17

I sip a fruit juice while the lawyer and Axel look at me curiously.

"Is it normal to drink so many of those?" he asks Axel in a low voice.

Who sighs, shrugging and sipping from the wine that I can't have.

"Well, in her condition, it's normal even to eat fish for breakfast," he grumbles, making a disgusted face.

He doesn't like fish, but he cooks it for me.

Axel is a good friend.

"I'm still here, you know," I let them know, gesturing with my hand.

Frida smiles at me entertained, I like her too. Although I don't know her well.

"Well, I'll try to tell you this news in the best way," she nods, enjoying my plate with gusto.

Oh, God. The food here tastes delicious. Why didn't I come here before?

Oh, right. It's a very famous and expensive place and requires reservations.

Le Gavroche, the sign outside said.

"This tastes delicious," I tell her, wiping the corner of my mouth.

"It's French cuisine, darling," I tense up.

French...

French...

Darling...

Arthur.

"You don't even leave me alone when I'm eating," I grumble sadly, stopping eating for a few seconds. "Delicious," I smile at Frida.

She nods, settling in her seat, the three of us at one table. She looks beautiful in that red dress, which matches her hair.

That woman is stunning, and I'm not just saying that because of her striking physical appearance.

The way she defends her clients, the way she makes a mark in the world of justice for the innocent. All her cases, all the opinions that have been expressed about her. Good and bad.

"Your brother might be released soon," she informs me, causing my heart to race. "I spoke with the judge, you know, it's difficult because of his juvenile record that keeps coming up..."

"Yes, I know. He was a troublemaker as a teenager, but he's a good kid. With his share of problems, like anyone else, but he's a good kid," she affirms, looking serious.

Axel stays on the sidelines, but he's listening to everything. His attention doesn't waver from his wine glass and plate, yet I can feel his pointed ears pointing in my direction. Damn, gossip.

"Why did he start..." she doesn't let her finish.

"Those were tough times," I swallow hard, licking my lips.

I run my hands over my dress, smoothing its skirt. Frida looks at me with confusion, and I understand. She's supposed to know everything about my brother's case and me.

However, it's difficult to talk about it. It's difficult for him, and it's difficult for me.

"Michelle, you know I can't help him if I don't have all the information."

"Didn't my brother tell you?"

"I would like to hear what you have to say," she demands.

I avert my gaze from her face and turn it towards Axel's. He clears his throat and gets up.

"I'll go to the bathroom, excuse me," he says.

Leaving us alone, Frida focuses her attention solely on me. I take a sip from my glass, drinking the fruit juice in one long gulp.

Frida clears her throat, signaling that stalling won't prevent me from having to tell her the truth.

"We lived in an orphanage," I start, blinking away the tears. "We didn't last long, just three years. Alej decided to escape when he found out it would be difficult to adopt both of us as siblings. It would be the opposite, if that happened, we would end up separated and he didn't want that. He decided to escape, and we did when he turned eighteen. We slept in small places, he found ways to get into abandoned places. Or even made the cold under a bridge feel warm.

"He started stealing to survive.

I tighten my fists, she sighs and takes a sip from her glass to fill the silence.

"At first, it was small things, food, clothes, shoes..." I inhale, raising the corner of my lip. "Something happened one day, a gang of criminals thought they saw 'potential' in him, and they told him to join them. He didn't want to, they threatened to do something to me if he didn't accept.

"He accepted, they did their thing. They broke into a jewelry store to rob, and when everything seemed to be going smoothly, the police arrived. They escaped with everything and left him behind, that's why he's in prison.

I finish recounting what happened, repeating every word he had told me when I found out he was in the police. I wipe my cheeks, waiting for a sob.

"Not having any stolen jewelry in his possession lightens his sentence. But, I want you to know that as there is a possibility of him being free, there is also the possibility that...

"He won't be," I conclude, nodding.

I exhale, and Axel joins us, smiling kindly. I return the smile.

"Do you want dessert or anything else?" he asks,

"Do you want dessert or anything else?" he asks, settling next to Frida.

She smiles gratefully at his intervention.

"I'll go to the bathroom," I excuse myself.

I walk quickly, my low heels making the mission easier. I enter the ladies' restroom and search for an empty stall to release my sobs and tears. I torture myself with memories that still hurt deeply for several minutes.

When I think it's enough, I remember that I can harm the baby with all this sadness and nostalgia I want to release. I leave the stall, stand in front of the mirror and let out a breath. I lean down to take a sip of water and expel it, wiping my cheeks, and reminding myself that everything that happened was for a reason.

Destiny wanted it that way.

But that doesn't stop me from thinking about how things would be if everything had been different. I leave the bathroom, colliding with a body that, if not for his hand on my lower back, would have ended up on the floor.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

Placing my hands on the person's arms.

"Excuse me."

I gaze at that man, who appears to be around forty or older. He is dressed very formally, without a single wrinkle in his suit. He is quite tall, but that's not surprising. Everyone is taller than me. I give a friendly smile to those surprised green eyes.

I am amazed; somehow, that gaze seems familiar to me.

"With your permission," I press my lips together.

I change my course to walk past him, ignoring the accelerated beat of my heart. A distinctive scent makes me furrow my brows and stop. I felt like I recognized it, but that's impossible. I had never seen it before in my life.