Free, loud and happy, her brother had said. She had certainly been that night, Marta thought with a satisfied smile as she looked at Fina, who was only slowly waking up. Her bare shoulders and parts of her back were peeking out from under the blanket, as was her left leg. She almost looked like a painting, with her long, untamed dark hair spread out on the white pillow.

'Good morning,' she heard Fina murmur into the pillow.

Marta slid a bit lower to slowly continue waking her with gentle kisses on her cheek, forehead and mouth. And immediately sensed that the hunger had not been satisfied so quickly.

Never again did she wanted to wake up any other way. Never again without her first glance in the morning falling on this face, without being able to look at her silhouette, without feeling the heat that still emanated from Fina's body. Never again without the most important thing in her life, the only thing that really mattered, lying just a few inches away from her.

'Let's head off to Paris today,' she whispered in Fina's ear.

Fina lifted her upper body and glanced at her in surprise. 'But I still haven't got in touch with Esther.

"It doesn't matter. I don't care. We'll find somewhere to stay. And then we'll see." She kissed Fina gently on the collarbone.

'We can make it in two or three days,' she added. Her hand slid along Fina's waist to her thigh under the blanket. 'And we'll only be staying in hotels from now on.'

'But I thought...' Fina interjected.

Marta put her index finger over Fina's mouth. "Maybe it won't be as nice as the hotel in Illescas. Simpler. But it will be enough. Together we can do it."
Marta's hand stroked along her neck as she continued to look at her. 'I never, ever want to wake up any other way in my life than I did today.'

Fina understood Marta. She understood because she felt the same way. Seeing Marta like she was that morning was almost a miracle. She wasn't just soft and relaxed. For the first time in weeks, she had no dark circles under her eyes. Even the last ounce of tension seemed to have left her body; she appeared to be completely at peace with herself and at the same time exuded a new kind of self-esteem.

That was surprising even for Fina. And it made this woman, whose hand had just wandered under the blanket, even more attractive and, above all, even more desirable. Something that Fina had hardly thought possible.

The vibrations in Fina's body increased with every second, and Marta's tender caresses were not even purposeful. She would try to hold out for a few more moments, because she liked this form of tension, which spread almost like electricity from the ends of her hair to the tips of her feet and whose electric arc joined and intensified between her legs. Until she wouldn't be able to stand it any longer.

Fina let out a contented hum. Just like this, she had always imagined it would be. Waking up with Marta without having to separate. Without not knowing when they would be able to steal a moment, an hour, an evening or a night together again. Marta, who now belonged to her, and she, who now belonged to Marta. Nothing would change that again, no matter what happened. Even if everything went wrong, if they had to go back to Toledo, if Don Damian found them, if the car broke down halfway or they had to sleep under a bridge by the Seine: it wouldn't change the fact that they belonged to each other.

'You can have me,' she had said to Marta the previous night and had meant it with every fibre of her body, underlining it with every sigh and moan. They had both given themselves to each other and with this devotion had made a promise to each other that was almost like a marriage vow. Fina wondered for a brief moment whether they would ever be able to get married.

'I want you,' Marta whispered in her ear and pulled her out of her thoughts, along with a tender nibble on her earlobe and neck. Her fingers were now much more determined. Fina felt more than just her own heat rising in her body.

'Good morning, good morning, you two beauties!' At the same time as Valeria's extremely cheerful and loud voice, an equally energetic knock sounded at the door.
'I hate to disturb your privacy. It was hard to miss the fact that you needed it yesterday. However, I'm afraid my husband is back a little earlier than expected. You can stay, of course, but... well... one of you two beauties will have to move to another room. A mere formality.'
There seemed to be no end to Valeria's flow of words. Marta groaned, but for different reasons than she had hoped just seconds before.
'I'm not coming in, don't worry. Even if I would certainly enjoy the sight. But I must urge you to hurry up. Can you hear me?"

'Yes, Valeria, you can't be ignored,' Marta called from the bed to the door.

"But we're not going to stay. We will continue on our trip today."

"Oh. Are you sure, my dear? It's no problem if you stay a few more days."

"I'm quite sure, Valeria. Thank you anyway."

'Well, all right. But we'll have a little lunch together before you leave, won't we? You must be hungry!' They heard the giggling through the door. Both had a winking image in their minds.

Lunch? Marta looked at the clock. It was almost noon. They had missed breakfast. But she had to admit that she was hungry. And at that moment she heard Fina's stomach growling.

'My woman is hungry, I can hear it,' Marta said, kissing Fina on the stomach.

'Unfortunately, that's true...'

'Are you still in there or have you already escaped out the window?' Valerie was still standing outside the door.

'Give us a few minutes to freshen up. We'll join you in a moment.'

'Very well, very well! See you in a few minutes, you two lovebirds.

'For not even considering me worthy of being in her house yesterday, she's pretty... committed today.'

Marta shrugged. 'I think she's pretty alone, despite her friends. She might realise that herself on a morning like this.'

