As Liv drove herself, Rafa and Noah back to her apartment, the car journey was filled with animal anecdotes and conversations surrounding their favourite parts of the zoo. Liv looked at Noah in the rear view mirror several times, smiling as she watched his bright eyes and wide smile as he talked. His adorable giggle as he remonstrated his Uncle Rafa for a light-hearted or sarcastic response warmed Liv's heart, and she found herself basking in the moment. And, the more she thought about it, the weekend as a whole. These past two days with Rafa and Noah had felt so natural, and easy, and right. Noah adored Rafa, and the longer he was with them the more he drew him into his world. Inviting him to watch his favourite movies, share snacks, and just talk. She loved watching their relationship grow, and was relieved and grateful that they got on so well.
As Liv reflected on the weekend, she found her mind drifting towards a subject she had desperately tried to avoid: the future. There had been moments she had thoughts about it over the weekend, especially when watching how great Rafa was with Noah, and how much they enjoyed each other's company. Seeing them together all weekend had made it impossible not to reflect on what a wonderful father Rafa would be, and the notion caused her to feel guilt and pain in equal measure. She had been able to force aside her thoughts and throw herself into whatever activity they were doing at the time, until now. Because now her treacherous mind conjured up thoughts and images of the three of them together, having family dinners, movie nights and weekends like this. Those thoughts cruelly led Liv to imagining the addition of a baby to their family, swaddled in a white knitted blanket, with Noah peeking curiously inside. Images of a family life she craved, with people she loved. A beautiful future that she was confident would be shattered in less than twenty four hours' time. Liv's throat tightened and she swallowed hard, gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles whitened, as she tried to force her thoughts aside. An attempt which was aided by the angry honking behind her, prompting her to look up and realise she was waiting at a green light.
"Liv?" Rafa said gently, his voice calm but edged with concern. "You okay?"
"Uh, yeah, sorry" Liv said with embarrassment, as she drove through the green light and continued to drive.
Rafa looked up at Liv, and noticed the tension in her body, the tightness of her jaw. She remained silent for the rest of the journey. Rafa had a good idea what she was thinking about, as it was a subject which had been playing on his own mind too. In an attempt to distract her, he engaged Noah in a conversation concerning the movies they would watch that afternoon. Noah asked if they could build the big, lego snake from the lego set he had in his room, and Rafa assured him that they could. It was agreed they would do this with Jurassic Park on in the background.
Liv had listened distractedly to Rafa and Noah's conversation as she drove, adding a few words periodically to assure her son she was listening, and to lessen Rafa's almost palpable concern. Her attempts to focus on the weekend with Rafa and Noah had provided her with a distraction from her impending doctor's appointment the following morning. But as time passed, and the afternoon got later, the distractions were less effective. Her treacherous thoughts had opened the floodgates, and she was desperately trying to force them shut. But as she pulled into her apartment building's parking lot, Liv realised it was nearly four o'clock, and the day would soon be night, and then morning would come. And then-
"Mum?" called Noah, his tone indicating it was not the first time he had said done so.
"Yes, sweetie?" Liv said, forcing a smile as she spoke. Noah stared at her for a moment, confusion present on his face.
"Can we have snacks whilst we make the lego snake, please?" he asked politely.
"Not right now, sweetie. I'll be making dinner in an hour or so" Liv explained, removing her seatbelt and trying not to look at Rafa, worrying she'd fall apart if she met his compassionate gaze.
"Okay" Noah conceded. "Will you help us make the snake?" he asked hopefully.
"Of course I will" Liv smiled, as she opened the car door and got out.
Liv opened Noah's door and let him out, helping him to carry the spoils of his trip up the stairs and towards the apartment. He was holding his snake against one of the walls, moving it and making a hissing sound as though it were real. Liv found her expression softened as she watched him playing innocently. She was drawn from her thoughts by the sensation of a familiar hand on her lower back, Rafa's comforting presence and wordless reassurance giving her the strength she needed to get through the rest of the day. A prospect made even more challenging as Liv unlocked the front door and stepped into her apartment, realisation dawning upon her that the next time she left would be to attend her doctor's appointment.
