When Adam arrived at dinner, he deliberately chose to sit next to Viona. He wanted to start approaching Viona tonight, according to the advice from Agnes this afternoon. Viona, who was busy serving Deborah, paid no attention to Adam who was trying to get her attention.

"I'm full, Anji," said Deborah, softly, refusing Viona's spoon.

​​

"But you just ate five spoons, Mom," Viona protested, softly.

"Yes, my dear, but I'm full, my stomach can't handle too much food anymore," Deborah replied, briefly, while pinching Viona's sharp nose.

Viona was silent when she heard Deborah. As a doctor, she knew that Deborah's physical condition had deteriorated recently. Adam, who did not pay much attention to the changes in Deborah's appetite, thought that what happened to Deborah was normal, but Viona was different. She firmly believed that the result of Deborah's decreased immune system had something to do with her kidney transplant operation 1.5 years ago.

"Where are you going?" Adam asked quietly at Viona who got up from her chair, even though she hadn't eaten anything since earlier.

"Taking Mom to the room," Viona replied, quickly.

Adam was silent at Viona's words. He couldn't do anything further at that time. Especially when there were many people on the table, he could only watch Viona, lovingly guided Deborah into the room.

After she got inside room, Viona quickly helped Deborah to lie down, she could feel her pulse getting weaker day by day. Therefore, Viona deliberately invited her mother every morning to sunbathe and get fresh air in the afternoon. She could not do much because she did not want to reveal her true identity and gave Adam, who was also a doctor, a portion of his duties.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Viona asked softly to Deborah, who was staring at her without blinking.

"Do you realize, Dear, you are very, very beautiful. Your beauty is different from other Canadian women, you have fair skin, and your face is a little like a woman who came from the soviet union state, but the color of your blue eyes emphasizes this. You have European or American blood. You are very beautiful, Dear, especially your thick black hair which makes your beautiful face even more perfect," said Deborah honestly. She remembered what her sister, Maria Jessica, had said when she brought Viona home for the first time. Maria Jessica always said that the baby she was carrying would be a very beautiful woman when she grew up, and her words were proven.

"What's the use of having a beautiful face if I have to suffer continuously, Mom," said Viona, without realizing it.

Deborah was silent when she heard Viona's words. During the ten months Viona lived with them, she had never heard something like that coming out of Viona's mouth, or the cause of her bleeding that nearly took her life when she was found almost unconscious in front of Maria's grave.

"You still don't want to tell me, Dear?" asked Deborah, softly.

Hearing the words of Deborah made Viona choke, she was speechless. There weere actually many things she wanted to confide in her mother, but thinking about her mother's unstable condition finally made Viona keep her intention to tell the story.

"Believe me, Dear, when you tell me, you will feel your burden slightly lifted. You still consider me to be your mother, right?" asked Deborah again.

Viona, who was lowering her face, slowly raised her face to look at Deborah with teary eyes. Seeing the change in Viona's attitude made Deborah smile. She knew that her question had succeeded in making Viona open up.

"Lock the door, Dear," said Deborah quietly as she grabbed Viona's hand which was getting cold.

Without a word, Viona got up from the bed. She then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly then walked slowly to the door and locked it from the inside like Deborah advised.

After locking the door, Viona was petrified in place. Remembering the problem made her wound, which had begun to dry, opened up again. The wound that she had tried to treat for ten months was bleeding again and was painful beyond measure, because she was not strong enough. Viona finally sat down and wept uncontrollably at the foot of Deborah's bed. She cried silently for quite a while until she was sobbing. Deborah, who was initially lying down, now sat back up. She gave Viona time to pour out all her sadness until she was satisfied.

After crying for nearly fifteen minutes, Viona finally looked calmer, it was evident that her breathing was more stable. Deborah then opened her arms wide, asking Viona to come embrace her. Viona wiped her tears, then slowly got up and walked to Deborah's bed and dropped herself on to Deborah and cried again.

"My Dear, you don't always have to keep your wounds alone. There are times when you have to share with others so that your burden is a little less. Believe me, no matter how strong a human heart is, there are times when it can feel pain. So don't force yourself to hold your wound alone, you still have a mother, who will hear all your grievances, Dear," whispered Deborah, softly as she wiped Viona's tears that soaked her clothes.

"I just don't want to feel pain anymore, Mom, discussing it only makes me sick again, Mom. Even though the incident has passed for a long time, but when I remember it, it makes me feel like it just happened today... Sobs..."

"Is it that painful?" Asked Deborah, slowly, and provoked Viona to want to share it in detail.

Viona then told the events that happened one year ago one by one, starting from the beginning of her fight with Fernando until finally the bloody event happened. Viona even told word for word the sentences that came from Fernando's lips when she felt sick on the bed in the hospital. When she repeated Fernando's words, Viona's heart beat very fast, her body even trembled. This showed that she was really devastated by what Fernando said.

"I only needed his support when I was down, Mom, not such a rant. Moreover, he immediately gave me the divorce papers that very day. I think all my sacrifices for him while we were married had no meaning at all. I felt like an item that was thrown away when it was no longer useful, I... sobs ..."

Viona could not finish her words because she was crying again, Deborah, who had been holding her in silence, closed her eyes. As a woman and a mother, that made her feel Viona's pain and disappointment, she did not expect Viona to have such painful wounds.

"It's a shame, can I ask you one thing," asked Deborah, as she asked permission to Viona.

"Ask what, Mom?" Viona asked, quietly, in a stammered voice.

"But before answering, I hope you answer me honestly," said Deborah, briefly.

"I will honestly answer your question," Viona said, in a barely audible voice.

"Do you love your husband?" asked Deborah, quietly.

Thump!

Hearing that question from Deborah made Viona's heart feel like she was receiving an electric shock. She did not expect to be asked a question like this after ten months she left Fernando.

"I …"

"If the question is too heavy for you, it's better not to answer it, Dear, if you don't want to …"

"I love him, Mom... I love him, Mom, really love him... Sobs..."

Viona's tears broke again w hen she told Deborah her true feelings. She really loved Fernando. The man who made her fall in love at first sight first when she worked in the laundry without knowing who he was or even his name, the man who made her sure and wanted to keep her sanctity that she kept all those years, the man who made her feel very happy once, had wounded her at the same time.

"I've asked you earlier, you already know that you really love your husband, Dear, I know you really love your husband," said Deborah, quietly, her eyes filled with tears when she said this to Viona.

"But he is mean, Ma'am... He is mean to me..."

"It's because of a moment's emotion, Dear, the pain and disappointment when he found out that the baby he expected from you died, he went crazy like that, until he finally said it to you. But believe me, your husband must really regret his actions. If he really loves you, right now, the pain must be much greater than what you are experiencing, believe me. Nothing is more painful than a husband losing his wife, let alone a wife as beautiful as you," joked Deborah, quietly, trying to calm Viona.

"Don't tease me, sobs… Right now, I hate him, I don't want to meet him. I don't want to..."

"Yes, let's just be here, Dear, until fate guides you to meet again," said Deborah, slowly, cutting off Viona's words.

"Mom..."

Viona did not finish her words because she hid her face in Deborah's body, Deborah smiled at Viona's behavior.

"I hope that before my time runs out, I can see you happy again, Dear. I'm sure your mother, Maria wanted the same thing, until finally she brought us back, my dear. You have the right to be happy, Viona, you have the right to live happily, Dear," said Deborah, her two eyelids slowly closed and suddenly the image of Maria Jessica was smiling at her.

"Wait for me, sis, let me take our child to reach her happiness again..."

To be Continued