Todos los capítulos de Among the Quiet Ruins: Capítulo 21 - Capítulo 30

 Lola pov  The silence between them didn’t arrive all at once. It crept in slowly, settling into the corners of their days. Conversations became shorter, more practical. Lola noticed how Melvin asked fewer questions about her, about how she was feeling, how she was coping. He still showed up, still held Elara with care, but something essential felt muted. She stopped reaching for him first. It wasn’t punishment. It was protection. That morning, Lola moved through her routine with practiced efficiency. Elara stirred as the sun filtered through the curtains, and Lola scooped her up without hesitation, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

Lola pov The idea came to Lola in the middle of the night, the way the most dangerous thoughts always did, quietly, without drama, slipping into her mind like a truth she had been avoiding.She lay awake beside Elara’s crib, listening to the soft hum of the baby monitor, watching the rise and fall of her daughter’s chest. Everything in the room felt still, contained, as if the world were holding its breath.What if staying was the wrong kind of bravery?The thought made her chest ache.She had spent so much time waiting for Melvin to arrive emotionally that she hadn’t stopped to ask herself whether she still wanted to be there when he did. Growth didn’t always happen at

Lola pov The first thing Lola noticed was that he listened.Not in the polite, "waiting for his turn" way but fully, eyes focused, posture open, questions asked without urgency. It startled her more than it should have.They were standing in the break room at work, coffee machine humming between them, Elara’s daycare pickup time ticking quietly in the back of Lola’s mind.“So,” he said, smiling as he leaned against the counter, “how long have you been in Seattle?”“Not long,” Lola replied. “A few months.”“That explains it,” he said lightly.“Explains what?”“Why you still loo

 Lola pov  The uncertainty crept in quietly. Not as panic. Not as regret. Just a subtle pause like a breath she didn’t know whether to release. Lola noticed it on a Tuesday afternoon while watching Noah play with Elara on the living room floor. He sat cross-legged, letting her grab his fingers, laughing softly when she tried to pull herself upright. He was gentle. Attentive. Present. And yet, Lola felt… distant. Not from him but from herself. She leaned against the doorway, arms folded loosely,

Lola pov Solitude didn’t arrive all at once.It settled in gradually, like dust after movement stops.Lola felt it in the mornings first. Waking without the expectation of a message, without the soft anticipation of another presence entering her day. She didn’t miss anyone in particular. What she missed was the idea that something might be decided for her.She packed Elara’s bag for daycare with quiet precision, moving through the routine she’d mastered. Diapers. Bottles. The worn stuffed rabbit Melvin had mailed weeks ago with a note that simply read: For courage.She pressed the rabbit into the bag, then paused.Was sh