The morning light streamed through the translucent curtains of their small Rio apartment, painting the room in a bright color of gold.
Lana stretched lazily in bed, tangling her limbs with Hyacinth's as they basked in the comfort of waking up beside each other. For the first time in weeks, their lives felt untouched by the chaos they had left behind… in the shadows of their past.
Hyacinth leaned over, brushing her lips against Lana's shoulder.
"Bom dia," she whispered in a warm and soft voice.
Lana smiled with her eyes still closed.
"Bom dia. I could get used to this."
Hyacinth chuckled.
"You'd better. We've got a whole lifetime ahead of us."
***
The days that followed were blissfully uneventful, a stark contrast to the storm they had fled. They threw themselves into their new life, exploring the vibrant streets of Rio with wide-eyed wonder. Street vendors lined the cobblestone paths, selling everything from colorful textiles to fragrant foods that tantalized their senses.
Hyacinth and Lana walked hand-in-hand, blending into the crowd like they had always belonged. They discovered a hidden café that served the best pão de queijo, and a tiny boutique where Lana insisted on buying Hyacinth a delicate silver necklace as a token of remembrance.
"You're spoiling me," she teased as Lana fastened the necklace around her neck.
"You deserve it," she replied, sounding sincere. "You've given up so much to be with me. This is the least I can do."
Hyacinth turned, pulling her into a kiss.
"I'd give it all up again in a heartbeat… just to be with you even in the next life."
Their nights were jam-packed with laughter, and stolen moments of passion. They cooked together in their small kitchen, dancing to the rhythm of bossa nova playing on the radio. Lana proved to be terrible at chopping vegetables, a fact Hyacinth teased her about, relentlessly.
"You're lucky I didn't lose a finger," Lana grumbled as she handed over the knife.
"Let me handle it," Hyacinth said, grinning. "Stick to what you're good at… looking pretty!"
"Flatterer," Lana shot back, leaning in to steal a kiss.
***
One evening, as they relaxed on the couch with glasses of wine, the conversation turned to the future…
"Do you think we'll ever get married?" Lana asked, in a tentative tone.
Hyacinth's heart skipped a beat.
"You want to marry me?"
"Of course I do," Lana said, her cheeks flushing. "I've never been surer about anything in my life."
Hyacinth set her glass down, taking Lana's hands in hers.
"Then let's do it. Not right away, but someday. Somewhere beautiful, just us. And maybe…"
"Maybe what?" Lana asked, her eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"Maybe we could think about adopting kids," she said, "Building a family of our own."
Lana's smile widened.
"You mean it?"
"Every word."
Lana kissed her deeply, a kiss filled with promises of a future they had yet to build.
Their happiness was intoxicating, a balm that dulled the sharp edges of the truth they had buried. They rarely spoke of Kim, or the crime they had committed. It was as though the miles between Rio and their old lives had severed the connection to their guilt.
But the past had a way of lingering… even in the shadows of paradise.
***
One sunny afternoon, they decided to spend the day at Copacabana Beach. The sea lay out before them, shining under the sun, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore was soothing.
Lana lay on a beach towel, her sunglasses shielding her eyes as she sipped on coconut water. Hyacinth sat beside her, scribbling in a notebook she had picked up at a local bookstore.
"What are you writing?" Lana asked, peeking over the rim of her sunglasses.
She smiled.
"Just some thoughts. I've been thinking about starting a journal."
"About us?"
"About everything. Our life here, what we've been through, where we're going. It feels… cathartic."
Lana reached over, interlocking her fingers with Hyacinth's.
"I love that you're always looking ahead. It's one of the things I admire most about you."
That night, they returned to their apartment, sun-kissed and content. As they lay in bed, Hyacinth pulled Lana close, whispering to her in the dark.
"Do you ever think about what might have happened if we'd stayed?"
Lana was silent for a moment before replying.
"Sometimes. But I try not to dwell on it. We made the right choice, didn't we?"
"We did," Hyacinth said, although the certainty in her voice felt fragile.
***
The following weeks were a whirlwind of joy and discovery. They attended a street festival, dancing under a cascade of fireworks. They found a quaint bookstore where they spent hours browsing, with Lana insisting on buying every book that caught Hyacinth's eye.
They even adopted a stray dog that had followed them home one evening, a scrappy little mutt they named Jesse.
"This feels too perfect," Lana said one evening as they sat on their balcony, watching the city lights in the distance.
Hyacinth leaned her head against Lana's shoulder.
"Maybe we deserve a little perfection after everything we've been through."
But perfection is fleeting.
***
One night, as they returned home from a dinner date, they found an envelope taped to their front door. Hyacinth's stomach churned as she peeled it off, while her fingers trembled.
Inside was a single piece of paper with three words scrawled in bold, uneven handwriting:
"I KNOW EVERYTHING."
The vitality drained from Lana's face.
"What does this mean? Who…?"
Hyacinth's heart sank. A thousand thoughts collided at once.
"It's a prank," she said quickly, "Someone's trying to mess with us."
"But who? No one here knows us."
"Exactly. It doesn't make sense."
Lana clutched Hyacinth's arm, her nails digging into her skin nervously.
"What if it's not a prank? What if someone followed us?"
Hyacinth's jaw dropped.
"Then we'll handle it. Together… like we always have."
"You're right, Hyacinth. Nothing can come between us."
***
But as they stepped into their apartment, locking the door behind them, the thought of the envelope seemed to overwhelm them like a cloud.
For the first time in weeks, the past they had tried so hard to escape felt uncomfortably close…