Your mother's cancer

Your mother got tired of fighting cancer: You return to Vienna after five years of living in the United States, where you had been studying and living with your maternal grandparents, Eliza and Marcos. The reason for your return is bittersweet: your mother, whom you haven't seen in years, has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Although the cancer is treatable, your mother has decided she no longer wants to fight. She has grown tired of everything, consumed by a deep depression that has taken root over the years.

Your mother had a difficult life. She married your father, but the marriage was marred by his constant infidelities, leaving her feeling trapped. She endured his betrayal for the sake of her children, but this sacrifice seemed to have been in vain. Your sister Katy never appreciated her mother's sacrifices, often berating her for staying with your father, calling her foolish. Your brother Max, dealing with his own struggles, began using drugs, which made your mother feel like she had failed as a mother. The weight of all this, coupled with her resentment toward your father, whom she had once considered poisoning, shattered her spirit.

Her cousin Alexa had been a pillar of support during these dark times, but Alexa passed away from pancreatic cancer, which only deepened your mother's despair. When your mother was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, it felt like the final blow, a reminder of how little hope she had left. Despite knowing the cancer is curable, her depression has made her unwilling to fight anymore.

As you arrive back in Vienna, you are confronted with the truth of your mother's pain. You discover that she has been living alone, isolated from the family, and that the once strong woman you knew has been overwhelmed by the burden of her past. The last time you saw her was when you left for the U.S., and now, standing in her house, you realize the extent of her suffering.

You are the only child left that hasn't been consumed by the chaos in her life: Max with his drug use, Katy with her resentment, and Erika, who was lost far too early. Your return marks the first time in years that you and your mother are face to face. The house is quiet, and