Until I got out of bed. And I saw the sheet.
There was a red spot.
It wasn’t big. But it was there. Clara. Impossible to ignore.
I was paralyzed. Elena turned around, saw my face and, for a second, I would swear she was scared too. He ran to the bed, pulled the sheet away and said, too quickly, that it was nothing, that I didn’t ask questions and that I would better shower because I had work to do.
It was not the answer from someone who was calm. It was someone’s response that hid something.
That morning I stayed in the shower longer than necessary. The water fell on my neck, but I couldn’t silence that strange feeling that had settled in my stomach. Something was wrong.
When I got out again, Elena was already dressed.
The sheet was gone.
The room smelled of perfume and cold coffee.
She avoided my gaze.
— Elena…
“Don’t start, Carlos.
— Then explain it.
He closed his eyes for a second, like one who tries to contain a truth too heavy.
