“Thank God.”
A pause.
“Valeria, you need to come home.”
“No.”
“My parents are upset.”
Valeria nearly laughed.
“Your parents are upset?”
“You know what I mean. Tonight got out of hand.”
“Your father burned me with a cigarette while you held my wrists.”
“That’s not what happened.”
Valeria looked directly at Lucía.
“Then what happened?”
“You were hysterical. You started screaming. Dad tried to calm you down.”
“With a cigarette?”
“He barely touched you.”
Valeria’s hand tightened around the phone.
Lucía raised one finger.
Stay calm.
Nicolás continued.
“And then you destroyed the table in front of everyone. Mariana has it on video.”
There.
He had offered it without being asked.
Valeria swallowed.
“Mariana was recording?”
“She started when you became aggressive.”
“That’s interesting.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
His breathing changed.
“Have you spoken to anyone?”
“Yes. Doctors.”
“I mean police.”
Valeria allowed two seconds of silence.
“Why?”
“Because involving police will make everything worse.”
“For whom?”
“For our family.”
“Our family?”
“You’re carrying my child.”
