UNCONTROLLABLE TEARS

CHAPTER 2 The Day Everything Changed

Twelve years earlier...

I was in my room, sitting quietly on my bed.

It was already evening, and the house was unusually quiet.

I had spent most of the day playing around the house, so I was tired. I was about to lie down when I heard something.

Voices.

I frowned.

I couldn't make out what they were saying at first, but I could tell they were coming from downstairs.

I slowly got off my bed and walked toward the door.

Another voice followed.

My father's.

They sounded angry.

I had never heard my parents argue before.

At least, not like this.

I opened my door carefully and stepped into the hallway.

The voices became clearer.

I walked toward the staircase and placed one hand on the railing before slowly looking downstairs.

My father and mother were standing in the living room.

They were arguing.

My eyes widened.

I had never seen them like this.

My mother looked hurt, while my father's face was tense.

I couldn't understand what they were arguing about.

I slowly began walking down the stairs.

Then my father noticed me.

He immediately stopped talking.

My mother turned around.

The room suddenly became quiet.

I reached the last step and looked between them.

"Dad?"

My father forced a small smile.

"Why are you still awake?"

I looked at my mother.

"Mom... what happened?"

"Nothing, sweetheart," she said quickly.

She wiped the corner of her eye and smiled.

"Everything is fine."

I didn't believe her.

I looked at my father.

"Dad, were you two arguing?"

He shook his head.

"No."

"But I heard you."

He exchanged a quick glance with my mother.

Then he walked toward me.

"Your mother and I were just talking."

"About what?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

I frowned.

"But you sounded angry."

My father smiled and gently touched my hair.

"Everything is fine, my darling."

I looked at my mother again.

She smiled at me, but something about her expression made me feel like she was trying too hard.

"Go upstairs," my father said gently. "Freshen up and get some rest. Tomorrow is another day."

I didn't want to go.

I wanted to know what had happened.

But I nodded.

"Okay."

I slowly turned around and walked back toward the stairs.

I climbed a few steps before stopping.

I looked back.

My parents were still standing there.

My father said something quietly to my mother.

I couldn't hear it.

I continued upstairs.

But I didn't go back into my room.

Instead, I quietly hid around the corner where they couldn't see me.

I held my breath.

A few seconds later, I heard my mother's voice.

"Why?"

Her voice sounded shaky.

"Why would you do this to me?"

My heart tightened.

My father didn't answer immediately.

"Why would you do this to us, Edward?"

I moved a little closer.

"I know you don't love me the way you used to."

My father's voice was low.

"Natalia, please."

"If you did, you wouldn't have kept something like this from me."

There was silence.

Then my mother spoke again.

"Is there another woman?"

I froze.

Another woman?

I didn't understand what she meant.

I only knew that my parents were hurting each other with their words.

I hated it.

I didn't want to hear them argue anymore.

So I stepped out from behind the corner.

"Mom?"

They both turned toward me.

My mother immediately wiped her tears.

"Maya..."

I walked downstairs again.

I went straight to my mother and gently held her hand.

She looked down at me.

I smiled at her.

"Please don't be sad."

She looked at me for a moment.

Then I turned toward my father.

"Dad?"

He looked at me.

"Can I go outside with Mom?"

He glanced at my mother.

Then back at me.

"Where?"

"The pool."

He was quiet for a moment.

Then he nodded.

"Okay. No problem."

I smiled.

"Thank you!"

I gently pulled my mother's hand.

"Come on, Mom."

She gave me a small smile.

"Alright, sweetheart."

We walked outside together.

My father stayed behind.

The evening air was cool.

The pool reflected the soft light from the house, making the water sparkle.

My mother and I sat at the edge with our feet dipped into the water.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

I could still tell that she was upset.

I splashed the water gently with my feet.

Then I looked at her.

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"What's wrong?"

She looked at me.

"Nothing."

"You're sad."

She smiled faintly.

"I'm fine."

I moved closer to her.

"Please be happy."

She looked at me.

"I love you."

Her eyes softened.

"I love you too."

"You know that, right?"

She smiled.

"Of course I know."

"Then smile."

