— Caio… made a lot of debts.

She begins to speak, and for the first time, I feel like she’s trusting me. Or maybe, she’s just finally gathered the courage to open up.

— How much do you need? — I ask without thinking twice. I’d do anything to help her.

She hesitates, looking away. She’s fighting with herself.

— Dylan... It’s a lot of money.

— How much?

She swallows hard, takes a deep breath, and then lets it out, almost in a whisper:

— Sixty thousand.

My stomach churns. Sixty thousand? What the hell did that bastard do to drag her down like this?

But I don’t back down.

She looks at me like I just said the most absurd thing in the world.

— No! That’s not your responsibility! You’re still in school!

— Then I’ll switch to night classes — I say firmly.

She shakes her head, looking disturbed.

— I… don’t want to be a burden.

I hold her hands, feeling her cold skin.

— You’ve never been a burden, Clarice. Never.

She looks away, biting her lips hard. She takes a step back, like she’s trying to escape not just the conversation, but reality itself.

— You don’t understand, Dylan… This isn’t something that can be fixed with good intentions. — Her voice trembles, heavy with exhaustion.

— How do you expect me to just stand here and do nothing?

She squeezes her eyes shut, her hands trembling.

— Because it’s dangerous! You don’t know who you’re dealing with!

My heart races, but I don’t back down.

— I don’t care. What matters to me is you.

She lets out a bitter laugh, full of pain.

— Alright, sweetheart… I’ll accept a bit of help, but after that, forget about this and just focus on school, okay?

She tries to sound firm, but her voice betrays a deep fatigue. I know it’s not a request — it’s a way to push me away.

— Let’s say I help you… What about the rest? How do you plan to pay the rest?

She looks away, and for a moment, silence hangs heavy between us.

— I’ll keep doing what I’ve been doing to pay it off.

There’s something dark in the way she says that. My chest tightens.

— …What were you doing?

Clarice opens her mouth, but no words come out. Her lips tremble slightly, as if the answer is stuck in her throat. Her eyes shimmer under the dim light, full of something I can’t quite grasp.

Then, without looking at me, she turns her back.

— That’s none of your business!

Her voice cuts through the air, full of pain and frustration. Before I can say anything else, she walks away, disappearing down the dark hallway.

I just watch her silhouette vanish into the darkness, leaving me alone in the mess I have to clean up. The tight knot in my throat is almost unbearable, and the feeling of helplessness eats away at me.

Suddenly, my phone vibrates. It’s a flood of notifications from Viktor, my best friend. Over 100 messages. I’m surprised, but feel more lost than ever.

I decide to call him and step outside so my aunt won’t hear, needing some space for my mind, which is in complete chaos.

He answers almost immediately, his voice frantic.

— Fuck, where were you? I was about to head to your place.

My eyes sting, my chest feels heavy. I don’t have the strength to be more composed.

— Sorry, it’s just… my aunt came back.

— Wait! The same aunt you used to say you wanted to marry when we were kids?

I pause for a second, feeling like this whole thing is some twisted joke. But no, it’s real.

— I still do.

— Huh? You’re kidding, right?

The disbelief in his voice is almost funny, but my anger mixes with the pain.

— I never joked about that.

He goes quiet for a moment, clearly stunned.

— But dude, she’s your aunt!

— I don’t give a fuck! Now that she’s back, I’m not letting her go through this alone.

Viktor falls silent, his silence heavy over the phone as he tries to process what I said.

— Damn… her husband died, and the bastard left a 60k debt. I need to do something.

— You’ve lost it, Dylan! Sixty thousand? That’s not money you just find lying around! And she’s an adult, man, she’s the one who should deal with it.

— You don’t get it… She has no one. No one but me. And I saw the state she’s in, Viktor… She’s falling apart. The house, the way she looks, the way she talks… like she’s given up. I really love her. It’s not a joke. It’s love. And seeing her like that is killing me. If I don’t do anything… she’ll be lost.

— And you’re going to get lost with her?

— If I have to lose myself trying to save her, then so be it.

On the other end, Viktor is silent for a few seconds. I can almost picture him rubbing his face, trying to make sense of everything.

— Alright… so what are you going to do? Work three jobs? Sell a kidney? Go into debt too?

— If that’s what I have to do, then yes.

— You’re insane.

— Maybe…

— Just don’t disappear again. And talk to me before doing anything stupid.

He hangs up.

I look up at the dark sky and feel the cold wind on my face.

I go back inside and start cleaning up. Little by little, I try to bring some order to the chaos. As I pick up the papers, the shards, and the empty bottles, my phone vibrates. It’s a message from my mom, asking why I haven’t come home yet.

I glance at the clock and realize it’s late. I sigh, feeling a strange weight in my chest, and gather the courage to go to her room to say goodbye. The hallway is completely dark, no lights at all. I walk slowly, guided only by the faint glow from the living room. I stop in front of a door, hoping it’s the right one. I knock twice, but there’s no answer.

I take a deep breath and decide to go in.

The room is swallowed in darkness. I turn on the light slowly, and there she is. She’s lying curled up in the corner of the bed like a frightened child. Even so, she still looks like a sleeping angel.

— Aunt… I’m leaving — my voice comes out low, like I’m afraid to break the silence.

She doesn’t move. Maybe she’s asleep, maybe just too tired to respond.

I walk over to the dresser, grab a piece of paper and leave a note with my phone number, in case she needs me.

I give her one last look before leaving. My chest tightens like I’m leaving something behind. But I knew that, even as I walked out, a part of me would stay there with her.

I close the door slowly and leave the house in silence.