With Ricardo, the man who told her he loved her every night before going to sleep.

Mariana opened the door with her fingerprint, her heart pounding like the first time she visited her boyfriend.

The two-story house was silent, filled with the smell of freshly used floor cleaner. She had barely set her suitcase down when she heard hurried footsteps coming down the stairs.

“You’re back, my love!” Ricardo exclaimed, hugging her as if he hadn’t seen her for a whole year. He held her so tightly she almost couldn’t breathe, and then smiled broadly:
“Let’s go to the bedroom! I missed you so much!”