The door finally opened.
---
A doctor stepped out.
Face calm.
Too calm.
---
Christian moved first.
"What happened? Is she okay?"
---
A pause.
---
"She's stable," the doctor said.
---
Relief.
Sharp. Immediate.
---
Then—
"But…"
---
Everything tightened again.
---
"The progression has accelerated. You should prepare yourselves."
---
No one spoke.
---
"She has… about two weeks."
---
---
Two weeks.
---
Not a month.
---
Not time.
---
Just…
A countdown.
---
---
The room was quiet.
Machines humming softly.
---
Salomi lay there.
Still.
Fragile.
---
Then—
Her fingers twitched.
---
"Salomi?" Ruby leaned forward.
---
Slowly—
Her eyes opened.
---
Weak.
Heavy.
---
But aware.
---
And the moment she saw them—
---
She smiled.
---
That same smile.
---
Faint now.
But still there.
---
They rushed to her.
---
"Don't scare us like that," Sofie whispered, already crying.
---
Christian stood beside her bed.
Quiet.
---
Relief flooding him—
Until—
---
The words echoed again.
---
Two weeks.
---
And suddenly—
Even her smile felt like something slipping away.
---
---
The door opened again.
---
And this time—
Everyone turned.
---
Mr. Albert stood there.
---
Behind him—
---
Mrs. Matilda.
---
Silence.
---
Immediate.
---
Tense.
---
Christian stepped forward instinctively.
Ruby moved closer to the bed.
Sofie stood beside Salomi.
---
Protective.
---
Guarded.
---
Like shields.
---
Their eyes burned.
---
Because they thought—
She came to hurt her again.
---
Matilda saw it.
---
The distance.
The hatred.
---
And for the first time—
It wasn't anger she felt.
---
It was fear.
---
---
Hours earlier—
Albert had stood before her.
Broken.
---
"She's dying," he had said.
---
And when she didn't respond—
He didn't hold back.
---
"We did this," he continued. "But I was worse."
---
Silence.
---
"If you have any part of you left that remembers what it means to be a mother…"
---
His voice cracked.
---
"Come and see that child… before it's too late."
---
---
And now—
She stood here.
---
Seeing it.
---
Really seeing it.
---
The girl she had hated.
---
Lying there.
---
Small.
Weak.
---
Dying.
---
And something inside her—
Finally broke.
---
---
She stepped forward.
Carefully.
---
But the moment she did—
---
"Don't."
---
Christian's voice was sharp.
---
"Stay away from her."
---
Ruby didn't say anything.
But her eyes agreed.
---
Sofie's hands tightened around Salomi's.
---
Matilda stopped.
Panicked.
---
"I—I just…" she tried.
---
Words failed her.
---
Because what could she say?
---
---
And then—
---
A voice.
Weak.
Soft.
---
"Mom…?"
---
Everything stopped.
---
Matilda froze.
---
That word—
---
After everything—
---
Still came from her.
---
Her shoulders dropped.
Her face crumpled.
---
And for the first time—
---
She answered.
---
"…yes."
---
Her voice broke.
---
"I'm here."
---
---
That was the only reason they moved.
---
Reluctantly.
---
Carefully.
---
Still watching her.
---
But they let her through.
---
---
She walked closer.
Slowly.
---
Like she didn't deserve to.
---
And when she reached the bed—
---
She saw it.
---
That smile.
---
Weak.
Fading.
---
But still…
Bright.
---
Still…
Warm.
---
Still…
For her.
---
And that—
---
That destroyed her.
---
Because for the first time—
She understood.
---
This child—
Had never hated her.
---
Not once.
---
---
Her knees weakened.
---
Her chest tightened.
---
"What have I done…" she whispered.
---
Her hands trembled.
---
Because every memory—
Every word—
Every act—
---
Came rushing back.
---
And none of it—
Could be undone.
---
---
She turned.
---
Couldn't take it.
---
Couldn't breathe.
---
And ran.
---
Out of the room.
---
Into the hallway.
---
And then—
---
She broke.
---
Completely.
---
A wail tore from her chest.
Raw.
Uncontrolled.
---
Because her sins—
Were no longer abstract.
---
They had a face.
---
A voice.
---
A smile.
---
And they were dying.
---
---
Inside the room—
Silence lingered.
---
Heavy.
---
But different.
---
Because now—
Everyone had seen it.
---
The truth.
---
Fully.
---
Irrevocably.
---
---
And Salomi—
---
Still smiled.
---
As if she was the one trying to comfort them.
---
---