"Hello, Lorenzo." "Hello ." "I'll open up." "How are you?" "I'm a mess." "Why?" "I don't know what books to take." "Just the essentials." "If you miss one," "You can buy it on the Internet." "I don't like to buy books that I have, it makes me feel older." "Right now you look like a girl." "Well, besides the books, do you have much to do?" "I still have to do some shopping." "Julieta, we're going to Portugal, not the desert," "You can return to Madrid anytime." "I won't come back to Madrid, if I can help it." "Come here..." "Thank you." "For what?" "For not leaving me to grow old alone." "It's you who won't leave me on my own." "Julieta?" "Bea!" "I can't believe it, Julieta?" "What a surprise!" "Just a week ago I saw your daughter at Lake Como!" "Did you see Antía?" "Imagine!" "We were looking and..." "I called her because she didn't recognize me." "But you're just the same, Julieta." "Better, even." "What did she say?" "She was going down to the city to buy things for their children..." "She has three." "Two boys and a girl!" "Yes..." "I don't know how she manages." "Do you have children?" "No, no." "I'm not even married." "I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry." "You don't know how happy I am to see you so well, Julieta." "Where do you live?" "In Milan and New York." "I'm editor of Vogue supplements." "I travel a lot." "I went to Lake Como to do a photo shoot." "Good!" "Well..." "Hey, say hi to your mother." "Mum died three years ago." "Sorry." "My brother lives here." "We're going to a restaurant with him and with my nieces," "But we're late." "Antía - what else did she say?" "Not much." "I asked about you and she said you were still living here in Madrid." "And look, what a coincidence!" "Yes." "Here I am." "And here I will be." "Did you think she looked well?" "Yes." "Well, and she had a clean face." "Very thin, but pretty, huh?" "Really, I'm glad to see you so well, Julieta." "Goodbye." "Well, what was that about?" "Sorry, she is the mother of a friend when I was little..." " Yes" " It's me, let me in." "Hi" "Are you okay?" "The water's boiling" "I called last night and you didn't answer" "I needed be alone." "Have you finished with the suitcases and the boxes?" "I've unpacked everything." " I'm staying in Madrid, Lorenzo." " Is this a joke?" "What is this nonsense?" " I won't be able to go with you." " Why?" "What happened?" "I know you feel you deserve to know, but please don't ask me." "I'm not going with you to Portugal, I'm staying in Madrid." "What, Julieta?" "I've thought about it and..." "Don't tell me that you hadn't already thought about it!" "We've been planning this for nearly a year!" "Yesterday you said:" ""I won't return to Madrid if I can help it."" "What's happened so suddenly?" "Don't insist, please." "Can you get me a glass of water?" "I don't recognize you, Julieta." "You're behaving like a madwoman." "I know." "I can't believe we're talking about this!" "Last night I realized that I was lying," "I don't want to leave Madrid." "And I'd rather be alone." "I always knew there was something important in your life... ..that you never shared with me." "You never wanted to talk about it, and I always respected that." "I'd like you to keep respecting that." "Hello, Inocencio!" "Ms Julieta!" "It's been ages!" "Yes, a long time." "Has there been any mail for me?" "In all these years?" "No." "I just got back to Madrid" "And I'd like to rent my apartment." "Is it free?" "No." "I thought you weren't in Spain." "Yes, but I'm back." "And I miss this street." "Is there another one free?" "Well... the second one on the left is empty." "How wonderful!" "Can I see it?" "There's no furniture, and it's not painted." "That doesn't matter." "I'll get the key." "It is a little dirty, as I warned you." "I'll take it, Inocencio." "But it's not ready, Ms Julieta." "If you give me your phone number, I'll call you." "No need, really." "As long as the kitchen and bathroom are working." "I'll take care of the rest." "The kitchen and bathroom are new." "That's great." "Antía." "Two sons and a daughter." "She has gone to Lake Como to shop." "Maybe she lives in an expensive Swiss village," "And she has gone to shop in Italy, which is much cheaper." "She doesn't wear makeup." "And is thin." "She thinks I'm still living in Madrid." "Dear Antía:" "I'll tell you everything that I couldn't tell you, because you were a child," "because it was too painful for me or I was afraid." "But you're no longer a child." "Beatriz told me you have your own children." "Three, no less." "You're a grown woman, and a mother." "Where do I begin?" "I think, with your father." "Whenyouaskhow Imethim, I would say it was on a train" "But that wouldn't be enough for you." "I was 25 years old." "It was a wild night and very windy." "Is this seat free?" "Yes." "That was a big branch." "Did it frighten you?" "Yes." "Are you travelling alone?" "Yes." "When I