A mother's heart is the only place in the world where we will always find refuge.
Camila entered Daniel's house as she always did: as if it were her own. Deanna was a bit surprised to see her. Although their relationship had improved significantly, Camila still felt some shame for the things she had done and wasn't entirely sure how to atone for them.
So when Daniel called her to ask if she would talk to his wife and help her, she felt happy and content to be able to do something for her. She arrived with many bags, filled with gifts for the girls. She wasn't very demonstrative, but she was as eager as any grandmother about the arrival of the twins. Eager like any grandma.
"Dear, how are you?"
"Hi, Camila. I'm fine... What brings you here?"
Camila placed the bags on the floor.
"I came to bring some gifts for my granddaughters," she sat down in front of Deanna, "and to talk with you."
Deanna looked a bit confused. Talk about what? She waited for Camila to begin. Camila just sighed and had another burst of honesty, like the one she had with Amanda.
"My son called me because he's worried about you. He said you've had uncertainties and doubts regarding your pregnancy. It's normal. Who doesn't have them? So I came here to see if I can help. Tell me, what's going on?"
It was evident in her eyes that she wanted to be helpful, that she wanted to do something for Deanna.
"Just some fears..."
"Yes, yes, I understand. We all have them when our first child is on the way. It happened to me with Daniel, it happened to me with Susan, and it definitely happened with Harry. We weren't expecting him, he was a surprise. Imagine the terror I felt at that age, expecting a child! I prayed to the heavens every day that everything would turn out well! And it did... Well, more or less..."
"What was your pregnancy with Daniel like?"
"Oh, God! It was horrible! I had nausea every morning, I blew up like a balloon, and I was scared to death. In my time, we didn't talk about this as much as we do now. My mother gave me some advice, but I couldn't help feeling useless. Charles helped a lot, but I think he was already a bit senile back then... Anyway, it was the longest nine months of my life. And he was so restless, moving all the time. But when he was born, oh God! He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life, I have no way to explain it... He was so tiny, all fragile and soft... The moment I saw him, I knew that was my job from that day on: to take care of him. How did I do it? By going crazy, of course, and it will happen to you and it's perfectly normal. Are you afraid of making mistakes? Of course! And you will make mistakes, we all do. But it's part of motherhood; you'll always question if you could have done better. Then they'll give you their first smiles, their first babbles, their first steps and words. And you'll realize that you're doing it right; then they'll walk hand in hand with you and run around the house and you'll notice that they're happy; their first days in kindergarten will come and you'll cry behind the door when they separate from you to go with the teachers and you'll know they're starting to learn. I remember hanging by the window of Daniel's classroom the first weeks in kindergarten; I cried more than he did. Until one day he came out smiling, showing me his first drawing... And everything else will happen, and you'll live it with them as if it were the first time in your life. It's the best part of it all."
Deanna listened with a smile; Camila's honesty could border on the almost rude, but that was her way, it was how she expressed herself. She wasn't trying to scare her more than she already was; she wanted to tell her everything would be wonderful by sharing her own experiences.
"I've made many mistakes. God, I even did it not too long ago! And I know I'll keep making them, but it's what makes us human. But I do know for sure that your job as a mother will be excellent. I see how my grandchildren have grown up with you: Ethan's strength in making decisions; Naomi's self-esteem; Jonathan's happiness. Even when you spent so much time taking care of Emma. I've been rude and vulgar with you, I admit it, and I'm deeply sorry. I thought of what was best for Daniel and didn't believe you were it. And I was wrong again. Today, my son has a beautiful, happy family, full of love, and that's because of you. He'll have daughters again, when I thought he would spend his life alone and sad, remembering Emily. But you came and brought him back to me, Deanna, you brought my baby back, and you don't know how much I thank you for it."
Camila cried like a baby, and Deanna did too. The times of rivalry and dislike were in the past. Just as Camila recognized Amanda's place beside Harry, she acknowledged Deanna's strength and determination to bring Daniel back from the shadows of grief. She had been enormously wrong about her, accusing her in every possible way; but Deanna ended up proving that her love for Daniel was genuine and that nothing would separate her from him. That she was willing to spend her life by his side, giving him everything she was and had; giving Camila the only thing she wanted in her old age: her son's happiness.