We all watched in silence.
For a moment, I thought she might scold her.
But instead… she picked up the sponge from the nearby table.
And in a calm voice, she said:
“Come on, sit down.”
Lucía looked at her, confused.
“What…?”
My mother sighed.
“I’ll finish washing the dishes.”
The room was stunned.
My sisters exchanged glances.
I was surprised too.
My mother turned to them.
“And what are you looking at?”
Isabel frowned.
“Mom…”
“To the kitchen,” she said. “The four of us are going to finish what we started.”
No one moved for a moment.
Then Patricia sighed.
Carmen stood as well.
Isabel was last.
They all walked past us in silence and into the kitchen.
The sound of water returned.
But this time… accompanied by other voices.
Lucía kept her gaze on me.
“Diego,” she whispered. “Why did you do all this?”
I smiled faintly.
“Because it took me three years to realize something very simple.”
She waited.
I squeezed her hand gently.
