Susana continued to gaze out the window of her clinic room, where Dr. Anibal had just left. Her body was there, healthy, but her mind was in turmoil and her heart shattered. She didn't know what to do next, but she had to find her way again.
"Everything ready, daughter?" Teresa burst into the room euphorically, looking at Susana with a radiant smile.
"Yes, Mother," Susana replied without any enthusiasm. She grabbed her backpack of clothes and, on autopilot, headed for the exit of the hospital room.
"I've been speaking with Dr. Anibal." Teresa took her daughter's bag of clothes, accompanying her side by side to the room's exit. "He said your tests and all examinations came out well."
"My body is fine, Mother," Susana said sadly. "It's as if nothing happened these past hours..." She paused. "...or even these past months..."
"I understand how you feel," Teresa said as she observed her daughter's increasingly flat stomach, then replied, "But now we need to think about the future. You have to move on, okay?"
"If you say so!" Susana let out the words without much conviction. She found her mother's demeanor odd—nervous yet euphoric, which was unfair given the recent situation, especially since she felt entirely depressive.
"I don't think; I'm sure!" Grasping her daughter's arm, Teresa smiled joyfully. "The whole world is waiting for us." Teresa continued to the parking lot, flung open the passenger door, and tossed Susana's backpack onto the back seat. "What do you feel like for dinner?" She walked around the car, opening the door for her daughter, who resembled a robot. "I thought maybe you'd like a nice burger with all the trimmings."
"No, Mother," Susana said without hesitation. "I'm not hungry."
"But daughter," Teresa said, taken aback. "You haven't eaten anything since lunch." Shaking her head, she scolded, "Sorry, but I won't let you starve, at least not while I can prevent it."
"Mother..." Susana sighed deeply. She just wanted to lock herself in her room and forget the world, but she couldn't be rude to her mother, who was always there for her, supporting her. "Try to understand, I'm not okay; I need my time, my space."
"I know, daughter," Teresa said as she got into the driver's seat. "But if we don't eat now..." She gave a small conspiratorial smile. "We won't be able to stop for another six hours."
"Six hours?" Susana closed her door and looked puzzled at her mother. "What do you mean?"
"You said you wanted to leave here?" Teresa raised an eyebrow in feigned surprise. "Well, then..." As she put the vehicle in gear, she declared, "Get ready, our adventure starts today."
"Are you serious?" Susana was astounded by her mother's confident stance.
"Absolutely!" Teresa took a deep breath, her voice steady. Leaving everything behind wasn't easy for her, but her daughter's mental health was more important right now. Smiling clumsily, she admitted, "I just don't know where we're going yet..." Making a grimace, she shrugged. "But by the time we run out of gas, we'll be far away from here, and that's what matters."
"What about the house..." Susana swallowed hard. She hadn't seriously thought about it when planning to tell her mother she wanted to leave, and when she said it, she didn't mean literally after leaving the hospital. Caught off guard, she questioned, "And your job?"
"Regarding the house, I hired a real estate company to take care of it." Teresa's smile broadened, noticing a new sparkle in her daughter's eyes. "As for work, I don't even need to tell them. My bingo buddy took over my cleaning shifts."
"Mother…" Tears ran down Susana's face, but at the same time, a new vigor arose within her, making her smile without even noticing. "I don't know how to thank you for this sacrifice..."
"You already have, daughter," Teresa responded with emotion, letting her tears fall. "That smile of yours..." She stroked her daughter's hair lovingly, glancing between the road and her daughter's face. "I thought I'd never see it again. All I ask, daughter," she bit her lip before adding, "Don't get consumed by sadness... your baby..." she choked up before declaring, "You don't need to forget him... just remember him with the joy with which you carried him for those six months."
"I'll try, Mother," Susana vowed, trying to hide the pain that her mother's words inflicted on her heart. "I promise I'll try."
"We're starting over, so..." Teresa glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled before adding, "Leave behind everything that hurts you." Speeding up her car, she accelerated onto the highway. "This will be an adventure..." Despite the fear, she looked determined and focused on the road that would lead them to a new life. "I never thought I'd be so excited about this."
"You don't have to pretend," Susana said with a moved smile, kissing her mother's cheek. "I know it's scary for you to start over anew."
"That's exactly what I'm going to do." Susana inhaled deeply, shifting her gaze to the mirror, watching the city that had brought her so much pain vanish like smoke in seconds. Perhaps now that nothing reminded her of what had happened, her pain would also disappear. Would her baby's father wonder where they were? And if one day she were to recognize him, would he ever suspect that he had lost a child?
Opening the window, Susana shook her head, trying to release her doubts to the wind that immediately hit her. The cool breeze brought a new appreciation for the mountains untouched by human hands along the road. This fresh air filled her lungs, filled her soul with hope. Now she would become stronger, more confident, independent, and wouldn't have to rely on anyone else. From that moment on, the naive Susana had vanished, along with her... vulnerability...
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