Hope woke up because her husband was gently stroking her hair:
— Darling, did you already miss me overnight?
Daniel pulled his hand back and said:
— Almost… My sunshine, are you okay? You’re all sweaty.
Hope got out of bed and replied:
— I had some kind of bad dream, I don’t even know what it means.
Her husband followed her up:
— If you want, I’ll make breakfast myself. Just don’t laugh if I mess it up again.
Hope smiled and said:
— Oh, come on, I know what you’ll make. Probably your favorite scrambled eggs again? Oh, Daniel, cooking is definitely not your thing, but in everything else, you’re an absolute gem!
After praising her husband that morning, Hope headed to the bathroom. Daniel, not waiting around, washed his face in the kitchen. He playfully brushed off her teasing and started cooking.
That’s how the day began in their new apartment, which they had moved into after a long renovation. Hope had also changed jobs since commuting from the other side of the city would have taken too long. She hadn’t yet been to the company’s office, having only discussed everything over the phone, but today was her first day at work. Coming out of the bathroom, Hope sniffed and said:
— Well, I knew it, the eggs are burnt as usual. You could’ve at least boiled some dumplings. Alright, sit down at the table, I’ll whip something up quickly.
While they ate sandwiches and drank coffee, Daniel brought up the topic of dreams again:
— I feel like your previous sessions with the psychologist didn’t help much. I suggest you take my advice and visit Aunt Mary. She may not be a certified professional, but she helps people deal with all sorts of negative things from the past. It’s your childhood that’s haunting you, isn’t it? I know it’s painful to think about. But if you don’t put an end to it, you’ll keep waking up in a cold sweat every morning.
Hope knew it was a reasonable suggestion, but she had no desire to share her personal struggles with Aunt Mary. The thing was, Hope had grown up in an orphanage. She ended up there after her mother abandoned her—or so the staff at the orphanage had told her. They didn’t exactly badmouth her mother, but they didn’t defend her either.
In short, Hope grew up believing her parents had betrayed her. She had never even seen her father. It seemed he had left their family even earlier, and now, years later, Hope had no interest in where he was or if he was even alive.
After finishing their sandwiches, the couple got ready for work. Daniel dressed and went outside. While Hope was getting ready, he warmed up the car and listened to the radio. Nothing new was reported, just congratulations to the day’s birthday celebrants. Two minutes later, Hope came down and got into the car:
— The office is on Lincoln Street. Drop me off a bit early; I want to walk a little and get in the right mindset for success.
Daniel closed the car door and replied with a smile:
— As you wish, my dear, but I bet it’s not the walk that’s tempting you. Don’t want your colleagues to think some fancy lady rolled up in a carriage?
Hope waved him off and asked him to focus on the road.
In half an hour, they reached the address. Hope fluttered out of the car like a bird and blew her husband a kiss. Catching it with his hands, Daniel wished her a great first day at work. As a farewell, he honked twice and drove off. Hope watched the car pull away and headed toward the office. It was about a hundred yards away, plus crossing the street, but before reaching the crosswalk, she noticed a bus stop out of the corner of her eye. Perfect, she thought, getting home from here won’t be a problem. If she was lucky, her office windows might even face this direction, and she could see which buses came and went. For some reason, though, this particular bus stop caught her attention. There were hundreds like it in the city, yet she lingered, even stopping for a moment to check the schedule. But time was ticking, and she had to hurry to avoid being late for her first day. Inside the building, despite the heat, it was quite comfortable. The company director greeted her personally:
— Come in, Hope Catherine, your office is ready.
Smiling back, they went up to the second floor together. As expected, the windows overlooked the street and that very bus stop. Hope wasn’t used to dull views, but at least there’d be some activity to watch. The director briefly explained her job:
— I hope you’ll enjoy working at our company. By the way, if you have any questions, my office is right next door. Feel free to reach out for anything; I’m always happy to help. For now, settle in. The internal phone works, so if you need any staff, don’t hesitate to call them to your office.
Closing the door behind him, the director left, his polished shoes clacking loudly. Hope walked around her office, then approached the window. Her attention was drawn to the bus stop again, as if there was something mysterious about it. Thinking about why she felt so anxious lately, she clutched her head and didn’t hear someone enter. It was a young woman.
— Hello, Hope Catherine, I’m your secretary. There are some documents here that need your review. Mr. Victor said you’re already familiar with the company’s operations in general.
Hope nodded and took the papers:
— Thank you, you’re free to go. Oh, wait, how rude of me. We haven’t even introduced ourselves. You just said my name, but what’s yours?
The secretary replied softly:
— I’m Liz, I mean, Elizabeth. If you need anything else, I’m always available.
The assistant left the office, and Hope sat at her desk, lost in thought. Strange ideas crept into her mind:
— Why do I keep feeling this shame? What could I have done wrong, and to whom?
