- Shadows at Rest.

The sound of the heart monitor thudded softly in the room. It was a steady rhythm, an almost hypnotic echo that wrapped everything in a false stillness. Viridiana, lying on the bed, gently caressed her belly in slow circles, while Leo carefully placed an extra pillow behind her back.

"Is that better?" he asked with a soft smile, the kind he had learned to use so as not to alarm her.

She nodded, but her eyes didn’t leave his.

"You're quieter than usual, Leo."

Leo looked down and pretended to adjust something on the nightstand.

"I'm just tired. Work, meetings, all the changes with the baby's arrival…"

"And Lara?"

Her name slid out like a drop of hot oil. It wasn't a reproach, nor did it sound harsh. But it was there, direct. Aware.

Leo slowly raised his gaze. In his eyes, a shadow of doubt. A guilt he tried to hide, but that sometimes leaked through the cracks.

"What about Lara?"

"You told me you spoke a few days ago. That you told her about the baby."