On a gray morning with gentle rain, a taxi emerged from the outskirts of the small town, carrying two women dressed in black.
In the back seat, Rihana sat in silence, gazing out the window at the wet ground.
Beside her, Salima clutched a brown envelope tightly, as if it held something far heavier than mere paper.
The journey to the city was long—not in words, but in shallow breaths and deep thoughts.
Rihana was silently reflecting on what it meant to become the wife of a man she didn't know—just to preserve the dignity of her late father.
They arrived at the lawyer's office, located in an old building, where Leonardo and his mother Maria had already arrived.
As Rihana entered, Leonardo stood from his seat.
His gaze wasn't sharp as usual—it was tinged with something unreadable… perhaps even sadness.
The lawyer, an elderly man with thick glasses, was reviewing papers with tired eyes.
He opened a file and said:
— "The agreement is clear: Mr. Leonardo will settle the late Ahmad's debts, provided that the marriage is legally confirmed by signatures from both parties and the legal guardian."
Then, turning to Salima, he added:
— "Do you both agree?"
Salima nodded silently, then looked at her daughter.
Rihana didn't speak—she simply reached for the pen and signed…
As if she were signing away the last traces of her childhood.
Leonardo, in turn, signed without emotion.
He didn't even look at Rihana—as if the signature was nothing more than a transaction.
After the signing, a quiet stillness filled the room, until Maria gently said:
— "Shall we go for coffee?"
But Rihana softly declined, saying:
— "I just need some air... alone."
She stepped out into the street, stood beneath the soft rain, lifted her eyes to the sky, and took a deep breath.
Inside her, a single question echoed:
"Father… did I do the right thing?"
From a distance, Leonardo watched her through the office window.
Something about her unsettled him...
And for the first time in years, he didn't know what to do.