For the next couple of hours, Liv immersed herself completely in spending time with Rafa and Noah, focusing solely on whatever it was they were doing in that moment. She, Rafa and Noah sat on the living room floor together as they constructed the giant lego python, as Jurassic Park played in the background. Every so often Noah would pick up his snake plushie and playfully 'attack' Rafa with it, or move the snake around his neck and make a hissing sound. Rafa jokingly threatened to indict the snake for assault and Noah as a co-conspirator, which caused Noah to descend into hysterical laughter. Liv found the background noise and the lego construction a welcome distraction, but it was only effective to a point. In moments where sher mind was not completely focused on the task or conversation at hand, she found herself feeling an odd sense of numbness; it was as though she existed in a bubble, in her apartment with Rafa and Noah. The bubble was nice, safe and cut off from everything outside of it, separately from it completely. But as Jurassic Park ended she felt the walls of the bubble begin to break.
"Mum, can we have pizza for dinner, please?" Noah asked hopefully. Liv looked down at her phone and realised it was just after six.
"Not tonight, sweetie" Liv said gently. "We've had so much junk food and take-out this weekend, I'm going to make us something with vegetables to even it out" she explained.
"Fries are made of potatoes" Noah reasoned. "And there are peppers on the pizza" he continued. Rafa smirked in response.
"I'm going to be recruiting you soon, Noah" Rafa remarked lightly, as he drew his glass of scotch to his lips. Noah smiled and turned towards his mother victoriously.
"When I work for Uncle Rafa, he can pay me, and then I can buy my own pizza" he proudly declared. Liv chuckled.
"But until that time comes..." Liv began. "I will be making dinner" she advised, pushing herself up off the ground and adjusting her shirt. "Noah, go and have a bath, please" she asked. "When you come back we can watch the next Jurassic Park movie" she explained.
"Okay" Noah agreed, picking up his snake plushie and heading towards the bathroom.
"Don't take the snake into the bathtub!" Liv called after him, as she picked up the empty glasses from the table. Rafa rose to his feet and stepped towards her.
"Here, let me take those" he offered kindly, reaching for the glasses.
"I got it, it's fine" Liv responded quickly, turning towards him as she spoke. "I'll make a start on dinner, why don't you enjoy the next thirty minutes of peace and quiet" she said with a smile, before heading into the kitchen. She didn't meet his gaze as she spoke.
Rafa watched Liv walked off into the kitchen and place the glasses beside the sink, before heading towards the refrigerator. He tapped his fingers on the side of his thigh as he considered the best course of action. In the end, he found his feet leading him into the kitchen before he had really decided.
"Hey" he said gently, as Liv removed a large chicken from the fridge and placing it on the counter. She turned towards him and met his gaze for the first time in the last couple of hours, waiting expectantly for him to continue. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked carefully. Rafa noticed the question caused Liv's entire body to tense. Emotion flickered across her eyes and she looked down for the briefest of moments.
"Actually, I'd really rather not" she said quietly. Rafa nodded slowly.
"I understand" he assured her, offering her a small smile. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked hopefully, stepping closer to her. "Anything at all?" he asked, feeling helpless and incompetent, and guilty at knowing he had caused this. Liv smiled sadly and shook her head.
"No" Liv replied quietly, her voice heavy with emotion. She swallowed hard and let out a slow breath, before looking away from Rafa as she felt her resolve falter.
"Hey" Rafa said quietly, closing the distance between them and wrapping his arms around her. "Come here" he encouraged, holding her closely to him, and feeling relieved when she returned the hug.
Rafa held Liv close, the feeling of her rounded belly against his own causing something deep in the pit of his stomach to ache. He swallowed thickly and held her tighter, cradling her head with his right hand, as he felt her begin to relax into his embrace, her own hands drifting up his back.
Despite not wanting to risk falling apart completely, Liv allowed herself to be comforted by Rafa, finding herself feeling weak but not surprised by the fact that she needed it. Rafa was kind, rational and empathetic, and his unwavering pragmatism grounded her now, as it always did. He always knew exactly what to do or say when she needed comfort or advice. And he was one of the few people she trusted enough to be this open with, to allow herself to show vulnerability, fear, or self-doubt. Although she was upset and afraid, she felt stronger somehow, being here, with him. He was one of those people who makes you feel as though nothing bad will happen if you are with them. And on the rare occasion that it did, they would navigate you through the storm, and everything would be alright. Whatever happened tomorrow, they would need to navigate it together. She just desperately hoped it would be a journey, and not a storm.
They stood together for a couple of minutes when Liv broke the hug and stepped back, prompting Rafa to lower his arms immediately.
