Chapter 22
The room was quiet, save for the soft clink of wine glasses and the occasional murmur of conversation. Carina sat back against the couch, her eyes fixed on her phone, her fingers toying with the edge of the screen. Maya sat across from her.
It had been a calm evening—until now.
Carina’s phone rang, and the name on the screen made her stiffen. Andrea.
Maya watched as Carina hesitated before answering. “Ciao, Andrea,” she greeted, her voice neutral.
“Sorella,” Andrea’s voice came through, the familiar Italian warmth coating every syllable. “How are you? I hope I’m not interrupting.”
Carina’s lips curled into a tight smile, though her eyes were distant. “I’m fine. What’s going on?”
Andrea’s voice grew more insistent, as it always did when he wanted something. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. I have an opportunity for you.”
Carina’s brow furrowed, but she didn’t interrupt. Maya leaned forward slightly, sensing something important was about to happen.
“There’s a spot open here at the hospital,” Andrea continued smoothly. “An OB-GYN position. It’s a great opportunity, and it’s yours if you want it.”
Carina’s heart skipped a beat, but she tried to keep her voice calm. “I’m not sure if… I know I have said, that’s something I want to go back to, Andrea. But working with you?”
But Andrea didn’t seem deterred. “Come on, sorella. You know you can’t run from this. It’s what you do. The hospital needs you. I need you. It’s perfect timing, and they’ve been asking for someone with your skills. You can’t let this pass by.”
Carina closed her eyes for a brief moment, the weight of her brother’s words pressing down on her chest. She wanted to argue, wanted to resist. But something in her made her pause.
“Non è così semplice,” she muttered under her breath.
Andrea’s voice softened, though there was still a note of insistence. “Carina, please. Senti me. You’ve been running long enough. You can’t keep hiding. Torna a casa. Come back, do the job you’re meant to do.”
Carina could hear his concern, the pressure he was putting on her, but there was no denying the pull of his words. She bit her lip, her thoughts a whirlwind.
Maya, watching the conversation unfold, leaned forward, her voice quiet but steady. “Carina, I think you should do it.”
Carina blinked, caught off guard by Maya’s sudden interjection. “What?”
“I mean it,” Maya said, her voice firm. “I know you’re scared, but you shouldn’t keep running from it. You’re good at it. You’re great at it. You deserve this.”
Carina stared at her, surprised by the intensity in Maya’s words. “Maya, you don’t understand—”
“No, I do,” Maya interrupted, her voice soft but insistent. “I get it. Trust me. I get it better than you think. But you can’t keep hiding from what you’re good at. You can’t keep running away from something that could make you happy.”
Carina shook her head, conflicted. “I’m not sure I’m ready for it right now…”
Maya’s gaze softened. “But maybe you’ll never be ready until you try. If you don’t take the job, you’ll always wonder what might’ve been. And you know that’ll eat at you.”
Carina let out a breath, torn between the pull of her past and the unknown future Maya was urging her toward. She glanced back at the phone, where Andrea’s voice was still waiting for her response.
“Andrea, I’ll think about it,” she said finally, her tone hesitant.
Maya nodded, standing up and walking over to the window. “Just… don’t run from it because you’re scared, Carina.”
Carina watched her for a moment, unsure of what to say. But before she could speak, Andrea’s voice cut through again, now more demanding. “Carina, ascoltami,” he urged in rapid Italian. “This is what you were born to do. You can’t keep hiding. The hospital needs you. I need you.”
Carina’s eyes narrowed, but this time, she couldn’t ignore the truth in his words. She needed it, too. She needed to stop running.
“Non so…” she began, but Andrea interrupted, his voice low but insistent.
“Non fare la stupida, Carina. Torna.” The command was clear, almost like a slap in the face. “The job is waiting for you. Per favore, don’t turn it down because you’re not wanting to work with me. I`ll behave, I promise. And think about it: If you work with me close by you don`t have to worry about me constantly.”
Carina’s chest tightened, but there was no denying the truth in his words.
With a deep breath, Carina hung up the phone and turned to Maya. “I’m doing it.”
Maya smiled softly, her eyes full of understanding. “Good. You’ll be great.”
Carina nodded, feeling the weight of her decision settle in.
