Alejandra couldn’t believe it. It felt normal that after the wedding, now a baby was on the way. But at the same time, it felt surreal to become an auntie, to have her best friend deliver a baby and have a mix of Sofia and Ilias around.
They kept talking. Crying, laughing, sobbing, smiling. And Alejandra needed that cry. She needed to scream. She needed someone who would just listen. Sofia had always been that person. The one who saw her clearly, since they were kids. And now, knowing Sofia was creating life inside her, building something beautiful… Maybe that was the spark Alejandra needed. Maybe that could help her begin to heal. Maybe it could give her a sense of purpose, even if it was just the first step. It could be the reminder that life kept going on, even when it didn’t look like it. And Alejandra had always loved life. She just had to restart loving it in a different way.
19
CALLUM
23 - Morat
“Have you texted Alejandra again?”Asma asked as Callum handed her a beer. And for a second, he thought to bring the beer back to where he found it. Why did she always have to ask the most annoying questions after a terrible day?
Leif and her had come to his apartment after work. A late-night call with the States had been scheduled—to his utter annoyance—and they were still in their office clothes. Asma wanted to decompress with her best friends, and because he didn’t feel it in himself to say that he just wanted to stay alone, he had agreed, and Leif had followed.
Callum had just untied his tie, taken off his jacket, and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt.
“Nope. No contact. We were pretty clear about it,” he replied, trying to mask the annoyance in his voice.
He didn’t know if he was more annoyed that Asma asked, or that Alejandra didn’t contact him. He had seen her stories on Instagram—he had given up to that curiosity. She seemed happy, recovering, and so why didn't she want to contact him?
She’d been the one to set the no contact rule, saying that what was going on between them would only make things harder for her career. And yet, not even a date with a gorgeous, model-looking woman had managed to shake loose the wild surfer he’d spent one unforgettable night with four months earlier.
God, he was such an idiot.
“Do we have to stage another intervention? Do I have to call all my single friends to help you forget her?” Asma asked. He didn’t know if she was joking or not. “By the way, it’s a pity it didn’t work. You and Ale looked good together. And you were smiling. That hasn’t happened much lately.”
“I’m always smiling.”
“Yeah, but not really,” Leif cut in, cracking his neck as he checked his phone.
“What does that even mean?”
“It means you smile, but only with your face. Not with your eyes. You’re clearly not happy. At the wedding with Ale, you were. Like, genuinely. Sure, the booze probably helped but still. You were glowing. Look, I snatched a photo.”
He shook his head. “And you’re showing me now? Months later?”
“You two weren’t talking. I staged an intervention. I didn’t want to make it worse.”
“And why are you showing me now?”
“Because you are a lost cause,” Leif interjected.
Asma nodded. “Here’s the picture.”
He took the phone and his heart clenched.
He was smiling. No, beaming.
They were seated at the round table, mid-conversation. Alejandra was stunning in that green dress that matched her eyes. Her black waves fell down her back, her golden jewelry shimmered in the low light. She was laughing, her whole face lit up, looking at him like he was the only person in the room. He had his arm slung over the back of her chair, leaning in, laughing too.
Fuck, Alejandra, why?
Was a chance at love less important than medals?
Just then, Sofia’s name popped up on Asma’s phone interrupting his self-pity spiral.
“Sofi’s calling.”
Asma frowned, grabbed the phone, and put her on speaker. “Hola, Sofia. Weird time to call. You’re on speaker—Leif and Callum are here too.”
