Brehier

Invitation

Arthur glances at Oswaldo and then back at you, a gentle smile still on his face. "Well, Oswaldo has mentioned you before... and your mother, Gloriana. I didn't think I'd get the chance to meet you in person, but it seems fate had other plans."

"How long ago did he mention us two?" you ask.

Arthur pauses to think for a moment. "As far as I recall, Oswaldo started talking about you and your mother after he had his accident six years ago. After he woke up from his coma, his memory was a bit fragmented, and it took him some time to properly recall certain people and things... including you and your mother."

"So he spoke of us as if we were... dream people?" you inquire.

Arthur nods, a sympathetic expression on his face. "Yes, that's correct. Oswaldo struggled to differentiate between his memories from before the accident and what he thought were dreams afterward. He didn't fully recognize you and your mother as real, thinking you were just part of a dream or hallucination."

After the mood calms down, a realization hits you. "Mom! I have to return home to be with Mom!"

The reminder of your mother's predicament makes everyone's expression solemn. Oswaldo looks at you with a mix of concern and guilt. "Miller... is your mother alone? Is she alright?"

You look at Dad with tears in your eyes. "She's in worse condition than me, can't stand up without a cane and hasn't left the house area in so long..."

Oswaldo's eyes widen, pain and guilt filling his expression. The thought of Gloriana suffering alone all these years fills him with remorse and desperation. "Oh... oh no... poor Gloriana... How has she survived all these years? How has she kept herself alive?"

Arthur quickly gets into a sturdy posture. "What are we waiting for?! Let's go see her now and bring her here! She must be in need!" he says, pulling out the keys for his car from his pocket.

Arthur's sudden outburst breaks the somber mood, and Oswaldo and your parents all look at him with a mix of surprise and agreement. "Arthur is right. If your mother is in such a dire condition, we need to act quickly. We can't leave her to suffer alone any longer."

We rush to the car, Arthur drives, Ellen goes in the copilot seat, and you and Dad go in the back seats. "Hang on to your seats! Tell me the way, young man!" Arthur calls out.

You quickly direct Arthur on the route to your house. Your heart races as the car speeds through the streets, the urgency of the situation driving you all forward. "Take this street here, then a right turn at the next intersection... Hurry, please, we need to get there fast."

We arrive in a hurry. The sound of the car breaking wakes up Mom, who looks out the window and sees you and Ellen rushing to the entrance.

Arthur parks the car hastily, and we all scramble out of the vehicle, adrenaline coursing through our veins. My mother, hearing the commotion, appears at the window, her eyes widening in shock and disbelief as she sees us approach.

"MOM! I'M HERE!" you shout as you hug her on her chair. "Mom, there's someone who wants to see you."

Your mother's eyes fill with tears as she clings to you, her embrace tight and desperate. Her voice trembles as she speaks, a mixture of joy and disbelief washing over her. "Miller... my sweet boy... I was so worried, I had almost given up hope..."

Oswaldo, standing behind us, steps into the room, his expression a mix of shame and contrition. His eyes scan over your mother's frail form, taking in the toll that the years without him have had on her.

Oswaldo slowly approaches, his steps hesitating. He sees the cane that supports your mother, the visible signs of aging and neglect. He stops a few feet away, his voice choked with emotion. "Gloriana... is it really you? Is it really you, my wife?"