The days after Carina's decision to return to the hospital passed in a blur. There was a sense of quiet resolve in her, like a weight had lifted off her shoulders, but at the same time, there was a new tension simmering beneath the surface. She had made the choice. Now it was time to return to the life she had run from, to the work she had once loved and abandoned in search of something else.
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The very same evening, Carina looked over at Maya, her expression unreadable. Maya was flipping through a book, looking so absorbed in the pages that she didn’t notice Carina’s gaze.
Finally, Carina broke the silence.
“You know, Maya,” she began, her voice thoughtful, “I think you should start training as a firefighter.”
Maya blinked, her fingers stilling on the page. She looked up at Carina, confusion etched on her face. “What?”
Carina leaned back against the couch, folding her arms across her chest. “You’ve always wanted to do it. You’ve always dreamed about it, even when you were a kid. But you’re not doing it, are you?”
Maya hesitated. “You’re right. But it’s not that simple, Carina. Firefighting isn’t just something you can decide to do overnight.”
Carina smiled, a quiet knowing smile that held something almost like challenge. “So what? You think that means you shouldn’t try? Because it’s not easy? You know what it’s like to take the easy way out, Maya. I think you should stop running from it and start taking the steps to make it real. If I am going back to being an OB-Gyn, you should follow your passion, too!”
Maya swallowed hard, the words hitting deeper than Carina probably intended. “I am not like you, Carina,” she said softly. “You know what you’re doing. You have been trained for this your whole life. You don’t just start over when you’re in your thirties. I—”
“Why not?” Carina interrupted, her voice firm but not unkind. “Why can’t you? Because it’s hard? Because it scares you? Look, I know that feeling. Hell, I feel it every day, stepping back into a world I left behind. But you can’t let fear rule you forever.” She leaned forward, her eyes locking onto Maya’s. “If you want this, if it’s your dream, then you owe it to yourself to try. Don’t let your fear of failing keep you from something you really want. I want you to chase it, Maya. You deserve to chase it.”
Maya’s chest tightened. “But what if I fail?”
Carina didn’t hesitate. “Then you get back up. You fail, you learn, and you keep going. That’s how it works. Trust me, I know. Look at me.” She gestured to herself with a half-laugh. “I’ve failed more times than I care to count. But I’ve never stopped moving forward.”
Maya studied her for a long moment, her thoughts racing. She wanted to argue. She wanted to tell Carina that it was easier said than done, that life didn’t always work out the way you wanted it to. But the way Carina was looking at her, the sincerity in her voice—it made Maya wonder if maybe, just maybe, she had a point.
“I don’t know,” Maya admitted, her voice soft. “It feels like such a huge leap. What if I can’t make it? What if I’m just not... cut out for it?”
Carina gave a small, knowing smile. “Then you will make it, Maya. I have no doubt. You’ve got the heart, the strength, and the courage. Now you just have to show yourself that you’re willing to fight for it.”
Maya was quiet for a long moment, the words settling inside her like seeds, growing roots. She didn’t know if she was ready, didn’t know if she was strong enough for what it would take. But Carina’s belief in her, the way she was looking at her—like she had all the faith in the world—that was something Maya hadn’t experienced in a long time. It made her want to try.
“I don’t know where to start,” Maya said finally, her voice still uncertain but no longer full of doubt.
Carina chuckled softly. “That’s the easiest part. There are fire academies, training programs—hell, even volunteer firefighter positions you could look into. You just have to make the first move.”
Maya nodded slowly, her fingers absentmindedly tapping against the armrest. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”
“No. Don’t just think about it. Do it.”
Maya looked at Carina, seeing the fire in her eyes, the unspoken challenge. For a moment, she felt like she could do anything. She could take that first step. She could try.
“What about you?” Maya asked softly, a smirk pulling at her lips. “You’re going back to being a doctor. You’re gonna be so busy. How are you gonna juggle that with everything else?”
Carina grinned, the familiar mischievous spark lighting up her eyes. “Don’t worry about me, Maya. I’ve got this. And so do you.”
Maya let out a breath, feeling something shift inside her.
“I’ll do it,” Maya said, her voice steady. “I’ll train to become a firefighter.”
Carina’s eyes softened, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “I knew you would.”
