My days had been reduced to two things:thinking about Rafael… and being with Rafael.
In the spare moments, I remembered I had to be a functional student and paid attention in class. But honestly? The most alive part of my day began when I walked out through the gate and saw him leaning against some wall, waiting for me in the most natural way in the world. As if it had always been like that.
At night, watching an episode of the series together had already become a habit. Popcorn, a shared couch, his arm resting behind my shoulders… all of it had started without any planning at all, but now it felt impossible to imagine my routine without that. Without him.
Every now and then the thought would slip in:Where does he go every night?But it was a thought that came and went. As if my body knew that forcing answers now would only ruin what we had. I trusted that, when the time came, he would tell me. And until then… I was fine. Ridiculously fine.
Evelyn was far too busy with her new boyfriend to pull my feet back to the ground. In love, happy, filling my phone with photos and voice messages every twenty minutes. That took up a good part of her weekends.
And Daniel… well… Daniel kept trying.
He still showed up, still asked questions, still looked for openings. But he had slowed down, maybe because I'd made it clear, in every possible way, that it wasn't going to be that way.
Between one class and another, between one smile from Rafael and the next, my life felt simple for the first time since I arrived in that city.
Simple — and far too good to last forever.
I thought that with a strange twinge, almost as if the back of my chest already knew the calm had an expiration date. And as if the universe had overheard that crooked thought, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
I stepped out of the classroom, still with half my mind glued to Rafael, pulled out my phone, and looked at the screen.
Mom.
The ground seemed to step back away from me.
My stomach flipped instantly.She knew I was in class. My mother never called at that hour.
I answered before even thinking.
— Hello? Mom?
Silence.
Then a voice I'd never heard before.
— Hello? Are you Mrs. Ingrid's daughter? — a woman asked, professional but gentle. — This is Nurse Clara, from Santa Brígida Hospital.
My entire body went cold.
— Where is my mother? — my voice came out thin, almost weak.
— Calm down, dear… your parents were in a car accident a short while ago. They're already being treated. It doesn't seem to be anything serious, but…
The hallway faded away. The noise around me too. There was only that voice.
— But what? — I managed to ask, pressing my hand to the wall.
— They'll need to stay hospitalized for a few days for observation. And… the number saved as "dear daughter" was the last one your mother dialed. That's why I'm calling. We need a family member to come fill out paperwork and accompany the process. Are you nearby?
I took a deep breath, trying to hold the world in place.My vision trembled.
— I… no — I answered, feeling my throat tighten. — I'm in another city. But I… I'll find a way to get there.
I stood there for a few seconds, the phone still pressed to my ear, as if my body hadn't yet understood what my mind already knew.
My parents… Hospital… Admitted.
When I managed to move my legs, I turned and went back into the classroom. Everything felt out of place… the voices, the desks, the board. As if I were walking through a bad dream.
I grabbed my things quickly — backpack, notebook, phone — without really looking.
Evelyn stood up immediately.
— Helena? What happened? You're pale.
I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn't come out right.
— I… something urgent came up — I said, my voice faltering a little. — I'll explain later, I promise. I need to go now.
She took a step toward me.
— Do you want me to go with you?
I just shook my head.
— No. It's okay… I just need to go.
I left before she could insist. The hallway felt too long, my heart beating far too fast.
As soon as I was alone, I typed the shortest message possible to Rafael, because if I tried to write more, I would fall apart right there:
"My parents were in an accident. I'm going to the terminal. I'll explain later."
Sent.
Two seconds later, my phone vibrated.
"Where are you?""Don't do anything alone. Wait for me… I'm coming now."
My chest tightened.
I didn't even know if I could wait.But just reading that… already made the ground stop swaying for a moment.
I stopped near the side gate of the university, where the street was quieter. I leaned my back against the wall and tried to keep air in my lungs. My hands were shaking uncontrollably.
It was only a few minutes…Few, but they felt like hours.
And then I saw him.
Rafael was coming in long, hurried strides. The instant our eyes met, my chest opened as if something inside me had been unlocked.
Relief came hot, strong, almost painful.
He stopped in front of me, still slightly out of breath.
— Helena… — his voice was firm but low. — Tell me straight… what happened?
I tried to speak.
I really did.
But the word "accident" barely left my mouth before everything collapsed.
The crying came all at once, uncontrollable. Rafael didn't hesitate for even half a second — one hand went to the back of my neck, the other to my waist, and suddenly I was pressed against his chest, breathing in the familiar smell of his T-shirt, the warmth of his skin, as if it were the only safe place left in the universe.
— Calm down… calm down, Helena — he murmured into my hair. — Breathe, I'm here with you.
I tried to pull in air, but the sob came with it.
He loosened the hug just enough to look at my face.
— You need to be able to think — he said, lightly brushing his thumb across my face, wiping away a tear I hadn't even felt fall. — We're going to handle this. But first, breathe with me.
I obeyed. I inhaled, shaking… exhaled, feeling my chest burn.
He matched the rhythm with me until my breathing loosened a little.
— You need to go home — he said, still firm but gentler now. — Get documents, some clothes, money. The basics.
I nodded slowly, trying to control the tremble in my chin.
— I'm going too — he continued. — I'll stop by my place, get my things. I'm not letting you go alone.
My throat tightened, but this time it wasn't fear.
— Rafael… — I whispered, barely any voice left.
He shook his head, like he already knew what I was about to say and wouldn't allow it.
— Don't argue with me now — he said, firm.
I was still afraid of what waited for me at the hospital… afraid of everything. But as he steadied me, guiding my steps… the fear grew smaller. And I realized that, if there was a way to face that day, it was with him by my side.