By 6:30, Ana opens the door and there's Eliane, sharp in a crisp blouse and dark jeans, holding a paper bag in one hand and her usual no-nonsense expression.
"You didn't ask for anything," Eliane says as she steps in. "So I brought dark chocolate and a bottle of wine."
Ana gives a tired half-smile. "I didn't think I had the energy for wine. Thanks for coming."
"You don't," Eliane says, walking straight to the kitchen. "But you do have the energy to sit on the floor and talk while I pour it."
Ana closes the door. "You're a menace."
"Correct," Eliane replies. "And still better than Rafael."
They settle on the living room floor, legs crossed, the wine breathing between them. Ana unwraps the chocolate, the scent rich and bitter in the air.
For a moment, neither of them says anything. Then Ana speaks.
"He said Vanessa's pregnant."
Eliane doesn't flinch. "Is it his?"
"He doesn't know. Could be Richard's."
Eliane exhales through her nose. "That's a disaster with a baby bonus."