"Just distract me" she asked, somewhat breathlessly. "Please" she added. Rafa placed a hand on her arm and nodded.
"Okay" Rafa agreed, offering her a small, reassuring smile. "Shall I cut the vegetables and you prepare the chicken?" he suggested. "The only thing that scares me more than you holding a gun is you brandishing a knife" he teased.
Liv scoffed in response and smiled at his attempt at baiting and distracting her. She wondered which was his intention. She suspected he enjoyed both. She turned back towards the refrigerator and provided him with potatoes, carrots, swede and green beans.
"Help yourself" she said lightly, earning a chuckle from Rafa, who removed a knife from one of the drawers and reached for a potato.
As Noah endured his bath, Liv and Rafa prepared dinner together in the kitchen. Rafa put on some music using Liv's speakers, and they were both quickly distracted by food preparation and easy conversation. Although she was still within the confines of her bubble, Liv felt herself starting to relax slightly, her tension reducing enough to enable her to function.
When Noah emerged from the bathroom he was wearing dinosaur-themed pyjamas, and carrying his snake plushie (whom he and Rafa had named Cecil). Liv dried her hands and turned towards her son, looking down at the toy curiously.
"Noah, did you take Cecil into the bathtub?" she asked. Rafa looked up from the stuffing he was preparing and immediately noticed the reason for the question – and Noah's hesitation.
"Cecil sat on the edge of the tub but he didn't come in" Noah explained. Liv nodded. "Why?" he asked curiously, hugging the toy close. Liv smiled softly and poured him some orange juice.
"Because Cecil has a wet tail" she informed him as she handed him the glass.
"Oh" Noah replied, inspecting the area in question.
"You better dry it before he catches a cold" Rafa said, his serious tone causing Noah to look up at him quizzically.
"Cecil can't get a cold, Uncle Rafa" Noah said incredulously. "That's silly" he added. Rafa smirked and looked down at him.
"Well, how about you and Cecil go and sit in the living room under a blanket and carry on building the lego snake" Liv suggested. "Uncle Rafa and I will be with you in a few minutes" she advised. Noah nodded in agreement and hurried into the living room, as Rafa considered Liv's words.
"I've only had one glass of scotch but I felt like I was drunk when I processed that" Rafa informed Liv, who chuckled in response.
"Is dinner ready soon?" Noah called politely.
"Dinner will be about forty-five minutes" she replied. "We'll watch some of the movie and carry on building Cecil's friend" she advised.
"What shall we call the lego snake, Noah?" Rafa asked, curious to see what name he would come up with.
"Cedric!" he replied, the recent Harry Potter films still present in his mind.
"Cedric it is" Liv proclaimed, as she put the roast potatoes in the oven.
"Next thing you know he'll be asking for a real snake" Rafa teased, lowering his voice so that Noah wouldn't hear him.
"I'll tell him he can have one as long as it lives in your office" Liv replied instantly. "Which won't be a problem, seeing as you'll be recruiting him soon" she added lightly. Rafa smirked and nodded in approval.
"Touche" he replied, watching as Liv put her oven gloves down. "Shall we go and watch the next movie and hope he doesn't ask for a dinosaur?" he suggested. Liv chuckled.
"Sounds great" she replied.
For the next couple of hours Liv, Rafa and Noah watched the second Jurassic Park film and completed Cedric's construction (much to Noah and Cecil's delight). Dinner was served shortly after Cedric was complete, and they ate together on the couch. Noah kept moving Cecil towards Rafa's plate, and pretending he would steal his chicken. Rafa played along, much to Liv's amusement and Noah's delight. He oscillated between pretending to stab Cecil through the head with his fork, threatening to cook and eat the plushie, and then staring at his plate and swearing he had more chicken before. As Liv returned from the kitchen with a drink, Rafa stared at his new nemesis and grabbed the snake, earning giggles from Noah.
"Noah, I have bad news" Rafa said faux-seriously. Noah chuckled.
"What is it, Uncle Rafa?" he asked between giggles.
"Cecil is not a python" he advised, holding the snake in both hands, and then turning back towards Noah. "He's a boa constrictor!" he declared, before wrapping the toy around Noah and pretending to squeeze him. Noah erupted into laughter and wriggled helplessly on the sofa.
"Mum! Mum, help me, Cecil is eating me!" he called between giggles.
