To say I was excited to meet Claudia's family would be an understatement. A hint of nerves flickered beneath my usual confidence, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. My only real concern was making sure they understood one thing: I had no intentions of ever hurting her. More than anything, I wanted their trust, to show them that Claudia would be safe with me, even in Madrid.
Things with Claudia had become unexpectedly complicated. I had grown fond of her—far more than I had planned. She was no longer just someone I saw casually; she had become someone I truly looked forward to spending time with, someone whose company I valued more than I could admit. I wasn't in love, at least I didn't allow myself to think I was. But there was no denying how much I enjoyed being around her. Yet, despite the warmth of our connection, I kept reminding myself what really mattered at this point: my career. This daily routine of seeing her couldn't last forever, and with it, I hoped, whatever I was feeling would fade too.