saw one person here, I thought:" ""Let's see how we get on."" "You don't feel like talking." "What a pity!" "Sorry, I have to leave." "I hope he won't get too close to the train." "He is not afraid of the train." "He's looking for a female." "The smell in the air." "Do you want a drink?" "Xoan told me he was called Xoan, and I said I was Julieta." "He told me he was married, and Ana, his wife," "She had been in a coma for five years." "I said I taught classical philology," "And was substituting for a sick teacher." "Xoan told me he was a fisherman, who had three gamelas." "He was going to Madrid to buy a motor for one of them." "He told me that he had lived by the sea all his life" "In a house his grandfather bought when he came over from Cuba." "Ten minute stop!" "Ten minute stop!" "Ten minute stop!" "Would you like to stretch your legs?" "I'm not really dressed for it." "Thank you." "See you soon." " God!" ", What's happening?" " The train has stopped." "Why?" "So suddenly?" "Yes, please, go back in." "Don't worry, it's nothing." "I was almost killed by a bag that fell on my head." "Are you okay?" "Have we hit something?" "I saw a deer running alongside the train." "No, my god." "What a thing to say!" " Yeah, me too, I saw it." " No, we haven't hit anything." "Please return to your seats and don't block the corridor." "The train is going to start right away." " Well, I saw a deer." " Yes, and don't be so rude." "Have you seen the man who was..." "sitting there?" " The glasses and black jersey?" "Yes, I saw him down the hall." " He went out there." " Onto the platform when we stopped." "I saw him walking through the snow." "He was going without a coat, so I noticed." "I think it was "mamao"." "Maybe we stopped because he was still hanging around the station." "Take it !" "What are you doing here?" "Get back on the train!" "You'll catch pneumonia!" "What was he wearing..." "..on the stretcher?" " What?" " Was it the deer?" " No." "Why do you say that?" " Was it a man?" "Let's get on." "Is that why we stopped?" "A man with a black sweater and wearing glasses" "Let's get back on the train." "He was sitting where you are now." "He wanted to talk, but it annoyed me the way he stared," "So I ran away." "How was I supposed to know it was so bad?" "Any girl would have done the same thing." "I should have realized!" "Don't torture yourself." "He would have killed himself anyway." "Why was he carrying an empty suitcase?" "I don't know, I guess he didn't want to attract attention." "But he had planned it before boarding the train" "Nobody commits suicide because a girl, even one as beautiful as you," "Doesn't want to talk to him." "I can't sleep." "Me neither." ""Thalassa, Hals and Pontos"." "The three words mean "sea" in Greek." ""Pontos" is the sea." "And refers to the sea as a path, the path of adventure." "So Ulysses is the marine hero par excellence." "For example, when Ulysses arrives on the island of Calypso" "Exhausted after a shipwreck, the nymph Calypso," "She was not just pretty, no..." "Marcos, who you think is the most beautiful woman?" "You." "It's not worth it because I am the teacher" "And it's inappropriate that teachers have sex with their students." "OK?" "Give me another one." "Kim Basinger." "Very cute." "Much prettier than me, too." " Angela Molina." "Also beautiful." "So if you combined Kim Basinger and Angela Molina," "That was the nymph Calypso and she offered Ulysses everything imaginable." "Let's see, Diego, she offered him something really important?" " Her body." "That comes first." "But also?" "Something that we all have dreamed of." " Eternal youth." "Exactly." "And immortality." "However, Ulysses rejected her." "And jumped into the sea to face a host of dangers." "Which of the three words would you choose to use to mean 'the sea'." "As used by Ulysses?" " Thalassa?" " No.!" " Pontos." "That's it, Pontos." "Pontos, the sea," "The sea, the path to adventure and the unknown." "Come in." " Hello." " Hello, Julieta." "Please sit down." "Thank you." "Professor Martinez is back next week, so... ..your period of substitution will be finishing." "We are very pleased with your work." "Very pleased, really, Julieta." "We've never had such assistance in classical literature classes." "Thank you." "I really enjoyed these six months." "Good, I'm glad." "Well..." "Wait." "This letter came for you..." "Is it for you, Julieta?" "Yes, yes..." "Dear Julieta:" "I don't know if you're still working at this school" "I hope so, as this is the only address I have." "I remember a lot about you." "I can't stop thinking about that night on the train..." "Ana remains the same, or worse." "Although I was only away for two days, she seemed worse." "But you don't want to hear about those things." "I didn't go fishing today." "The sea is very choppy and there will be a storm this afternoon." "I'd like to see you appear in the rain," "Looking for a