- Mom, don't get in the car, please. PLEASE! - Arthur kept shouting at his mother, while watching the scene with tears streaming down his cheeks. His mother looked exactly as he remembered, with dark, wavy hair that went down to her shoulders, skin that was a little more tanned than Arthur's, and green eyes. Arthur looked at his mother, who was smiling while talking to a younger version of herself. - Mom, are we really going to the park? - the youngest Arthur asked as he held his mother's hand.
- Of course, it's your birthday. - The woman said affectionately. - You like going there so much, so Mom has prepared a surprise. - Arthur's mother said with a loving smile on her face.
- What surprise? - Arthur asked, his beaming eyes full of anticipation.
- If I tell you, it won't be a surprise anymore, but I promise you'll like it! Let's get going, Arthur, or we'll be late, and I don't think you want to miss the surprise, do you? - Arthur's mother asked, smiling as she stroked the head of a child who was staring at the excited Arthur from inside his mother's kangaroo bag. Like Arthur, the child had wavy hair and brown eyes, but her skin was lighter than Arthur's and her mother's since she spent most of her time at home.
- No, let's go, Mom! - Arthur barely responded to his mother's joke and got into the car.
- What a hasty boy. - She commented as she put the baby in the child seat next to Arthur and fastened Arthur's and his little sister's seat belts. - Let's get going then, Arthur, keep an eye on Sophie.
- Yes mom, I'm going to play a lot with my little sister. - Arthur said as he stroked his little sister's head, and she gave him an adorable smile.
Seeing Arthur using a rattle to play with his sister, she couldn't help but smile. Beatriz smiled and stood still for a while as she watched her two children playing and listened to their sweet laughter. After a few seconds watching them, she closed the passenger door and went to the driver's seat. After sitting down and putting on her seatbelt, she turned around and spoke. - Arthur, don't take your seatbelt off like you did last time. - Beatriz said as she stared at Arthur.
- I won't take it away, I promise. - Arthur replied without taking his attention away from his sister who kept trying to touch his brother's face while smiling at him.
- Last time you promised me, and you still took it off. - Beatrice spoke with a serious expression as she stared at Arthur.
Arthur, who had turned his attention away from his sister thanks to his mother's serious tone, couldn't look at her for more than a few seconds due to his embarrassment, and with his head down he replied. - I promise I won't lie anymore, I'm big now. - After forcing out these words, Arthur raised his face, which was slightly flushed, and faced his mother. His mother's serious face was replaced by a big smile, and as she smiled, she put her hand on his head and ruffled his hair, and with her hand still on her son's head she said. - All right, I'll believe in Big Arthur's and wait for you not to take your belt off again, but if you disobey, I'll tell your father when he gets back.
Arthur nodded with a serious expression before his gaze became a little uncertain. He looked at his mother with obvious reluctance for a few moments before asking shyly. - Mom, is Dad coming for my birthday?
The woman looked at her son and nodded as she remembered how the phone conversation with his father had ended.
- Beatriz, I know it's been over a year since I've seen Arthur and Sophie, but... I can't just drop everything and go back, you know how the war in the Amazon region has developed recently, everyone who is there must serve at least 5 years, and it's only been three years for me..., Besides... I intend to stay until the end, I'm sorry.
- Gael, you could at least call, your son hasn't seen you for almost two years.
- I'll call you later, the atmosphere here is very stressful. I don't think I can have a good conversation with a child, well... tell him his father wished him a happy birthday, and the present I sent should arrive on the day this year. I must go now; I'll call you later Beatriz.
- Wait Gael... you hung up on me again... Sigh... - Remembering that conversation, Beatriz was upset for Arthur. - The boy is only turning five, couldn't he at least send a voice message? - As she asked herself this question, Beatriz ended up getting angry with her husband, but there was nothing she could do about it now. His absence, as he has done so far.
- He's very busy Arthur, you know, facing the monsters is very difficult. But he sent you a present this year too. - Beatrice said, smiling at her son who was holding his little sister's hand.
- Hmm... All right. - Arthur nodded and forced a smile at his mother, continuing to distract his little sister.
Beatriz looked at her son, who didn't know how to force a smile, and stroked his head one more time before closing the door and starting the car.
While the garage's security system was momentarily switched off to open the gate, a young boy was crying so hard that he was sobbing. His voice was already hoarse from shouting, but the boy continued to mumble through his sobs. - Please, please, please... - These words continued until the garage finally opened. Seeing the car start to pull out, Arthur's tears flowed even more heavily, and he mumbled before starting to sob. - Please don't stop the car to help with the accident, Mom... please. - Arthur squeezed out these words as he watched the car go and the garage close with his eyes blurred by tears.
Arthur had already been crying for a few minutes alone in the dark garage, he sobbed helplessly as blurred images of the past appeared in his mind and without him realizing it the space began to distort. The once dark, silent space began to ripple, and after a few moments the dark, silent place was replaced by the sight of his mother in the car talking to the younger version of himself.
- Arthur, stay here with Sophie. I'm going to see if the truck driver is all right. - After saying this to Arthur, she switched off the car's security system and got out.
Meanwhile, Arthur, who was reliving these memories and was in the seat next to his mother, looked out, and when he saw the scene before him, he recognized it instantly. It was the same scene he'd had nightmares about for months; the truck had gone over the rail as he remembered and there were even details, he'd forgotten like the fact that there were some security drones that dropped hooks and prevented the truck from falling. There were some families who were injured due to the truck's sudden loss of control, and at the moment they were receiving emergency assistance from several drones while more drones approached the scene.at which point he only didn't have a panic attack because something forced him to keep his state at a certain limit, as if to ensure that he watched the following scenes without any interference.
Arthur was on the verge of panic when he heard - Slam! Blam! - Then the sound of a nearby car door being slammed shut snapped him out of his daze. Unfortunately for Arthur, his state of mind didn't matter, as the story would unfold in the same way regardless. All he could do was watch as his mother headed towards the truck to check on the driver. Arthur, aware of what had happened, tried to get out of the car and scream, but something seemed to hold him in place. At that moment, he couldn't even turn his face or close his eyes to avoid witnessing what was about to happen. And then he heard it. - Sophie, it's going to be okay. Don't cry, Mommy will be right back. - These were the words he had said to Sophie just over two years ago. His already red eyes filled with tears as he watched the two children begin to smile at each other.
At this point Arthur no longer tried to turn his face away, he knew what would happen, but he couldn't do anything, he couldn't, because it was too late. - Yes, this is just a memory, I can't change the past. I know that, but... Sob! - Arthur continued to cry silently and even began to sob. Arthur, who was crying, murmured. - Mom... I wanted so much to see you again... Eeek! ic! I just... I just want to hold you once more. - After squeezing out these words, Arthur continued to sob and cry quietly as he was forced to watch the scene unfold.
"This is already the second chapter where the last paragraph has disappeared when viewed on cell phones. To avoid this, I've decided to duplicate this message at the end of each chapter, hoping it will resolve the issue. If you're reading this, I apologize if it's intrusive, but it's a better solution than leaving the chapter incomplete."