As Eva and her grandmother embraced, a warm light began to fill the space around them.
It swirled around and danced, forming into a beautiful, iridescent form. As the light took shape, Eva gasped.
It was her mother staring down at her. "Mom" Eva whispered, tears of joy in her eyes
Her mother reached out, and Eva took her hand.
"I'm so proud of you my dear, her mother said, her voice filled with love. You've grown into such a strong beautiful woman. And you have a future ahead of you".
Eva smiled feeling the warmth of her mother's love. But then, a thought struck her.
I can't stay, she said, her voice heavy with sadness. "I have to go back".
Her mother's expression softened. "I know my dear, she said. But you can always come back and visit whenever you want. I'll always be here waiting for you",
Eva nodded, tears welling up in her eyes once more. "I love you Mom", she said. Her mother smiled, her eyes shining." I love you too my dear. Always".
As Eva stood there, holding her mother's hand, a feeling of peace washed over her, she felt whole and complete, knowing that even though her mother was no longer with her in the physical world, she would always be there, in her heart.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, ready to face whatever came next.
When she opened her eyes, she was back in her bedroom, the warm light fading away. But she knew the memory of her mother's love would stay with her forever.
************
And...Cut !!
That was the end of the scene.
After the director called cut! Some of the other actors and actresses approached Sarah and congratulated her on her performance.
"That was fantastic!" one of them said.
"You embodied the character". Sarah smiled feeling a sense of accomplishment
Sarah responded to the compliments. Inside, she felt a mix of emotions, happiness at the praise, but also a sense of uncertainty. "
Thank you ", Sarah tried to appear confident, " I appreciate that." But she couldn't help but wonder if they were just being polite. Did they think she did a good job or were they just saying that to be nice?
As the other actors and actresses began to disperse, one of them, a young lad named Michael lingered behind.
He approached Sarah with a charming smile on his lips and said
"Hey, I thought you were great. Do you want to grab a coffee later, and talk about the role ? Bill's on me". He said with a grin on his lips.
Sarah was caught off guard by the invitation. Was he just being friendly or was he interested in something more? Unsure of what to say, Sarah blurted out,
"I'm not sure if I can, I have a lot of work and rehearsals to do".
Michaels's face fell for a moment, but then he quickly tried to cover it up with a smile. He recovered saying. "No worries! I get you're busy. So maybe some other time". He tried to sound casual but Sarah could tell he was a little disappointed.
Sure, she said not wanting to hurt his feelings. "That would be nice". She couldn't bring herself to say no the second time.
The next day after the shoot was over, Sarah and Michael met at a cozy little coffee shop near the theater where they had their last play.
The walls were covered in vintage movie posters, and the air smelled of freshly ground coffee beans.