place to take shelter, and that place was my home..." "Hey..." "Well..." "Canelo, get down!" "Hello." "I think you're late." "The funeral was yesterday." "But come in if you want and have a coffee." "I take care of the house." "Come, Canelo!" "Leave that there." "Let's go into the kitchen." "When did you meet Ana?" "Ana?" "No, I didn't know her..." "I just assumed," "Because she hadn't moved from here in the last six years." "The sea!" "It's impressive the first time, right?" "Sit down." "So, you've come to see Xoan." " Do you want some pasta?" " No." "I don't think he'll be back tonight, he is with Ava." "Do you know Ava?" "She makes ceramics and sculptures." "Ana and Ava were very friendly, when Ana was still talking and could hear." "The poor thing became a vegetable, and a man needs a woman." "But I'm not one to criticize Xoan." "More coffee?" " No." " Then I'll take the cup." "Well, what will you do?" "You still have time to catch the bus at eight." "It leaves right here in the square." "Come on." "If you want, you can come to my house and then go with my husband." "It will be fine." "I'm tired..." "I'd rather wait here, if you don't mind." "Where?" "Well, right there in the hall." "Alone?" "Well..." "I would stay with you, but I can't." "I have neglected my husband lately." "Well..." "Canelo will keep you company, anyway." "Thank you." "And don't fall asleep and miss the bus." "I can call on the phone just in case?" "No need." "I'll call." "Canelo, come here." "Hello, hello..." "What?" "Come here." "Up..." "Up..." "Don't wake up..." " I got your letter and came." " Shhh..." "But I didn't imagine that your wife..." "Don't think about that now." "Good morning." "What rich pasta!" "It's typical of this place." "I'm making breakfast." "Are you very hungry..." "And is there anything for me?" "Something I will..." "When I got your letter, I assumed it was an invitation to come and see you." "That was my intention." "I didn't think that your wife had died." "I'm sorry." "It was for the best..." "That wasn't life." "Marian called me to say that you had left," "That you were waiting for the bus, but I wasn't sure it was you." "She said you were with a woman." "Ava, I think." "She's an old friend." "You will meet her." "She's an artist, like you." "I'm not an artist." "I teach classical literature." "And now, not even that." "Well, I'm sure you like her, you'll see." "I think I'll leave today." "I don't really know what to do here." "Fishing." "It's a good day today." "We're going to go fishing." " Marian, Julieta..." "I think you've met." "Give me that." "I'll do it" "Are you staying today?" "Yes." "We're going fishing." "I didn't have any work, so there was no hurry..." "I just stayed a few days." "I had to say something to Xoan, but I postponed it." "It was a new, strange life for a woman who comes from the sun," "But cozy." "At night I flew into the arms of Xoan." "I felt both trapped, and free." "Can I touch it?" "Sure, take it if you want." " It's heavy!" " Four kilos, so be careful." "I thought it was terracotta." "It's bronze, but I finish it with a patina of terracotta." "The colour of the rocks by the lighthouse." "You're so clever!" "I try to keep my sculptures compact," "So the wind can't blow them away, like the people here." "The people here are very tough." "I visited Ava a lot, I liked watching her working and smoking." "And she liked me to tell mythological histories," "Like you, when you were little." "The gods created man and other beings" "Out of clay and fire." "They gave them the attributes necessary for their survival," "They gave some of them fur and others, wings to fly." "When it was the turn of man, the gods found" "That they had run out of gifts," "So man was born naked, helpless, in the midst of nature." "I'm pregnant, Ava." "Who?" "Xoan." "I was already pregnant in Madrid." "And he knows?" "No." "I don't want to pressure him." "You have to tell him, Xoan adores children." "A few months after the birth, we took you to your grandparents," "So they met you and Xoan." "Two years later, I went back to see them." "Your grandfather had taken early retirement." "He had been the village teacher and had left to become a farmer." "He had sold the house I had grown up in," "And bought another in the country." "Look, there they are." "Do you need anything else?" " No, nothing else." "Thank you very much." " So well behaved." "Hey!" " Hello, daughter." "Hi, and who are you?" "Look!" "Give grandfather a kiss ?" "How was the trip?" "Very long, really!" "We're exhausted." "Look, I'll introduce you." "This is Sana'a..." "Julieta." " Hello." " Sorry..." " And this wonder is Antia." "Do you have any luggage?" "Yes." "It's brown, with my name." " Can you get it?" " Yes." "And a stroller." "And mama?" "Good." "We've settled down." "You'll see." "What about this girl?" "That's Sana'a, the girl I told you about." "Is she the woman who