Evelyn woke to the sensation of her husband stroking her hair.
"Sweetheart, did you manage to miss me already in just one night?"
David withdrew his hand and said softly, "Almost... My sun, are you alright? You're soaking wet."
Evelyn sat up and replied, "I had some kind of bad dream. I'm not even sure what it was supposed to mean."
Her husband rose with her. "If you want, I'll make breakfast myself. Just don't laugh if I mess something up again."
Evelyn smiled at him. "Oh, come on, I know exactly what you'll make. Your favorite fried eggs again, right? Oh, David, cooking definitely isn't your calling, but at least you're a man of gold in every other way!"
After praising her husband, she headed to the bathroom. David didn't wait and washed up in the kitchen. He took her irony in stride and set to work at the stove.
So began the day in their new apartment, where they had moved after a long renovation. Additionally, Evelyn had to change jobs, as the commute from the other side of the city would have taken far too long. She hadn't been to the corporate office yet, having only discussed everything over the phone, but today was her first official day. Stepping out of the bathroom, she sniffed the air and said, "Well, I knew it. The eggs are burnt as usual. We should have just boiled some frozen dumplings. Alright, sit down, I'll whip something up quickly."
As they ate sandwiches and drank coffee, David brought up the subject of her dreams again. "I don't think your previous therapy sessions did much. I suggest you take me up on my offer and go see Aunt Val. She might not be a 'qualified specialist,' but she helps people deal with negative things from the past. Your childhood still haunts you, doesn't it? I know it's painful to remember. But if you don't find closure, you'll keep waking up in a cold sweat every morning."
Evelyn knew it was a rational suggestion, but she didn't feel like sharing her personal trauma with Aunt Val. The truth was, Evelyn was a former foster child. She had ended up in the system after being abandoned by her mother—at least, that was what the caseworkers had always told her. They hadn't exactly dragged her mother's name through the mud, but they never made excuses for her either.
Evelyn had grown up believing her parents had betrayed her. She had never known her father at all; it seemed he had walked out on them even earlier. Now, years later, she had no interest in where he lived or if he was even alive.
After their quick meal, the couple began getting ready for work. David dressed and headed out. While Evelyn finished her makeup, he warmed up the car and listened to the radio. There was no real news, just a segment giving shout-outs to people celebrating birthdays. Two minutes later, his wife came down and climbed into the car.
"The office is on Madison Avenue. Drop me off a little early; I want to walk a bit and get into the right headspace."
David closed the door and replied with a grin, "Whatever you say, honey. But I suspect it's not the walk you're after. You just don't want your new colleagues thinking a grand lady has arrived in her carriage, do you?"
Evelyn waved him off and told him to keep his eyes on the road.
In half an hour, they reached the address. She hopped out of the car like a bird and blew him a kiss. Catching it in his palms, David wished her a great first day. He honked twice in farewell and drove off. Evelyn watched the car disappear and turned toward the office. It was about a hundred yards away, just across the street, but before reaching the crosswalk, she noticed a bus stop out of the corner of her eye. "Perfect, getting home won't be an issue," she thought. If she was lucky, her office window might even face this way, and she'd be able to see which buses were coming and going. At the same time, she couldn't understand why the stop fascinated her; there were hundreds like it in the city. Yet, her gaze lingered, and she even paused for a moment to study the route schedule. But time was pressing, and she had to hurry so as not to be late on her first day.
Inside the building, despite the heat outside, it was quite comfortable. The CEO met her personally. "Come in, Evelyn. Your office is all ready for you."
Smiling back, she followed him to the second floor. As she had hoped, the windows looked out over the street and that very bus stop. Evelyn wasn't used to dull views, but here there would at least be some signs of life. The director briefly explained the specifics of her role. "I hope you enjoy working with us. By the way, if any questions come up, my office is right through that wall. Feel free to come by for anything; I'm always happy to help. For now, get settled in. The intercom is working—if you need any of the staff, don't hesitate to call them up."
Closing the door behind him, the director departed, the heels of his polished shoes clicking loudly. Evelyn walked around the room and then went to the window. Her attention was drawn back to the bus stop, as if there were something mysterious about it. Realizing a wave of anxiety was washing over her, she pressed her hands to her head and didn't hear someone enter. It was a young woman.
"Hello, Evelyn. I'm Lisa, your assistant. I have some papers here that need checking. Mr. Peterson said you're already familiar with the company's operations in general."
Evelyn nodded and took the documents. "Thank you, Lisa. That will be all. Though, wait—how rude of me. You already know my name, and now I know yours. It's nice to meet you."
The assistant left the office, and Evelyn sat at her desk, lost in thought. Strange ideas began to creep in. "Why can't I shake this feeling of shame? What could I have done wrong, and to whom?"