"Not yet he isn't" Rafa corrected him, as Liv laughed at the sight. "Give him time" he added.
"No! No, Uncle Rafa. Mum! Mummy!" Noah called between laughs.
Liv then placed her drink on the table, walked towards the couch and stepped in front of Rafa, placing her hands on his shoulders and playfully pushing him back. Rafa looked up at Liv with an expression somewhere between surprise and delight, as she placed her right knee on the couch in the space between Noah and Rafa, and pushed Rafa away from Noah. Rafa laughed and placed his hands on Liv's hips to hold her steady as he fell back on the couch. Noah was laughing and pushing himself off the couch, hurrying to Liv's side to support his mother, who was now pinning Rafa to the touch.
"Hey, that's not fair, it's three against one!" Rafa protested, as Noah draped Cecil around Rafa's neck.
"Cecil is going to constrict you, Uncle Rafa" Noah proclaimed through giggles, and using the opportunity to use his new word.
"Well he's going to have to do it fast, because your mother is already suffocating me" he stated, before pushing himself up off the couch, lifting Liv off him slightly and easing her into Noah's seat. Noah immediately climbed between them and helped Cecil to continue his assault of Rafa.
Liv leaned back against the sofa and watched as Rafa, Noah and Cecil fought. She was laughing so hard her sides hurt and her ribs ached, and tears stung in her eyes. It was only when she caught sight of her phone on the table that she realised it was three minutes past nine, that the spell was quickly broken. Her stomach tighten and her smile fell, and she swallowed thickly in an attempt to quell the rising sensation of panic.
"Noah, sweetie" Liv said, her voice adopting a tone which prompted Rafa to stop his part in the antics. "It's gone nine, it's way past your bed time" she informed him.
"But mum, Uncle Rafa is here" Noah protested sadly.
"Uncle Rafa has been here all weekend" Liv reminded him. "We've had a long, fun day, and you need to get some sleep" she explained. "It's a school night" she added, as Noah sat up and tried to protest. "Why don't you and Cecil go and brush your teeth and get into bed, and I'll come and tuck you both in?" she suggested.
"Okay" Noah sighed, hugging the snake toy close as he rose to his feet. "Night, Uncle Rafa" he said warmly.
"Goodnight, Noah" Rafa replied, smiling at him as he headed towards the bathroom. His eyes quickly drifted towards Liv, who leaned tiredly against the couch. "Looks like I'll be saying goodnight to you, too" he added, watching as she tried (and failed) to stifle a yawn. Liv shook her head.
"Not yet" she replied. "I'm fine" she stated, before rising to her feet. Rafa sat up against the couch and watched as she headed into the kitchen and began to run the tap.
"Liv, I'll tidy the kitchen" he advised, rising to his feet and heading towards her.
"It's fine" Liv assured him. "Besides, aren't you still recovering from your near-death experience with Cecil?" she teased. Rafa smirked as he walked towards her.
"Cecil was nothing compared to you" he informed her, prompting her to turn towards him with a smile.
"Charming" Liv replied, flicking him with water as she began to wash up. "Why don't you take Cedric into Noah's room?" she suggested, keen to satiate Rafa's desire to be useful. "Perhaps find a space for him that won't be stood on or walked into" he added. Rafa nodded in response.
"Sure" he replied, before turning and heading out of the kitchen.
Rafa had just put Cedric away when Noah emerged from the bathroom, hugging Cecil and carrying him into the kitchen, his tail dragging along the floor.
"Mum, I'm not tired" Noah whined. Liv dried her hands and turned towards him.
"It's very late, sweetie" Liv informed him. "You can read in bed for a while, okay?"
"Okay" Noah sighed. "Please can you tuck me in?"
"Of course I can" Liv replied, placing her hand on his back and heading into his bedroom with him.
When Liv returned to the kitchen, she found Rafa tidying the living room. Knowing it was futile to protest, she left him to it, and continued with the washing up. The next Jurassic Park film started to play automatically and they left it on, musing at the odd background sounds as they tidied.
Liv yawned against her shoulder and blinked tiredly, as she reached for the last drinking glass and washed it. As she rinsed the soap suds off under the sink, a familiar sensation interrupted her thoughts, and caused her to freeze.
