Lorena: Honey, are you here? Why don’t you come into the room?
He didn’t answer.
He took a deep breath and wrote down a word:
Javier: Tal.
Then came three written words… and then nothing. Lorena looked uncertain for the first time.
A few minutes later, Javier heard light footsteps on the stairs. Lorena appeared in the kitchen doorway, wearing a silk robe and perfectly combed—too perfect for two-thirty in the morning.
“Javier, what’s going on?” he asked, feigning concern.
He didn’t look up.
“How long has Emma been sleeping in the closet?”
Lorena froze for a moment – barely noticeable, but it was enough for her.
“What’s the point of all this?” he asked with a fake smile. “Get tired, dear. Emma has a vivid imagination.”
Javier looked up. His gaze was cold.
“Emma isn’t lying.”
Lorena blinked. She changed tactics.
“Kids are exaggerating, they’re dramatic. You’re gone, they miss you. They’re just jealous, they want attention.”
“You leave me alone in the dark. For three nights in a row. And beyond.”
Lorena’s smile disappeared.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I know,” Javier said, standing up. “When it comes to my child, I don’t need proof. I believe in her tears. I believe in her trembling. I believe in her eyes.”
“Childish hysteria!” Lorena burst out. “You spoiled her! You raised her to be soft and shy!”
Javier felt something hard and merciless grow in his chest.
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