“Carmencita! There’s someone I’m hoping you would like to meet-“

“No mother, I just don’t… I just can’t” Carmen says, knowing it was a waste of breath, she’d have to give her mother 5 minutes of rambling before she would finally give up on Carmen.

“She comes from a good family,” By good, she meant rich, which Mercedes didn’t care about, she could be a beggar for all she cared, she just wanted Carmen happy, “owns a popular, respectable magazine, she’s nice people, please Carmencita, just one try.”

“No!” Carmen says, losing her temper. Shocked, Mercedes stops talking, turning to leave. Carmen sighs and calls after her, “I’m just not interested in seeing anyone mami, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, I understand, I’ll tell her.” Mercedes says, smiling sadly at her daughter.

Carmen sighed and went to work.

…

The following day, Carmen came back from a long day in work. She just wanted to get to bed, before heading up, she goes to give her mother a good night kiss. Carmen opens the door to her mother sleeping soundly in bed. Carmen goes over and kisses her mother in the cheek, as she turns around to head to her own room, her mother calls her. “Carmen, honey, your finally home.”

“Yes mami, go back to bed.” Carmen says, smiling at how easily her mother can be woken.

“Wait, I told the woman you didn’t want to see her,” Mercedes says, gaining a questioning look from Carmen, she never mentioned again any of the women she offered Carmen.

“She asked me if I could give you this, she said she was going to Italy for two months, and was hoping to hear from you.” Mercedes says, giving Carmen an envelope.

Carmen took the letter, hoping her mother would finally go to sleep. She did, and Carmen went to her own room, throwing the letter on the desk in her room, lying down on the bed to let sleep overtake her.

…

The next day, Carmen was sitting in her large chair in the conference room, she opened up her brief case, looking for the Tylenol she always carried with her for after conference purposes. When she opened it, she took out the pills. Swallowing one, she went to put back the pills, finding the letter her mother gave her, Carmen picked it up. She stared at the letter, it was blank, only to be a holding for the letter inside. Carmen opened it, and retrieved the letter, she began to read…