Alongside these thoughts, an image of a woman flashed before her eyes for a split second. It seemed to be her mother, but Evelyn remembered her poorly. She had entered the foster system when she was only four years old. What exactly happened back then remained a mystery. But the fact that her mother had left her was something Evelyn could never forget. She had even been surprised when a foster mother once asked, "Evelyn, do you want to find your mom?"
Naturally, she had no intention of doing so for obvious reasons. At the time, she had other plans. She wanted to get out of the system as quickly as possible and become independent, to take control of her own destiny.
Evelyn spent the day reviewing documents and taking occasional calls. Toward evening, she went to the window again and saw an elderly woman at the stop. The pensioner was looking around, seemingly waiting for someone. After standing by the window a bit longer, Evelyn started packing up. She hadn't called her husband, but he had arrived early and met her at the same spot where he'd dropped her off. Opening the door, David said playfully, "Please, Madame, your hand."
Evelyn laughed. "Oh yes, Monsieur, just don't drive like a maniac."
Once in the car, Evelyn grew somber. David noticed. "What's wrong? Did the first day not go the way you expected?"
She shook her head. "No, everything was fine there. I just... I started remembering the past. Fragments of it, anyway. I just can't figure out how they connect."
David turned to her. "What do you mean?"
Evelyn looked toward the bus stop, but the old woman was gone. Pointing toward it, she said, "When I walked past there this morning, I felt so uneasy. I have no idea why."
David pulled out of the parking lot and headed home. On the way, he brought up Aunt Val again. "You really should go see her. Don't think I'm scared of anything, but your state of mind lately has me really worried."
Evelyn didn't argue. Leaning her head back against the headrest, she drifted off. Half an hour later, David lightly touched her shoulder. "Wake up, sunshine, we're home. Or I'll have to carry you in."
She gave him a tired smile. "It wouldn't kill you. You could carry me; I'm not that heavy."
At home, they had a hearty dinner and then went about their own business. But ten minutes hadn't passed before David heard his wife crying. Evelyn was sitting on the balcony, looking at old photographs. They were taken many years ago when she was still in the children's home. David firmly took the album from her. "That's enough nostalgia for today. Aunt Val is coming over this weekend."
This stern warning startled Evelyn. "Don't. I'm fine. Let's just go to the movies; it'll help me distract myself."
***
Watching the movie had a positive effect; she returned to normal and even spoke in detail about how her first day had gone.
However, the next morning, she declined David's offer of a ride. Evelyn walked to the bus stop herself and waited for her route. It took a bit longer, of course, but she still made it on time. Getting off the bus, she saw the familiar old woman again. The lady was sitting on the bench, peering at the numbers of the passing buses. It seemed like she needed to go somewhere but didn't know which one to take. Evelyn went into the office building and up to her room. There wasn't much work, so she frequently glanced out the window. The old woman waited for a while, then suddenly stood up, waved her hand dismissively, and walked toward the supermarket. Evelyn watched her go, a sense of phantom turmoil rising in her soul again.
For several more days, the old woman came to the stop as if on a schedule. It gave the impression that someone had promised to come for her but hadn't kept their word. Maybe for a day or two, but a whole week? Evelyn grew curious and decided she would find a moment to go talk to her, but then a flurry of orders came in. She couldn't find a single free minute to step out to the stop.
On Saturday, guests arrived: David's parents and his sister, Sarah, who had long since become Evelyn's best friend. After dinner, the women went off to talk. Sarah narrowed her eyes and suddenly asked, "I remember you mentioned once that you wanted to find your mother. Has anything changed? Any results?"
Evelyn didn't want to think about it, but to keep Sarah from asking more questions, she replied, "I don't think either of us needs a meeting. I told you, my mother was caught in a lie about being sick. My teachers at the home told me that constantly."
Glancing at David and his parents, who were looking at something in an album, Evelyn continued, "The thing is, back then, it seemed like she pretended to be ill. I don't know how true that is, but I haven't heard a word about her since."
Sarah tensed up. "Wait a second—what incident are we talking about?"
Evelyn's lip trembled, but she pulled herself together. "I don't remember exactly, but she left me. In a word, she 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 have been bubbling up lately."
Sarah realized it was too painful. "Alright, I'm sorry if I overstepped. I didn't mean anything by it. By the way, my husband and I are planning a picnic next weekend. Tell David not to schedule anything."
Evelyn frowned. "He's your brother; you can tell him yourself."
Sarah waved her hand. "I won't. He doesn't listen to me; he still thinks I'm a little kid."
Evelyn promised to talk to him. "Fine, I'll bring it up later. I'm a bit tired; I think I'll go lie down."
An hour later, the guests left, and David saw them out.
On Sunday, David wanted to bring Aunt Val over, but his wife forbade it.
Monday morning began with Evelyn giving David a shopping list. Looking at the long list, he whistled. "Whoa, are we going on a hiking trip or something?"
