Chapter 17 - A Weekend Away
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To shake off the lingering tension of Beatrice's visit, Elena suggested a weekend getaway to a quiet, rustic cabin she owned near Lake Michigan.
"No cell service, no corporate emails, just the sound of the water and entirely too many marshmallows," Elena promised, throwing a duffel bag into the trunk of Roberto's SUV.
Roberto smiled, helping Sofía into her car seat. "That sounds exactly like what the doctor ordered."
The drive took three hours, winding through dense, green forests and small coastal towns. When they arrived, the cabin was perfect—a cozy, wooden structure sitting just a hundred yards from the private, rocky beach.
They spent the first evening building a fire in the massive stone hearth and roasting hot dogs on long wooden skewers.
"This one is perfect," Sofía declared, holding up a slightly charred hot dog. "It smells like camping."
"It smells like charcoal," Elena laughed, gently guiding Sofía's hand so she wouldn't burn herself on the hot metal.
Later that night, after Sofía had fallen asleep in the loft bedroom, Roberto and Elena sat on the back porch, wrapped in thick blankets, listening to the gentle crash of the waves against the shore.
"Thank you for suggesting this," Roberto murmured, staring out at the dark expanse of the lake. "I didn't realize how tightly wound I was until we left the city limits."
"You carry a lot of weight, Roberto," Elena said softly, resting her head against his shoulder. "Even when you don't have to. You're allowed to set it down sometimes."
Roberto wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer against the evening chill.
"I'm trying," he admitted. "It's a new skill."
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"You're learning fast," she smiled, closing her eyes.
They sat together in comfortable, profound silence, the ghosts of the past entirely banished by the simple, enduring reality of the present.