As Liv rinsed the glass, she suddenly felt a fluttering sensation in her belly, which Amanda had informed her was the baby moving. It was similar to the sensation she had experienced in her office, but this time it felt slightly stronger, and more persistent. And instead of only lasting for a few seconds, it persisted for what felt like several minutes, confident and assertive and refusing to be ignored. The sensation caused Liv to feel both excited and terrified, and then incredibly sad. She had been so distracted by the sensation that she did not hear Rafa come up behind her, and was unaware of his presence until he placed his hand on her lower back and called her name. Liv dropped the glass she was holding and it shattered in the sink, bringing her immediately out of her stupor, and causing her to let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.
Rafa reached across Liv and turned off the tap, prompting her to look down at the shattered remains of the glass. She went to reach into the sink and Rafa stopped her, putting his hand over hers and drawing it away. Liv looked up at him and found him watching her with concern.
"You okay?" he asked, worry and confusion present in his voice. Liv swallowed hard and nodded. She couldn't bring herself to explain the reason for her distraction. It would be cruel.
"I'm just tired" she responded, relieved that it wasn't a complete lie. However, it was clear that Rafa did not believe her, at least not entirely. He nodded in defeat.
"Okay" Rafa said quietly. "Why don't you go to bed, and I'll clean the sink" he suggested.
"Rafa, I'm fine-"
"I know" Rafa assured her, offering her a tight smile. "You're also tired" he said gently. "It's been a long day, why don't you get some rest?" he suggested. Liv swallowed hard and nodded. She didn't want to go to sleep yet, she wanted to cling onto the day. But right now she felt like she needed to be alone. And she suspected Rafa knew that.
"Goodnight" she said quietly, offering him a grateful smile, before drying her hands and heading into her bedroom.
"Goodnight" Rafa said quietly.
After changing into her pyjamas, Liv headed into the bathroom to remove her make-up and brush her teeth. Now that she was by herself, and without distraction, she found her intrusive thoughts creeping in once more. She tried to ignore them, and thankfully her tiredness aided her in doing so, as she was unable to think clearly enough to upset herself.
Despite not wanting to sleep and doubting she would be able to, Liv found sleep claiming her almost immediately. To her surprise, she slept soundly from half-past nine until four in the morning, when she awoke feeling nervous, nauseous and utterly terrified.
Liv's immediate instinct was to walk into the living room to see if Rafa was awake. She couldn't hear any movement, but she knew he was an early riser. And she doubted he slept well at all, the only reason she did was because she was pregnant.
Liv lay in bed for over an hour, still and silent, watching as the minutes passed painfully slowly. She was torn between wanting to go to the appointment now, to locking her bedroom door and staying in there indefinitely. She felt numb and sad and very overwhelmed. For weeks now she had been unable to envision a day past this one, and now that this one had finally arrived, she felt more helpless than she had in quite some time. She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes, snuggling down beneath her bedsheets and willing time to stop.
Before Liv realised it, her alarm sounded to announce it was six-thirty. She opened her eyes and felt her chest tighten and her stomach drop. She swallowed thickly and pushed herself up, her mind protesting at the action. She ignored it, rising to her feet somewhat unsteadily, before walking calmly across her bedroom and heading into the bathroom.
Liv quickly showered, brushed her teeth and took her medication, acting on autopilot and scarcely registering or thinking about what she was doing. She returned to her bedroom and put on her make-up mechanically, before drying and styling her hair. It was only when she was trying to find a blouse that would fit her comfortably that she was forced out of her stupor. The first four blouses – three of which she had worn fairly recently – either refused to unbutton or clung tightly to her rounded belly. After trying two more with similar results, Liv found herself brought instantly back into the present, her body betraying her so cruelly on such a day. She sat on the end of her bed in defeat, feeling tears sting her eyes. She let out an involuntary sob and immediately clamped her hand to her mouth, closing her eyes tightly as she battled to calm herself. It was only the sound of Noah's footsteps in the corridor that managed to break through her sadness. She inhaled sharply, wiped her eyes, and took in a calming breath. She then exhaled deeply, pressed her hands onto the side of her bed and pushed herself up, heading towards her closet once more.
After going through her closet and two of her drawers, she found a dark green blouse a couple of sizes up from her usual size. It had been a staple work item before she lost a little weight.
Liv put on the blouse and hesitantly did up the buttons, sighing with relief when she looked at the final result. The blouse hung neatly over her belly, but only just concealed it from the front. As she looked at herself from the side, her condition was obvious. Liv swallowed thickly and blinked back the tears which stung her eyes, before putting on a black blazer and untucking her hair. She then transferred various items from her weekend bag to her work bag, removed her phone from the charger and walked calmly out of her bedroom.
