Nick made an effort to get up. He needed to get his life and especially his body in order. Those four weeks asleep hadn't exactly helped. He touched the bed beside him and realized it was cold, Valeria must have been up for some time, and his senses were so dulled that he hadn't even noticed.

“Nicholas Bennet, wake up, at this rate you won't be able to make love to your wife for another month,” he scolded himself, getting up.

Alice had already gone to school, and Valeria was on the terrace, smiling at the cold morning air.

“Troublemaker?” said Nick, hugging her from behind. “Is everything all right? Why did you leave me alone?”

Valeria turned around in his arms and laughed at his pout.

“You look like a little boy.”

“I am your little boy,” Nick kissed her. “Now tell me, really, what's wrong? I know you and I know something is up.”

Valeria took a breath, took him by the hand and dragged him to an armchair to sit on him.

“I want to leave.”

“Do you want to...? I don't understand.