Maria's Point of View
I just couldn't focus. The more I attempted to, the restlessness in my chest kept pulling me away from the task at hand. The restaurant was quieter tonight than it customarily was, and for that, I was grateful; it gave me space to breathe, even though it didn't stop my mind from racing. My hands moved with automatic precision, wiping down the counter, but my thoughts were somewhere else.
Fredrick… Kairo…
Fredrick had left my house that morning, and the echoes of his words still swirled in the air. Always there for me, steady, supportive, dependable. He hadn't pushed, though I knew well enough that he'd been able to sense there was more going on. But what could I say? I was barely holding myself together.
And then there was Kairo.
His confession haunted me-improm