She laughed softly.

"You're such a little troublemaker."

I giggled.

"See? You're smiling now."

She shook her head.

"Yes, I am."

For the first time that evening, she looked genuinely happy.

We started playing with the water.

I splashed her.

She splashed me back.

"Mom!"

She laughed.

"You started it!"

"No, you did!"

We both laughed.

For a little while, everything felt normal again.

Just me and my mother.

No arguing.

No sadness.

Just us.

After a while, I looked at her.

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"I'm thirsty."

She laughed.

"What do you want?"

"Orange juice."

"Orange juice?"

I nodded.

"Please."

She stood up.

"Okay. I'll get it."

I smiled.

"Two glasses!"

She laughed.

"Alright. Two glasses."

She walked toward the house.

I stayed by the pool.

A few minutes later, I heard her voice.

"I'm back!"

I turned around.

She was holding two glasses of orange juice.

"Our orange juice is right here!"

She smiled.

I smiled back.

"Yay!"

She walked toward me.

She was looking at me, so she didn't notice the small amount of water that had spilled onto the tiles while we were playing.

Her foot suddenly slipped.

"Mom!"

Everything happened so quickly.

The glass in her hand flew through the air.

She lost her balance and fell.

Her head struck the hard tiled edge of the pool.

Then her body slipped into the water.

The smile disappeared from my face.

"Mom?"

I stared at the pool.

She wasn't moving.

"Mom!"

I rushed to the edge.

I could see her beneath the water.

She tried to move, but she couldn't.

"Mom!"

I screamed.

I wanted to jump in.

I wanted to save her.

But I couldn't.

I was terrified of water.

I couldn't swim.

My legs felt frozen.

My mother had once been the person who saved me when I fell into this same pool.

She had been my angel.

And now my angel was drowning.

I started crying.

"Mom! Please!"

She wasn't answering.

I turned around and ran.

"Dad!"

I ran into the house screaming.

"Dad!"

My father came rushing out.

"What happened?"

"Mom!"

I could barely speak.

"She fell into the pool!"

My father froze.

"What?"

"Please!"

He ran outside.

I followed him.

By the time we reached the pool, blood was already spreading through the water from the injury on my mother's head.

My father didn't hesitate.

He jumped straight into the pool.

"Dad!"

He reached her and pulled her up.

He dragged her out of the water and placed her on the tiled ground.

"Natalia..."

His voice shook.

He quickly checked her.

She wasn't responding.

"Mom!"

I fell to my knees beside her.

"Mom, please wake up."

Nothing.

My father looked terrified.

I had never seen him look like that before.

He held my mother's face gently.

"Natalia."

Nothing.

I started crying harder.

My father immediately began trying to help her while I ran back inside for the phone.

My hands were shaking so badly that I almost dropped it.

I dialed the emergency number.

"Please help us!"

I gave them our address and explained what had happened.

They told me an ambulance was coming.

I ran back outside.

My father was still beside my mother.

He was holding her hand.

"Please," he whispered.

I stood there crying.

A few minutes later, the sound of an ambulance siren filled the air.

The ambulance arrived.

Paramedics rushed toward us with a stretcher and medical equipment.

They immediately began attending to my mother.

"Ma'am? Can you hear me?"

No response.

They checked her breathing and pulse.

One of them quickly placed an oxygen mask over her face.

"Let's get her to the hospital."

They carefully lifted her onto the stretcher.

My father followed them.

I rushed after him.

"Dad, can I come?"

He stopped and looked at me.

His eyes were red.

He looked completely broken.

I wanted to go with him.

I wanted to be beside my mother.

But he didn't say anything.

He simply looked at me for a moment before turning away.

The ambulance doors closed.

I stood there crying as it drove away.

I didn't understand why Dad had left me behind.

I only knew that I wanted my mother to come back.

At the Hospital

The ambulance arrived at the hospital, and the medical team immediately rushed Natalia into the emergency department.

Doctors and nurses surrounded her.

"Head injury."

"She was unconscious when we found her."

"She was submerged in a swimming pool."

"Get her into the trauma room."

