Not with the urgency of youth.
Not with the desperation of someone trying to prove anything.
But with the tenderness of a man who had already lost too much in life and had finally found something worth protecting again.
That night, we fell asleep holding hands.
And for the first time in many years…
I didn’t feel alone.
But happiness at our age comes with a cruel shadow.
Because when life finally gives you peace, fear quietly enters through the back door.
Three weeks after the wedding, I woke up in the middle of the night and noticed Manuel wasn’t beside me.
The house was dark.
Silent.
I slowly walked toward the kitchen.
And there he was.
Sitting alone at the table.
One hand pressed against his chest.
Sweating.
Breathing heavily.
My heart nearly stopped.
—Manuel?!
He quickly straightened up.
—I’m fine… it’s nothing.
But I could see the pain in his face.
