#lalo salamanca x original female character

[seeds-and-sins]

From Mexico With Love Series

Across the Cards

Pairing: Eduardo “Lalo” Salamanca / Original Female Character

Rating: T

Description: Lucia had only ever known a life of servitude. Even with access to everything she could have ever wanted, all the treasures that could be afforded, all the luxury that most women could only dream of, she was a prisoner to such pleasures. Don Eladio kept her raveled in his grasp, invisible chains holding her down to the mansion she had grown tired of roaming. One breath of a second with a certain Salamanca sends her spiraling into a game of fates, and for a moment she wonders if she does have a choice.

The Fox

   She applauded herself for being a good keeper of secrets. She didn't say a word to Eladio, nor alert him to any kind of concern over something he didn't even know existed. Eduardo had never taken much of an interest in Lucia as others had, which only further fueled her surprise in regards to the previous week's events. It had only ever been Lucia looking at him, watching him from afar as she soaked her feet in the pool, pretended to read her book on Eladio's lap, pretended she wasn't intrigued by the older yet younger friend of Don Eladio's. Friend being the most correct word she could have given Eduardo, because Eduardo and Eladio were friends. Granted Eladio had other friends, but they were few and far between, trusting people in this line of work was hard. Yet, Lalo was a devoted follower and Eladio had known him since Lalo was just a boy at Hector's side. It only made the act between Eduardo and Lucia that much more naughty in her mind.

    She was reading too much between the lines, she told herself. She was being desperate and naive, weak and feeble. The man they called 'Lalo', best compared to a fox, had simply been... Well, she couldn't really explain in any way what had happened without sounding sexual or needy or lusty. What she had been saying was, Lalo was totally coming onto her. What she wanted to say was, Lalo was being polite and gentle and kind, a true gentleman. And then she thought about his words, the sweet accent behind them, the thick voice drilling her thoughts. She ignored his analysis of her, she had buried that so deep. She didn't think anyone could see it, but he did. He saw through her like an open book, but yet she had never seen him watching her or staring directly at her until the day he had shoved her against that wall with such a feather like intensity.

   She swished her toes in the water, biting her bottom lip. Thinking about Lalo so much was a good distraction, she knew that her daydreams were impossible situations that could never really happen, but it was fun playing them out. Like for instance, him getting up from his seat at the table with Eladio. Him walking over to her, him grabbing her, holding her, then kissing her, biting at her throat, getting beneath her-

"Mi grisol!" (My Sunflower!) Eladio called, she would waste no time in making him wait. She rose up from her perch on the edge of the pool and strolled around it to then find herself snuggly on his lap. She ignored the fact that Eduardo was watching, sitting only a few feet away. Eladio caressed her cheek, arranged her long hair back behind her ear before kissing her on the neck. "Sé mi buena suerte encanto este juego." (Be my good luck charm this game.) And he gestured to the cards, the poker chips, the other four men around the table, Eduardo included. She made eye contact with him, but he couldn't see her eyes beneath the new pair of tinted sunglasses Eladio had gotten for her.

   She adjusted on Eladio's lap and then grabbed the cards. Eladio chuckled as she started to shuffle and deal them around the table. He clapped his hands together, pride swelling in his chest at the fact that he had managed to teach his special sunflower how to play. "Quizás podría jugar mejor que todos ustedes juntos." (She could perhaps play better than you all combined.) He caressed her lower back, sending shivers through her. She played along with Eladio, smiled as she leaned back into his chest, finishing the deal.

     And so the game was played, Eladio won again, probably because everyone was afraid to win against him. Eduardo kept staring at her, she was so tempted to remove her glasses and stop hiding out from behind them, but it was Eladio's cardinal rule that her eyes were his alone. She turned her head, lips tenderly kissing his ear and she whispered for his permission. Eladio paused for a moment, the smile transforming into a stoic expression as he surveyed the table. His free hand grazed her hip and then he nodded.

    She kissed his cheek and then sat forward to remove her sunglasses, the men around the table leaned forward as if they were about to witness a victorious spectacle. She placed the sunglasses on the table and then returned back into a comfortable position on Eladio's lap. Every so often she made sure her eye's met Eduardo's, she made sure that he knew what she was thinking. She felt daring, she felt dangerous, she felt that same burst of adrenaline from before, and most importantly she felt greedy beyond measure. She didn't think her efforts were successful, until she saw that hint of a smile on Lalo's face.

