"I think we're pretty far away now, Maribel," Carmen said with a small laugh as the two women continued walking, leaving the others further and further behind.
Maribel glanced over her shoulder.
The voices of the others had already faded into the distance, becoming little more than muffled sounds carried by the wind. They had deliberately chosen a quiet path away from the group, giving them enough privacy that their conversation wouldn't be overheard.
"Right…" Maribel nodded.
She nodded, but unlike Carmen, she didn't laugh.
Instead, she fell silent.
Carmen noticed immediately.
She slowed her pace and looked at her companion with a curious expression. There was something different about Maribel. She had been unusually quiet ever since they had left the others, almost as if she were struggling to find the right words.
"Maribel?"
"Hm?"
"You wanted to talk to me about something, didn't you?"
Maribel hesitated.
