When Lily saw this sight, she felt ashamed. She knew Ray had hoped she would look after his mother. But instead, she had drowned in her own despair, forgetting she wasn't the only one who was scared.
Approaching Amy, Lily helped her stand up, treated her wounds, helped her shower, and after putting her to bed, began cleaning the house.
All this time, Amy had been like a lifeless doll. The pain and fear she had been holding inside burst out all at once, exhausting the woman both physically and mentally.
After cleaning the house, Lily realized Amy had broken everything that could be broken. The girl thought about cooking something, but first she needed to go to the store.
The pleasant smell of food that began to spread through the house brought Amy back to reality. The outburst of despair she'd had the day before hadn't caused serious injuries, but some of the cuts were quite painful. That pain reminded the woman how foolish she had been.
When she came out to the kitchen where Lily was bustling about, she felt very ashamed and was about to apologize. But the girl beat her to it. Turning around, Lily said:
"I'm sorry. I was such a selfish fool, thinking only of myself," she said sincerely.
Hearing the girl's words, Amy stepped forward and gently hugged her, adding tenderly:
"Over these months, you've become like a daughter to me. I'm truly ashamed that you saw me like this."
"Mom, you have nothing to be ashamed of. I know what you're feeling. But I'm still sorry I wasn't there to offer you my shoulder."
When Lily called Amy "Mom," it sounded so natural and sincere that Amy couldn't hold back her tears.
When she composed herself and the girls sat down to breakfast, Amy brought out a photo album. Showing childhood pictures of her son, she shared funny stories.
A very warm atmosphere reigned between them. An outsider could indeed have thought they were mother and daughter.
A knock on the door broke this atmosphere. When Lily opened the door, an unexpected guest stood there — old Joe. In his hands was a large box of videocassettes.
"Ray asked me to give these cassettes to you and Lily if the worst happened... But I think you need them now," he said.
With these words, he handed the box to Lily.
"What's inside?"
"Ray started recording them when he was ten. Most of these recordings are for Amy, but there are some for you too."
Having finished speaking, Joe turned and left.
When Lily returned to the kitchen and explained to Amy what it was, the girls began sorting through the cassettes. Each had the date of the recording and the name of the person it was intended for.
Realizing that most of the recordings were addressed to Amy, Lily wanted to leave, but the woman grabbed her hand and said:
"I want us to watch them together."
Sitting down side by side, they played the first recording. In it, Ray was ten years old.
"Mom, if you're watching this now, it means I'm dead. If it's in a few years, it means I died a little later."
"I know my attempts to set you up with someone annoyed you, but Ricky was a decent guy. You really caught his attention. I hope that whatever happens, you're not alone now, and there are people nearby you can lean on. Maybe even my attempts bore fruit, and there's a lovely little angel sitting on your lap right now."
"In these videos, I'll share my thoughts. It will also be my attempt to help you cope with the loss."
"The first thing you need to do is not be alone. Keep yourself busy all the time. You've always loved children, so working at an orphanage would be a good option."
"This is unlikely, but if I live long enough and a woman desperate enough appears in my life who wants to tie her fate to mine and can melt my heart and dispel my fears, maybe my wife and grandchildren are with you right now... But I don't think that's possible."
"So better stick with the first option."
Amy and Lily continued watching the recordings. Some made them laugh and smile, others brought tears.
Playing the next recording, the girls realized it was very recent.
"We haven't heard back about the competition results yet, but even if you don't make it this time, you can try again. I bought a house in Los Angeles. When Violet's rehabilitation is over, we'll move there. I hope I'll still be with you."
"Not long ago, I realized my eyesight has deteriorated sharply. I think I might go blind soon. I tried my hardest to avoid having our child. If I succeeded, I hope you can forgive me. Holding back around you is really hard — so I might well have lost that battle. Whoever wins the battle, I have no doubt you'll be a good mother. And whatever happens, you must stick together."
"If you still managed to win, I hope I got to see our child..."