She fixed her eyes on him, letting the silence fill the void.

The night laid its cool touch on Leonel's skin, his face a ghostly shade. “Please. I'm begging you to let those memories go."

But Alexis felt the weight of them, immovable.

She ended the call, drew the curtain close, and turned away from his pleas.

The gifts, a tower of attempted apologies, she cornered them away. If by morning's light he hadn't reclaimed them, they'd be discarded, just like the remnants of their past. Restlessness took Alexis in its grip as night deepened. She paced, hands cradling the life within her, seeking comfort in the movement.