Some time passed before a voice from inside asked, "Who is it?"
Daniel responded, introducing himself and explaining that he had come with Izla, her niece.
The gatekeeper opened the door, and they were welcomed warmly by Aunt Izla, a smile lighting up her face. Without hesitation, she took Izla into her arms, kissing her with longing and inhaling the scent of her sister, whom she hadn't seen in years—a sister who had left an indelible void in her heart.
They entered the house, and Izla immediately felt comforted, a sense of safety emanating from her aunt. To Izla, Aunt Izla was like the mother she had lost, someone who would undoubtedly shower her with the affection she so desperately needed. Fate had once taken her mother away but now seemed to offer her the heart of her aunt as compensation.
Aunt Izla invited them to sit in the parlor and instructed her maid to carry Izla's bag to a room on the second floor, one she had prepared especially for her. Meanwhile, Izla's eyes wandered around the courtyard as she thought to herself:
*How will I manage to live in this confined space when I once had the whole sea to myself?*
The maid brought them tea and some sweets. Daniel and Aunt Izla engaged in various conversations, none of which Izla paid attention to. Her mind was with Iris, wondering how she was spending her time without her and if she was thinking of her as much as she was thinking of Iris now. Sadness and a heavy sense of estrangement weighed on her small heart. If it weren't for her dog, who now kept her company, she might not have endured. He was the only thing she had left from the island.
As for Aunt Izla, her joy was evident. At last, someone had come to ease her loneliness after the departure of her only son, George.
Daniel stayed with them for a while before excusing himself to return home. At that moment, Izla felt a pang of fear. She didn't want him to leave her alone; his presence had become essential.
Unable to hide her feelings, she said:
"Daniel, will you leave me alone?"
He smiled, his heart leaping with joy, and replied:
"Don't worry, my dear. I'll check on you every day, and we have the phone to stay connected. Remember, your father entrusted you to my care before he passed away."
The poor girl felt a bit reassured, though a tear involuntarily escaped her eye. Daniel moved closer, pulling her into his arms. Gently, he wiped her tear away, whispering that he was her father now. She felt a sense of security with him and a warmth she couldn't explain, one that made her whole body tremble.
This time, she didn't pull away as she had before. Instead, she stayed in his embrace. Daniel, too, felt a wave of love that he had long sought but never found among all the women he had known—until now, on an isolated island. There, that love had been waiting for him, ready to guide him wherever fate led.
He kissed her forehead, and without meaning to, their lips met in a passionate kiss that made her forget her pain and sorrow. Together, they drifted into a world filled with pure love, where their feelings and souls intertwined to create a single being.
They wished they could remain in that perfect world, but their kiss was interrupted by Aunt Izla, who cleared her throat with a smile, as if to remind them of her presence.
Daniel bid them farewell, his eyes fixed on his beloved. His silent gaze seemed to promise her that he would never abandon his other half now that he had found her.