Maya felt a new sense of purpose growing inside her. Maybe it wouldn’t be easy. But for the first time, she wasn’t running. She was moving toward something that scared her, toward something she truly wanted.
And with Carina’s belief in her, she sure as hell would be unstoppable.
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The final day of filming for the season felt like a strange mix of relief and finality. The set had been buzzing with activity for weeks, the long hours of rehearsals, the camera angles, and the late-night shoots all finally coming to an end. The crew began to pack up their equipment, and the cast members were exchanging hugs and farewells, but for Carina and Maya, something had shifted.
The world they had lived in for months—the world of scripted drama was suddenly distant. There was no excitement, no passion, no sense of fulfillment. For Carina, it was clear. This wasn’t her life anymore.
Beside her, Maya stood, looking at the set like it was a distant memory. A part of her felt grateful for the experience—the laughter, the friendships, the learning—but another part, a bigger part, felt an undeniable pull toward pursuing her dream of becoming a firefighter. Thanks to Carina, she had found a fire in herself that could no longer be ignored.
Carina was the first to speak up. “Bambina,” she said, her voice soft but resolute. “We’re done, right?”
Maya looked at her, her expression thoughtful. “Yeah. I think so.”
Carina nodded, her gaze sweeping over the empty set one last time. “I never really thought I’d miss the stage lights, but here I am, ready to walk away from it all.”
“I think we both are,” Maya replied. "Together."
Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Miranda Bailey, the show's producer. She was dressed in her usual no-nonsense attire: a sharp blazer, dark jeans, and perfectly polished boots, though today her sharp features were softened by an expression of surprise, mixed with the familiarity of someone who had seen this decision coming from a mile away.
“Well, well, well,” Miranda said, her voice thick with disbelief but with a hint of amusement. “You two decided to actually leave?”
Carina smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. “You knew it was coming, Miranda. Let’s be real.”
Miranda raised an eyebrow. “I did. And you at least finished the season. Not just... disappear after the last episode.”
Maya sighed, rubbing her neck. “It wasn’t an easy decision. But it’s time to move on.”
Carina nodded in agreement. “Same here. This world—it was fun, but it doesn’t fill me up the way I thought it would. I need something that feels real, you know?”
Miranda studied them both carefully, her sharp eyes taking in the shift in their demeanor. “I figured as much. You both had that... distant look to you. Like you were just going through the motions.” She chuckled softly, more to herself than anyone else. “I’ve been producing for years. I can tell when someone’s done.”
Maya smiled wryly. “Yeah, I guess we weren’t very good at pretending.”
“You weren’t pretending,” Miranda countered, her tone softening. “You were living. And sometimes that means the story’s over. For you, it just happens to be now. I get it.” She crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “It’s rare, though, for someone to walk away like this—especially when the world is watching. But you two? You’ve never been afraid of making a decision. I respect that.”
Carina raised an eyebrow. “You’re not upset?”
Miranda shrugged. “Upset? I can’t say I’m thrilled about losing two talented actresses, but you know what? I’ve worked with a lot of people who are just in it for the fame, for the glam. But you two... you’re different. You don’t need to be here to prove anything to anyone. You’ve already got everything you need to make your own path.”
Maya let out a breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “You always knew, didn’t you?”
Miranda smiled faintly. “I had my suspicions. Not with you to be honest. But I knew that Carina would return eventually top her true calling. And that you want to persue your dream job now, too and start training as a firefighter, well it is remarkable. This isn’t the end of your careers; it’s just the end of a chapter. What happens next is up to you.”
Carina and Maya exchanged a glance.
“I guess we’ll figure it out, one step at a time,” Carina said, looking at Maya with a slight smile.
Maya returned the smile, nodding. “Yeah, we will. It’s just... time for something else.”
Miranda’s expression softened. “I wish you all the best. And don`t become strangers.”
Carina chuckled. “Thanks, Miranda. We won`t. Maybe we’ll even come back someday—for a guest role- if we’re not too busy saving the world or whatever we end up doing next.”
Miranda smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.”
As Miranda turned to leave, Carina and Maya shared one last look before they followed her out of the set. The lights were dimming, the last shots were finished, and the familiar world of acting was slowly fading into the past.