Sara's sadness had been allayed a bit. She knew misfortunes never came singly. She had a lot to face
in life. However, she told herself Jacob was by her side.
As long as he gave her company, she could bravely face anything.
Filled with gratitude, she clasped her fingers with his and said, "Thank you, Jacob. Our journey has
been an odd one. I hated you once but I love you with all my heart now. And now, I am sure I will love
you till my last breath."
Her sincere words made him tremble. In a few words, she had given the summary of their past.
All this time, she had hidden her true feelings in her heart. But for once, she felt compelled to say it out
loud.
Carlos turned and gazed at Sara with his sad eyes. It was an indication for her to meet him outside.
Sara quickly left but Jacob remained in the ward. Mournfully, he watched his mother-in-law. As he
gazed at her, he couldn't help but wonder if she knew everything that was going around.
Sara and Carlos were out of the ward. They continued to walk towards the stairs of the hospital
corridor. Melancholy floated in the air. They were both suffering from grief.
"Tell me, Dad. What is it?" Sara asked, clutching the balustrade. She couldn't take this suspense any
longer. The smell of the disinfectant wafted in the air. It was mixed with other smells. The air around
was pungent.
Even in grief, she managed to look calm. Her hands were trembling but she willed herself to control her
emotions.
"Sara, I wanted to tell you about your mother's condition. It wouldn't be right to keep you in the dark. I
couldn't bring myself to say it. And on top of that, you have been busy with work. I love to delude
myself into believing everything will be fine. However, the doctor spoke to me yesterday. He has tried
his best but there is nothing he can do. Once the cancer cells spread, she won't be here for very long."
Carlos, like Sara, looked unnaturally serene. Perhaps he wished to look strong before his daughter.
"I know, Dad. I have always been looking forward to my mother's recovery but there is a voice inside
my head that tells me I shouldn't get my hopes too high. Moreover, I have seen Michael's condition.
The fact he chose euthanasia is a testimony to how dreadful it must have been to live a life of sickness.
Death can come to any person. It can happen in a blink of an eye. So father, I am prepared for the
worst. You need not worry about me," she assured him.
Once she was done speaking, she held onto the guardrail so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
If her father was brave enough to face this adversity, she too would do the same. No matter what
difficulty was awaiting them, she was determined to help her father get over it.
"Sara, I have something else to say. I wanted to tell you that your mother is the only woman I have ever
loved. All that makes the present situation even harder to bear. When we were together, I often felt she
deserved someone so much better than me. That's the reason I let her go without a fight. I thought I
was giving her the freedom she deserved."
Carlos's face darkened at the recollection of the old days. He seemed older than his age at the
moment.
Before Sara could say something, he went on, "At first, I wasn't happy with your decision to be with
Jacob. But now I have begun to realize I was wrong. Who you spend your life with is your business. I
have no right to tell you what to do. You can marry him if that's what you desire. I wish you nothing but
happiness. Everyone makes mistakes and that's how they grow up. We should learn to forgive people,
Sara. Some people realize their mistakes only after it is too late."
Carlos felt intense sorrow as he spoke but he willed himself to remain calm. The past few days had
invigorated him. He took pleasure in taking care of Tasha.
Even though he had to get up early and stay up late in the hospital, he seemed happier than ever.
Carlos could never get tired of being with his wife. He lived for her and wouldn't mind giving her his life.
"Dad, thank you. I can imagine how hard this must be for you. Jacob and I will look after you. And if
Jacob dares to hurt me again, I won't give him another chance,"
she said with firm resolve.
"Then my mom, is she going to..." Sara faltered in her speech.
"The doctor said that we should be prepared." Carlos had to muster up a lot of courage to utter those
words.
Although this was something Sara always knew, hearing it from her father made her want to scream
Suppressing her emotions, she said, "I know mom's condition is getting worse by the day. I know there
is no hope, Dad. I know it all. If you want to cry, you can cry," she said to him, her hand slowly
loosening its grasp from the guardrail.
"It's okay, Sara. I will be fine. I just want to be there for her. I wanted you to know the situation." After
saying that, Carlos turned around. His beloved was dangling between life and death. He certainly
wasn't fine.
However, he couldn't waste any time. Tasha needed him in the ward. He was determined to make the
best out of the little time they had. During her youth, she had decided to leave him. He still wasn't angry
at her. Instead, he was more than happy to be her companion during the last stage of her life.
Next few days passed with Carlos staying by her side. He spent every second taking care of her. Her
health had deteriorated but she could still sense everything that was happening around her.
Unfortunately, she wasn't in a position to talk. This was one of the biggest punishments she had to
endure due to her illness. She heard everything yet she couldn't tell her loved ones about her feelings.
This made her feel very lonely. She felt abandoned and shunned out from the outside world.
Sara and Carlos were with Tasha at all times. With a heavy heart, they watched her degenerate. The
cancer cells couldn't be seen by the naked eyes but her condition was testimony to how much it had
spread. The clock was ticking and they sensed it.
On the last day, Tasha finally woke up.
She was in surprisingly good health. In the future, this was the scene Sara would often replay in her
mind.
Yes, she would hold onto this memory of her mother's momentary recovery. Tasha even managed to sit
upright and eat a little. Sara had asked Winnie to prepare a bowl of chicken soup. She watched her
mother heartily drink it.
Once she had it to heart's content, she turned to Sara and Carlos, persuading them to have a little.
However, they shook their heads. Neither Sara nor Carlos had any appetite. They simply stood
watching Tasha.
Tasha had a smile on her face which lit up her whole face. Her gaze constantly flitted from Carlos to
Sara then back again.
Carlos seemed to know why she seemed to be in high spirits. He wouldn't waste these last moments
searching for a doctor. Hence he remained in the ward.
"There is a question I keep asking myself. Was leaving you both the right decision?" Tasha spoke as
she lay back on the bed. She put her hands on her belly, her bright smile never leaving her face.
Carlos's unblinking eyes stared at Tasha. 'She is so young and radiant! How can she leave us so
soon?' he wondered.
"Now I know the answer to my question. Everything happens for a reason. If I hadn't left you both then,
how would I have realized how much you love me? Now I have seen the love you both have for me in
your hearts."
A sharp pain shot through Tasha's body, but she forced a smile.
Even though she knew she would leave the world soon, she was in peace. In the past, no one could tell
Tasha what was right and what was wrong.
She had never dwelled on these questions and led a life that made her happy.
Thinking about her selfishness, she felt ashamed. Turning to her daughter, she said, "Sara, I'm sorry. I
know I haven't been a good mother to you. But you need to know I love you. After I am gone, I hope
you and Jacob will lead a happy life." Her eyes were full of concern for her daughter.
She had missed the opportunity of spending time with her daughter. Her selfishness had driven her to
become a negligent mother. She could have been there for Sara. Instead, she chose the wrong path.
A selfish person spared no time to think about others. Their thoughts and concerns were solely about
themselves.
"Carlos, I know I owe you the most in my life. My time here is short so there is no way I can repay. But
in the next life, I will make amends for my mistakes."
Once she was done speaking, a serene look entered her face. Then she grasped the bed sheet using
all her strength. 'Maybe this is that moment which I have been dreading, ' Sara thought. She knew she
had to say goodbye to her mother.
She went closer and her mother uttered a few more words. After a while, Tasha closed her eyes. Sara's
trembling fingers reached out and tested her mother's breath.
She realized her mother was still breathing. A sigh of relief escaped her.
But the end was still close. In the night, she passed away peacefully.
It was announced her death was a quick one. But her family was devastated nevertheless.
Tasha was fine in the morning so this news came quite as a shock to Sara and
Carlos.
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