ALEX'S POINT OF VIEW
I sat on the terrace, staring at my phone. The screen was filled with unread emails, reports that needed reviewing, and messages from the office.
But I wasn't working.
I was pretending to work.
It was easier than sitting in silence with nothing to distract me from the fact that Elena was somewhere in this villa, probably avoiding me as much as I was avoiding her.
The sound of children's voices broke through my thoughts.
I looked up and saw a group of them running up the path toward the villa. Five or six kids, all barefoot, wearing bright colored clothes. They were laughing and shouting excitedly.
I stood, frowning. What were they doing here?
"Mr. Reyes! Mr. Reyes!"
They reached the terrace, breathless and grinning.
The oldest one, a boy who couldn't have been more than ten, stepped forward.
"Mr. Reyes, we have a festival tonight! In the village! Everyone is invited! You and Mrs. Reyes must come!"
I opened my mouth to refuse.
But then I heard her voice.
"A festival?"
I turned.
Elena had stepped out onto the terrace. She was wearing a simple sundress, her hair pulled back loosely. She looked at the children with curiosity.
For the first time since we'd arrived, there was something in her eyes other than sadness.
Interest. Maybe even a hint of excitement.
The children immediately ran to her, surrounding her, all talking at once.
"Yes, yes! A festival!"
"There will be music and dancing!"
"And food! So much food!"
"Please come, Mrs. Reyes! Please!"
Elena smiled softly at them. It was a real smile. Small, but real.
I hadn't seen her smile in days.
She looked at me, uncertain. "Alex...?"
I wanted to say no.
I wanted to tell the children we were busy. That we had other plans.
But Elena was looking at me with those wide eyes, and the children were staring up at me hopefully, and I couldn't find the words to refuse without sounding like a complete bastard.
"Fine," I said. "We'll come."
The children erupted in cheers, jumping up and down.
Elena's smile widened just a little.
One of the children, a little girl with missing front teeth, grabbed Elena's hand.
"You'll love it, Mrs. Reyes! It's the best night of the year!"
An older woman appeared behind the children, smiling warmly. She wore traditional island clothing, her gray hair pulled back in a bun.
"Forgive the children," she said. "They get very excited about the festival. But we would be honored if you both attended. It's our way of welcoming visitors."
I nodded stiffly. "We'll be there."
The woman's eyes crinkled as she smiled. "Wonderful. The festival celebrates new beginnings. We believe that couples who attend together are blessed with unity."
She paused, her smile growing.
"And fertility."
Elena's face turned red.
My jaw clenched.
Of course. Of course, it was about that.
"We'll see you tonight," I said, my voice flat.
The woman nodded and ushered the children away. They waved enthusiastically as they left, shouting goodbye.
When they were gone, silence settled between us again.
Elena looked down at her hands. "We don't have to go if you don't want to."
"We're going."
She looked up, surprised.
I turned away before she could see my face. "Be ready by sunset."
I walked back inside without waiting for her response.
Sunset came faster than I expected.
I changed into casual clothes, dark pants, and a linen shirt. Nothing formal. This wasn't a business dinner.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, Elena was already waiting near the door.
She wore the same sundress from earlier. Her brown hair was down now, falling in soft waves around her shoulders. She'd put on a little makeup. Not much. Just enough to highlight her eyes.
She looked beautiful.
I pushed the thought away immediately.
"Let's go," I said.
We walked to the village in silence. The path was lit by the fading sunlight, the sky turning shades of orange and pink.
Elena walked a few steps behind me. I could hear her sandals on the dirt path, the soft rustle of her dress.
She didn't try to talk to me.
Good.
As we approached the village, I heard music. Drums, rhythmic and hypnotic. Voices singing in a language I didn't understand.
The village had been transformed.
Lanterns hung from every house and tree, glowing warmly in the growing darkness. Long tables were set up in the center of the square, covered with food. A massive bonfire burned in the middle of everything, flames reaching high into the sky.
Villagers were everywhere. Dancing, laughing, eating, talking.
The moment we stepped into the square, people turned to look at us.
"The newlyweds!"
"Welcome, welcome!"
An elderly man approached, holding two crowns made of flowers. He placed one on Elena's head first, a crown of white blossoms that looked delicate and perfect against her dark hair.
Then he tried to place one on my head.
I stepped back. "That's not necessary."
"It's tradition," the man said kindly. "All guests of honor wear them."
Elena looked at me. There was something in her eyes. Not quite pleading, but close.
I sighed and bent down slightly.
The man placed the flower crown on my head. I felt ridiculous.
But the villagers cheered, clapping and smiling.
"Come, sit! Eat!" someone called.
We were led to the main table and given plates piled high with food. Grilled fish, roasted vegetables, rice cooked in coconut milk, and fresh fruit.
Elena ate slowly, tasting everything. She smiled at the flavors, thanking the villagers who came to ask if she liked it.
I ate mechanically, barely tasting anything.
The villagers kept coming up to us, toasting with homemade drinks, congratulating us on our marriage, and wishing us happiness and many children.
Every mention of children made my chest tighten.
Elena's smile became more strained each time.
After dinner, the music grew louder.
The drums beat faster, more insistent.
People started gathering around the bonfire, forming a circle.
They began to dance.
It wasn't formal or structured. Just movement. Bodies swaying, feet stomping, hands clapping. The firelight cast dancing shadows on their faces.
The children from earlier ran up to Elena.
"Dance with us! Dance with us, Mrs. Reyes!"
They grabbed her hands, pulling her toward the fire.
Elena looked at me, uncertain.
I gave a slight nod.
She let them pull her into the circle.
