Alemão
The night was hot outside, but inside the studio apartment, the portable air conditioner was doing its job, easing the oppressive heat. The only sound was the low, constant hum of the machine's motor. Elize was sitting on the bed, knees bent, hands holding a coffee mug. Her eyes were fixed on the wall, but her mind seemed miles away.
I watched her from the corner of that small space. Sitting on the only available chair, with a half-empty beer bottle in hand, I couldn't tear my eyes away. Elize seemed so small in that space. So fragile. I knew something had happened after we parted, maybe she had fallen ill, but I didn't ask. It would be agony to know she had been sick and I wasn't there to hold her.
The silence between us was heavy. I wanted to speak, wanted to demand answers, bu