helps you?" "She deals with Mama and gives me a hand on the land." "She was a lucky find." "She changed my life." "Come, come to the car." " Don't you miss school?" " I don't have time." "Between your mother and the land, I'm busy all day." "That's not retiring." "And definitely not early retirement." "We are fine." "Your mother and I had always dreamed of living in the country." "Do you speak Spanish, Sana'a?" " A little." "A little?" "A little." " She talks divinely, she's a just little shy." "We met eight years ago at the Festival of Sacred Music in Fez." "She was very fond of your mother and kept in touch with her." "It is fortunate that she's now living with us." "How pretty." "The house has no frills, but we've gained in our quality of life." "Where is Mum's room?" "That window overlooking the vine." "Do you like the house?" "Yes?" "I'll show you the house after." "Yes." "Now I want to see Mama." "See if you're lucky and she is awake." "Sara, Julieta's here." "Julieta." " Yes Julieta, our daughter..." " Our daughter..." "Hello, Mama." "We're here." "Aren't you glad to see us?" "This is Antia." "Of course, you don't recognize her now she's so big." " We have prepared the room opposite." "So you're closer." "No, I'd rather stay here." "I'll sleep with Mama." "And the baby will sleep on the small bed." "I'll tell Sana'a to make up the small bed." "That's where she sleeps." "Julieta!" "Mama..." "What are you doing here?" "I came to see you." "I brought my baby girl." "What girl?" "Antia, my daughter." "Look at her." "How beautiful she is!" "She's already two years old." "Two years ..." "Cookie..." "Antia look, I've got some beautiful strawberries." "No papa, not now, we've just got changed." "But don't you have anything to say to Mama?" "You look gorgeous, Sara." " Now I have all the jars." " Very good." "Papa, I can talk to you?" "Yes, of course." " Sana'a can you check on Sara and the baby." " Very good." "But don't wake the baby." "How does it work with Mum when you go to the market?" "One of us is always with her." "When you came to pick me up at the station, she was alone" "Locked in her room." "I don't like locking her, Julieta." "I do it to protect it her." "That's no life." "Julieta, we're all doing as well as we can." "Do you know what it would cost to put your mother in a nursing home?" "I thought you hired a woman to care for her." "Sana'a does." "Sana'a looks after the land and you." "Don't go there, Julieta." "Mama needs more than someone who cleans and makes the bed." "You have your life, unfortunately a long way from here." "I've tried to disturb you as little as possible," "But we've gone through a lot of hard times." "And believe me when I say that we are now better than ever." "Daughter, be more generous and more sympathetic to me." "The Andalusians are here!" "Oh, Antia, how lovely!" "Hello." "Hello." "Hi dear." "I thought you weren't coming back." "We've had enough of travelling!" "Do you remember your father?" "I come to deliver my soul to God." "What about your mother?" "Awful..." "I'll tell you." "Come." "Chubby!" "My father was having an affair with the girl who takes care of my mother." "Your mother knows?" "My mother is past it, the poor thing, locked in her room..." "What's that?" "A tattoo." "AJ?" "A for Antia and J for Juliet?" "Yes." "Easy, it's still tender..." "I wonder if you live on the coast" "And if you still like to fish." "At age nine, you would go out with your father on the boat." "You wanted to be a fisherman." "How can I let you go to camp like someone from the Adams family?" "I want to go like that." "Well, people have to see that you have a face" "You have eyes, nose, mouth, ears... a" "Oh Mum, don't talk crap." "Oh, Antia, really, you should go on vacation, you'll have fun." "I don't want to go, I want to stay." "Well, a lady can't always do what a lady wants." "What's happening to my child?" "Dad, I don't want to leave..." "Now that I'm on vacation," "I can go fishing with you every day." "Didn't you say you needed help, now I am older?" "Ouch, fisher woman..." "I promise that when you come back you will be a sailor again, OK?" "I have your word?" "Come on, sea wolf." "Have fun." "You're going already, Antia?" "Oh, well..." "You'll come to visit me in my house when you get back, OK?" "Won't you be here?" "No, honey, I won't be here, but you promise me you'll come to see me." "Come on." "Take care, OK?" "Come on, let's go." "Why is Marian going?" "Her husband is sick." "She's going to look after him." "Did you fire her?" "What a thing to say..." "Of course not!" "If you asked her to stay, she would stay." "Antia, people have the right to retire." "Hello, Mary." "Hello Julieta." " Are you leaving your backpack?" " No." "I'm keeping it with me" "Your name?" "Don't worry." "Antia Feijoó." "Antia Feijoó..." "Here it is." "I love you." "Ah, yes, here." "Anda, you move fast, huh?" "Do you want me to