For a split second, an image of a woman flashed before her eyes—possibly her mother, but Hope barely remembered her. She had been sent to the orphanage at just four years old. What happened back then remained a mystery. But the fact that her mother abandoned her was something Hope would never forget. She was even surprised when a caregiver once asked:
— Hope, would you like to find your mom?
Naturally, Hope had no intention of doing so for obvious reasons. At the time, she had other plans: to leave the orphanage as soon as possible and take control of her own life.
All day, Hope reviewed documents and took occasional calls. Toward evening, she approached the window again and saw an elderly woman at the bus stop. The woman was looking around, probably waiting for someone. After lingering by the window a bit longer, Hope started getting ready to go home. She didn’t call Daniel, but he was already waiting for her at the spot where he’d dropped her off that morning. Opening the car door, Daniel said:
— Please, madam, your hand.
Hope laughed and replied:
— Oh, yes, sir, just don’t race the horses.
In the car, Hope grew quiet, and Daniel noticed:
— What’s wrong? Didn’t your first day go as you expected?
She shook her head:
— No, work was fine. It’s just… I remembered bits of the past. I can’t figure out what ties them together.
Daniel turned to her and asked:
— What do you mean?
Hope glanced at the bus stop, but the elderly woman was gone. Pointing at it, she said:
— When I passed by there this morning, I felt uneasy for some reason. I don’t know why.
Daniel pulled out of the parking lot and headed home. On the way, he brought up Aunt Mary again:
— You really need to see her. I’m not scared or anything, but your state lately has me worried.
Hope didn’t argue and, leaning her head back, dozed off. Half an hour later, Daniel gently nudged her shoulder:
— Wake up, sunshine, we’re home, or I’ll have to carry you.
She gave a playful smile but added a touch of sarcasm:
— You’d manage just fine; I’m not that heavy.
At home, they had a hearty dinner and then went about their own tasks. But within ten minutes, Daniel heard Hope crying. She was sitting on the balcony, looking at old photos from her orphanage days. He firmly took the album from her:
— That’s enough nostalgia for you. This weekend, Aunt Mary is coming over.
The stern warning shook Hope:
— No, I’m fine. Let’s go to the movies instead; it’ll help me unwind.
—
Watching a movie did wonders for Hope; she felt better and even shared details about her first day at work.
But the next morning, she refused Daniel’s offer to drive her. Instead, she walked to the bus stop and waited for her route. It took a bit longer, but she still made it on time. Getting off the bus, she spotted the elderly woman again, sitting on a bench and staring at the numbers on passing buses. It seemed like she needed to go somewhere but didn’t know which bus to take. Hope entered the office building and went to her office. There wasn’t much work, so she frequently glanced out the window. The elderly woman waited a while longer, then suddenly stood, waved her hand, and walked toward a nearby supermarket. Hope watched her go, feeling a vague sense of unease again.
For the next few days, the elderly woman appeared at the bus stop like clockwork. It felt like someone had promised to meet her but hadn’t shown up. A day or two, sure, but a whole week? Hope grew curious and decided she’d find a moment to approach her. But then work piled up, and she couldn’t spare the time.
On Saturday, they had guests: Daniel’s parents and his sister, who had long been Hope’s best friend. After dinner, the women stepped aside to chat. Daniel’s sister, narrowing her eyes, suddenly asked:
— I remember you once said you wanted to find your mother. Any progress on that?
Hope didn’t want to dwell on it, but to avoid more questions, she replied:
— I don’t think she and I need to meet. I told you before, they caught her lying about some illness. The orphanage staff kept saying that.
Glancing at Daniel and his parents, who were looking at something in an album, Hope continued:
— Apparently, she pretended to be sick. I don’t know how true that is, but I haven’t heard anything about her since.
Daniel’s sister tensed and asked:
— Wait, what incident are you talking about?
Hope’s lip trembled, but she steadied herself:
— I don’t remember exactly, but she abandoned me, betrayed me. I can’t put it any other way. Let’s not talk about her anymore. I’m already on edge, and these old memories keep bubbling up.
The sister understood it was hard for Hope to discuss:
— Okay, sorry if I said something wrong. I didn’t mean to upset you. By the way, my husband and I are planning a picnic next weekend. Tell Daniel not to make other plans.
Hope frowned and said:
— He’s your brother; you can tell him yourself.
The sister waved her off:
— Nope, he doesn’t listen to me, like I’m still a kid.
Hope promised to bring it up later:
— Fine, I’ll mention it. I’m a bit tired, though. I think I’ll lie down.
An hour later, the guests left, and Daniel drove them home.
On Sunday, Daniel wanted to bring Aunt Mary over, but Hope forbade it.
