He lay on his side to gently stroke her belly, feeling a wave of tranquility wash over him.

The night was exceptionally peaceful.

As Elissa drifted toward sleep, she recalled her mother's visit and murmured softly, “My mom found out about my dad's affair. She came over this morning and seemed really upset.”

It had been some time since they started living together, so Raphael could easily tell what Elissa was thinking.

As soon as she mentioned it, Raphael knew what she wanted.

Before she could even say it, he asked, "You want your mother to come live with us here?"

She nodded softly in agreement and added, "But she refused. She said she wasn't sure she could adjust."

She wrapped her arms around Raphael's neck.

Raphael gently stroked her hair, his touch tender and reassuring. He knew that she was trying to shield his pride, worried about wounding his feelings.

But Raphael was no longer the proud man he once was.

Elissa continued, "My mom must be feeling resentful. Raphael, I'm worried about her."

Raphael reassured her, "You can give her a call in the morning, okay?"

Elissa leaned against his shoulder and nodded. She insisted on handling the dishes herself in the morning, asking him to leave them be. In these tender exchanges, Elissa eventually drifted off to sleep.

However, she woke up twice during the night, her body drenched in sweat from nightmares she couldn't remember.

She couldn't sleep, and Raphael stayed up with her, fetching her water and talking softly to soothe her.

Elissa asked Raphael to go to sleep after a while because he had work the next day. Softly, she told him, "You should sleep now. I'll just sit here for a little bit."

Raphael refused to leave her alone, leaning against the headboard and holding her in his arms. He gently patted her back, making her feel calmer by the second. This time, she slept soundly through the rest of the night.

When morning came, Elissa woke up to an empty bed. Raphael was not beside her. She heard muffled voices coming from the living room, mentioning something about a deceased person and a third party, though she couldn't make out the details.

Elissa quickly threw on some clothes and went out.

In the living room, several men in with badges stood conversing with Raphael. When they noticed Elissa, one of them asked, “Is this their daughter?"

Elissa froze, her face turning pale as a bad feeling swallowed her up. She turned her gaze to Raphael for an explanation.

For a long moment, she couldn't find her voice.

Raphael quickly walked over, and put an arm around her shoulder.

Speaking in a very low, gentle voice, he said, "There was a car accident last night. Neither your mother nor two others in the opposite vehicle didn't survive."