One evening, after a difficult day, Raúl found Raquel sitting alone on her terrace.
She looked tired.
He sat beside her without asking questions.
After a while, she leaned her head against his shoulder.
“Do you ever wonder what people would say if they saw us like this?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think they would talk.”
She laughed softly.
“And you don’t care?”
“I care about what happens to you. I care about whether we treat each other well. But I can’t spend my whole life trying to prevent strangers from having opinions.”
Raquel lifted her head.
“You make everything sound so simple.”
“It isn’t simple. It’s just what I believe.”
She reached for his hand.
That evening, when Raúl kissed her, there was no bargain, no offer, and no promise of a house or a car.
There were simply two people who had spent too long being afraid to trust someone.
