The next morning, when Alessandro woke up, the first thing he saw was his wife's sleeping face. She was hugging him, their naked bodies intertwined. He could feel her soft breath, the beating of her heart. He stroked her hair, and she nestled into his arms, complaining softly. She was tired and didn't want to wake up. Alessandro hated the idea of getting up; he wanted to keep enjoying the warmth and softness of his wife. But he had many things to attend to that day and couldn't afford that luxury. He kissed her forehead and got up very carefully, trying not to wake her, but as he moved, Abril woke up and asked him,
"Where are you going?"
"I have matters to attend to. How are you feeling?"
Abril felt tired but otherwise fine.
"I'm fine, just tired."
Alessandro got up, took a change of
