Matteo was compliant. He opens his mouth when Lorenzo checks his tonsils and tongue, he didn’t even move away as the man points a machine on his ears. He never budges out of Elijah’s lap and was the one to pull his shirt up when Lorenzo request to check his heart beat.

All the while, he glares at Lorenzo. Quietly presenting his distrust through silence, never saying a thing when he was questioned and looks at Elijah to drop an explanation or two about his condition. The little boy, who complains and whines about the pain, sew his mouth shut and sighs at the attempt Lorenzo has on a conversation.

Elijah doesn’t know if it was better than the intense stare Matteo was giving to his red string. Its currently tied around Lorenzo’s right hand, and on the stationery on his desk before Elijah’s side of the string wrapped itself around on his neck.

“He’s dehydrated,” Lorenzo said to Elijah, writing something on the information sheet. “A little bit pale but that could’ve been a symptom. Although, I still recommend putting more greens in his diet for iron – also less canned and processed goods and sweets. The medicine you have chosen is fine; however, I still have to recommend having him take it every four hours due to the temperature his fever is reaching. I might have to add another for the cough, though.

If he still has it the day after tomorrow then it’s best to have a cardiac panel,” Lorenzo continues and hands Elijah the information sheet along with two doctor’s receipts; one for the cough medicine and the other was the potential cardiac panel.

“Thank you,” Elijah said, looking down at the neat handwriting. There were added information written next to it, both numerical and in short phrases.

“Anything for Matteo,” Lorenzo replies back with a smile, gazing down to Matteo who huff at the expression. His son looks away, his arms crossed on his chest and played with the stuffed tiger Lorenzo have given to him as they entered his office.

At the very least, his son was in awe at the decorative state of the man’s office. The walls were painted in lighter shade of blue to signify the sky. There were clouds too, painted all throughout the office. The animals, however, were printed and were plastered on the wall with a giraffe used as some stand to measure the children’s height. There was even a whale plushie that the weight scale was put on.

Even with a TV placed on the waiting room, Lorenzo had also provided a cart full of toys for them to play with. No wonder the parents were slightly less stressed than the usual pediatric office his son goes to.

“How much is the consultation?” Elijah question, immediately counting the bills he has in his hand.

“But I promised that the service is for free!” Lorenzo reminded Elijah who can never forget the offer. It ingrained in his head, cementing itself of the mistake he could’ve avoided.

“I know,” Elijah acknowledges but still hands out an estimate of five-hundred pesos to Lorenzo. “I just don’t want to burden you with an unpaid service – and a chance of getting sick because of my son.”

Still, Lorenzo shook his head and pushed the money to Elijah’s side of the desk. The man looks at it with an undeniable expression of disappointment. Elijah has no idea what to make of it, the thought of becoming one customer poorer seems unreal for him.

“I have already built up an immune system that could deflect even the sickest of kids, trust me,” Lorenzo reassured him, “that, and I have managed to squeeze you in an already tight schedule for today. So, it doesn’t really make a difference if you paid or not.”

“I don’t understand,” Elijah comments and slings a handle of his bag on his shoulder.

“Just don’t pay me, alright?” Lorenzo pleads, almost. The man has yet to take the money, already treading it close to the edge with a pen. “I have already told my secretary about it and she’ll refuse any sort of monetary payment from you too.”

The man was serious with the offer. Elijah thought he could persuade him with the money if he shows it to him but nothing could be done to a person whose resolution goes beyond their words. Paying Lorenzo was the only control he has with the situation, even if the money he uses wasn’t his in the first place.

Paying would also mean he’d forgive himself for being selfish and he’ll likely forget this moment in the future too.  

“Can I, at least, give you something then – for free?” Elijah suggested, “a bouquet? An arrangement for an event? Or anything else you can think of.”

Lorenzo stares at him, all throughout the recommendation Elijah has presented. Lorenzo, then, sighed, reclining his back against his office chair and clasped his hands together on his desk. Forehead wrinkled from his furrowed brows, narrowing his eyes at the money Elijah has yet to put back into his bag.

“Papa,” Matteo interrupted the conversation. His voice meek, almost like a squeak. Elijah looks down on his little boy, who raised his head to face Elijah. “I wanna pee,” his son whines, tugging his collar down to emphasis his need.

“We’ll go to the bathroom once we’re done with the doctor, alright?” Matteo scrunches his nose, sighing as he looks away from Elijah.

“Okay,” Lorenzo answered then repeats, “okay, how about we’ll talk about that at your flower shop.”

“Alright,” Elijah agreed, glad at the acceptance he received. He helps Matteo stand on the floor, listening to the grumbled his son did under his breath. His son’s backpack had settled inside his own but the added weight was unnoticed.

Elijah stood up afterwards.

“Just hand the information sheet back to my secretary and you’re free to go after that,” Lorenzo instructs.

“Thank you,” Elijah said to Lorenzo.

To which Lorenzo replied with a small smile, softening his expression from the sadness it paints itself with a while ago. “Anything for you, Eli.”

-

He looks down on the floor, queasy with the attention he received from everyone. His stomach churns at the whispers, his throat constricts from the fingers that subtly points at his direction and the children that questions, some persistent despite the hushes their parents gave them. Matteo closed his eyes as they leave, his whines to pee have died down by the snores that follows them around.

Even as Elijah nudges his son to the restroom, Matteo tightens his grips on his shoulder and laid his head closer to his neck. Whether the urge have been subdued by a greater need for sleep or have been a tactic to leave the office early. Elijah doesn’t know and if he asked, Matteo would probably lie about it.

Fortunately, there wasn’t a line at the pharmacy and he immediately purchased the cough medicine for his son.

After that, they leave, walking through the heat as they navigate their way in the parking lot for Adam’s car. He hears a honk and Elijah went to the source, listening to second honk and entered the back passenger seat without hesitation.

Adam has silenced his music, the heavy metal coming from the speaker dies down as Elijah finally seated. His son placed on his lap.

“Thank you,” Elijah said to Adam with car moving out of its parking space. The air conditioning roared louder than before, its breeze brushed through his skin and drying the damp sweat on his forehead. His pants shallowed and he relieved a sigh from the people he has finally avoided.

“No problem,” Adam replied, looking at him from the rear-view mirror with a smile.

Matteo sighed, loosening his grip. Elijah placed his son next to him, leaning his head against Elijah’s shoulder and continued his rest.

-

Adam questions. It was an obvious reaction and Elijah provided the information the man was aiming for. Elijah was friendly all throughout the conversation, albeit muttering his words as Adam was formal with his. The man promised to give him a ride if ever Matteo needed a cardiac panel but hopes for his little boy to recover before that ever happens.

“You can always count on me, Elijah,” Adam tells him and Elijah searched for the man’s gaze at the rear-view mirror. And all he sees were the man’s forehead, slightly bowed down as Adam stares at the stirring wheel instead.

The offer was left open.

They arrived at his apartment; Adam parked the car at the driveway. The man never made any eye contact at all. Elijah didn’t seem to mind and carried his son out of the car.

“Thank you,” Elijah said in a haste and closed the door afterwards. He didn’t want to listen to Adam’s reply and he’s sure the man will respond.

Moments later, Adam left and Elijah was already at the doorstep of his apartment, inserting his key in the doorknob and enjoy the quiet state of his home.