It was Wednesday, and Aurora had decided to surprise Levi at work with a light lunch—one of the lunchboxes he loved, made by her. Nothing too elaborate, just care in every detail. Sourdough bread, fresh salad, grilled chicken with citrus sauce, and his favorite dessert: gourmet brigadeiro with lemon zest.
She knew he was under pressure with the company's new campaign, so small gestures like this were her way of supporting him. Showing that, besides being his fiancee, she was a companion. A partner.
She stopped by the printing shop where the wedding invitations were. Seeing them ready, she felt her heart race. The gold typography on the matte white paper, the intertwined names, the date firmly marked. Her and Levi's names, printed as a promise.
She could hardly wait to deliver that invitation to the few friends she still had left—even after so long away. Even with the scars that Levi swore to help her heal.
Arriving at the company, she discreetly notified reception. Aurora was always discreet about her appearances there. She never wanted to seem intrusive, even being the fiancee of the agency's most coveted creative director.
It was then that she overheard, unintentionally, one of the employees on the phone:
"Yes, doctor, Levi was quite shaken, yes... He didn't even sleep last night. No one expected her to come back like this... Yes, Yasmin… it was a shock."
Aurora stopped. For a moment, she felt the world spin in silence. Yasmin? The name echoed within her like a ghost she had never met—but had heard too much about.
She knew who Yasmin was. The ex. The woman who disappeared from Levi's life at his most fragile moment. The one he almost never mentioned, only with harsh looks and a tense voice. The one who, according to him, taught him to never depend on anyone again. The only one who had left him broken.
Aurora blinked, trying to catch her breath. Her hand tightened on the strap of the thermal bag. She felt sweat run down her back, even in the air-conditioned environment.
She tried to ignore it. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Or someone with the same name. Or some poorly told story that didn't concern her. Maybe…
"Aurora?" Levi suddenly appeared at the end of the hallway, still with the folder in his hand and an exhausted expression. "What are you doing here?"
She forced a smile, disguising the slight tremor in her fingers.
"I wanted to surprise you… I brought your lunch."
Levi hesitated. Just a second. But to her, it felt like hours of silence. He swallowed hard, quickly approaching and taking the lunchbox from her hand as if he wanted to hide something.
"Thank you, my love. You're amazing, seriously. It's just… you caught me in the middle of a crazy situation here. We'll talk at home, okay?"
She nodded, but her eyes sought answers he didn't offer.
There was no kiss. No touch. Just a tired smile and an automatic thank you. He seemed distant. And, for the first time in a long time, Aurora felt the warmth of love burn differently.
That night, Levi took longer than usual to come home. He said he had a last-minute meeting. He was tense, with deep dark circles under his eyes and a lost look.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, sitting next to him on the couch.
Levi ran his hands through his hair, taking a deep breath.
"I just… I received news today. Something from the past. Nothing much. But it shook me up."
She waited for him to say more. To include her. To share the pain. But he didn't.
"If you want to talk, I'm here," she said softly.
He nodded. And remained silent.
Aurora didn't insist. But something inside her, silently, broke.
And that night, while Levi slept beside her, she stayed awake for hours, staring at the ceiling, feeling that an invisible presence had invaded her home. Her relationship. Her peace.
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