Monday morning started with Hope handing Daniel a shopping list. Looking at the lengthy list, he whistled:
— Wow, are we going camping or something?
Hope grabbed the keys from the side table:
— We need to eat, don’t we? This is all essential. Honey, I don’t feel like taking the bus today. Do you have time?
Daniel caught the hint and practically carried her to the car. When they reached the office, Hope glanced at the bus stop, but it was empty. She felt a wave of relief. Maybe the elderly woman had finally met her guests or gone to them. Until lunch, Hope dealt with routine tasks: held a meeting with her team, met a few visitors, and then buried herself in paperwork. At some point, that uneasy feeling returned. Looking out the window, she saw the elderly woman again:
— That’s it, I’m going to talk to her.
Not entirely sure why she felt compelled, Hope left her office and hurried downstairs. She strode quickly to the bus stop. The elderly woman was sitting in the same spot, intently studying the numbers on passing buses. Overcoming her hesitation, Hope sat beside her and said:
— Hello. I often see you at this stop, but you never seem to go anywhere. Are you waiting for someone? Do you need help?
The woman turned to her, tears glistening in her eyes:
— I can’t figure out which bus she took. Do you know which one goes that way?
Hope didn’t quite follow:
— Who left? Who did you lose?
Shading her eyes and looking into the distance, the woman replied:
— My daughter, my little Hope. I’m waiting for her. She was just here by this bench, playing with her teddy bear. I stepped away to check the schedule, and when I turned back, my Hope was gone. I don’t know where she went. So I wait for my little girl, hoping she’ll come back.
Hope’s legs went weak, and her head buzzed:
— What? Did you say your daughter’s name is Hope?
Recalling her favorite childhood teddy bear, Hope grabbed the bench and said:
— It’s me, Hope, your daughter! Mom, I’ve waited so long for this moment!
But the woman seemed lost in her own world and even scooted away:
— Lady, you’ve got me confused with someone else. I don’t know you! My Hope is only four years old, and you’re clearly older. My daughter is the most beautiful girl in the world, but I lost track of her. I don’t know where she is without me.
Hope felt like she’d been struck by lightning, tears streaming down her face. She remembered that bus stop and the fateful day she lost her mother. Looking at the woman, Hope couldn’t believe this was the reunion she’d longed for—it wasn’t how she’d imagined it.
Trying to ease the tension, Hope attempted to talk to her again. But the woman kept repeating:
— What are you saying? I’m waiting for my daughter. I don’t know you.
It finally hit Hope that her mother had mental health issues. What was happening now was an echo of the past. Hope couldn’t believe her own mother didn’t recognize her. Overwhelmed by hurt and despair, she couldn’t speak. A few minutes later, the woman checked her watch and asked for help getting home:
— I live nearby.
Two buildings down, they reached an old structure with a sign for a city hospice. A woman in a white coat approached them:
— Oh, thank goodness, we thought she was lost. Thank you, ma’am. Did you find her at the bus stop?
Hope, entering the building, replied:
— Yes, exactly. I’ve seen her there often. Could you tell me how this elderly woman ended up here?
The nurse was happy to share:
— Oh, that was a long time ago, over thirty years, for sure. I wasn’t working here then, so I’m telling you what I heard from the old staff. Tatiana was convicted and stripped of her parental rights for leaving her child in danger. They said she deliberately put her daughter, I think, on an intercity bus. I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but after losing her child and all the stress, her mental health deteriorated. She spent a long time in a psychiatric hospital before coming here. This hospice is like her home now.
Sitting down, Hope said through tears:
— I just remembered what happened at that bus stop. I was playing with my teddy bear when a bus pulled up. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mom climbing the back steps. I rushed after her, but as soon as I got on, the doors slammed shut, and the bus started moving. Pushing through the crowd, I realized it wasn’t my mom—just a woman in a similar dress. Terrified, I backed away and waited for my mom to come get me. What a fool I was. I set her up and ruined our lives…
Wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, Hope continued:
— All this time, they hid the truth from me. I thought my mom abandoned me on purpose and went off to live her own life. I didn’t believe the stories about her being sick. What do I do now? How do I live with this burden?
Her question was rhetorical; she wasn’t expecting an answer. Instead, she convinced the staff and hospice management to let her visit her mother.
For nearly a month, Hope came to see her. But one day, she arrived and didn’t find her mother in her usual spot. They told her Tatiana had passed away that night, never having reunited with the daughter who had been by her side in her final days. Out of respect, the staff gave Hope some of her mother’s belongings. Among them was her beloved childhood teddy bear, which, according to the staff, Tatiana had cherished as her most precious possession. It was the same bear Hope had seen her mother holding in her dreams. After the funeral, Hope whispered through tears: “Rest in peace, Mom. I love you!”
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