyes.

"I'm... probably expendable," Aurora continued, her voice wavering. "I'm not important in his life. I'm just a nuisance from a past he no longer wants to relive."

Rafael remained silent, but behind the look in his eyes that had always been hard, there was a ray of deep empathy. He knew how painful it was to be abandoned by someone who was supposed to protect and love. The wound was too familiar to him.

Without saying anything, Rafael simply moved his wheelchair closer to Aurora until his shoulder touched hers. He didn't know what to say, but sometimes the silence that accompanied it was more comforting than a thousand words of sympathy.

"What are you doing?" Aurora asked, feeling Rafael's hand touch her shoulder. Rafael immediately pretended as if he were wiping his hands on the clothes Aurora was wearing. "Ish, you slob!" complained Aurora, moving away from Rafael.

***

The next morning, Rafael woke up earlier than usual. His heavy eyes looked up at Aurora, who was sleeping in the chair beside his bed.

Aurora's serene face in sleep made Rafael momentarily speechless. He remembered Aurora's words from yesterday afternoon, words that were so painful and full of sadness. The image of those words disturbed his mind, raising doubts about whether his attitude toward Aurora had been too harsh and excessive.

However, Rafael soon dismissed that thought. He sighed softly and said to himself, "It doesn't matter." With a flat expression, he tried to ignore the nagging feelings and focus on what he had to do today. Taking a deep breath, he elbowed Aurora's side.

Shoulder with his index finger. "Wake up," he said.

The touch was enough to make Aurora wake up; her eyes immediately opened wide and looked at Rafael with an annoyed expression.

"Gosh, it's still six in the morning, Rafael..." she muttered with a half-yawn as she straightened her messy hair. "Usually, the nurse comes at seven to give you breakfast. Would you like to have breakfast earlier?"

But instead of answering, Rafael moved his hand and scratched his head with an exasperated expression. "It's not that. My head is itchy as hell."

Aurora frowned. "I'll call the doctor; it might need scalp medication-"

"Not because of that," Rafael cut in quickly. "This is the fourth day I haven't washed my hair. My hair feels like it's been polished with cooking oil. I want you to wash it."

Aurora looked at Rafael with an incredulous expression. "You're joking, right? Rafael, you just had a heart attack. That doesn't mean your arms and legs are paralyzed. You can wash your hair yourself at the sink or ask the nurse for help. I'm not a hairdresser."

But Rafael replied with a sharp look in his eyes. "A heart attack is not a trivial disease, Aurora. I almost died. Have you forgotten?" he said firmly, as if to emphasize that his request was the most reasonable thing in the world today.

Aurora was silent for a moment; her mouth opened to reply, but all that came out was a long sigh. She leaned back in the chair and massaged her temples in frustration. It was still early in the morning, and she had only just opened her eyes. But now, she had to deal with Rafael Valentino, who was stubborn and dramatic because of his unwashed hair.

Rafael kept staring at her, as if waiting for an answer.

"Alright..." murmured Aurora quietly at last, though her face clearly showed that she was not sincere. "But after this, you bathe yourself."

"Are you going to bathe me too?" said Rafael and immediately received a sharp look.

*_*