    Then Lalo won the hand. The only one against Eladio to do such a thing. Eladio played it off as if it meant nothing, he had plenty of money to spare, this game was cheap weight. It did bother Eladio though and it excited Lucia to see that Eduardo wasn't afraid to defeat the man. It was like he was telling her something, or maybe she was reading between the lines again. Dear God, she was going to go insane if this kept up. She felt something overcome her, the naughty feeling from before leveling up into something more sinister and death defying. She could do anything she wanted, she told herself. This was her turf, not Eduardo's. Eladio was her puppet and Eduardo his severant.

"Eladio?" She cooed into his ear, loud enough for the others to hear, the game continuing at the expected pace. Nobody wanted to seem like they were listening in on something obviously only meant for Eladio.

"Sí?" He was intent on paying attention to the game, focusing all of his energy into it. She met Eduardo's violent stare, and violent it was, fierce and unrelenting, coming down on her with no mercy. She couldn't read it, but it was far more than what any other man at the party could give her or had given her. Not even Eladio had seen through her as such, Eduardo so violently dwindling his lasor focus onto her insides and her energy and every little movement she made. Her lips parted, Eduardo's eyebrows twitched and she tilted her head back slightly, exposing her neck, bringing her lips closer to the side of Eladio's cheek. He moved his chips, cursed, flipped the card as the dealer.

"No puedo esperar para acurrucarte más tarde." (I can't wait to cuddle with you later.) Eduardo's eyes abruptly dropped back to the cards, but not without sneaking another glance upward. It was like he was annoyed, hiding skillfully beneath this visage of a stronger man. He was annoyed that he couldn't have her in that moment. She was successful at finally drawing from him the desire that every man felt at that table for her, but his was different somehow. His was more attuned and more directed into an entirely invisible plain that she hadn't yet been exposed to. "Espero con ansias eso, dormir juntos en tu cama gigante, usar tu ropa, besarte." (I look forward to that, sleeping in your giant bed together, wearing your clothes, kissing you.) Eladio grinned, he thought he had what no man would ever have in that moment. Lucia felt powerful because she had what Eladio could never take from her in that moment. His arm wrapped more snugly around her waist and he placed a wet kiss at her throat, then murmured in her ear what he would do to her later, where no one could hear or know, he would have his fun. A certain promise. The hand was over, Eladio won again. Eladio cheered for himself, forcing Lucia's lips towards his own with a sloppy grip on her chin.

"Disculpe, Don Eladio. Ya vuelvo." (Excuse me, Don Eladio. I will be right back.) He stood up and then winked at the Don, where they both exchanged a laugh or a joke. "Buen juego por cierto." (Good game by the way.) Lucia suddenly felt a bit disappointed. She was having fun at last, she felt exhilarated, and then Eduardo left and now everything seemed much more boring.

"Girasol," Eladio nudged insistently at her backside. "¿por qué no vas a buscarme un trago? Sabes lo que me gusta." (Why don't you go get me a drink? You know what I like.)

"Sí, mi sol." (Yes, my sun.) She defeatedly made her way to the kitchen, knowing she might pass Eduardo and have to deal with the embarrassment of that rejection. In all honesty, she didn't blame him for backing out now. He had gone way too far before, even talking to her was too far. She arranged a mimosa for herself and then prepared Eladio's favorite, Blanco tequila and lime on ice. She downed her mimosa as she poured his drink, chugging it as she went and then she prepared herself a second mimosa. She grabbed the drinks and made way to head back, when she saw Eduardo standing there at the doorway into the kitchen. The kitchen was fairly large, Eladio and Lucia had had there fair share of moments in it. The wooden island split the kitchen in half, the expensive granite counter tops and beachy decor. It was a big kitchen, and yet it felt so much smaller now that Eduardo was there.

   She wanted to say something, do something, break this tension between them. His expression stoic as he gazed at her, all of her, openly taking in everything. Her blue eyes curious, her heart longing, her body burning for his touch again. With no one around, they could do it now. She hated herself for being so eager to jump into it with this man.

