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Everything had been planned for months.
—She used some of her savings for this. I took care of the rent and the paperwork because she was a minor.
The tears returned.
—And you never told me anything?
—He made me promise.
He remained silent for a few seconds.
—I was saying that you weren’t ready to know yet.
I closed my eyes.
—I was right.
The last box
At the back of the storage room was a box separate from the rest.
There was only one sentence on the cover.
“The last of them all”
Inside I found an envelope.
And inside the envelope, a USB drive.
Nothing else.
“What’s here?” I asked.
Sofia shook her head.
—He never let me see it. He said it was just for you.
My heart began to race.
I knew I was about to hear the last words my daughter had prepared for me.
The video
We sat down inside the car.
Sofia connected the USB drive to her laptop.
Only one file appeared.
A video.
“Ready?” he asked.
The truth was no.
But I nodded.
The image appeared.
And there she was.
Sitting on her bed.
Smiling.
So alive that for a moment I forgot reality.
—Hi, Mom…
I started crying again.
—If you’re watching this, you’ve probably been cooped up at home for too long.
A sad smile appeared on my face.
It was exactly something she would have said.
—I know you’re not answering calls. I know you’re not replying to messages. And I know you’re trying to survive on your own.
His expression became more serious.
—But I need you to do something for me.
I held my breath.
—I want you to come back to my school.
I frowned.
—I want you to talk to the librarian and volunteer.
My surprise increased.
Valentina continued.
“There’s always someone sitting alone in that library. Someone who feels invisible. Someone who needs someone to see them.”
Her smile returned.
—Find one of those people, Mom.
Then he paused.
A pause I still remember.
—And don’t do it for me.
Her eyes shone.
—Do it because you’re still here.
The video ended.
And silence filled the car.
The first step to reliving life
Several days passed before she mustered the courage to return to school.
During that time I read letters.
I listened to recordings.
I relived memories.
I cried.
I laughed.
And little by little I began to breathe again.
One morning I woke up and found on my bedside table a letter that I had prepared the night before.
It was the one that said:
“Open when you can’t get out of bed.”
I opened it.
Inside was a simple good morning message.
Valentina reminded me that I was stronger than I thought.
And he asked me to give the day one more chance.
For the first time in a long time, I obeyed.
I got up.
I got dressed.
And I went to school.
The encounter that changed everything
The library was still the same.
The same shelves.
The same tables.
The same quiet corners.
Then I saw her.
A teenage girl sitting alone in a corner.
She was wearing a gray sweatshirt similar to the ones Valentina used to wear.
For a few seconds I remained motionless.
Then I remembered the video.
I remembered his voice.
And I walked towards her.
-Hello.
The young woman looked up in surprise.
-Hello…
I pointed to the empty chair.