prepare something for dinner before I go?" "No need." "Inés should be arriving." "If you can't find anything, call me at home." "Thank you." "Well..." "I'll go then." "Are you wearing Xoan's sweatshirt?" "Xoan gave it to me long ago." "I don't wear anything that's not mine." "Are you serious about teaching in a school?" "Yes." "I think you're wrong." "I don't want to be just a housewife, Marian." "I have a job I like and I want to return to it." "The profession of a woman is her family," "And if you want to keep it together," "The best you can do is stay home." " That's my business!" " If you go, it will happen as usual." "What do you mean?" "What always happens?" " Has Marian gone?" " Yes." "The new one will be arriving." "I hope she is more discreet." "Why do you say that?" "When I came thirteen years ago, Marian told me not to wait," "And that you were spending the night with Ava." "And now, when she was leaving, she told me something." "When I went to see my parents with Antia, ten years ago," "You came back to spend the nights with Ava." "Hi, I'm Ines." "Would you mind coming tomorrow?" "Marian has left everything done." "Ah, yes, of course." "I'll come tomorrow." "Okay, thank you." "I'll see you later." "Tomorrow." "I've known Ava for 15 years, we have never been in love," "But we fucked occasionally." "I thought of telling you many times, but I didn't know how." "I haven't said much, you may have noticed that." "But Antia and you are the most important things in my life," "You know that, right?" "Aren't you going to say something?" "No." "What are you going to do?" "I'm going for a walk, and to prepare lessons." "I think I'll go fishing." "Coastal Radio reports a sudden change of direction" "And wind speed in the area of the Ria of Ferrol." "This change is causing rough seas," "With waves of six to eight meters high." "Cessation of any fishing activity and navigation is recommended" "That can be done in the area" "With the express recommendation to all vessels" "To return to their respective ports mooring." "Japan yesterday launched its first probe Marie observation." "An artifact of 535 kilos called Nozomi, "hope"" "That within 15 months, will enter Martian orbit" "To transmit data for two years." "The launch was made to the three... ." "Yes" "Ava, sorry to call you" "I just wanted to know if Xoan is with you" "Xoan?" "No." "Do you have any idea where he might be" "He hasn't returned" "No." "Well, he will have gone fishing." "Well, I hope not..." "because there's been a storm warning." "Wait, they're saying something..." "... shipwreck of a gabela," "Three miles north of the mouth of the Ria of Ferrol." "Its occupant has not yet been located and there are serious fears for his life." "Similarly, there is a pleasure boat" "With three crew." "The rough seas with waves over six meters have prevented" "Civil Protection from being able to help." "As dawn comes and sea conditions improve..." "I am the judge Vicente Louro." "In order to move the body, you need to identify it." "I must warn you." "Because of the violence of the storm, his body has been damaged." "I'll get it." "It's Antia." "Antía?" "From the camp and she wants to talk to you." "Come, Julieta, you have to talk to her." "Antia..." "Mom, it's me..." "What's wrong with your phone?" "I've called so many times and you don't answer." "I don't know..." "I didn't hear." " How are you, darling?" " Good." "Tomorrow Ava and I will get you." "We'll be early so we won't keep you waiting." "No need, Mum." "I'm with my friend Bea, that I met here." "We're best friends." "Can I go to spend a week with them to Madrid?" "You don't mind, do you?" "But..." "I don't know them..." "She's my friend, mum." "Let me." "Well, look, you can talk to her mother and she can tell you." "Hello." "How are you?" "I'm Claudia, Beatrice's mother." "How's my daughter?" "Well, terrific." "I didn't know her before," "But I think the camp has been wonderful." "Look, I wanted to ask permission to take her with us to Madrid." "Antia and my daughter have become close and are both very persistent." "Doesn't the camp finish tomorrow?" "Yes, yes..." "I have arrived early and, well..." "Because I wanted them out this afternoon." "What do you think?" "Well..." "If it's no trouble..." "Julieta..." "How are you?" "I'm Claudia." "Come in, come, please." "I'm so sorry, really." "How was the trip?" "Come in." "The girls are playing in another room." "I haven't told them anything." "Does Antia think it's unusual to come for her today?" "She's angry because she thinks you're coming to take her," "And she has called Xoan, but he hasn't responded, of course." "Where can I talk to her?" "I think there would be more comfortable." "Do you want a drink?" "Something to eat?" "I don't know..." "Well, then, come through..." "I'll get her." "Hi, Mum." "Hi, honey." "How are you?" "Sit down." "Hey, I told you to leave me for a few more