Evelyn grabbed the keys from the nightstand. "We have to eat! And these are just the essentials. Honey, I don't really feel like taking the bus today. Do you have time?"
David took the hint and practically carried her to the car. Driving up to the office, Evelyn looked at the stop, but it was empty. She felt a sense of relief. It seemed the old woman had finally found her guests or gone to see them herself. Until lunch, Evelyn was buried in routine: staff meetings, visitors, and then deep into paperwork. At one point, that feeling of anxiety returned. Going to the window, she saw the old woman again.
"Right. I'm going down there right now."
Not fully understanding why she felt she had to, Evelyn left her office and hurried down the stairs. Opening the door, she walked quickly to the bus stop. The old woman was sitting in the same spot, thoughtfully examining the numbers of the passing buses. Overcoming her shyness, Evelyn sat down beside her and said hello.
"Hello. I see you at this stop often, but you never seem to get on. Are you waiting for someone? Or do you need help?"
The old woman turned to her, tears glistening in her eyes. "I can't figure out which bus she took. Do you know which bus goes that way?"
Evelyn didn't quite understand. "Who went away? Who are you looking for?"
The woman shaded her eyes with her hand, looking into the distance. "My daughter, little Evelyn. I'm still waiting for her. Right here by this bench, just a moment ago, she was playing with her teddy bear. I only stepped away to check the schedule. I turned around—and my Evie was gone. I don't know where she went. So I wait for her, my little girl. Maybe my daughter will come back."
Evelyn felt her legs go weak, and a roar filled her ears. "What? What did you say? Your daughter's name is Evelyn?"
Remembering her favorite plush bear from childhood, Evelyn grabbed the edge of the bench. "It's me, Evelyn! Do you hear me, Mom? Your own daughter! Mom, I've waited so long for this!"
But the old woman seemed to be in another world, even scooting away slightly. "Ma'am, you have me confused with someone else. I don't know you! My little Evelyn is only four years old, and you are clearly much older. My daughter is the most beautiful girl in the world, I just... I didn't watch her closely enough. I don't know where she is without me."
It was as if Evelyn had been struck by lightning, and tears began to flow uncontrollably. She remembered this bus stop. She remembered that fateful day when she lost her mother. Looking at the old woman, Evelyn couldn't believe this epic reunion was finally happening—but it wasn't at all how she had imagined it.
Trying to reach her, Evelyn attempted to talk to the woman again. But no, she kept insisting, "What are you talking about? I'm waiting for my daughter. I don't know you at all."
Only then did it dawn on her that her mother truly had lost her mind. What was happening now was a haunting echo of the past. Evelyn couldn't believe her own mother was sitting in front of her and didn't recognize her. Overwhelmed by hurt and grief, she couldn't say another word. After a few minutes, the woman looked at her watch and asked for help getting home.
"I live nearby."
Two houses down, they stood before an old building with a sign on the front: City Hospice. A woman in scrubs came out to meet them. "Oh thank God, we thought she'd wandered off. Thank you, ma'am. Did you find her at the bus stop?"
Evelyn, stepping inside the building, answered, "Yes, that's right. I see her there often. Excuse me, could you tell me how this woman ended up here?"
The nurse agreed to talk. "Oh, it was a very long time ago, more than thirty years for sure. I didn't work here then, so I'm telling you what the old staff said. At first, Mrs. Miller was convicted and lost her parental rights for child endangerment. They said she wanted to get rid of the child and intentionally put her—a daughter, I think... yes, a daughter—on an intercity bus. I don't know if she did it on purpose or not, but after the child vanished, the stress and trauma broke her mind. She spent a long time in a psychiatric hospital, and eventually, she came to us. This hospice has been her only home for years."
Sitting down on a chair, Evelyn spoke through her tears. "I just now remembered what happened at that stop. I was playing with my teddy bear. A bus pulled up, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a woman get on through the back door. I thought it was my mom. I ran after her and just barely made it inside before the doors slammed shut and the bus pulled away. When I pushed through the crowd, I realized it wasn't my mom—just a woman in a similar dress. I was so scared. I just sat there waiting for Mom to come and get me. What a fool I was... I took myself away and broke everyone's lives."
Taking out a tissue, Evelyn continued, "And all this time, everyone hid the truth from me. I thought she'd done it on purpose—abandoned me 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 weight?"
The question was rhetorical. Instead of answering, she talked to the nurses and the hospice administration, arranging to visit her mother every day.
She visited for nearly a month. One day, she arrived and didn't see her mother in her usual spot. They told her that Mrs. Miller had passed away during the night, never truly realizing that her own daughter had been by her side in her final days. Out of respect, the staff gave Evelyn a few of her mother's things. Among them was her favorite plush teddy bear, which the staff said her mother had kept as her most precious possession. It was the same one her mother had been holding in the dreams.
After the funeral, Evelyn whispered through her tears, "Rest in peace, Mom. I love you."
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