Even the air felt heavier.
“What?” I said, barely above a whisper.
She swallowed.
“The doctor said it could happen,” she said. “At any time.”
I shook my head.
“No one told me that.”
“We tried,” Daniela said, tears forming in her eyes. “You wouldn’t listen.”
“I’m not—”
“You are,” Marina said, her voice breaking. “You’re stubborn, and you’re scared, and you’d rather ignore it than face it.”
I stepped back.
The walls felt closer.
“You said ‘old man’s last night,’” I said.
Marina closed her eyes.
Then opened them again.
“Yes,” she said.
“Because we thought it might be.”
Everything inside me went quiet again.
But this time—
It wasn’t shock.
It was understanding.
Slow.
Reluctant.
Painful.
