10

That night, when they returned from having dinner with their friends, Oscar walked his girlfriend to the apartment door.

She inserted the key into the lock and turned to him. They stared into each other's eyes in silence, waiting for the other to say something, but neither spoke.

Oscar took her hands and gave her a warm smile.

"You should go in. Adri must be wondering why you're not home," he said.

"Adri is probably asleep, and he knows I went out for dinner," she said, shaking her head. "Oscar, why don't you come in, and we can have a drink? You mentioned this morning that we need to talk."

"I can't have alcohol," she looked surprised. "Not even a beer."

"Still... you could stay the night," she insisted. As he was about to respond, she cut him off. "I've been waiting for you to come back for three years. I'm afraid you'll leave, and tomorrow everything will feel like a dream. Please, stay."

"You won't stop until I come in, will you?" She nodded. He got the message. "Alright, but don'