In the end, my daughter never got to see all the things I had painstakingly prepared for her.
With a heavy heart, I gathered some of her belongings, determined to build a tomb for her on the island.
I did not tell Simon. He was always too busy.
More importantly, I held myself responsible for her death. This was something I needed to do alone.
When I returned to the shore and faced the vast expanse of the sea, my body trembled, my face pale.
Ever since the accident, I had developed an overwhelming fear of the ocean. Even I was so of water itself.
For three months, I could not even bring myself to take a bath, the mere thought of submersion sending shivers down my spine.
But at last, I forced myself to push past my fear and step onto a new yacht.
As the vessel cut through the waves, drawing closer to the place where my daughter was lost, my hands clenched into fists, my heart pounding with unease.
And then, I saw the island. Tears immediately welled in my eyes.
This was where we had fallen into the sea.
That day, the yacht malfunctioned. Water flooded the cabin. My daughter and I were thrown overboard. I could not swim, so within moments, I was choking, sinking into darkness.
By the time I regained consciousness, my daughter had been swallowed by the ocean’s depths and was gone forever.
There had been a captain and two crew members aboard, who were all skilled swimmers. Yet even they had failed to save her in time.
They told me that the waves had been too strong that day, making the rescue nearly impossible. They had managed to pull me out in time, but Cecilia had been swept away before they could reach her.
I collapsed, crying until I lost consciousness multiple times.
Now, as I revisited this place, memories of my daughter flooded my mind. Tears streamed down my face, unstoppable, until the yacht finally docked at the island's pier.
Holding the suitcase filled with my daughter’s belongings, I murmured sorrowfully, "Cecilia, this island was meant to be your birthday gift from Mom."
"From now on, this will be your home. Mom and Dad will visit you often. You must..."
Before I could finish, my words caught in my throat.
A deafening roar came from the center of the island.
Through the rising dust and smoke, I could vaguely make out the massive Capybara statue that I had commissioned specifically for Cecilia crumbled to the ground.