A new reality

“Where’s... Valentino?” he asked suddenly, his voice shaking with uncertainty.

His siblings exchanged awkward glances.

“Who?” his sister asked, her tone a bit too sweet. “You mean your... ‘dream world’ boyfriend?”

Kai’s heart skipped a beat. “What are you talking about?”

“You were in a coma for a while, Kai,” his younger brother said, trying to suppress a grin. “The whole thing with Valentino... the babies... everything... it was all part of a dream. A prank, actually.”

Kai stared at them, unblinking. His mind refused to comprehend what they were saying. His heart pounded in his chest.

“No,” Kai said, his voice shaking, a sob escaping from his throat. “No... it wasn’t a dream. It was real. Valentino... he... he was real. We were... together.” His eyes filled with tears as he fought to hold on to the fragments of that other world. “And the babies... everything was real.”

His siblings couldn’t hold back their laughter anymore. It wasn’t cruel or mocking, but the laughter stung. They laughed because it was a joke, and to them, it had been nothing more than a funny prank.

“Kai,” his older sister said, wiping her eyes as she tried to stifle her giggles. “We’re so sorry, but it was just an April Fool’s prank! We pretended to be everyone from your... dream world, the fantasy world. We made it all up.”

Kai’s breath caught in his throat as the words settled in. His head swam. His vision blurred.

“No...” Kai whispered. “No, this can’t be happening. Valentino... and the babies... it was all real!” His voice broke, his chest tightening. “Why would you do this to me? Why would you make me believe in something like that?”

His siblings’ faces grew serious. They hadn’t meant to hurt him. They had thought it would make him laugh when he woke up.

“We didn’t want to hurt you, Kai,” his younger brother said, his voice soft with regret. “We just wanted to bring you back... make you feel better. We thought it would be funny to... pretend to be those people from your dream.”

Kai felt his heart break, and with it, the foundation of the world he had believed in crumbled. He couldn’t breathe. The memories of Valentino—the love, the tenderness they had shared—felt like distant echoes now.

Kai’s mother entered the room, her face lighting up as she saw her son awake. The moment her eyes met his, tears began to well up in them. She rushed to his side, her hands shaking as she cupped his face gently, running her thumb across his cheek.

“My baby boy,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “You’re awake! We’ve missed you so much.”

Kai was taken aback by her happiness. He didn’t know how to feel—still numb from the events that had just unfolded—but he could see how much it meant to her. His mother’s warm embrace enveloped him as she hugged him tightly, her tears falling freely.

“We thought we lost you,” she sobbed, her voice breaking. “But you’re here. You’re really here.”

Kai, despite the confusion and pain swirling in his heart, couldn’t help but feel comforted by his mother’s embrace. He knew she had been worried, and seeing her so relieved made his heart ache even more. But the memories of Valentino and everything he thought he had lost still hung heavily in his mind.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Kai whispered, his voice weak. “I don’t know what’s real anymore.”

His mother pulled back just slightly to look at him, her hands still on his shoulders. “It’s okay, darling. You’re home now. Whatever happened, we’re all here for you.”

Kai’s siblings watched quietly from the side, no longer laughing. They understood that the joke had gone too far, that the weight of it was too much for Kai to handle all at once.

His mother, still holding him close, added softly, “You’re back with us. That’s all that matters. You’re safe. And everything else will fall into place.”

Kai didn’t know what to say. He could only nod as his mother’s warmth and care washed over him. Despite the emotional whirlwind he had just experienced, he could feel her love, and for now, that was enough to help him hold onto something real in this confusing moment.

Kai stayed in the hospital for a few more days, still processing everything that had happened. It wasn’t easy. He had to come to terms with the fact that what he thought was his world—his life with Valentino and the babies—was just a dream. A prank.

But he still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing, that something deep inside him still ached for the life he had lost. The memory of Valentino’s kiss, his embrace, the warmth of their family together… it haunted him.

Kai’s siblings visited him regularly, and slowly, he began to open up to them about how he felt. He shared his confusion, his heartache, and his struggles to accept what had happened. His mother was always by his side, a steady presence offering comfort and love.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever understand it,” Kai admitted one evening, looking out the hospital window. “But... I guess I’ll have to move on. I have to.”

His mother smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair away from his face. “You’re stronger than you know, Kai. Whatever happened, you’ll be okay.”

And though he didn’t fully believe it yet, in that moment, Kai held on to his mother’s words. He would try. He would learn to live in the real world once again.

But deep down, he still wondered if Valentino was out there, somewhere... waiting. And whether he would ever find his way back.

To be continued

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