They knew Raquel had helped them.
But Raúl had never told them that he intended to marry her.
He had postponed the conversation because he wanted to introduce her properly, without allowing their opinions to determine his decision before they had even met.
When he finally announced that he was bringing his fiancée to visit, Nadia clapped her hands.
“Your fiancée? At last!”
Fatou laughed.
“Does she know how stubborn you are?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Raúl replied.
Their mother smiled from her chair.
“I only hope she makes you happy.”
“She does, Mama.”
“Then I want to meet her.”
Raúl promised that they would all have lunch together.
On the morning of the visit, Nadia and Fatou spent time preparing the house. They arranged flowers, cleaned the living room, and argued over which dishes to serve.
Neither knew the woman’s name.
They assumed their brother had met someone close to his own age.
