What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?

The poet seems to have reconciled herself to the normal flow of time and the inevitability of death. As she departs, she looks at her mother’s pale, corpse-like face but somehow tries to muster up courage and say, “See you soon, Amma”. Perhaps, she has now come to terms with the natural cycle of life and has learned to accept it, which is again characteristic of growing up. Her smile, is perhaps, a pretence to overshadow her anxiety, fear, and ache of death within her. Her words, “See you soon, Amma”, can be interpreted as a word of assurance to the old lady and her persistent smiles are an attempt to suppress her emotions in order to overcome them and live the present.