★–[Rome, Italy | Burgh District | January 15, 2015 | 5:11 PM]–★
The evening sun draped the cobblestone streets in gold.
A young girl walked beside her mother—short hair swaying, uniform slightly wrinkled, shoes a size too tight.
> Selena (tugging at her mom's sleeve):
"Mom… can I get new shoes?"
> Mara (glancing down):
"Again? Selena, we just bought those last week."
> Selena (frowning, then whining softly):
"But they hurt my feet… please, Mom? Pretty please?"
> Mara (sighing, but smiling gently):
"Alright, alright. But only if you behave, okay?"
> Selena (grinning):
"Promise! I'll be good, I swear!"
> Mara (chuckling):
"Tomorrow then."
> Selena (yelling with joy):
"Yaaay!"
She laughed, spun, and broke into a run—joy overflowing from her tiny frame.
But in her excitement…
HONK!
SCREECH!
The world turned sharp and loud.
A car swerved—too late. Tires shrieked.
The crowd gasped.
THUD.
Selena's body crumpled to the pavement.
Her head struck the edge of the curb—blood spilling fast.
> Mara (screaming):
"SELENA!!!"
She dropped her bag and sprinted—knees crashing to the ground beside her daughter's small, fragile frame.
> Mara (sobbing):
"Baby… baby, why? Why did you run?"
"Because you were happy?"
Tears mixed with the blood on her hands.
> Mara (breaking down):
"It was your joy that hurt you… but I swear, baby… I won't let it end here. I won't."
People gathered—some with phones, some with pity.
But none of them saw what Mara saw—
The world shattering in a single heartbeat.
[Screen fade to black]
★--[Deo Gracias Medical Hospital | Rome | Emergency Wing | 6:50 PM]--★
The hallway buzzed with tension.
Red lights above the operating room flickered ominously.
Mara paced back and forth—her face pale, her fingers trembling.
She couldn't sit. She couldn't breathe properly.
She could only whisper—
> Mara (panicking):
"Please… Please, God…"
Suddenly—
> Richard (rushing in, breathless):
"Mara! What happened? Where is she?!"
Mara turned, eyes wide with panic.
She collapsed into his arms, sobbing.
> Mara (crying):
"Richard… I—I didn't mean to… I just turned for a second. She ran. She was happy and—"
> Richard (hugging her tightly):
"No… no, honey. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself. You didn't know…"
They held each other. Shaking. Waiting.
Then the double doors swung open.
A doctor stepped out—white coat faintly stained with blood.
His expression was grim, yet gentle.
> Doctor:
"Are you the parents of Selena De Gracia?"
> Richard & Mara (desperate):
"Yes! Is she okay? What happened?! Please tell us she's okay!"
The doctor raised a calming hand.
> Doctor (softly):
"Don't panic, please.
Your daughter sustained a severe impact to the skull. She hit the pavement hard—
Honestly, it's a miracle she survived at all."
Mara gasped, clutching her chest.
> Doctor (pausing):
"But… she may experience memory loss.
It's likely she'll suffer from amnesia. The brain trauma was… significant."
He placed a comforting hand on their shoulders.
> Doctor (gently):
"I'm truly sorry."
Mara collapsed to her knees. Richard dropped beside her, holding her close.
> Mara (screaming):
"No… Baby…!"
They wept together—shattered, helpless.
And behind that sterile door,
Selena lay unconscious...
Eyes closed.
Memories slipping into silence.
---
★--[Rome, Italy | De Gracia Residence | March 16,2018 | 6:01 AM]--★
Selena sat by the window.
Same home. Same faces.
But not the same heart.
Outside, children passed by with backpacks—
Laughing under the orange hues of an Italian sunset.
Inside… silence.
Mara quietly placed a plate of food on the table.
> Mara (gently):
"Selena, dinner is ready. I made your favorite—"
> Selena (flatly):
"You don't have to act like my mom."
Mara froze. Her fingers twitched. But she said nothing.
Richard, seated nearby, looked away. He'd heard it too many times.
Selena took the plate anyway. Sat down. Ate silently.
She went to school. She came back.
She did homework. She ate meals.
She spoke only when spoken to—always like a polite stranger.
No more hugs.
No more bedtime stories.
No more "I love you, Mom."
Just… distance.
Mara cried sometimes—quietly, alone in the kitchen.
Richard would take her hand and whisper:
> Richard:
"We haven't lost her. Not completely. She's still here."
> Mara (softly):
"But it doesn't feel like home anymore.
It feels like we're just… strangers renting space in her world."
And yet, they never gave up.
Every day, they stayed.
Even when Selena looked at them like she didn't belong.
And Selena?
She smiled at friends. She studied hard.
But in her heart… something was missing.
She just didn't know what.
[Screen fade to black]