But around noon, the lack of sleep caught up with her.
Her eyes grew heavy.
Her head leaned back.
And within minutes, she was fast asleep on the couch.
She didn’t know how long she’d been out.
But suddenly—
Click.
The sound was sharp.
Metal against metal.
A key turning in the lock.
Valeria’s eyes snapped open.
Her heart skipped.
“Mom?” she whispered instinctively.
She glanced at the clock.
1:03 PM.
No.
Her mother wouldn’t be home for hours.
A strange feeling crept over her.
Instinct.
Fear.
Guilt.
Without moving, she quickly pulled the blanket up and shut her eyes, leaving only the tiniest slit to see through.
The door slowly opened.
And someone stepped inside.
It wasn’t her mother.
Valeria’s breath caught.
It was her aunt.
Leticia.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Leticia was always loud. Bright. Full of energy. The kind of woman who laughed too hard, talked too fast, and wore bold lipstick like a signature.
But today…
She moved like a shadow.
Dressed entirely in black.
Her steps were careful. Silent.
Her eyes darted around the apartment.
When she saw Valeria on the couch, she paused.
Valeria forced her breathing to stay slow.
Steady.
As if she were deeply asleep.
After a moment, Leticia relaxed.
Then she reached into her purse.
And pulled out something small.
Wrapped in velvet.
Valeria’s chest tightened.
Leticia walked to the coat rack.
Carmen’s beige coat still hung there—left behind because the weather had warmed up.
