"I missed you too," Val replied, offering a faint but genuine smile. "Get some sleep, okay? You look exhausted."
"I feel like I've aged ten years in the last two days," he admitted. He settled more comfortably into the bed.
After a brief silence, he spoke again. "How is Veronica holding up?"
"She's fine," she reassured him. "For some reason, she is always crying but Nonnina and Marco are there with her, keeping her company. Her place is secure."
Ricardo reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers as he allowed himself, for the first time in days, to relax.
*****
"Are you going to tell me how you almost died?" Carol asked as she continued slicing carrots on the counter of her kitchen.
