Under the soft light slipping through the window blinds, Raymond tightened his embrace, pulling Valentina even more closer like he was trying to shield her from the past itself. His lips gently pressed against her forehead again, his voice low and filled with guilt.
"I'm sorry, Valentina… I'm really sorry for everything you went through. If I had come earlier… if I had found you sooner… you wouldn't have gone through even one tenth of that pain. You didn't deserve any of it. None."
Hearing what Raymond just said, Valentina blinked slowly, holding back the warmth pooling in her eyes. She raised her head slightly, her voice soft but steady.
"Why are you saying sorry for that?" she whispered. "It's not your fault, Raymond."
She touched his cheek with both hands now, as if she was trying to get him to look deeper into her—really see what she meant.
