Chapter 9: We Found Her On The Rooftop

Chapter 9: Chapter 9: We Found Her On The Rooftop

The CCTV showed nothing.

Flora watched the black screen again and again. The hallway was empty. It was like Maya had vanished into the thin air.

Her phone kept ringing.

No answer.

Flora’s hand started shaking badly.

"She is not picking," she said, her voice small. "Simon, she is not picking."

Simon looked at the big gallery doors. The night outside was dark and cold . There were no traces of the guests left in the gallery anymore.

"Security check the parking lot!" Amelia shouted. "Help us! The young girl is missing!"

Two security men ran to the park lot.

Flora and Simon followed them,her heels made noise.Her chest was beating fast. She was not a rich guest anymore.

She was just a mother.

Outside, the night was cold.The security

light was flickering.

The black Roll -royce was there, quiet in the dark.

"Maya" She called.

No answer.

Simon ran to the car and pulled the door handle.It was locked.

Then he stopped.

And looked through the window, she was not there.

"Check every exit. Now," Simon said. His heart was beating like a drum.

Flora held her purse tight. "Maya is afraid of heights. She would never..."

Simon didn’t wait. He remembered something. When he was coming from the restroom, he saw a small door. It had a sign: ROOFTOP ACCESS.

He ran to it. The security men,Flora and Amelia followed.

The door was half open. Cold wind was blowing in.

"Maya?" Simon called.

No answer.

He climbed the narrow stairs, two steps at a time. The wind got louder. When he pushed the rooftop door open, the cold hit his face.

And there she was.

Maya was on the rooftop. She was sitting on the cold floor, far from the edge, hugging her knees. Her dress was moving in the wind. She was not crying loud. Silent tears were falling. Her phone was beside her, ringing. Flora’s name was on the screen.

One security man stayed at the door. The other shone his torch.

Simon walked slowly to her. He knelt down.

"Maya."

She looked up. Her eyes were red and angry. Her lips were shaking from cold and pain.

"Why did you follow me?" she whispered. "You pushed me away. Now you want to save me?"

Simon had no answer. Behind him, he heard Flora’s heels on the stairs, running up, shouting her daughter’s name.

"Maya!"

"Maya looked up.Her face was wet with tears, but her eyes were full of anger.

"Don’t touch me!" She screamed at her mother.

Simon stood slowly, and stepped aside into the cold wind, giving them space to heal alone.

"You care about yourself, not about me!"

"No Maya, you are my world, and I can’t possibly wish for a world without you,am so sorry my love ". She said with almost wet eyes ,but she held it back

Flora held her up so tightly.

She didn’t care about her expensive dress. She wrapped Maya up in her already stained dress.

"My baby," she whispered, her voice broken.

She put her hands under Maya’s arms and tried to lift her. Maya was heavy with pain. She didn’t want to stand.

Flora pulled harder, her eyes were wet

"Please, get up. The floor is so cold. My baby cannot sit on this cold floor."

She held Maya tight to her chest and lifted her up slowly, like she was lifting a small child again. Maya’s legs were shaking.

Flora held her closely, her forehead touching Maya’s forehead.Tears stream down Maya ’s face .

Maya’s eyes were red.

"You are so harsh to me on our way to the gallery," she said, her voice shaking.

" You promised to always correct me with love, no matter what."

Flora kept quiet.

"When father was alive, he never shouted at me," Maya continued. "If you had not come early... I wanted to jump from the rooftop to the ground."

Flora’s heart skipped.

"Maya!"

She held her tighter.

"I am so sorry," Flora said. "I am so sorry for being hard on you earlier today."

"Don’t you ever dream of hurting yourself again. Do you hear me?"

Maya sobbed.

"You are so precious to me," Flora whispered. "You are so precious. Please, never think like that again."

Amelia quickly turned to the security men.

"Go down. Give us privacy. And lock this roof top door from downstairs. No one comes up ".

The security men nodded and left fast.

Amelia gently walked up to them and pulled Flora close to her chest, holding her tight as tears fell. "Please, stop crying," she whispered, rubbing her back. Then she looked at Maya with soft eyes, "Please calm down, my dear. Your mother loves you so much. We have been searching everywhere for you my darling Maya."

Simon stood frozen watching them cry, chest tight, eyes wet, his hands shaking. He wanted to hug Flora and Maya, but he was just a driver, lost in pain and felt guilt for his actions.

The cold wind was still blowing on the rooftop when Amelia’s phone rang.

She wiped her eyes and looked. It was Chloe.

"Hello... baby"

Mom! Where are you now? Did you find her? Is she okay? Please, is Maya okay?

Amelia’s lip started to tremble. She looked at Maya, who was now standing in Flora’s arms, shivering and crying.

She... she is here. We found her, Chloe. She is fine. She is fine, my love.

On the other side, Chloe burst into loud tears.

Mom, please put it on loudspeaker! Maya! Maya, can you hear me?

Maya lifted her wet face.

She was shouting through tears. Maya! It’s me! I love you so much! You are my best friend in the whole world! Don’t ever do this again! Don’t leave me! I love you, Maya, I love you!

Maya covered her mouth and started to cry harder. "Chloe..."

Amelia couldn’t hold it anymore.

Hearing her own daughter’s pure, broken love for her best friend — hearing that innocent love in this cold, dark place — was too much.

Tears fell from Amelia’s eyes like heavy rain. Hot, endless tears rolled down her cheeks, down her chin. Her shoulders shook. She turned away so they wouldn’t see her break, but her soft sobs filled the windy rooftop.

A mother crying for her daughter’s best friend, because she knew what true love sounded like.

Amelia slowly ended the call. Her hand was shaking so hard she almost dropped the phone.

For seconds, no one said a word. Only the cold wind was blowing on the rooftop, lifting their hair, drying their tears before they could even fall.

Then Maya whispered in a small voice, broken and tired like a little child, "I want to go home."

Flora and Amelia looked at each other. Both of their faces were wet, eyes red, lips trembling. They did not need to speak. At the exact same moment, they both opened their arms.

Maya fell into them.

The three of them hugged in the middle of the cold, dirty rooftop floor. Flora held Maya’s head against her chest. Amelia held both of them, her arms tight around her best friend and her best friend’s daughter. All three were looking tired now. Shoulders heaving, hearts broken open in the wind.

Maya was sobbing, "I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Mommy, I’m sorry."

Flora kissed her hair over and over, "Don’t be sorry, my love. Never be sorry. Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you more than life."

Amelia was crying too, holding them so tight she thought she would never let go.

A few steps behind, Simon stood with his head bowed. His own eyes were full of tears he tried to hide. He was just a driver, but tonight he felt like family. He did not want to interrupt their hug. He just stood in the cold wind, guarding them, letting them heal.

And on that cold rooftop, under the dark sky, they stayed like that — four broken hearts, finally holding together, finally not alone anymore until the wind stopped blowing..