Chapter 5 - Dawn on Calle MorelosThe sun broke over the rooftops of Mexico City the next morning, burning away the lingering humidity and bathing the streets in a brilliant, golden light.
Mariana stood on the small balcony of the apartment on Calle Morelos, sipping a cup of freshly brewed coffee, watching the morning commuters bustle past. The black sedan belonging to Pavel’s security team was gone. The street was quiet, normal, and peaceful.
A firm knock sounded at her apartment door.
She opened it to find Ricardo standing there, holding a simple paper bakery bag filled with warm conchas and a single fresh orchid.
"He's gone, Mariana," Ricardo said quietly, stepping into the entryway. "He signed the papers last night. He’s on a bus heading north. He won't ever bother you or Luna again."
Mariana stared at him, the coffee mug trembling slightly in her hand. The massive weight that had been crushing her chest for the past five years suddenly evaporated, leaving behind a strange, fragile lightness.
"You... you really made him leave?" she whispered.
"I made him realize that some things aren't for sale," Ricardo replied, setting the bakery bag on the kitchen counter. He pulled out the legal document—signed, notarized, and sealed—and placed it gently beside the toaster.
Luna wandered out of her bedroom, rubbing her eyes, wearing her oversized red raincoat over her pajamas. She looked up at Ricardo, tilting her head.
"Are you staying for breakfast, Grandpa?" she asked, using the word so naturally it felt like a healing balm on a burn.
Ricardo knelt down, his eyes shining with unhedged emotion. "Only if your mother invites me."
Mariana looked at her father, then down at her daughter. The anger that had poisoned her blood for half a decade didn't vanish entirely—old wounds take time to knit—but the wall between them had finally crumbled.
May you like
She walked over, picked up a warm concha, and handed it to her father with a faint, hesitant smile.
"Pull up a chair, Dad. You have a lot of lost time to make up for."