days!" "Don't make that face, we're on vacation!" "How's Dad?" "He hasn't answered me..." "Antia, I have to tell you something." "Tell me." "After two days of leave, there was a storm..." "Papa's ship and two boats disappeared..." "No one was saved." "What about Dad?" "Dad neither." "Dad died?" "Yes..." "Antía." "But... why did he go fishing if there was a storm?" "The storm came in the afternoon and your father left in the morning." "I am sorry to tell you this, but my husband and I" "We have organized a trip to Patagonia" "Now Bea doesn't want to come with us," "She wants to be with Antia, here at home." "Really?" " Obviously, they can't stay alone..." " No." "And I thought, you could stay here with them." "The baby is coming with us." " Here?" " The two girls and you." "After what happened to you, it might be a good rest." "And Antia is more distracted in Madrid." " Well..." " Rosa takes care of everything." "You can go for a walk, go to the movies, relax..." "Well, I didn't bring any clothes." "But you can use mine!" "I have everything." "Dresses, loose shirts that don't fit me" "They'll fit you better than me." "You can try on whatever you want." "Watch out!" "Eh!" "One, two..." "Come on, let's go." "Things were happening without my participation," "You were preoccupied with each other." " Good morning." " Hello." "We've come to see the flat for rent." "Just a moment." "Follow me." "The kitchen." " The wallpaper is a bit much." " No, the wallpaper is cool." "If we get tired of it, we can paint it." "We are also very close by." "Bea and you found an apartment near where she lived." "I rented it for you." "But I couldn't with my heart and soul," "But you were as strong as an oak." "You had matured..." "You went back and met with Ava, to put the house up for sale." "In Madrid, Bea took care of me." "We just survived without you." "On your return we didn't talk much." "You didn't want me to be sad and I..." "Was beyond caring." "Come on, Mum." "Let's go." "We're going to stand up." "Bea, come and help me." "I'll..." "Put this here." "There..." "Don't slip." "Put the towel on, come on." "Okay, uh..." "Get me that big towel." " This one?" " Yes." "Cover her back." "Careful." "Rub her back well," "I don't want her to get cold." "Now we'll finish with the dryer." "Hi, Mom." "Hello." "If you want to eat together, we'll have to hurry," "I'm going to study with Bea." "Do you like it?" "Yes." "I think I'll paint the lounge in the morning." "No need, Mom." "I'm already used to the wallpaper." "And Bea loves it." "Well, Bea has a beautiful house, vanilla coloured," "And doesn't have to live here." "Do you want me to make you a sandwich?" "OK, but prisita date." "I beat depression with your help" "And I found a job I could do at home:" "Correcting proofs." "The rest of the time was devoted to you." "I didn't need anything else." "Four years later, when Bea went to the United States" "You chose to go to a spiritual retreat in the Pyrenees." "A retreat that would last three months" "Until you returned to start college." "I dreaded you leaving," "But you had been out very little in recent years," "Always aware of me and your studies." "I had no right to deny you." "In addition..." "You were of legal age." "Yes?" "Yes, I am." "It's here now." "The taxi." "It's down below." " Are you taking that?" " Yes." "Stop, Mum." "I can do it." "Well, take care and have fun." "You take care too, Mum." "And don't worry if I don't call or write you soon." "Are you going to be incommunicado?" "Mum, it's a retreat." "The important thing is to disconnect." "What if I get ill?" "Don't blackmail me, please!" "Of course not, honey." "I have work and I need to get my notes in order." "Maybe I'll put them in a book." "I'll be busy." "That's good." "Let me walk you to the station." "Remember that you don't like goodbyes." "Well, goodbye." " Hello." " Hello." "I'm the mother of Antia Feijoo." "I've come to get her today." "Follow me." "Julieta Arcos?" "Yes." "I am the mother of Antia." "I am Juana." "What an amazing place!" "I've asked Liliana to bring us some tea out here." "Does Antia know I'm here?" " Yes..." " I can't wait to see her." "These three months without her have been so long..." "Sure..." "I understand that you have your reasons, but..." "Isolation during this time has been so hard." "Are you going to make me wait long?" "Julieta, the point is that Antia is not here." "Isn't this the place?" " I followed the directions on the map." " This is the place." "When Antia wrote she thought she would be here," "But ultimately she decided to leave." "She could have warned me." "I've driven from Madrid..." "I know." "And where has she gone?" "I hope it's nearby." "I can't tell you." "What?" "I can't tell you where she is." "I'm sorry." "Don't you know?" "You are responsible." "Of course I know." "But Antia asked me not to tell." "Are you saying that my daughter doesn't want