They Could Care Less

38: Last Moments

"Is it because I didn't do enough? Is it because I'm never enough, no matter how hard I try? I'm sorry for not being enough, please don't leave me, mom. I still need you," she heard her say before Thea began to sob loudly. "Everyone else can leave me and dump me, just not you, mom. Please, I beg you, I'll do anything, just don't leave me," she wanted to wake up, and tell Thea that she was more than enough. She was an amzing person, and she deserved to know it, but no matter how hard she tried, her eyes wouldn't open. Wake up! Wake up!

Finally, her eyes slowly opened and she looked at Thea sobbing by the bed. The sight of her in tears broke Maria's heart and she slowly placed her hand on top of hers. "Why are you crying, sweetheart?" she asked, but she knew why already. Thea wiped her tears to pretend all was fine and they began a conversation.

"Damon?" she asked and her heart began to race. No, it can't be... "Damon Miller?" she asked, confident it wasn't him. Thea nodded and Maria couldn't believe it. He was back in their lives, she has tried so hard to forget him and make him nonexistent in their lives, but he was back. Thea began to explain how they met, but Maria had other questions she wanted proper answers to.

"Thea," Christina suddenly appeared and sent Thea out of the room for a break, Maria wanted to ask her a million questions, but she didn't protest. Surely, if Thea knew, Christina knew. Christina closed the door after Thea and sat down on the chair.

"Damon, is he really here? In New York City?" Maria asked calmly.

"Yes," Christina answered and looked at her apologetically. Maria's fists clenched the sheets and she gritted her teeth before she relaxed and sighed loudly.

"Who would've thought?" she said and smiled sadly. "I lied to Thea and told her he was last seen in New York, who would've thought that he's actually here? And coaching Thea in basketball."

"Yeah, it's quite unbelievable," Christina agreed and handed her a cup of water. Maria declined, knowing she wouldn't be able to swallow.

"I can only blame myself for it," Maria said and sighed loudly with a gurgling sound coming from the back of her throat that sent a jolt of pain through her throat.

"It's not your fault..." Christina mumbled and looked away.

"What do you mean? Who else is there to blame but me? I pushed her dad out of her life and-" Maria was interrupted by Christina who had turned to look at her with another apologetic look.

"Don't blame yourself, it was my fault," she said and looked down for a second, before she looked back up into Maria's eyes.

"Christina, you're scaring me," Maria said slowly.

"That letter, the letter you asked me to give him all those years back, I accidentally read it. A-and I felt so betrayed and angry that I never gave it to him," Christina confessed and Maria took a second to process it.

"You what?" she asked.

"Maria, don't be mad. I did it for you and Thea!" Christina replied calmly, though she sounded hurt. She doesn't have the right to be hurt.

"By removing her dad from her life?" Maria could no longer speak in a low and calm voice, she was furious. Furious because Christina had made Thea grow up without a proper fatherly figure and for making Maria think that Damon had stopped loving her.

"You know he was not going to take responsibilty, Maria!" Christina shouted back and tears ran down her face.

"You were being selfish and judgemental, Christina," she whispered before she started to cough.

"Damon was never going to take care of you and Thea, and you know it. So don't you dare turn this back around on me!" Christina screamed back. Two thuds were heard from outside the room and Maria instantly saw that the door wasn't properly closed. Christina walked closer to inspect and a look of horror spread across her face when she looked out the door.