That afternoon, Miya and Ren talked until the sun began to set. Miya spoke about her plans to forget Jersey, while Ren listened in silence, without interrupting her.
When Miya left, Ren looked at the clock. His mother still had not returned from work. He tried not to worry; sometimes traffic made her arrive late. Even so, he called her cellphone several times, but only the voicemail answered.
"She must be busy," he thought, trying to convince himself as he started studying to distract himself.
Night fell quickly. The house felt strangely empty without the noise of the kitchen or his mother's voice asking him about his day. Ren turned on his cellphone, which he had kept off to save battery. At that moment, like a prayer answered, the phone vibrated.
Ren grabbed it in a hurry. On the screen appeared his mother's name.
With relief, he answered immediately.
"Mom? Are you okay?"
There was a brief pause. The voice that responded was not hers. It was a man's.
"Am I speaking with Ren?"
"Y-yes…" he replied nervously.
The man sighed before continuing.
"We are very sorry, but your mother has passed away. Our deepest condolences. It was an accident on the main avenue. A car hit her while she was crossing. The paramedics did everything they could, but she didn't make it."
The cellphone slipped from Ren's hand and fell to the floor with a dull sound. His legs gave out and he ended up on his knees, without strength.
Tears began to fall, impossible to stop.
"This is a joke," he thought. "Someone dialed the wrong number. Mom will call at any moment."
But the silence was still there, heavy, crushing him.
Ren picked up the phone with trembling hands and called again. The call was answered by the same man, who confirmed the details: the time, the place, the witnesses. There was no mistake.
It was real.
The following hours became a blur. Ren cried until his chest hurt, curled up on the couch, unable to move. He remembered his last conversation with her: a normal dinner, unimportant laughter, comments about the weather. Now, everything felt empty.
At dawn, he called his maternal grandmother, who lived several hours away. She arrived that same afternoon, with reddened eyes and a tight hug that almost broke him.
"Son… this is very hard," she said, wiping away tears. "Do you want me to stay a few days? I can help you with everything."
Ren shook his head.
"No, Grandma. Don't worry about me… I can handle it."
But he couldn't.
He took care of everything alone. The paperwork at the morgue, choosing a coffin, the reservation at the cemetery. He called distant relatives and informed his mother's workplace. He did each action on autopilot, as if his body moved by inertia while his mind screamed in silence.
The day of the burial dawned gray. Ren wore a borrowed black suit and stood beside the open coffin. The church was full, much more than he had imagined. Neighbors, coworkers, people his mother had never mentioned.
An older woman approached first and took his hand.
"Your mother was a light in the office," she said softly. "She always helped others. I'm so sorry, Ren."
Ren nodded, unable to respond. His throat was too tight.
Another man, wearing a supermarket uniform, approached next.
"She came every Friday," he said. "We always talked about you. She was very proud of her son. My deepest condolences."
Ren nodded. One after another, he received hugs, pats on the shoulder, and murmurs of strength. He did not resist the closeness; he wasn't thinking about any of that.
The procession moved toward the cemetery. The coffin descended slowly, while the earth fell with a dry sound. Ren stared at the grave, his heart heavy. Then, among the people, he saw her.
Miya was there. She was dressed in black, wearing a skirt that reached her knees.
For a moment, their gazes met. She did not smile; she only nodded slightly.
After the farewell, people began to leave. Some left flowers, others cards. Miya stayed until the end. She approached when Ren was alone, standing in front of the grave.
"Ren… I'm so sorry," she said softly. "Your mother was very kind. She invited me to dinner that time, remember? If you need anything…"
Ren lowered his gaze.
"Thank you for coming."
Miya hugged him briefly. It was a simple but warm gesture, denying the cold of the place. For the first time since all of that, Ren did not feel completely alone.
Chapter 7: Reunion