Chapter 3

Maya didn't know how long she had been sitting there, when she jumped slightly due to her phone ringing. It was already dark outside, and the caller ID showed that Carina must be wondering where she was.
She answered it but was too exhausted to say anything.

"Maya? Are you okay? Where are you?", she heard through the phone.

"I... I'm sorry. I...", she couldn't formulate words, and then, out of nowhere she was sobbing again.
"Bambina? It's okay, try to take deep breaths. Can you send me your location? I'm coming."

Maya still couldn't speak but managed to send her location with trembling hands.

"Okay, Bella. Just try to breathe. I'll be there in a bit.", Carina promised before hanging up and racing to her car.

What was going on? On the one hand, she was glad that Maya didn't seem impassive and emotionless any longer, but this seemed more like a complete meltdown.

What had happened at the police station earlier today?

Carina made it to the location in 15 minutes; it was in the outskirts of Seattle, near a highway when she saw Maya's car. She parked behind her and hurried towards the driver's side.

Maya was in the midst of another extreme panic attack, hyperventilating to a point that was concerning to the doctor. She hadn't even realised that Carina had arrived.

"Come on Maya. Breathe with me, you can do it. You are safe.", Carina coaxed while holding onto her and rubbing her back, relieved when she saw that Maya seemed to recognise her.

Soon after, her breathing slowed down and fifteen minutes later returned to an almost normal rate. Carina had been kneeling next to the open car door but was now sitting next to Maya in the driver's seat, neither of them caring how uncomfortable and cramped it was.

Carina wanted to wait for Maya to speak first but when she didn't, she asked: "What happened, Bella?"

Instead of replying, Maya just handed her Mason's suicide note.

Carina's heart broke for her girlfriend and for her brother quite frankly whom she had never met but seemed to have been in so much unbearable pain.
She put the letter down and took in her surroundings. A bridge leading over the highway was right in front of them. Putting to and two together, she asked carefully: "Is this where he...?"

Maya nodded solemnly.
"I'm so sorry."

After a few more minutes of silence, Carina spoke again: "I think that we should head back home, Bambina."

"I want to walk over the bridge.", Maya suddenly said with enormous vigour.

"Maya I'm not sure that this is a good idea.", but before she could stop her, she grabbed Mason's last painting, opened the door and headed for the bridge.

Carina sighed and instantly followed her. She was quite worried about Maya at this point. She had never seen Maya have such a massive panic attack. When she had opened the car door it had much more looked like she was having some sort of flashback as well, so engulfed by emotions and memories that she couldn't take in her surroundings.

Maya was leaning against the railing, the painting in her hands, looking down at the passing traffic. The headlights were almost blinding at times in the dark night. To Carina's surprise Maya seemed completely calm, no emotions visible on her face. After a couple of minutes this almost kind of stupor started to freak Carina out more and more.

"Come on, Bambina. Let's go home."

She guided Maya to her car without resistance, the absent gaze only adding to Carina's worry.

Getting her into the passenger seat, she saw a plastic bag, containing a leather sketchbook. This must have been amongst the remains the police had given Maya.

Carina turned the car around and started the drive home, deciding not to worry about her own car at the moment.

Carina didn't dare speaking and Maya gazed out of the window absent-minded, sitting there almost as if paralysed, seemingly far, far away, lost in dark memories.