Poor Maia

Maia looked very beautiful. Despite her face being full of scars and bandages, she still looked beautiful after putting on makeup. Getting up from her ornate chair, she immediately headed to the wardrobe and opened it slowly. She intended to prepare the clothes she would wear.

Maia opened her wardrobe slowly, starting to choose which clothes to wear. Her right hand reached for a plain white dress, clean without any patterns. Yes, Maia indeed loved the color white. Almost all the clothes and dresses in the wardrobe were white. White had been Maia's favorite color since she was young. She liked white because it reflected purity and cleanliness without any blemishes as if it could refresh the eyes when looking at it.

After deciding which dress to wear, she immediately put on the dress slowly. Her hands reached back into the wardrobe; a stack of neatly arranged bags was in the upper right corner of the wardrobe. She took one in pink and filled it with her wallet, cellphone, tissues, and loose change. Then, she put on pink sneakers and wore glasses.

She sprayed her favorite red perfume bottle on her neck, the front, and the back of her dress. "Hmm, it smells so good!" she said. Maia looked very beautiful that day.

Maia was ready and immediately walked out of her room towards her two children, who were waiting in the living room. "Come on, kids, let's go!" Maia invited her two children. "Are you ready?" she asked again.

Helena and Hector nodded their heads and enthusiastically answered their mother. "We're ready to go, Mom," they replied.

The three of them immediately walked out of the house and locked the door from the outside. Sebastian had yet to show up all day; he was nowhere to be found. Since she didn't know where her husband had gone, Maia had to lock the house door from the outside.

Meanwhile, Maia, Helena, and Hector immediately got into Maia's black car. Maia drove, Hector sat in the passenger seat, and Helena sat in the back seat. They fastened their seat belts and prayed for a safe journey before they set off.

Vroom. Vroom. The sound of the car engine was quite loud. Maia revved the car's engine, which she hadn't used in a long time, so that it wouldn't stall on the way. Poor Maia is doing everything herself without the help of her husband. Sometimes, she longed for a husband who could make her feel like a complete woman, treated delicately and so special by that man. But the reality was quite the opposite. She did everything alone, like living without a husband. It was just her and her children.

Maia never showed sadness in front of her children. Although she tried to appear strong, she always showed happiness, cheerfulness, and love to her two children.

After warming up the car engine, they set off for Tijuana. On the way, they passed through fields and farms. Yes, their house was located on the outskirts of Tijuana, so it still had a natural atmosphere. The rural atmosphere with lots of trees made the air so fresh there. There was no pollution because there were rarely any vehicles around where they lived. Most people there preferred riding horses as their means of transportation. Almost all the residents there had farms and horses.

Living on the outskirts of Tijuana was truly enjoyable; they were very happy. However, one thing made them uncomfortable, and that was their father himself. He always made the situation at home tense, especially when Sebastian was drunk; he would surely cause a scene.

Maia was a religious woman. In her prayers, she always prayed for her children and husband. She wanted her husband to return to his former self, who was very good and loving towards her and their two children.

She couldn't remember when Sebastian's attitude towards their children and her had changed. Maia's prayers never ceased; her requests were always the same: for her husband to become the man she used to know and love her family.

Halfway through their journey, approximately half an hour later, they arrived in Tijuana City. Maia drove her black car at a moderate speed because she couldn't drive fast. There were many people riding horses on the road. Maia also didn't want to hurry because they enjoyed the afternoon journey. The fresh and cool atmosphere made them enjoy their journey to the city even more.

Half an hour later, at exactly two in the afternoon, they arrived in Tijuana City after a journey of about two hours.

Tijuana was a tourist destination, and Tijuana Beach was a destination for tourists visiting the city. The beach, with its white sand, was an attraction like a magnet for visitors who liked natural scenery.

Then, rumble. Rumble. Helena and Hector's stomachs growled simultaneously. Hearing the sound of their stomachs, their eyes met, and they laughed. Hahaha...

They looked very happy; there was no sadness or fear, like they were at home. "Mom," said Helena. "Our stomachs are very hungry," she said. "Yes, dear, we'll arrive at a restaurant soon," Maia replied. "Just be patient, okay?" she answered, smiling at her children.

Their car went straight to a fast-food restaurant in the city. Mister Mac was the restaurant's name, a simple and easy-to-remember name. Its location was indeed at the border. The restaurant's strategic location made tourists who were traveling always stop by for a meal or a cup of coffee or tea. After a long journey, many also stopped by to rest and stretch their hands, bodies, and legs.

Tijuana was a tourist destination and was always the top choice for most people who wanted to vacation with their families.

Screech... Maia pressed the brake pedal deeply, so the sound of the car brakes was very loud. Maia parked her car beside the fast-food restaurant's yard.

The restaurant served fast food such as crispy chicken, French fries, apple pie, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, and many other menu items that children would surely love.

Maia turned off the engine. Then, her right hand reached for the bag on the back seat. They got out of the car and hurriedly walked into the restaurant.

"Mom, I want chicken!" little Hector requested, then pointed to a big fried chicken in front of him. Smiling, Maia turned to her beloved son and nodded in agreement while walking in. "I'll have a burger, Mom!" Helena said, not wanting the same as her brother. "Okay, dear," her mother replied.