Leonel felt a twinge of disappointment.
âIt wonât be that long.
Canât you stay?â
âMy backâs killing me,â she replied, rubbing her waist before ascending the stairs.
Once Alexis had disappeared upstairs, Waylen set up the chessboard and casually inquired, âHave you and Alexis been at odds lately?â
Leaning in, Leonel made a move and assured him, âDonât worry.
Weâre good!â
Bathed in the light, he looked quite dashing in his white shirt and black pants.
Waylen seemed satisfied with Leonel, yet he fretted over the coupleâs compatibility.
Distracted, Leonel lost the game in under 20 minutes.
With a faint smile, he picked up the chess pieces and arranged them on the board.
âYouâre still quite the player!â
Waylenâs gaze grew pensive.
After a moment, he chuckled, âGo find Alexis!â
Standing up, Leonel said, âAlright, Iâll take Alexis home first, and Iâll bring Evelyn and Daniel over for dinner on Saturday! Itâs getting late.
You should go to bed.
â
Waylen nodded in agreement.
Upstairs, outside Alexisâ bedroom, Leonel paused.
After a brief hesitation, he softly knocked on the door.
âAlexis!â
No response came from within, so he pushed the door open.
The room was dimly lit, with a subtle fragrance lingering in the air.
Without turning on the light, he made his way to the bed.
Alexis lay sleeping, covered with a thin blanket, her back to the door, her phone slipping from her hand.
Leonel picked up the phone and glanced at it, his expression darkening.
After a moment, he returned it to the bedside table, its screen illuminating the room.
He gently tapped her shoulder.
âAlexis, itâs time to head home.
â
She stirred from her slumberâ¦
Alexis woke up, still feeling sad because she had that same dream again.
In it, she brought back Calvinâs ashes from another country.
She dreamed the plane would never touch down.
Suddenly awake, she felt warm skin beside her and clung to it, pressing her face against it.
Leonel noticed the dampness on his arm.
Alexis had cried.
Though it was spring, the bedroom felt icy.