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Professor Elena put her hand in her pocket and placed a small key in my palm.
—Valentina asked me to keep this.
I watched her without understanding.
-What is it?
—Several months ago she told me about a very important project for her. She asked me that, if what she feared ever happened, I should give her this key along with the letter.
I felt a chill.
—And you accepted?
—Because I saw how much it meant to her. She assured me that one day you would understand.
A place I never would have imagined
The address led me to a quiet commercial area of the city.
The storage facility was located between a laundry and an abandoned building.
I had passed by that place dozens of times without paying attention to it.
When I put the key in the lock and lifted the metal shutter, my heart began to beat strongly.
At first I thought the place was empty.
Then my eyes got used to the dimness.
And then I saw them.
There were several boxes neatly stacked at the back.
They all had something written on them.
My name.
Each one of them had a tag with my name on it.
I felt my legs giving out.
I approached slowly.
I opened the first box.
And my world stopped again.
The letters
Inside there were dozens of envelopes.
Each one had a different label.
“Open when you can’t get out of bed.”
“Open on your birthday.”
“Open when you’re afraid of forgetting my voice.”
“Open it when you’re angry with me.”
Tears began to blur my vision.
On top of the envelopes was a small digital recorder.
I handled it carefully.
My hands were shaking so much that I almost dropped it.
I pressed play.
And I heard his voice.
—Hi, Mom…
My breath caught in my throat.
It was her.
The same voice I would have given anything to hear again.
—If you’re listening to this, it means I couldn’t stay as long as we wanted…
I sat down on the cold cement floor.
And I cried.
I cried like I hadn’t cried since the day he left.
The only person I could call
I don’t know how long I stayed there.
I only remember that at some point I realized I couldn’t face that alone.
I picked up the phone.
And I called my sister Sofia.
—Sofi… I need you to come.
-What happened?
—I found something that Valentina prepared.
There was barely a second of silence.
—I’m going there.
He arrived a few minutes later.
Upon entering the warehouse, he remained motionless.
Her eyes scanned the boxes.
Then he hugged me tightly.
—We’re going to get through this together.
Everything I had prepared
The second box was identified as:
“Plans to take care of you”
Inside there were daily routines.
Reminders.
Meal ideas.
Advice to help her move forward.
Among the papers I found messages written by Valentina.
“Eat something warm today.”
“Please don’t skip breakfast again.”
“Go for a walk even if you don’t feel like it.”
I pressed the papers to my chest.
—He thought of everything.
Sofia nodded excitedly.
—Yes. He thought of everything.
The third box said:
“The people who are going to help you”
There was a list of neighbors.
Friends.
Parents of classmates.
Teachers.
Even school employees.
Next to each name, Valentina had written why that person was important.
And when should I go to her?
I didn’t want her to face the pain alone.
Memories that time could erase
The fourth box had a title that made me hold my breath.
“The things you might forget first”
Inside I found photographs I had never seen before.
Valentina reading on the floor.
Valentina cooking.
Valentina laughing.
Simple moments.
Moments that seemed insignificant.
But now they were treasures.
Many of the photographs had small notes attached.
“That was the day you burned the pancakes and we laughed for an hour.”
A laugh escaped through my tears.
—I had forgotten that.
—Not her—said Sofia.
The hardest truth
The fifth box filled me with immediate fear.
The cover read:
“The hardest truth”
Inside was a thick notebook.
I started reading.
Page after page, Valentina described medical consultations.
Treatments.
Good days.
Bad days.
Pains that I had often hidden so as not to worry.
But he was also talking about me.
From my hidden tears.
From my forced smiles.
Of the times she pretended to be calm.
And then I understood something devastating.
Valentina knew.
He knew much more than I had imagined.
He had understood the seriousness of his situation long before I was ready to accept it.
While I clung desperately to hope, she had begun to prepare.
And to get ready.
Sofia’s Secret
While I was trying to process all of that, something caught my attention.
I looked at my sister.
—How did you know exactly where this place was?
She remained silent.
—I never gave you the address.
Sofia lowered her gaze.
Then he sighed.
—Because I helped Valentina organize all of this.
I felt my heart stop.
-That?
—He came to see me about six months ago. He told me he had a very important project.
I looked at the boxes.