Diana

17

In the morning, she got a message from Bob.

Coast is clear

Perfect! Now all that was left was for Smith to arrive. She was already packed for the road and with the 'script' in her pocket. It wasn't long before she received another message. This time from Smith.

I'm in front of Jenny's restaurant in a black Dodge SUV. You can come down

She took her backpack and went out the door.

"Good morning!" she said, getting in the car.

"Good morning to you too! Know that we won't travel for so many hours so that you might need the hiking gear," Smith said, looking at the backpack in her hand.

"I didn't know exactly how many hours we would spend on the road, so I've made some ham and cheese sandwiches in case we get hungry."

"Well thought! Although I can stop at a gas station on the road at any time, you know?!"

Diana shrugged. "Habit!"

Smith smiled and started the car, "It's obvious you were raised in Romania. The practical sense of Romanians!" He paused and added, "Do you know what I would be curious about? What kind of music are you listening to on the phone right now?"

"I have eclectic tastes. I listen to anything. Apart from Romanian country music. But now I have only rock music on my phone."

"I would be curious to see how rock music has evolved in Romania."

"You'll be disappointed. I don't have a single song by any Romanian rock band. I'm not that passionate about it."

"So just American rock?"

"From its origins."

"Play them. I'm curious what bands attract you."

Diana pressed play to her playlist and put the phone on the dashboard.

"You can connect it to the car, you know?!"

"Have I told you I get my fingers caught when it comes to cars? Leave it. Anyway, I don't want to hear the music too loud."

"Okay. As you wish."

She wasn't so stupid as to connect her phone to his car and receive a message from the girls or, worse, a phone call from Jason or Bob.

They were close to their destination when Diana's playlist ended too.

"Eclectic tastes when it comes to rock too. I like this. Just like your mother. She also likes rock and listens to everything when it comes to it."

When he parked the car in front of the hospital, Diana felt a little emotional. But not because she was going to see her mother, but because she had to play a role and she had to play it as best as she could. She was too far away from any source of intervention to allow herself to be mistaken right now.

Smith led her to her mother's hospital room, and Diana took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

When she entered the hospital room, a faithful copy of hers, only a little older and seemingly paler, greeted her.

"Diana? John told me he brought you here, but I couldn't believe it until now." Said Lily Smith, putting her hands to her mouth. She looked excited, with tears in her eyes. "Can I hug you?"

"Until we have a discussion together, I'd rather not. We will see in the end how we both feel about it."

"Okay. As you wish," Lily said, wiping her eyes. "I am ready to answer any questions you may have and to bear the consequences that you deem appropriate."