Divorced, my husband threw an old pillow at me with a look of disdain — but when I opened it to wash it, I was stunned by what I found inside…
I held the pillow against my chest, my throat tightening. It was old — the cover faded and yellowed, worn thin at the edges. It was the pillow I’d brought from my mother’s house in a small town in Oaxaca when I moved to the city for college. I had kept it even after getting married because I couldn’t sleep without it. Héctor once complained about it, but I didn’t care.
I left that house in silence.
In my small rented room, I sat staring at the pillow, numb. Thinking of his cruel words, I decided to wash it — at least it would be clean, and maybe I could sleep without dreams of pain that night.
But as I unzipped the cover, something felt strange. There was a hard lump inside the soft cotton stuffing. I reached in — and froze. There was a small bundle of paper wrapped carefully in a plastic bag. My hands trembled as I opened it.
Inside was a stack of 500-peso bills — and a folded piece of paper.
It was my mother’s handwriting.
“My dear daughter,
This is the money I saved for you, in case you ever go through hard times.
I hid it inside your pillow because I knew you might be too proud to accept it if I gave it to you directly.
No matter what happens, don’t suffer for a man, my girl.
I love you, always.
—Mom.”
