The Missed call

In another part of the city, Natalia, Alessandro's fiancée, sat on the soft white couch in his fancy apartment, trying to hide her annoyance. The table in front of her was filled with a fancy dinner she had carefully arranged, with candles lit, waiting for him to come home.

Her phone buzzed. She picked it up, her perfectly manicured nails tapping the screen. It was another message from her mother:

Is Alessandro back yet? He shouldn't leave you waiting like this.

Natalia set the phone down with a frustrated sigh. She had expected Alessandro hours ago, and his silence gnawed at her.

Pouring herself another glass of wine, she began pacing up and down her mind fuming.

As Alessandro was putting Isla back to bed, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and saw Natalia's name on the screen. He paused for a second, unsure whether to answer the call.