***Cadiz***
The days after our talk in the garden felt different, better.
Raizel had been showing me care in ways I'd never experienced before, every morning we'd take walks together through the gardens, even though it was cold and most of the plants were dormant.
He'd point out where things would bloom in spring, telling me stories about his childhood.
He started inviting me to sit with him while he worked. I'd bring a book to his study and settle into the chair by the window while he reviewed reports and wrote correspondence.
We didn't always talk, but the silence felt comfortable instead of heavy, sometimes he'd look up from his papers and catch me watching him, and he'd smile that small smile that made my heart do complicated things.
Just yesterday, he'd knocked on my door before bed just to say goodnight. It was such a simple thing, but it had made me feel warm all over, like I mattered enough for him to make that small effort.
