It was done. She had packed everything.
I was leaving.
"This is Mr. and Mrs. Phillips," Sophia said, gesturing to an older couple waiting patiently by the door. "They'll be taking you to Mexico."
"Hi," I said, forcing a smile. I moved to lift one of the heavy suitcases.
"No, no, it's fine. Let me." Mr. Phillips stepped forward. He took the handle and lifted it with an ease that belied his age. No strain, just a simple, efficient motion.
Wow. Are men really just built like that?
A tired, cynical thought drifted through the haze of my goodbye. Women get downgraded by nature. Slimmer frames, less brute strength. We're engineered for other kinds of endurance.
That's why it always makes me happy to see female bodybuilders.
Warriors. Living proof we could be anything. That the blueprint isn't fixed.
He loaded the luggage into the van. I took a shaky breath, one foot on the step, ready to climb in and seal my fate.
Then a voice sliced through the quiet morning.
"CAMILLA!"
