“No? Then why have you been hiding out at her house?”
Her lips part, then press together, her thoughts scattering before she can grab hold of any of them. She knows she should have gone home weeks ago, but in this tiny sliver of Camano Island, Brooke can’t reach her. Nothing here belongs to them—nothing here is haunted. That absence has made healing feel almost effortless, like she’s found some loophole in her own grief.
Valeria squeezes her eyes shut, tension coiling tight in her shoulders because, as much as that’s true, her not leaving isn’t just because of that. It’s also because she hadn’t wanted to. She’s been happy here, tucked into this quiet little cocoon with Camila, where everything is warm, safe, and gentle, but that’s a truth she’s barely come to terms with herself, and sharing right now isn’t really something she wants to do.
She lifts her head with a shaky breath and lets it fall out of her slowly. “It’s the only place I don’t have memories with Brooke,” she admits. “It’s the only place that makes me feel good.”
Alejandra hums.
“Do you think it’s silly?”
“Not at all. Do what you need to do. No one gets to decide the pace of your healing or how you do it but you, and if you’re not ready to go home, that’s okay.”
A small, trembling breath slips out of Valeria, barely enough to steady the quiver in her ribs. Her fingers tighten around the phone. “Thank you, Ale, but I’m going home today. Cam’s taking me when she gets back from work.”
“Want Clara and me to meet you there?”
Valeria shakes her head even though Alejandra can’t see her. “No, I’ll have Camila, but thank you.”
I’ll have Camila.The thought settles deeper than expected, unsettling in the gentlest way.
“Okay, well, I’m glad you have a friend to lean on, and if you ever need anything, Clara and I are here for you, okay? We love you.”
A soft heat stirs in Valeria’s chest. “I love you both. Thank you.”
When they hang up, Valeria lets the phone fall onto the couch. Her shoulders sag, the air leaving her in a long, shaky exhale. She walks toward the kitchen, pours herself some water, and for a moment, she stands there, hunched over, palms pressed to her thighs. She shuts her eyes hard until all she sees are splotches of color. She pulls in another breath, deeper this time, easing the tight band around her chest.
The door to Camila’s house opens, and Valeria hears Miso meow, followed by her tiny footsteps thudding on the hardwood floors.
“Hi, sweet girl,” Camila coos. “I missed you.”
Camila isn’t even talking to Valeria, but her voice eases the rest of the ache, and Valeria smiles. Camila is home early. Heat pools low in her rib cage and spreads through her chest at the realization. Her heart slows its rhythm, and her muscles loosen as if melting.
“Val?” Camila calls when she doesn’t spot Valeria in her usual cocoon of blankets on the couch—or at least, that’s what Valeria assumes.
“Kitchen!” she shouts.
Camila leans into the doorway, a smile already forming. “Hey.”
“Hi,” Valeria says, returning it without thinking. The insistent flutter in her stomach stirs to life as it has the last few weeks, but she pointedly ignores it. “How was work?”
“It was good. Busy,” she says as she steps into thekitchen. “The painting I’m restoring for Ella is turning into way more of a project than I expected.”
“Yeah? What’s going on with it?” Valeria doesn’t fully understand all that goes into Camila’s restoration projects, but every day she asks about it. She enjoys seeing Camila get excited when talking about work.
“The gash is much bigger than I initially thought. I’ve had to glue canvas pieces onto the original and sand everything down to make it paintable again.” She laughs, rubbing at the back of her neck. Something Valeria has learned Camila does when she’s a bit self-conscious or nervous. “It’s one of those things that sounds simple until you’re actually doing it.”
“I believe you.”
“Anyway, what have you been up to today? Are you ready to go to your apartment later?”
“For the most part,” Valeria replies, absentmindedly turning the ring on her index finger.
All morning, she’s been doing breathing exercises. She even tried meditating to help clear her mind, but she doesn’t think she was doing it correctly because her mind was anything but clear. Each time she tried to focus on her breath, it seemed to drift away from her.
“Well, there’s always tomorrow.”
Valeria shakes her head quickly. “No, I want to go today. I need to give you your space back. I’ve imposed so much already.”
