I thought I buried it.
But now… everything’s resurfacing.
I wipe my face roughly, my hands still shaking.
Before I can think too hard, I grab my phone and call the only person who’s ever seen me at my worst. The only one who knows everything.
Alexandra. My little sister.
She picks up after two rings.
“Della?” Her voice is warm, but laced with worry. “What’s wrong? It must be, what—five a.m. back there.”
“They’re back.” I whisper, my voice breaking.
Her breath catches.
And just like that, I’m not alone anymore.
“The nightmares?”
I nod, even though she can’t see me. “Yeah.”
“How bad?”
I let out a shaky breath, wiping at my face.
“Bad,” I admit, my voice breaking. “I thought I was past this, Ale. I thought I was stronger.”
She doesn’t rush to fill the silence. She never has. Alexandra has always known how to hold space for pain.
“You are strong,” she says softly. “But strength doesn’t mean forgetting. Or locking memories away in a hidden drawer.”
Her words sink deep, cracking something in me.
I close my eyes.
“It must be noon there. Is Eleni napping?” I ask, desperate to shift the focus.
Alexandra lets out a soft, tired laugh. “Like an angel. Noon siesta.”
“And you, Ale? How are you?”
She lets out a soft, knowing laugh. “Not having a siesta, for sure.”
I catch something in her voice—tired, maybe a little strained—but before I can ask, she continues.
“Same old. Javier’s away most of the day, working too much. I’m trying not to kill him—or anyone else—from the lack of sleep or social life.”
Then her voice shifts, softening. “But honestly, none of it matters when I see Eleni smiling and playing. It all feels… worth it. She’s learning new words every five minutes now. She’s gotyourstubbornness, by the way.”
That tugs a faint smile from me, even as something in my chest pulls tight.
“I wish there was something I could do to help,” I murmur, even though I know how far away I am—and how raw that topic still is for me.
Alexandra doesn’t miss a beat. “You just did. You called.”
I swallow hard, blinking up at the ceiling.
