Chapter 9
Back at the suite, the afternoon sun flooded the living room as Maya and Leo tore open shopping bags, turning the beige rug into a colorful battlefield of tissue paper and new clothes. Leo held up a dark green flannel shirt, examining the thick, durable fabric with genuine fascination. "Feel this," he told Maya, holding it out. Maya reached out, rubbing the material between her fingers with a knowing nod. "My dad buys me clothes that feel like cardboard sometimes, but this is soft," she declared sagely. Leo let out a rare, genuine laugh—a bright, clear sound that seemed to chase the last remaining shadows from the corners of the room. Alejandro watched them from the doorway of the kitchenette, holding a cup of black coffee. He felt an unfamiliar, terrifying warmth blooming in his chest. For years, his relationship with Maya had been polite, structured, and carefully managed around visitation schedules and weekend trips to museums. He loved her fiercely, but there was always a glass wall between them, erected by the divorce and his own emotional reserve. Watching Maya easily bridge the gap with Leo—sharing snacks, showing him how the television remote worked, treating him like an equal rather than a charity case—made Alejandro realize how much warmth he had locked out of his own life. Later that afternoon, while Maya was distracted in the bedroom organizing her colored pencils, Leo walked over to where Alejandro was standing by the desk. He pulled the silver rose pendant out of his pocket, holding it out flat on his palm. "You dropped this," Leo said quietly, though Alejandro hadn't dropped anything. Alejandro looked down at the metal flower. The intricate silver petals caught the afternoon light, gleaming softly against the boy's clean palm. "It's yours, Leo," Alejandro said gently, closing the boy's fingers around it. "Your mother gave it to you. You should keep it." Leo shook his head, his dark eyes solemn. "She said give it to Alejandro. She said it means he owes us a promise." Alejandro felt the air leave his lungs. "What promise?" Leo looked up, unflinching. "She said you promised to come back before the snow came. You never came."
