My view of the world changed ever since that incident. I realized how short and unpredictable life was, and the need to enjoy every minute of it.
“Ma’am?” Agata called, her voice barely audible.
My eyes lit up as she stirred in her bed, those dry lips curling into a faint grin.
“You’re awake,” I said, taking her hand, my heart warm with affection.
“What’re you doing here?” she asked, that smile retained.
“Shh. Save your strength,” I said, squeezing gently against her fingers.
“What happened?”
My face twisted into a plastic frown. “What part of‘save your strength’don’t you understand?”
She laughed lightly, then coughed, her hand darting to her bandaged abdomen.
“Sorry,” I whispered, then paused for a moment, watching her closely. “This is my fault. I should’ve listened to you.”
“Don’t blame yourself,” she said. “You couldn’t possibly have known.”
“Yeah, but you warned me.”
She beamed at me. “A gut feeling is not fact, ma’am. Go easy on yourself.”
Silence.
The only sound was the EKG beeping steadily.
“Did you cry?” She looked into my eyes.
“What?”
“When I got shot,” she continued. “You cried. I saw you.”
I looked away, suppressing the smile on my lips. “No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did,” she insisted, smiling at me. “Why?”
I faced her again.
“I’m just a maid,” she added. “You didn’t have to shed a tear for me.”
“Not to me, you’re not.” I leaned in, my expression softer than before. “You’re my friend, Agata. My sister.”
Tears welled in her eyes, and soon, they began streaming down her cheeks.
“Nothing’s gonna change that. Do you understand me?” I squeezed against her fingers.
She nodded, lips pursed, eyes glassy.
I raised my head, and that’s when I spotted Karik and Sergei standing out the window. Karik and I held each other’s gazes for a moment before I broke eye contact.
“Sergei’s here,” I whispered to her.
Her face lit up with mirth when she glanced at him across the room.
“I’ll leave you two together.” I rose to my feet, beamed at her, and began walking out the door.
