You Came to Me

5. Amalthea

Published: June 14th, 2021.

World Count: 2,720

Madrid. September, 1975.

I haven't seen Amelia since I left her in the hotel doorway. I've been thinking for the last couple of days about where to take her for lunch. My shift at the radio station usually finishes around 5pm, and I know her shifts start at 4pm, so I had to go find her while she was working.

I decided to walk straight from the radio station to the hotel. When I got there, I went up to the second floor to start looking for her because I know there are no rooms on the first floor. I poked my head down every hallway and when I passed a door that was open with a maids cart outside, I gently said her name to see if she responded.

I got no answers on the second floor, so I decided to go up to the third. I was about to press the button to the elevator when I heard my name being called.

- "Luisita?" I turned around and saw it was my mother calling me.

- "Hi, mamá." I said, trying to appear like my presence in the hotel was normal.

- "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?" She asked me.

- "No, no. Don't worry. I'm just trying to find Amelia."

- "Amelia? What, are you two friends?" She asked.

- "I think we might be, we've hung out a couple of times and she's new to Madrid, you know that."

- "I'm just surprised, I can't remember the last time I saw you trying to make a friend." She told me.

- "What, am I unlikeable?" I asked her with a half smile.

- "Of course not, I just mean I'm surprised to see you make an effort with someone, that's all."

- "Well, if I was in Amelia's shoes I'd find it hard adjusting to a new place and I'd want someone to make the effort with me." I said to her sincerely.

She gave me a smile and pinched my cheek, which led her to give me a hug.

- "How proud I am of my daughter, always thinking of others." She said as she placed her head on my shoulder.

- "Mamá!" I said with a laugh, a little embarrassed that anyone could've seen the state of the two of us, especially Amelia. She ended the hug and held me by the shoulders and looked into my eyes.

- "I don't say it enough, but I really am proud of you, Luisita. You're growing up so fast."

- "I'm 24 years old mamá, I think I'm grown." I said with a small giggle.

- "Yeah, but you're always going to be my baby." She told me.

- "Manolita, can you help me with this room." I heard Natalia, one of the other maids, say.

- "Before you go, do you know what floor Amelia is on?" I asked.

- "Mhm." She thought for a second. "Try the sixth, that's where I saw her last and she had just started."

- "Ok, thank you. See you later." I said as I kissed her cheek before we went our separate ways.

I finally entered the elevator and pressed the button for the sixth floor. I exited and began poking my head in the rooms again. After looking in about six rooms, I finally found Amelia bent over with one leg in the air as she fixed the sheet that was stuck to the corner of the bed. The position she was in caught me off guard and I couldn't help but admire her figure for a moment. When I noticed that I was staring for far too long I knocked on the open door to get her attention.