As Liv walked into the kitchen she found herself feeling rather dazed. Rafa was standing in the kitchen drinking coffee, having prepared Noah some toast which he was eating at the island. Liv was surprised to see her son dressed by seven-fifteen, and she suspected it was down to a request from his Uncle Rafa. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart ached.
Upon Liv entering the room Rafa turned towards her immediately. He was dressed in a black three-piece suit with a white shirt and navy blue tie. He looked calm and immaculate, but there was a slight redness in his eyes which betrayed him.
Rafa met Liv's gaze and felt something deep inside her ache. Although she looked beautiful, put-together and appeared calm, something in her eyes startled him. There was a dullness, an absence, in her gaze which was most unsettling. It was as though she was in a trance.
"Morning, mum!" Noah called brightly, the sound of his voice prompting Liv to force a smile which did not reach her eyes.
"Good morning, sweetie" she said warmly, as she walked towards him. "Did you sleep well?"
"Uh-huh" he confirmed, through mouthfuls of toast. "Cecil did too."
"Well I am very glad to hear it" Liv said, her voice similar to her own, but with an edge Rafa did not recognise.
"Would you like some coffee?" Rafa asked, wanting to keep things as normal as possible for Liv. She looked up at him with a vacant expression, as though she did not see him. It took her a few moments to process his question.
"No, thank you. I'm fine" she advised, before sitting next to Noah, who immediately engaged his mother in conversation about Cecil, school and the lunch options.
Liv held her phone in clasped hands which rested on the island, and she and Rafa engaged in conversation with Noah, both of them desperately wanting to feel normal, and think about anything other than the appointment they had in less than an hour's time.
Time passed by quickly, far too fast for Liv's liking. When she heard a knock at the door she looked down at her phone instinctively, and realised it was five-past eight.
"Lucy's here!" Noah beamed, and Liv forced a smile. "I'll get it!" he added, hurrying off his seat and carrying excitedly Cecil to the front door.
Liv watched after him in a daze, before rising mechanically from her seat and walking slowly towards the door, reaching it just as it opened.
Lucy had barely set foot in the apartment when Noah showed her Cecil the Snake and began talking about their trip to the zoo. When Noah finally drew breath, Lucy looked up at Liv and said good morning, before her gaze drifted to Rafael Barba, who was standing in the kitchen.
"Uncle Rafa had a sleepover" Noah announced innocently. Embarrassment flooded Liv as she turned towards Lucy, who was watching her with an amused expression.
"I'm sorry I'm a bit early" Lucy said, not wanting Liv to feel awkward.
"That's fine" Liv assured her, as Rafa walked instinctively towards Liv, wanting to be near her. "We should be going" she added, the words almost choking her. "Have a wonderful day at school" she told Noah, who wrapped his arms around her waist. Liv leaned down so he would not feel her belly, and she held him tight. "I love you" she said quietly.
"I love you too, mum" Noah replied warmly. "Bye, Uncle Rafa" he added brightly, as Rafa put on his coat and picked up his weekend bag and his briefcase.
"Bye, Noah" Rafa replied. "Bye, Cecil" he added lightly. Noah smiled and lifted Cecil's head.
"Cecil says bye" Noah advised. Rafa's expression softened and he smiled.
"I'll see you both soon" Rafa responded. Noah smiled, and then reached for Lucy's hand.
"Lucy, come and see my new plushies!" he said excitedly.
"Okay" Lucy laughed, turning towards Liv and Rafa with a smile, "bye Liv, it was nice to see you again, Mr Barba" she added.
"You too, Lucy" Rafa said sincerely, as he and Liv watched Lucy and Noah disappear into Noah's bedroom.
Liv swallowed thickly and turned on the spot, walking wordlessly towards the apartment door and opening it. She took a few steps into the corridor, but the sound of the door closing behind Rafa caused her to freeze. She hesitated for a moment, before turning around and finding Rafa just inches away from her. She met his gaze with emotional eyes, as she felt her resolve faltering.
"Rafa" she said quietly, her voice choked.
"I know" Rafa assured her, dropping his weekend bag to the ground and wrapping his arms around her, as he pulled her into a hug. He was relieved when Liv leaned into his embrace and held onto him. "I know."