Meanwhile, the sound of Andrea's phone vibrating on the bedside table jolts Andrea awake. Squinting against the morning light streaming through the curtains, she groans softly, reaching for the device without even glancing at the screen. She answers, her voice groggy.
"Hello?"
"Good morning, love," the familiar voice greets her, warm and teasing. "Did I wake you?"
Andrea sits up slightly, rubbing her eyes. "It's fine. I was supposed to be up anyway." She forces a small smile, though he can't see it. "How's everything?"
"Busy, as usual," he says, his voice carrying a faint hum of background noise. "But I wanted to hear your voice. You've been quiet since you got to Maputo."
Andrea hesitates, adjusting her pillow as she leans back. "Just... settling in, you know. It's been a while since I've been here."
There's a pause on the other end, and then his tone softens. "You okay? You sound a bit off."