   Had she become so lusty for difference? For change? Now that she finally had a glimpse of what it felt like? She would kiss Eladio and then quickly insist on having Eduardo next? That was no way to compose herself, but she found herself caring little about those details. She simply wanted to do something of her own choice again. Choosing to be with Eladio all those years ago had removed any freedom of choice that she had following, up till now. Up till the moment Eduardo came closer to her body and soul, the moment she realized that this was her choice. Was it worth it? She was already preparing herself for the day when Eladio saw it fit to kill her, so what difference did it make if he killed her now? For being foolish and being with Eduardo, she would surely take that death. But then, her family would be without again, and Eduardo would probably die too, or worse. Eduardo then disappeared from his propped up place against the wall, she sighed and leaned against the counter. Not a word left his lips and not a word left hers, she simply should just leave it at that.

   She grabbed the drinks, and then followed after Eduardo. What she had hoped would be the first of many changes for her, was now nothing more but a whispered sin and she could do nothing about it. She didn't find herself wanting to do anything about it anymore anyways. The fight driven from her, the independence of choice gone again. She returned to the table with the drinks, Eladio made an offhanded comment that she took too long. She then sat herself back on his lap and continued observing the game, ignoring any glares Eduardo might have sent her way. She wasn't going to play a game that was already ending before it even began, she couldn't play that game. It wasn't healthy for herself to get so invested in a mere fantasy, and it wasn't healthy for Eduardo, if that was the case for him as well. If it had been the case for him then-No. She wouldn't play it.

One more glance, she promised herself and she didn't regret it. He was admiring her, then smiling, then placing his cards down face up, the table erupted in disapproval, Eladio included.

Eduardo won again.

[seeds-and-sins]

From Mexico With Love Series

The Fox 

Pairing: Eduardo “Lalo” Salamanca / Original Female Character

Rating: T

Description: Lucia had only ever known a life of servitude. Even with access to everything she could have ever wanted, all the treasures that could be afforded, all the luxury that most women could only dream of, she was a prisoner to such pleasures. Don Eladio kept her raveled in his grasp, invisible chains holding her down to the mansion she had grown tired of roaming. One breath of a second with a certain Salamanca sends her spiraling into a game of fates, and for a moment she wonders if she does have a choice.

Note: I have been thinking about posting this for so long. Now I am finally saying the hell with it. More is definitely to come as I work out the rest of the story line. There is so little on Lalo out there and I couldn’t help myself.

Across the Cards

 This lifestyle wasn't exactly conventional. It was demeaning at times, disgusting, dangerous, but regrettably necessary. As she had become the sole provider for her family, her mother, her little brothers, she was expected to choose. It was a rough choice, but Don Eladio made it easy. Because of him her family was better off now than they had ever been before. All he asked in return was her services, her attention, her smile, her tantalizing dances, he asked nothing more. Her services rewarded with protections, with money and food and shelter. Her family never going without again.

     It was a life that had soon drained her, pulling from her the lovely innocent girl she had been, sculpting her into a woman of Eladio's design. She was much younger than the others, softer, sweeter, and a cherished prize for Eladio to brag about and parade around the pool deck. This she had gotten used to, years of being the Don Eladio's private possession. Never touched by another, never played around with by another, a trophy for only Eladio to enjoy. She assured herself such luxuries were, in fact, positive ones. Unlike the others, she was afforded the ability to have something of independence, even if it wasn't entirely her own. At least she only had to attend to one man, the others were expected to attend to all of Eladio's guests, expected to pretend that they weren't being paid to do so. It was a sad thought, at least she wasn't like them.

      He enjoyed asking her to sit on his lap, toy with his hair, caress his chest, kiss his cheek. It must have comforted him, knowing that a younger woman was attending to his need for affection. She was so desired by many others that had crossed paths with Eladio, that had seen her sunbathing or relaxing by the pool's edge. For a man of his power and stature and age, it must have amused him knowing that none of them could have her. It must have truly heightened his ego knowing that they could never touch what goddess sat before their eyes and within their reach.

      Her cleavage peaking beneath the steep V in her one piece bathing suit. The color of silk white and golden accents, contrasting against her bronze skin. Such bronze that glimmered smoothly in the bright Mexican sun, that flickered with light. Her curly black hair tumbling down over her acute shoulders, her magnificent curves, the taut skin of her belly barely revealed, and slender, toned legs crossed in an elegant posture. At first glance, one might be dumb struck by the very truth that she was owned. Could such beauty even be possessed by man? Perhaps that too spurred Don Eladio to have her as his own. That he would be a god with her at his side, that he was invincible by having ownership over the impossible. Yet, were these features enough, all the women that surrounded him had similar appendages and sense of femininity. Why her? 