After lunch, which had done them good, Marta and Fina had loaded their belongings into the car. The farewell to Valeria, who now seemed much calmer, had been surprisingly warm. While Marta was able to understand that Valeria was also trapped in the cage of an unhappy marriage, from which she could only break out for a few days a year, Fina saw above all the loneliness of a woman who was the same age as Marta, but so different. This woman tried to drive away the silence of loneliness by being loud, but she had neither Marta's courageous determination or strength, nor did she have someone like Fina, in whose arms she could really have let herself fall. Fina therefore ultimately felt neither anger nor aversion, but above all compassion.

Marta had chosen a route to the north that would take them close to the Atlantic and across the French border. All in all, they would probably need at least four or five hours before they could look for a hotel near Bayonne. It was a long distance that Marta had to cover alone. Fina knew how to drive a car, her father had taught her in case of an emergency, but she did not officially have a driving licence. And Marta didn't want to take the risk of letting Fina commit a criminal offence.

Besides, she felt rested, almost fresh, even though they hadn't slept for most of the night. This time it would be a pleasant journey, she was sure of that. They had smiled at each other as they set off, and when Marta looked at Fina now and then, she looked just as relaxed and calm as she felt. And the minutes in which their conversation petered out felt neither forced nor tense.

A person with whom I can be in silence, Marta thought. That was new. It had often been unpleasant just to sit next to Jaime without talking to each other. Even when both of them seemed to be doing something else. Marta had preferred to read a book alone rather than sitting on the couch next to Jaime. His mere presence had often triggered a feeling of being hemmed in. And also the feeling of having to say something, even when she didn't really felt like it. It wasn't just Jaime, Marta had to admit in fairness.

When she now looked at the calm Fina next to her and at the same time sensed inside herself, she felt no unpleasantness. Quite the opposite. She felt comfortable in this silence, she almost bathed in the lightness of this silence. And she was almost sure that it would always be like this – except, of course, for those moments when they might really have to resolve a conflict. But Marta had the feeling that even that would be easier in the future. And it was perfectly clear to her that her own ability to communicate what was going on inside her would be crucial. Because Fina was still one step ahead of her.

The journey went smoothly and they passed the border near Behobia without any problems. It was a strange feeling to be on French soil. Both had left a lot behind and both were also aware that a lot was still ahead of them.

It was hard to tell how they would really work as a couple once the pressure and excitement had subsided. After all, they had never spent as much time together as they were now. Or in the future. They had never lived together, never shared a room for more than a day or two. They simply had no daily routine together. Of course, it was not at all clear whether they would have this everyday life here in France so quickly, but both were already sure that it would not always be without conflict. They were both strong-willed, but on the other hand also quite willing to compromise.

The mutual respect they had always had for each other would certainly help them through what awaited them in Paris, Fina thought. And to talk to each other more, as they had now begun to do. Marta had to learn to deal with things less on her own. And what about herself? Perhaps, Fina admitted to herself, she still had to grow up a little to be able to shoulder the upcoming problems together with Marta. They had to be not only a couple, but also a team.

She was, however, anything but pessimistic, but hoped that no major difficulties would await them in Paris. It would be beneficial to have a little time to grow together before the next clouds might appear on the horizon. At least here in France they would really be out of reach of the de la Reina clan. With all the advantages and disadvantages that entailed.

It was at Saint-Jean-de-Luz that they had their first real view of the sea. And Marta quickly realised that something was going on in Fina, she just couldn't put her finger on it. Fina had become silent over the last few kilometres, lost in thought, but perhaps also a little tired. Marta could more than sympathise with the latter, the car was not exactly comfortable. She began to feel stiff. It wouldn't be long before it was time to look for somewhere to stay. But until then, she tried to fathom what was going on in Fina's mind out of the corner of her eye.

Fina, for her part, was staring out of the driver's window with a look of fascination. Could it really be that...? Was that possible? Just ask, Marta scolded herself, instead of making assumptions.

'Querida,' Marta began. 'Have you ever been to the sea?'

Fina shook her head and almost blushed a little. But she had to admit that she had never travelled much further than Madrid or the mountains of the Central Massif.

Marta rolled down the window. The fresh breeze did her good, but above all it allowed them both to breathe in the slightly salty air of the Bay of Biscay for the first time. And to hear the cries of some seagulls above the noise of the traffic. Fina was beaming and Marta was very glad that she had decided against the route via Pau and instead taken the small but much flatter detour along the coast.

She smiled at Fina, who had put her hand on Marta's leg and returned her smile. A walk on the beach would be a good way to end the day, Marta thought. And maybe they could find a quiet spot for themselves while they watched the sunset.

'An overnight stay with the sound of the sea?' Marta asked.

'Absolutely!' The answer was accompanied by a vigorous, almost excited nod of the head.

Marta laughed. She didn't laugh at Fina, but laughed with all her heart. And Fina did the same.