Edward stood outside the emergency room, his clothes still wet from the pool.

He couldn't stop looking at the blood on his hands.

Natalia's blood.

His wife.

The woman he loved.

He sat down and buried his face in his hands.

He couldn't believe this was happening.

Just hours ago, she had been standing in their home.

They had been arguing.

And now she was fighting for her life.

He closed his eyes.

"Please..."

His voice broke.

"Please be okay."

Inside the emergency room, the doctors continued working.

They checked her breathing, monitored her heart and examined her head injury.

But Natalia wasn't responding.

Time passed.

Eventually, the emergency room doors opened.

A doctor walked toward Edward.

Edward immediately stood.

"Doctor?"

The doctor looked at him with a serious expression.

"I'm sorry."

Edward's heart sank.

"What happened?"

"We did everything we could."

Edward stared at him.

"No."

"I'm very sorry, sir. Your wife suffered a severe head injury and spent too long underwater."

Edward shook his head.

"No."

"We tried to revive her, but we couldn't save her."

Edward stared at the doctor as if he hadn't understood the words.

"She's dead?"

The doctor nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry."

Edward's eyes filled with tears.

He turned away.

His shoulders began to shake.

Natalia was gone.

The woman he had loved.

His wife.

The mother of his child.

Gone.

He sat down and covered his face.

And for the first time that night, Edward allowed himself to cry.

He cried because he had lost the woman he loved.

He cried because their last conversation had been an argument.

And he cried because there were so many things he wished he could take back.

But it was too late.

Natalia was gone.

I was still waiting at home.

I sat near the door, listening for the sound of my father's car.

Every time I heard a vehicle outside, I would stand up quickly.

Maybe it was Dad.

Maybe Mom was with him.

Maybe she was okay.

Maybe the doctors had saved her.

I kept telling myself that.

I didn't want to believe anything else.

Hours passed.

The house was completely silent.

Eventually, I heard the sound of a car outside.

I jumped to my feet.

"Dad!"

I ran toward the door.

My father stepped inside.

But he was alone.

My heart sank.

I looked behind him.

"Where's Mom?"

He didn't answer.

I walked closer.

"Dad, where is she?"

He looked at me.

His eyes were red and swollen.

His face was filled with pain.

I had never seen him look like that.

"Dad?"

His lips trembled.

"Your mother is gone."

I stared at him.

"What?"

"She's dead."

I shook my head immediately.

"No."

"Maya..."

"No!"

My tears began falling.

"She's not dead."

My father didn't answer.

"She can't be dead."

I started crying harder.

"You said she would be okay."

"I never said that."

"But..."

My voice broke.

"She promised she'd come back."

My father looked at me.

For a moment, he didn't say anything.

Then I ran toward him and grabbed onto his clothes.

"Please take me to her."

He looked down at me.

"Please, Dad."

My tears soaked my cheeks.

"Please."

He didn't push me away.

Instead, he slowly bent down and pulled me into his arms.

I froze.

My father was crying.

He held me tightly against his chest, and I could feel his tears falling onto my hair.

I wrapped my little arms around him and cried even harder.

We stood there in each other's arms.

Two people mourning the same person.

My mother.

His wife.

My whole world.

His love.

I cried until my chest hurt.

I didn't want to let go.

I wanted my mother.

I wanted her smile.

Her voice.

Her hugs.

Everything.

I wanted to wake up and find out this had all been a nightmare.

But it wasn't.

She was really gone.

And I didn't know how I was supposed to live without her.

That night, I couldn't sleep.

I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the pool.

I saw my mother falling.

I saw her disappearing beneath the water.

I saw my father pulling her out.

I heard myself screaming.

I turned to the other side and pulled my blanket close to my body.

Tears continued rolling down my cheeks.

I kept thinking about what had happened.

If only I could swim.

If only I had been able to save her.

If only I had jumped into the pool.

Maybe she would still be alive.

Maybe I could have saved my angel.

But I couldn't.

I was only ten years old.

And I couldn't save the person who had always saved me.

That night, I cried myself to sleep.

And when morning came, my mother was still gone.

Nothing would ever be the same again.