    Well, only one man had ever had the gull to ask such a question. Hector Salamanca. Once invited to enjoy the pleasures of Eladio's festivities, Hector couldn't help but ask. He couldn't help but notice that the only woman worth really looking at was sitting directly on Don Eladio's lap. Eladio's answer was simple, even she had known for so long why Eladio had been drawn to her at first. He very carefully removed her sunglasses and she gazed into her captor’s dark brown eyes. He tilted her head over to face Hector, a slight nudge of his thumb, and Hector saw. She had the bluest eyes that anyone had ever seen. Of course, there might had been one other woman there with blue eyes, but Lucia's eyes were the starkest blue. They were like polished diamonds, prepared by a jeweler or cut to perfection by the earth's elemental force. They were Eladio's diamonds. As quickly as Eladio had removed the sunglasses, he had placed them back on for her. Hector no longer able to admire the brilliant blue, and after that no one asked questions. Hector, being allowed the minor exception, but Eladio didn't like it when people so much as even wondered why she remained glued to a man like him.

     The answer was easy for her, her family. She would do anything for them. When her father died and her family no longer had a means to support themselves, she acted. She was only eighteen at the time, at which Eladio was hesitant to take such a young soul into his collection of women. He did so anyways, she was old enough to make her own decisions. She eventually grew used to belonging to him, doing as he said, being as obedient as she could. For her family, she would say. The once shy and nervous caterpillar had grown into a fully developed butterfly. She had once berated herself for becoming comfortable with being a consort, but now she was accustomed to such activities. And Eladio praised her for it. 

He constantly remarked at how her beauty never faltered, even as she entered into her twenties. He spoke aloud about how she only became more and more gorgeous as the years went by. An addition to his home that he could never go without. Job security in her mind, but at the same time, a prison she had forced herself into. She had locked herself away and had thrown away the key years ago. She always wondered when Eladio would kill her, of course, he couldn't let her go because she wouldn't be his anymore. The day never came, or to this point, it had never approached. It was her greatest fear, being cast aside, even when she knew it might happen one day. For her family, she would say, always for them.

    Despite these truths, she had learned confidence. As she matured, so did her ability to recognize the leverage she had over every living soul that was connected to Eladio. Ever so quiet until Eladio asked her for something or insisted on conversation, she attended to her needs throughout the day. She was allowed as much alcohol as she wanted, she was allowed to sleep in his over sized bed, lounge in his living room, practically spend as much time as she wanted, anywhere she wanted to. In essence, she was the queen to his king, feeling like a prisoner but treated with royalty. Eladio had killed men for her, he had cast out women for her, she knew what she was worth because of him. She would never test such a theory, but she had considered once before that if she provided Eladio with an ultimatum he would surely meet her demands. It made her feel powerful and dangerous, that no one would cross her. She had learned this, she had grown into such a vicious role. Although it never sated her, a woman in the position of power that she was in, she always felt lost somehow. Even with all the money in the world, Eladio could never make her happy. She did it for her family, because that was all she ever knew. The idea of him putting her out of her misery scared her, but she knew that it would be welcomed in comparison to this torture she existed in. Her choice in the beginning, a trap at best, no longer her choice anymore. That boat had sailed far out into the horizon, with no hint of returning anytime soon.

"Mi girasol, ¿qué te preocupa?" My Sunflower, what troubles you? She forced a soft smile and then met his gaze, mock concern doning his features. She traced the tip of her index alone his exposed chest, over the grey curls. She slid her hand where fabric of his white button up parted.

"Nada, mi sol." Nothing, my sun. She sighed, and then curled her head under his chin. "Estoy consada." I'm tired. He snorted, roving his fingers through her hair and nodding in understanding. 

"Sí, girasol, ¿por qué no descansas? Me reuniré contigo más tarde." Yes, Sunflower, why don't you go rest? I will join you later. She wasn't going to protest, but she knew that if she didn't he wouldn't be quite so pleased to see she was eager to leave him. She lifted her head up and pressed a kiss to his cheek, then hovered over his salty lips. He grinned, eyes desperately moving from her lips and back up to his own reflection in her sunglasses. 

"¿Estás seguro? Estoy dispuesto a esperarte." Are you sure? I am willing to wait for you.

"Vamos. Tendremos mucho tiempo para pasar juntos más tarde." Go. We will have plenty of time to spend together later. She pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, then removed herself from his lap. She caught several eyes shoot in her direction, the eyes of Dons and guests of Eladio, they couldn't help but admire her from a distance. Eladio tapped his palm at her ass as she then left him. She shot a smirk over her shoulder at him, at which he reciprocated with a unique smugness that was only his own. 

