Red_Roses_and_Black_Dahlias_-_Macy_T

just nodded, not really knowing what to say to that and watched as Andrea
disappeared in the hallway.
I stared into the distance, trying to gather my wits. Finally, I exhaled a
long breath and got up, ready to check on Sofia. Deep down, I was totally
freaking out, but I tried not to let it show. I had to be strong and put together,
for Valentina but also for Sofia. We couldn’t both be panicking, someone had
to anchor the other.
She was still sleeping when I arrived in my room, but it looked like she
was having a nightmare. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she shook her
head relentlessly, muttering in Spanish under her breath.
Fuck, I really needed to start learning the language.
Sitting down on the side of the bed, I caressed her face as slowly and
softly as I could. She looked so anguished, so vulnerable right then. Knowing
there was nothing I could do about it felt like being ripped apart.
I kept on replaying how well the day had started, how well everything
was going before two hours ago. It seemed to be a recurring thing with us,
every time things were good, something came up and seemed to wreck that
fragile peace we’d built.
Earlier, when I tried to enter the room and take her in my arms, Valentina
seemed so fucking scared and lost, it truly broke my heart. As if her little
shoulders hadn’t held more than enough weight already.
Sofia tensed in her sleep, right before she shot up straight, gasping and
startling me. Her eyes were wide and red with tears I hadn’t even noticed
until then. She was breathing erratically, chest moving up and down as she
took in her surroundings.
“Rosita!” She exclaimed, still in a daze.
When she saw she was in my room, which, quite frankly, had become our
room through the last month, since she spent almost all her nights here, her