to see me?" "Look, Julieta." "Antia has chosen her own path and you are not part of it." "I understand that for a mother, that must be very painful," "But she wants you to accept it." "I think I'll call the police." "Do what you want." "It's best to start accepting reality." "I understand that's not easy..." "What have you done to my daughter in three months?" "We've helped her, Julieta." "Your daughter arrived in a state of extreme need." "Need for what?" "My daughter has never lacked for anything!" "However, she was lonely and miserable." "Your daughter discovered here that her life lacked a spiritual dimension" "What do you mean?" "I understand that she was not raised in a home based on faith... she found it here." "Let her tell me herself!" "Where is she?" "I can't tell you." "What is important is that Antia is now better than ever and is very happy." "If you stop thinking about yourself for a moment and think about your daughter," " You should be happy." " You can't tell me that!" "Don't despair, she may decide to contact you," "But give it time." "I reported your disappearance to the police," "I hired a private detective..." "For the first months, I did nothing else but try to find you, by any means." "The only thing I discovered was how little I knew about you..." " Julieta Arcos?" " Yes, that's me." "I have a letter." "Sign here please?" "Thank you." "Antia." "Hello, Papa." "Hello, Julieta." "Did you get the card I sent?" "Yes." "I'm looking at it." " See how handsome your brother is!" " Yes." "He's very handsome." "When will you come to meet him?" "I can't now, Papa." "I told you I'm very busy..." "I'm sorry, but I have to go." "You call me, OK?" "Don't keep punishing me, Julieta." "Don't I have the right to be happy after the death of your mother?" "I'd rather not talk about that." "Remember you are still my daughter and Antia is my granddaughter." "The last time I saw her she was still a child..." "Give her kisses when you see her." "I will." "Kisses for you too." "For the first three years, I bought a cake on your birthday." "I was consoled by the idea of celebrating the arrival of your card" "And at least seeing your name in the address." "I didn't expect more." "But it was expecting too much." "The first three years, I threw your cake in the dustbin" "To celebrate your birthday, I made it a tradition." "Inocencio, I'm leaving the flat." "I'm leaving Spain." "And... and when?" "Soon." "Within a week..." "Sorry." "Inocencio, I'm sorry about the noise last night..." "The tenant below you complained." "You no longer have to put up with it." "Bye." "I looked for a Madrid neighborhood that I had never set foot in." "I wanted to live in a place where there were none of your fingerprints," "Nothing reminded me of you." "Hi, honey." "Hello." "No, don't get up..." " No, no..." " Yes, I can get up..." "How are you, love?" "Well..." "The latest outbreak has left me entirely paralyzed on my left side, but..." "What about your new home?" "Better." "It's as if I lived in another city." "They are beautiful!" "I have a gift for you too." "It's there, in the bag." "The man sitting..." "Thank you, Ava." "Before you go, I would like to tell you something." " It doesn't really explain anything, but..." " No need." "It's been fine between us for ages." "It's about Antia..." "When we went to your house to pack up, Marian arrived..." "Antía, my child!" "I couldn't stop her seeing Antía and talking to her." "She told her all the details of Xoan's last day." "Your argument and... ..how Xoan went to sea, even though the sea was rough that day." "But Marian wasn't there, she had already gone by eleven!" "Apparently Xoan called her to find out what you had said..." "Antia didn't say anything," "She never asked me anything." "She asked me." "She wanted to confirm whether you had argued about me," "And if it was true that the sea was rough." "I had no idea about the state of the sea." "I told her that the rest was not appropriate to discuss with a child." "She got really angry, insulted me, said I was a whore..." "She blamed you and me for Xoan going out fishing." "I don't understand." "She never made the slightest reproach." "We didn't talk much, that's true," "But adolescent girls are mysterious..." "And I didn't want to overwhelm her." "The day she went traveling, Antia called me." "Hello, Ava." "How are you?" "Antia!" "Good, OK." "They have given me the diagnosis." "It's multiple sclerosis." "But don't tell your mother, I'll call her." "Ava, I would like to talk to you but I don't know if it's the right time." "She asked me the same questions." "She only changed one thing:" "she laid the blame with three people." "She included herself." "Why was it her fault?" "Her absence and having been happy at the camp." "I said I felt no guilt for what I did." "And, if we were guilty, we had suffered enough punishment." "Then Antia told me..." "Each of us got what