    She patted her way around the pool deck, ignoring any eye contact with those she passed along the way. The concrete was hot beneath her feet, simmering as the sun scorched it’s surface. She made more of an effort not to look like she was skipping as she made to enter Eladio's mansion. She was looking down, head sagging as she then disappeared into the air conditioned shade of the home. The doorway opened into a hallway with a high ceiling, thick and bulky as it extended out towards the double door entrance of the home. Along the hallway there was a pathway into the kitchen, the living room, and then the stairs that curled up into the second floor. It was fairly dim, a blue flickered off the white hallways, the sun streaming in through the opened patio door behind her.

    Lucia huffed as her feet finally met the cold tile, she figured she could stop in the kitchen for a glass of cold water before heading upstairs to change and rest. She was looking forward to discarding her bathing suit in exchange for one of Eladio's extra large button up shirts. She started towards the kitchen, it was relatively quiet and she had originally thought she was alone. She grabbed her sunglasses, pulling them from her tired eyes as she turned the corner into the kitchen and-

     She hit something hard, nearly stumbled back as the soles of her feet tried to catch themselves on the marble floor. Her sunglasses dropped to the ground, a lens clicking out, skidding away, a squeak of surprise escaping her lips. She didn't even know what was happening before a pair of rough hands scooped her up. Her eyes widened at the man before, the scratchy, work ridden hands, the chocolate brown eyes, the apologetic gleam, the salt and pepper gelled back hair.

"Lo siento, cariño, sabes lo torpe que puedo ser." So sorry, sweetheart, you know how clumsy I can be. It was Eduardo ‘Lalo' Salamanca. The man she had pined after for well over a year now. One of the only men she looked forward to seeing at Don Eladio's parties and business meetings. There was something about him that drew her to him, something that made her heart skip a beat, that made her wish that Eladio and him switched places for a day. He was so charming, unbelievably handsome, extremely sweet with the ladies, smart, determined, confident. He released her from his grasp as soon as she was on her feet again. She was still in awe and shock, she had never been this close to him before. So close that his cigar scented breath had fanned over her for but a moment before he himself had hunched over to retrieve her broken glasses from the floor. 

   He held the lens and the frame up, his teeth clenched as he formed a false wince at the destruction of her favorite pair of sunglasses. She couldn't even be upset with him. It was an accident after all and, well, his body radiated so much heat and his eyes and his hair and... Or was that Lucia? But, what about her glasses again? She couldn't even think straight. "Oh chico, ese es mi mal." Oh boy, that's my bad. He then smiled again. He had this smile unlike any she had seen before. It was intimidating, but genuine and pleased, all at the same time. 

   She hadn't taken the time to realize that her palms were still planted firmly against his chest. In her haste to find balance, they had found themselves there. They were clenched over the button up he wore, squeezing at the silk fabric. It carried a fancy design, a clash of exotic abstract shapes and colors, tucked into a pair of black ironed slacks. She found that it suited him, but she was thinking awfully too long about that, now wasn't she? His eyebrows twitched upward, she wasn't sure whether it was out of curiosity, or confusion. She laughed nervously, then returned her hands back to her sides, grabbing her broken sunglasses from his hands as she did so.

"Um, Está bien," Um, it's okay. "Fue mi culpa." It was my fault. She smiled at him, although she realized she probably looked more awkward than anything. He then brought a hand up under her chin, caressing his thumb over the spot beneath her bottom lip. She was shocked, absolutely taken aback. Why were the Salamancas so ballsy? If Eladio knew that she had even come so close as to bump into Eduardo, he would probably kill the chaotic Salamanca of a man. Even if he liked Lalo the most out of all of the Salamancas, no mercy was allowed when it came to Eladio’s prized sunflower. Lalo was still smiling, squinting his eyes now, examining her angelic features. He then released her chin and his smile widened into an eccentric grin, his finger gestured at her lazily, hands falling to his hips.

"Eres la chica de Eladio, ¿eh?" You are Eladio's girl, huh? How did he not know? No, he knew. He knew exactly who she was, so what game was he playing then? This was dangerous territory for him. She wasn't going to get him in trouble for this, but what was he even thinking right now? Because she certainly wasn't thinking, at all, that was for sure. Her expression scrunched into consternation and she nodded silently. "Ya veo ya veo. ¿Te cuida?" I see, I see. Does he take care of you? What? Did he just...