I stayed seated, watching.
At first, Elena was hesitant. Awkward. She didn't know the steps, didn't know the rhythm.
But the children laughed and showed her, and slowly, she started to move with them.
She spun with a little girl, their hands clasped together. She clapped along with the music. She laughed.
I couldn't remember the last time I'd heard her laugh.
The firelight flickered across her face, catching in her hair, making the white flowers in her crown glow.
She looked... free.
I couldn't look away.
Something twisted in my chest. Uncomfortable. Unfamiliar.
I didn't like it.
An elderly man sat down beside me. The same one who had given us the flower crowns.
"Your wife is beautiful," he said.
I didn't respond.
He was quiet for a moment, watching the dancers.
"But you don't look at her the way a man in love looks at his wife."
I turned to him sharply. "You don't know anything about me."
He smiled, but it was sad. Knowing.
"I know a man running from his own heart when I see one."
I stood abruptly and walked away.
His words followed me anyway.
I found a spot at the edge of the square, away from the fire, away from the music.
But I could still see her.
Elena, dancing with the children. Smiling. Laughing.
The children ran toward me suddenly.
"Mr. Reyes! Come dance!"
They grabbed at my hands, trying to pull me toward the fire.
I looked down at them, my expression hard.
They froze.
The smallest one, a little girl, stepped back nervously.
"Maybe... maybe later," she whispered.
They ran back to Elena instead.
One of them tugged on her dress. "Mrs. Reyes, make him dance!"
Elena glanced at me.
I shook my head firmly.
She smiled sadly at the child. "Maybe later."
But there was no later.
We walked back to the villa hours later.
Elena was quiet, but there was something lighter about her. The festival had lifted her mood, even if just a little.
I was tense.
The elder's words kept replaying in my head.
Running from your own heart.
It was bullshit.
I wasn't running from anything.
When we reached the villa, Elena went straight to the bedroom to change.
I poured myself a drink in the living room. Whiskey. Neat.
I downed it in one gulp and poured another.
A few minutes later, Elena came back out.
She'd changed into shorts and a loose shirt. Her hair was still down. The flower crown was gone.
She hesitated in the doorway, watching me.
"Can I join you?"
I looked at her, surprised.
She'd barely spoken to me all day.
"If you want."
She sat down across from me. Not close. A safe distance.
I took another sip of my drink.
Silence.
Then she spoke.
"Do you want to play a game?"
I raised an eyebrow. "A game?"
She looked down at her hands. "Just... something to pass the time. You're not working. I'm not sleeping. We're just... sitting here."
I studied her.
She was nervous. Her fingers were twisting together in her lap.
I should have said no.
Should have told her to go to bed.
But something stopped me.
"What kind of game?"
She looked up, surprised that I'd agreed.
"Cards. Something simple. Like... higher or lower. If you lose, you take a shot."
I almost smiled. Almost.
"Fine."
She got up quickly and found a deck of cards in one of the drawers. She sat back down and started shuffling.
Her hands were shaking slightly.
We started playing.
She lost the first round.
She poured herself a shot and drank it, wincing at the taste.
She lost the second round.
Another shot.
Third round. She lost again.
I frowned. "Are you letting me win?"
"No," she said quickly. "I'm just bad at this."
But her eyes looked sad.
She kept losing and kept drinking.
By the sixth round, her movements were slower. Her words were starting to slur.
I realized too late what she was doing.
She wasn't bad at the game.
She wanted to get drunk.
"Elena."
She looked up at me, her eyes glassy.
"Can I ask you something?"
I tensed. "What?"
Her voice was small. Broken.
"Why do you hate me so much?"
The question hit me like a punch to the gut.
"I don't..."
"You do." Her eyes filled with tears. "Every day. Every time you look through me like I'm invisible. Every time you walk away when I try to talk to you."
Her voice cracked.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
"I didn't ask for this either, you know. I didn't want to be your wife. But I'm here. And I'm trying. I'm trying so hard to just... exist beside you without making you angry. But nothing I do is enough."
I couldn't move.
Couldn't speak.
She wiped at her tears with shaking hands.
"I just want to know... is there any part of you that doesn't hate me? Even a little?"
The words wouldn't come.
I didn't know what to say.
I didn't hate her.
But I couldn't tell her that.
She started crying harder now. Sobbing.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I just... I'm so tired, Alex. I'm so tired of feeling like this."
She buried her face in her hands.
I sat there, frozen.
My chest felt tight. Painful.
And then she went quiet.
Her body slumped forward slightly.
She'd fallen asleep.
Mid-sob. Just... passed out.
I stared at her for a long moment.
Then I stood.
I walked around the table and looked down at her.
Tears were still wet on her cheeks. Her breathing was slow and even.
Carefully, I lifted her into my arms.
She didn't wake.
Her head rested against my chest. Her body was warm and light.
I carried her to the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed.
I pulled the blanket over her and stepped back.
I should leave.
But I didn't.
I stood there, watching her sleep.
Her face was peaceful now. The tears had dried.
And there, still tangled in her hair, was one of the white flowers from the festival crown. Wilted, but still there.
Something twisted in my chest again.
That same feeling.
Why does seeing her cry hurt so much?
Why does her pain feel like mine?
I reached out, my hand hovering over her face.
Almost touched her.
But I stopped myself.
Pulled my hand back.
Clenched it into a fist.
I turned and walked out, closing the door quietly behind me.
I stood in the living room, staring at the closed bedroom door.
My chest still felt tight.
I didn't understand what was happening to me.
But I knew one thing.
Elena was breaking through.
And I didn't know how to stop it.