Part 27
One quiet afternoon, while Daniel was out in the village picking up supplies, Ava found Rosa out on the deck.
The older woman was sitting in a rocking chair, her eyes closed as she listened to the rhythmic crashing of the waves.
Ava walked out quietly, holding two mugs of hot chamomile tea, and handed one to the woman who had saved them.
Rosa opened her eyes, a warm, maternal smile spreading across her face as she accepted the warm mug.
"Thank you, my dear," Rosa said, patting the empty chair beside her, inviting Ava to sit down.
Ava sat, looking out at the calm ocean, feeling a deep urge to express the gratitude she carried in her heart.
"Rosa," Ava began softly, her eyes fixed on the horizon. "We never really talk about everything you sacrificed for us."
"You left your home, your old life, and everything you knew just to help us run away in the middle of the night."
Rosa took a slow sip of her tea, her expression turning deeply reflective, full of an ancient, grounded wisdom.
"I didn't sacrifice anything, Ava," Rosa replied, her voice steady and full of fierce, quiet conviction.
"I chose life. Staying in that toxic estate, watching those monsters destroy beautiful souls, was killing me too."
She reached over, placing her rough, warm hand over Ava's smooth one, squeezing it with immense tenderness.
"Seeing you now, seeing the color in your cheeks and the life growing inside you, that is my reward."
"You and Daniel gave me a family. You gave an old woman a purpose and a place of absolute peace."
Ava felt a lump form in her throat, the sheer beauty of Rosa's loyalty washing over her like a warm wave.
"We couldn't have done this without you," Ava whispered, leaning over to rest her head on Rosa's dependable shoulder.
"You were the anchor when we were tossing around in the dark, drowning in a storm we couldn't escape."
"And now the anchor is dropped in safe harbor," Rosa said softly, rocking back and forth as the sun began to set.
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"The past is just a story we used to live in. This is our reality now. This is where we belong."
They sat in a beautiful, shared silence, two survivors who had found their paradise through sheer love and resilience.