"Lo siento. ¿Disculpe?" I'm sorry, excuse me? 

"¿Estas feliz aqui?" Are you happy here? The rephrasing of the question, the reiteration of the question, only made her that much more speechless. He must have had a death wish.

"No entiendo, señor." I don't understand, sir. It was quiet for a hot minute, a pin could drop between them both and someone could probably hear it for miles. Eduardo's smile waned and he leaned in closer, then Lucia was being barred against the wall. His body directly against hers and his face an inch from her own. She considered screaming for help, was Eduardo the kind of man to take advantage of a woman without her permission? Then again, she would let him, was that permission enough? So entranced by his warmth, by his youthful spirit, by this romantic glow about him, and she desired it more than she could desire any gifts that Eladio would give her. It made her sick to her stomach. She had been at Eladio's side for so long, she hadn't realized what it felt like to be so close to a man completely different in every aspect of the word. She longed for that difference, already feeling like a prisoner to Eladio, now also a prisoner to something else completely. And it disgusted her, she was disgusted in herself.

"Solo tenía curiosidad. Uno podría confundirse con la tristeza en sus ojos." I was just curious. One might be mistaken by the sadness in your eyes. She gulped, eyelids fluttering over ‘Eladio's diamonds’, his lips pressed ever so gently to her forehead. He then was gone, patting her shoulder, stepping away, winking, step after step, back out onto the pool deck, out to go see Eladio. Her heart raced, it pounded against her rib cage a million miles per hour. She dreamed of having Eduardo's lips against her and now that the dream had come true, she wanted more. Of course, greed was a trait she had taken from Eladio, after years of spoils that still could never fill the emptiness in her heart and soul.

   She was stuck now, against the wall, attempting to make an effort at pulling herself together. When all she had to show for it was trembling and heated cheeks and guilt. Should she tell Eladio? Should she lose the only thing that was truly and utterly hers at this moment? The idea of keeping it a secret sent adrenaline through her, the idea of potentially never telling Eladio that she had gotten so close to sharing her splendors with another man. If that even was what that was, she didn't know. Eladio was so much more forward with his advances, Eduardo was an enigma. The look on Eladio's face if he ever did find out, she could only imagine how exciting that would be too. But this was hers. Her moment. Granted to her by Eduardo. He either was fearless, which based on the stories she had heard, he most definitely was as brave as they come. Or he was stupid, and she didn't take Eduardo to be a stupid man. Did he know that she wouldn't tell? Did he know what he had even done? Surely he did. 

    Eladio had made it known that no one would touch her, not even a brush on the shoulder and then Eduardo did this. More than a brush on the shoulder in anybody's book and in anybody's reality. Her skin still burning with his touch, so different from Eladio's. The pads of his thumbs were rough and tempered by hard work. The Salamanca's were well known for tampering with mechanics and those hands belonged to a man that spent hours working on cars. Eladio's hands were soft and spoken, he was raised into wealth, or he had spent so long without lifting a finger for himself that his hands no longer showed signs of effort. 

   Yet again, at odds with herself, who was more attractive to her? The man that worked hard, even when he didn't have to? Or the man that didn't put effort into anything but his pleasure, because he was so well off that working was pointless? A man of self-worth? And a man of pure power? Did her personal preference even matter at this point? No. She was simply giving herself into the idea of playing pretend, that by chance, she could choose, but she truly couldn't. 

    At the end of the day, she would be in Eladio's home, she would be in his bed, she would be in his arms, under him, above him, beside him. Eduardo would leave, he wouldn't think anything of her, he would spend his evening with another beautiful woman, enjoy his freedom. She knew she was far from ever knowing what that felt like again. Freedom outside of this house, freedom to see her family or spend her warmth with another being. She took a deep breath, finally giving into a calmer premise after the previous situation. Only moments ago, Eduardo was against her and now he was gone. She could dream of what that felt like again, but this time with a different understanding in mind. She would take everything he had given her thus far, as little as it might be, and carry it with her imagination and wonder and desire. She then continued back towards the kitchen, eyes meeting the broken sunglasses she hadn't even realized were still in her grasp. She smiled to herself and shook her head, amused.

No, she wouldn't tell Eladio, and yes, she was going to get herself a nice strong glass of Eladio's expensive stash of tequila before her nap. 

She damn well deserved it.