I had spent the morning hours with some of the housemaids preparing my mother’s new room for her. My sleeves were rolled up, my hair tied in a messy bun, and for the first time in a long while, I didn’t care that my manicured nails had smudges of dust on them.

I wanted everything to be perfect. 

“This should go to the corner,” I said, pointing to the small vase filled with white lilies. 

One of the maids nodded, moving it obediently to the bedside table. “Will that be all, ...