she deserves." "You were brought up with the same freedom as my parents raised me." "When we moved to Madrid and I was in that depression, you didn't say anything," "But I stifled a tremendous sense of guilt" "For the death of your father and the man in the train." "I always avoided talking about it, I wanted you to grow up guiltless." "But you perceived it..." "And despite my silence," "I ended up infecting you as if it were a virus." "She asked to be sedated." "The reality was very hard." " Sorry, Lorenzo Gentile." " We met in the elevator in the hospital." " See you later." "Bye." " I thought to myself:" "why is this woman so beautiful and so sad." "Surely you must have come to visit someone who was very serious." "I figured it was not our beloved Ava." "To Ava..." "Ava talked about you." "What did she say?" "I have a friend you have to meet." "Ava left me an inheritance of Lorenzo." "I never told you." "There was not a single mark of yours in the house, you didn't exist." "I started a new life with him." "The days turned into weeks and weeks into months and years..." "There were days I didn't think about you." "When a former drug addict, who is clean for many years," "Slips up once, relapse is fatal." "I refrained from you for years," "But I made a mistake, lying about the hope of finding you knowing about you." "That absurd hope has devoured the weak base" "On which I had built my new life." "Now I have nothing left." "Only you exist." "Your absence fills my life completely and destroys it." "Come on. here here!" "This way!" " No." " Here, give it." "Julieta?" "Julieta!" "Julieta, it's me, Bea." "Beatriz ..." "Is it really you?" "Sure." "Are you okay, Julieta?" "Come on..." "You seemed well when I saw you..." "These two girls have reminded me of you and Antia." "They are my nieces." "What happened to you?" "The last time you were so good!" "When we met, I didn't say anything," "But I haven't seen Antia, or heard anything about her for twelve years." "Twelve years?" "Did you really find her like you said?" "Yes, I met her." "And it was very unpleasant, but I didn't want to say." "Unpleasant?" "Why?" "Antia didn't want to talk to me, she did her best to avoid me." "She said he didn't know me, that I had mistaken her for someone else." "But I knew it was her." "In the end she had no choice but to talk to me." "And what about the children, is that true?" "Yes, three." "When I saw her, she was with two of them." "But why didn't she want to talk to you?" "You were her best friend!" "We were more than that, Julieta." "After the camp we became inseparable." "Don't you remember?" "Yes, of course." "You were always together." "We couldn't live without each other!" "Too bad that in the end it was hell..." "Hell?" "I can see you know nothing." "No, I know nothing." "I went to study Design in New York to get away from your daughter." "Then one day I called Antia.." "And she told me she was going to a retreat to the Pyrenees." "It seemed fine to me as she would leave me alone." "You spoke to her again?" "You were in contact?" "Well, I called once," "But she wasn't the person I knew." "What do you mean?" "She told me she was ashamed of our relationship" "And she wanted to know nothing about me." "That she was a new person, who had finally found her way" "And I was no longer part of it." "She spoke like a fanatic, Julieta." "I was scared." "Careful!" "Call an ambulance." "Lorenzo?" "How are you?" "I have dry mouth." "Let's see..." "What a coincidence that you were there when the accident happened!" "I came back from Portugal four days ago" "I went to your house to see if I was lucky and I looked around." "But I changed my house, Lorenzo." "I no longer live there." "Yes, I know." "And how did you find out?" "For the first few days I followed you to see what you were doing." "You followed me?" "I was more obsessed than you knew." "When I realized I was turning into one of those..." "Obsessive characters of Patricia Highsmith," "Hiding around corners or..." "Standing guard around your house," "I stopped following you and I went to Portugal to write." "I returned a few days ago." "Sorry I was so awful to you, Lorenzo." "Did you read these?" "No!" "I haven't had time, nor did I dare." "Read them if you want, and then destroy them." "Dear Mum," "I don't know if you live in Madrid and if you live in the same house" "But I have no other address to write to." "I have three children." "Xoan, the eldest," "At only nine years old, he drowned in a river." "And I'm crazy with grief." "Right now" "The worst of my life," "I think of you." "Now I understand what you have suffered because of my disappearance..." "I couldn't imagine." "No one who has not suffered this can imagine it." "I won't ask for any explanation." "I just want to be with her." "But she hasn't invited me to her..." "After thirteen years she wouldn't dare, but she has given you the return address."