The Epilogue : Part II

•••

There was light ethereal diving in her eyes as soon as she opened them. It was a wearisome work, to move her eyes. But she did move them and with more effort than required, lifted her left hand and held it into view.

It was littered with small gashes, cleaned somehow. The nails were broken and jagged but cleaned too.

She felt different, from the inside. Another glance around and she realized it was a hospital ward. And she let out a sigh when she recalled that pair of legs that she saw before ending her battle.

A head bobbed in from the doorway and the doctor sauntered in when he saw she was awake. He continued advancing towards her even with his gaze analyzing the monitors beside her. A sign of experience.

After checking a few things, he finally asked her how she was feeling.

A ripple of soft, deep-throated voice that had Anna frozen in a daze. After so long of seeing not a shadow of a human, no voice gracing her ears, the voice of the doctor felt too loud, strange yet distantly familiar. Her tongue inactive, even her mind seemed to have forgotten what language or interaction was, she just lay there in a peaceful perplexion.

She felt different, if she could answer, this would be it. She felt... Empty. Not in the wrong sense. Words were vapors, and she could not place them in syntax but her right hand found its way to her bump, fingers detecting.

The doctor sensed it and gently whispered his answer, not wanting her to flinch again, "She's here".

With lips still parted, her eyes followed the direction the doctor had gestured. The middle-aged man had lived and worked long enough to have smelt the chaos in her mind and was all patient to have his answers in their own time.

Where her gaze fell, was the most beautiful and glorious sight she has ever beheld.

Her daughter, her child, Annie was born in this world. Alive and safe. The contentment flowed over the rims of her heart.

Annie was curled with her limbs close to her little heart and tucked in a white cloth. So tiny and lively.

Anna kept her stare unbroken at that most serene moment ever beside her and felt she could for eternity without sapping.

The doctor whispered again, " Do you have a family?" For he needed someone to look after her. Although hopes were scarce; she had been found alone and terribly wayworn.

Anna still held the stare but her expression turned slightly taut.

With a whisper, voice yet grave, she answered, "My husband", still not aware of his intention.

The doctor loosed some restrain from his voice and asked again, with hope, " Where is he now? If you can presume?"

He added a gentle fatherly smile for her convenience.

Anna's jaw clenched, it would be the first time she verbally acknowledged it but she answered nonetheless, "He died".  A pang fell onto the healing heart which Anna felt, only because of Annie was kept from falling apart.

The doctor's expression froze, with his smile. Though all were upturned in his mind. He had not expected any death, although some were said to be still not evacuated and he came to this hypothetical conclusion that it was Anna, who had escaped.

The story layered 'neath it, he let go by for another time. After ensuring her well-being, he left her to rest. For which Anna was thankful, she could barely feel alive with such numbing exhaustion.

•••

I kept my gaze fixed onto the smooth swirl of steam rising from the coffee, listening to the editor across from me with my head cocked to one side.

"Everything is almost done. When are you planning to tell her?" He asked giving a sidelong glance towards her. He had worked too long with me to be formal now.

I flicked my eyes to where my mother stood beside the old doctor, her back to me. Her features were softened by the glass separating us; she, inside my Aunt's cafe and me here outside at a table with this old friend of mine whom she had not yet suspected to be working with me.

"We'll see", I eyed my friend as I lifted the cup to my lips. He sighed (oh so impatient of him) and straightened his posture, collecting all his papers and my manuscript.

Once he was finished, he threw me a professional look and stretched out his hand for me to shake. " Well, it's just as far as printing now. Congratulations! Miss Annie Winston".

My lips curled upward at that, "Far! How pessimistic?!" I exclaimed while I took the professional gesture.

My work was done here. I have eternized her story. My Mother's story of Escape.

•THE END•